Who's In School... Me Or My Kid?

The end of the school year projects are starting.. Which means major parent participation or my kids won't get a good grade.. It's crazy the things I have had to do in the name of education... For example - the 5th grade state project.. All pages needed to be typed.. all pictures needed to be color... and most research is done on the Internet... I remember when I was a kid - we'd send out a letter to the Department of Tourism and we'd get this big packet of really neat stuff...not anymore. It's all Internet... what if someone didn't have a computer.. or a color printer.. oh geez.. This state project was about 25 pages not including the full brochure that "we" had to make.. Thank goodness, I know how to cut and paste... So my kid this year and my other kid two years ago got "A's" I got major callus on my typing fingers..... This year's state project was so good the teacher asked to keep it... Of course, Kara is delighted..
Last night my kids were majorly stressed out - two big projects were due TODAY! They had only known about them since JANUARY!! So I had to make a mad dash to Michael's to get feathers and ribbons... Okay, I just read that sentence...this is a "family blog" people... I got the hot glue out and was ready to glue..
Kara my "work challenged" one had a hard time getting out of lazy land to do the actual book report... I am thinking that she thought the more she procrastinated the more likely I was to do it for her... I assured her that if it wasn't done by 7:30 PM, I would not help her...Well she finally got the message..funny girl - all she had to do is cut out the pictures (I found on the Internet) and glue them. She had already dictated to me the words for her report and they were printed out for her to cut out and paste... Nikki had several things due but her most fun project was her math project. She is my perfectionist kid.. she worries over the the little things.. mistakes that she can see but no else can.. I think her project turned out very nice. Her math ability has skyrocketed this year... GO NIKKI
I have to say I am really proud of both my girls.. Nikki for almost completing her first year of junior high and maintaining her Honor Roll grades. She also beat out 38 other junior highers to be on the Yearbook Team... very exciting stuff.. Watching her grow and spread her independent wings made me really proud to be her mom.
Kara is one of those kids that getting straight A's has never been a problem.. She never studies... she just listens in class and retains EVERYTHING... I am very proud of her ability to laugh at herself and take joy in all that is around her... I could take a lesson from her on that one.. I hoping that next year (6th grade) will be just as easy.. that's when things starting getting harder for Nikki... we'll see.
On a side note. Kara's book report was about General Custer's Last Stand.. She recently found out that Custer is her Great Great Great Grandfather... on her Dad's side... she loves bringing a little fame into her life...thus the book report on General Custer and not something in my opinion more interesting...She did love it...