Too much homework and trying to be the squeaky wheel.

My family is feeling overwhelmed by the incredible amount of work being sent home with the kids, particularly my 10-year-old, by their elementary school teachers. I'm stressed out and I know my kids are too — my family isn't the only one affected, either. Read this psychologist's article about homework and elementary-school-aged children to see what the experts think about over-assigning work. In the spirit of being the squeaky wheel and letting the administration know how I feel, I just sent this letter to my daughter's school principal and vice principal.

"Dear Principal and VP,

Rosie, a fourth grader in Mrs. M's class came home with 11 separate homework assignments last night. I spent 3 hours working with her to get them done before 9 p.m. at which point she was exhausted and crying, then worked on unfinished work for another 45 minutes this morning before SACC. She was not able to complete all the assignments (listed below) — this was easily 5 hours of work. What are the real expectations here?

After the bus drops her off from school at 4:15, she has 1 hour to work on her homework before dinner; dinner is about 45 minutes, then most days (except Tuesdays and Fridays) she has a one-hour out-of-the-home activity. She gets back around 7:15, then I go through her work with her from that point until bedtime at 8 p.m. I'm allotting approximately 1.5 hours for homework in her day, but this schedule as is doesn't allow for any playtime after school with friends or daily chores. If the homework extends beyond 1.5 hours, she misses sleep, or it may cut into her activities. Is this appropriate at 10 years old? I don't agree and neither does her pediatrician.

Rosie was ordered by her pediatrician to get at least 60 minutes of "sweaty activity" in each day due to being overweight, and this is not possible for her if she is spending all of her time after school completing work or missing recess to complete assignments. For example, last week, I was emailed by Mrs. M that Rosie had not completed an assignment, and that she was being kept in at recess (which might be her only source of activity on a given day) to finish the work. I appreciate that the issue was brought to my attention, but I am not okay with Rosie missing recess time.

I'm not meaning at all to demonize any of the 4th grade teachers, just to bring awareness that the collective weight of the workload sent home with my daughter is not appropriate. I've spoken with other parents at WWES who agree that the amount of work their children is given has forced them to go on "lockdown" during the week, where children are not allowed playdates, activities (for parents either!!), or stress-relieving television/games during the week just so they can keep afloat with the homework. Where does the creative play, socialization, and alone time that is so important to children this age fit in?

I can't balance it all and I'm asking for your help.

Thank you,
Nylon"

Here is the assignments list:

1. Read for 20 minutes (daily, ongoing)
2. Study for Caesar's English quiz
3. Finish 5 illustrations in word study notebook (leftover classwork)
4. Complete practice math sheet (new assignment)
5. Study for quiz on customary lengths
6. Go over and correct answers on geometry test (requiring parental sign-off)
7. Study for physics force and motion test
8. Study for Race 2 quiz
9. Go over and correct answers on Race 1 quiz (requiring parental sign-off)
10. Continue working on VA Heroes project, writing details for accomplishments (ongoing, large project with written, visual and oral components, due 5/10)
11. Practice cello for 15-30 minutes. (daily, ongoing)

Had we attempted to complete the work for each of these assignments, it would have been over 5 hours of work. As it was last night, we didn't get to 2, 6, 8, or 11. Those will have to wait till tonight!

Beside Rosie's workload, I had to cancel two planned adult activities that required my participation last night so I could help her. Monkey did all the cooking and kitchen cleanup so I could devote my time to her. I'm sure Dash could feel the tension! 
 

Happy 10th Birthday, Rosie!

If You Were Born Today, November 13:

You are wise beyond your years, your eyes reflect this wisdom. The outward expression of your personality is strong and determined, although this hides a very emotional and sensitive nature. Success may come later in life, simply because in youth, you are inclined to more daydreaming than action. You may come across as sarcastic and even tough, but you are a thoughtful and kind person with a love of knowledge, justice, and truth. You also have a well-developed sense of humor.

This is a strong year for learning and communications. You are able to find new insight into old problems, and your thinking processes during this period are likely to be especially original. You may find more opportunities to attend meetings and other organized group activities, to communicate online, and to take part in activities involving computers, science, or metaphysics. .

