Mini Red has been sick but not enough to keep her down. This morning she had me up at 4:30 due to her alarm clock malfunction and I couldn't, in good conscience, send her to school with her sore throat. We were lucky enough to get an appointment at 8am and we were home by 9am. Hopefully, the culture comes back negative and the medicine will kill some of her pain soon. I liked this doctor because he didn't immediately put her on antibiotics. Too many antibiotics can really screw up the system and then when you really need them they don't work.
Anyhow, on a fantastic note… Mini Red made HONOR ROLL! Can I get a WOOHOO? I am so proud of her. Sixth grade is such an important year and the better she does now the easier it will be for her later. So along with every other effort my parents and I make to help… I also bribed her. The bribing never worked for me when I was a kid because I knew my parents would finally give in. I thought I would give the bribing a shot and I think its working. The deal is… If she makes honor roll three out of the four marking periods then I will buy her an iPod.
The year started out a bit rough and she will probably kill me for mentioning this but she had an E in Reading. This is unacceptable so I encouraged her to talk to her teacher to see if she could make up the work she hadn't done. When she finally got around to talking to her teacher she was told it was too late. In comes Mom… Me, and upon further consideration the teacher offers half the grade if the papers were turned in within three days. Thank goodness. So Mini Red got to work on her three papers, but then there was the big OOOPS. Every time she wrote her paper on the computer she saved it over the last one. So she had to write all three all over again. She made the deadline and brought her grade up to a C. The rest of the marking period she brought her grade up further to a B.
I'm not playing games this year because this is the year that will set precedence for the next six years. Mommy is a real Beotch this year and so much so that Mini Red had an actual temper tantrum just about a week ago when I put my foot down. I have threatened no TV in the past but this year I'm just not having it. There is no way she is allowed to become a limp brained zombie in front of the TV AT ALL during the week. TV is always the first thing to go in my book and I'm not big on a lot of the shows out there for kids.
Saturday night I took her to see The Santa Clause 3. Afterwards she expressed how much she would love to have a snow globe. So yesterday before I went to the grocery store I went by Target and picked up a few Christmas gifts for her. I had been feeling like crap, myself, but immediately perked up at the thought of how excited she will be on Christmas morning with some of the items I purchased, especially the silver snow globe I found. There's a little girl and silver snow and it reads something to the point of "May your Guardian Angel always watch over you". I couldn't help but think of Mini Red going off to college and still having this keepsake snow globe that Mommy gave her when she was a little girl.
My favorite part of Christmas is watching Mini Red's excitement. I think I'm starting to feel the Holiday spirit… Are you?
I understand that you're happy she made the honor roll, but... yah. In our family, that was just expected. Honor Roll was actually an insult. Highest Honors was what we were trained to get. If we didn't get that, then... no TV, no sports (which killed me if I couldn't play), no hanging out with friends, no computer, no Nintendo, etc. The alternative was Dante's Inferno: Two hours of "quality time" with Mom/Dad at the dinner table with spanish or trig, etc. if you got a B.
ReplyDeleteAfter I left home, I figured out that my parents were managing my expectations. Their lesson was, "if you think you'll succeed, if you believe, you'll never fail."
Congrats to Mini Red. I hope you told her she should be proud of herself because, in the end, she is the one who did it. Achieving something through one's own efforts is a wonderful thing. And good on you for staying on her. No one likes to feel like the evil parent (oh no I've become my parents!!!!), but while ultimately you can't want it enough for two, you can impose discipline so that she develops good study habits, habits that will stand in her in good stead for the rest of her life.
ReplyDeleteEven if she doesn't say it, I will - you rock mom!
Anon: I'm glad that worked for you and your parents I'm sure it wasn't easy. As a single parent that would be very difficult for me. My goal for Mini Red is that if she wants something bad enough she can work hard to achieve anything, especially with me supporting her. Some have to work harder than others so as not to fail. This is the second time she has achieved Honor Roll and I couldn't be more proud of her considering how far she has come.
ReplyDeleteI can't help but feel your comment is meant to try and put down my parenting. We all require something different when it comes to the way we are raised all parenting can't work the same for everyone. I am happy with the way I'm raising Mini Red and the values I'm instilling in her.
Jeremy: She knows it's all her and I'm just here guiding her in the right direction and to make the right choices. Thanks!
I have no children. So, I can provide no useful parenting advice, but I love to hear your MiniRed stories. MiniRed seems like a good kid to me (the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.)
ReplyDeletea big WOO-HOO and the rest of the lyrics to that song for MiniRed!
ReplyDeleteYay for MiniRed! Yay for you! What a great achievement.
ReplyDeleteDid MiniRed get a "My child is an honor student at X Middle School" bumper sticker?
ReplyDeleteMini Red is an awesome kid. We have our ups and down like most mothers and daughters but in the end we are always hugging.
ReplyDeleteI need to find a bumper sticker that says "My child is an honor roll student and she can kick your kid's ass too!"
I'm sooooooooooooo proud of Mini Red! Tell her that SMART pretty girls have faaaaaaaaaaaar better lives! LOL!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the honor roll...that is great!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about Christmas, my son is already starting to make his list and get excited about Christmas. Last year was the first time he was really aware of the holiday, and this year he is chomping at the bit.
His mother will have him over Thanksgiving, but when he gets back on Saturday, we are going to start decorating. I cannot wait!!
Congrats to Mini Red on making Honor Roll!!!
ReplyDeleteYou must be so proud Red!!
For the jackass who said "Honor Roll was actually an insult." What are you trying to say? That's the best thing you could say for a kid who brought her grades up from E to B?
ReplyDeleteI hope you are so smart now you're sending your comments from the cockpit of the space shuttle somewhere in space but I doubt that, I think you might need two more hours of quality time with a shrink you freak!
"if you think you'll succeed, if you believe, you'll never fail."
Yeah, that's original! which self help book you memorized that from?
Mr Pissed Off!
Congrats to MiniRed! I have a 6th grader too...it's a big year. We have no TV or electronics during the week (always have) and I find it's very helpful. You can always allow it for a special day... but it's hard to take away without a fight. Thanks for stopping by Just One. See you online! (Or maybe at the Old Ebbitt Grill!)
ReplyDeleteMore and more people in the blogosphere start mentioning Christmas, and I'm not feeling it yet.
ReplyDeleteHeck, I've had my tree since the 4th of July.
ReplyDeleteI have shared your WOOHOOs with Mini Red and told her the areas you are all from. She said it the "WooHoos across the Nation"
ReplyDeleteThanks Mr. P.O.!
Add one more - WOOHOO to MiniRed for the Honor Roll!
ReplyDelete