Every year since 2nd grade, DS2 has had issues with keeping up with assignments. The child would have straight Es (Excellent) and As (starting in 4th grade) if he only turned in all his assignments on time. He has at least one 0 in every subject in each grading period. Mostly these are assignments missed just due to not keeping up. Disorganization. If I ask him, he will admit that something is due, but if I don’t prompt him, he just doesn’t do it. This year it has only been little things. A spelling paper here, a reading assignment there. Overall he’s been doing better and actually each year it HAS been better. Until now.
We had a parent teacher conference on Feb 27th. At that point the 5th graders had all been given the specifics of their big State Project. Each student had picked a state and chosen a landmark from that state which would be their 3D display for the Spring Open House. DS2 and I had enjoyed looking at those last year when he was in 4th grade. I remember we went looking for the names of his buddies who are one grade ahead. I also remember looking at these awesome designs in amazement. In just one year MY kid would be producing this? Well, he would, sort of. Kind of. Maybe.
There is a homework folder sent home every Friday with a status report provided if any assignments are missing. At no point did I see any notes about the State Project. I would ask DS2 how it was going. “Fine. I turned in my notecards/statistics/timeline etc” he would say. I suggested that he work on the 3D part with his dad. He had chosen a replica of the Hoover Dam since his state is Nevada. His dad has all sorts of materials at his disposal and tools. I knew it would be something fun they could do together. Every Monday that I would drop him off for a week with his dad I would remind him to work on it. He was with his dad last week and I knew the deadline was coming up so I reminded him on Wednesday and on Saturday to get going on it. Yesterday I double check the teacher’s website and see that an essay is due today and confirm that the 3D project is due Thursday (Open House is that night). I pick him up from his dad last night and begin the interrogation. DS2 informs his dad and I that he has done nothing. Nada. Zilch. GRRRRRRR. Last night, he sat at the computer in my house from 6:45-9:15 writing his essay and downloading pictures and a map of Nevada to print out. He took a 15min break for dinner. He found a picture of the Hoover Dam that he wants to reproduce in 3D. Tonight we go the craft store for materials with the picture in hand. He has two nights to complete this. He’s had 5 WEEKS to get all this together!! I honestly have no idea what he would have done had I not brought it up last night!! He admitted to me that when his teacher asked the class yesterday how everyone was doing on the 3D assignment that he was the ONLY one who had not eve started. Oh. I am so proud.
He is on 100% electronic restriction all week with me. I will speak to his dad about doing the same next week and I am sure he will gladly comply. DS2 will be doing a lot of extra reading, writing, and math for a couple of weeks. We will all be very happy about it I am sure. Not. Little Stinker.
Trees & Flowers & Birds! 
YIKES!!!!
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Oh, G-d no. Wizard passed the “lazy-ass” disease to DS2. I am so sorry. Don’t you hate these multi-week big projects? Please. Do the damn things in school and leave me alone!
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