Relationships with younger people in your life are rewarding. A subject or even a person can be especially inspiring, prompting you to explore new perspectives.

Dancing, swimming, photography, arts, and entertainment are favored this year. If you are an artist, this could be an especially inspired, imaginative, and productive year. Pay attention to your gut feelings, which will, more often than not, give you valuable information.

(from http://www.cafeastrology.com/birthday/november13_2012.html)

We're No. #1!! Or #7...

I'll link to DCist.com, since that's where I get my local news: According to an annual report by Allstate Insurance, the District of Columbia has the very worst drivers in the country. Alexandria, VA, where I do a good deal of my driving, is ranked 7th worst. I've been in my share of accidents in the area, probably more than the average person nationwide. I can think of three collisions that I've been in just in the past 5 years. I'll regale you with the hilarity — or pain, depending on your point of view.

Collision #1, Unreported in Alexandria. I was waiting at a red light on a single-lane road with one car in front of me when I noticed that the car behind me, with Pennsylvania plates (Philadelphia has the 6th-worst drivers in the country), had its right-turn signal on and the driver was motioning for me to give him room on the right. I was accomodating, and scooted up as close as I could to the car in front. He still didn't make the turn; the car at the light saw him and tried to scoot up too. It was a long light and right-turn-signal guy was close enough for me to see the circus going on in his car. He was talking on his cell phone while he had a gigantic fold-out highway map across his lap, accordioning into the passenger seat. In the back, there was a large dog, a preschool-aged kid in a carseat, and two more large dogs in the hatchback area.

When the light changed to green, the car in front of me immediately made a left and I continued straight. Then I heard a car on overdrive coming up on my right. I looked to see what it was (because there wasn't any room before I got across the intersection) and it was THAT GUY! Turn-signal guy had crept around my right side into the crosswalk so that he could attempt to turbo past me and cut me off before I cleared the intersection!

I hit him. I didn't have an option. He was cutting me off inches from my vehicle like an a$$hat and there was no room to stop, even at 10 MPH.

We both stopped on the other side of the road to assess the damage. He barrelled out of his car and started screaming at me, what was my problem? etc. and I just let him scream, didn't respond at all. He eventually petered out and told me that he didn't want to make a claim. I was super relieved, because even though he was the one driving like he had a hive of bees in his car, I hit him and probably would have been charged with fault.

Collision #2, Icy Alexandria road. The D.C. metro area has pretty unpredictable weather and typically is caught completely unawares when the temperature drops to freezing. Coming from the Chicago area and never having had a snow-related collision in my 25 years as a driver, I felt superior to all those silly people skidding out on ice and pulling off the road when a dusting of snow came along. Weather babies!

I had just dropped my kids at childcare one January morning and there had been no snow whatsoever on the drive out. As I was leaving the garage, I saw that it had started to flurry, but not a big deal to me, right? I know snow. I came up to a busy intersection, stopped, then turned right onto one of my favorite less-traveled roads to get around the typical congestion. There was a car ahead of me, pausing at a stop sign, but I had plenty of room to brake. I braked. My car kept moving. I pushed the brake to the floor; my car didn't slow. My car was sliding on ice covered with the light snow! I quickly steered my car to the right in an attempt to avoid hitting the car that was pulling away from its stop, but instead managed to completely plow over the stop sign and still hit the other guy's bumper. Sigh.

Collision #3, Rear-ended on 495. I was running an errand that required a short trip on the Beltway. I slowly crawled onto an exit ramp that was crowded with other cars until it was my time to merge onto 495. Whew, I could finally accelerate! But, wait, no. There was another collision right past the ramp with two cars and a policeman in the shoulder. I decelerated a bit to give them some clearance, as it's poor form to cruise full-Beltway-speed past a pedestrian on the highway shoulder, especially a cop.

Unfortunately, the woman driving behind me didn't see the accident because she was too busy looking behind her for a gap in oncoming traffic so she could merge into the lane beyond my car. She slammed into my left bumper at high speed and her car spiraled into the two far lanes on the Beltway. Miraculously for her, the other drivers managed to avoid her car. I was still in the merge lane, now missing my left-turn and -brake lights which had been smashed to oblivion. My car was still driveable, but the entire front end of her car had fallen off. You could still clearly see her Maryland plates (Baltimore has the 2nd-worst drivers).

So now, the poor cop had to deal with two collisions in the same spot. He called for backup.

10 things you might not know about Nylonthread

I thought I'd revisit this old meme just for fun today. I'm planning to get back online to put a new craft I'm making out there and remembered this neglected blog. Here's a little love for tied to my apron strings:

1. I love the scent of grapefruit.
2. When I was a junior in college, I lived in Arthur Miller's former house.
3. I bought deodorant for my daughter for the first time last week (she'll be two-digits old in a couple of months!).
4. My grade-school best friend was ordered to break our friendship off by her parents because it was (might have been) bringing her grades down.
5. My pinky toes are very fragile and I've broken both of them several times (one of them might be broken right now; I'm buddy-taping it, which is all that can be done).
6. I try not to tell good news to more than three people; the fourth telling takes the glow off.
7. I can play relatively simple tunes on my hands like a flute or "hand flute".
8. I know way more than the average person about IEDs, unexploded ordinance, and female fertility.
9. I'm really, really, really bad at sending thank you cards and unfortunately, I'm afraid that I'll be passing this on to my kids.
10. I love hiking near waterfalls or on paths that make you leap from rock to rock.

I've still got all your blogs on my feed reader, I'm just not commenting on them very much. Facebook has been scratching that itch, to be honest. Anyone still out there?

xo,
Nylon

Happy 7th Birthday, Dash!

Dash turned 7 over the weekend and we had an awesome summer party to celebrate. 29 of his friends showed up to run this circuit for the four-hour party: moonbounce, wading pool, Dash's room, basement (for Wii), moonbounce. See how they all look kind of tired and sweaty in this pic? This was from about 2.5 hours into the shindig.

Dash has grown about 2 inches this year and has grown out of so many favorite clothes! That fabulous suit he wore on our New Orleans trip a year ago, is still in his closet, but too short to wear now. He started 1st grade in September, with only limited reading skills—his teacher was pretty worried about him—but is now reading a few books before bed every night. We took a few day trips last fall, checking out historic sights like the Antietam battlefield (where Dash got a kick watching Monkeyrotica's ghost app pop up with hundreds of ghosts).

Dash left the karate studio where he was practicing and joined a tae kwon do studio, begged to join (and joined!) chess club at his school, became an expert at Wii LEGO games and fruit ninja, and discovered how fun it can be to trade Pokemon cards with friends. He's becoming very good at quoting obscure movie lines in context, as well. Just last month, we were discussing the theory of reincarnation at the dinner table when Dash shouted out, "Renewal is a LIE!" Which, for those of you who never paid attention to 1970s sci-fi, is a line from "Logan's Run." (From imdb.com, the actual line is "Life clocks are a lie! Carousel is a lie! THERE IS NO RENEWAL!")

Most of all, he has stayed such a snuggly, smiley, loving little boy. He feels deeply for all his intricately named toys and many (also named) inanimate objects, caring about setting bugs free outside, just as always. He comes up with some of the funniest things to say, but needs to work on his jokes—one of his faves is to say, for example, "what is 'shirt'?" when I ask him to put on his shirt. Back when Dash lost another tooth, as I tucked him in and checked on his tooth fairy box, I noticed a dollar bill next to it. I asked Dash, "What's this doing here?" and he said, "It's for the Tooth Fairy. She's given me so much money, she should have some for herself." He is still very transparent and can't manage to lie (well) about anything — I'm grateful for this.

He's an adorable, sweet seven-year-old. While I miss his six-year-old self, I can't wait to watch him and eight and beyond.

First and Last Days of School, 2011-12

On their last day of school this year, I talked Rosie and Dash into wearing the same outfits that they had worn on their first day so I could take this comparison photo. They didn't protest at all, and amazingly, Rosie still fit in all the clothing, including shoes (although, I noticed afterwards that she had worn holes through the soles).

While they are standing in almost the same spot, I didn't get the exact angle from the original shot. I was pretty careful to scale the after-shot to an accurate relative size, basing the measurement on Dash's shirt from collar to shirt-tails.

They *have* grown quite a bit, haven't they? Cheers to my rising Second and Fourth-graders!

Recital Day!