Of course my child is Gifted and Talented!

Today was a pretty busy day. Wait. Is there really ever a not "pretty busy day" when you have children? I know of mama's with 17 kids...so it isn't as if I have some corner on being busy. In fact, I am pretty relaxed and generally not overwhelmingly busy. Pleasantly busy. On to today.

Iris reminded me that today was Co-op Kids at the Moscow Food Co-op so I quickly got dressed and ready to go after driving, yes driving, the boys to school. I took Isla in the car seat so Jon could keep working on some design work he needed for a 10 am meeting. We had a good time at the co-op, crafts and most importantly FREE coffee. I was astonished to look at the clock and realize I still had a half an hour until Iris' 10:15 appointment with the foot doctor. Her leg has been bothering her again so we wanted to get her in again to make sure her shoe inserts were still the proper size. So after lingering at the co-op as long as possible, chatting with community members, inviting nearly every person I saw to the Moscow Parent-Toddler Co-op Silent Auction (different from the previously mentioned Co-op Kids) I strapped both girls into the Beast and headed for Dr. Capawana's (Cowabunga's?) office. We got there five minutes early and I signed in. Ten minutes later the receptionist informed me I was there a tad early...30 minutes early...but add in the early arrival for the 10:15 appointment and I was there 45 minutes early. I had confused the doctor appt. for Isla tomorrow which was the 10:15 appt....this was the 10:45 appt. I decided to stay. I mean, where was I going to go that was better then a room with new toys and smiling older ladies making goo goo eyes at my baby? Both girls did wonderfully, of course.

Then we got in late. So we were there probably at least an hour before our appointment. Life goes on. The doctor checked her out, found her insert still fit, but took note that her left leg(the achy one) is actually developing different from the right leg. Her calf is noticeably smaller when he held each leg side by side. He said we should send her to see an Orthopedic Specialist to rule out anything serious. Cue, feeling of dread that momentarily rose in my chest. I talked myself down...chiding myself not to Google, and remembering the phrase, "When you hear hoof beats, don't look for zebras". It actually worked. Realistically, I think she probably has a very tight IT band from riding her scooter again...that and have you seen her father's legs? The man is practically a mutant! haha. Not really...but Jon is pigeon toed (like Iris) and bowlegged. When I went to massage school I practiced checking alignments on him...he literally has one knee cap higher then the other...I think because one leg is more bowed then the other. Mr. Unsymmetrical. He also has incredibly tight Ilio-tibial bands and I remember laughing when he nearly went through the roof when I "stretched" his leg out during a practice massage. I wasn't allowed to do that to the other leg. No thank you ma'am. Kudos to me for not having an aneurysm over the doctor's "ruling anything serious out" statement. I did give her a leg/hip massage tonight and we worked on stretches again.

After lunch Iris and I went to the library to return some books and movies and pick out some newbies. I picked out a Woody Allen movie that I will probably hate but feel that I should like because he is an iconic director. At least I think he is? I suppose if most of us could recognize his slouching, depressed demeanor he would fit that. I am suddenly hoping he is not IN the movie, just directing so that I don't have to watch his bumbling, morose line delivery. Why did I get this movie again?

Sevrin excitedly told me he went to GT math today...gifted and talented. What a wonderful thing for a girl like me, who cried and moaned over my many math failings to have children that like and yes, excel at math. I did take pause though and have in the past at the class title of GT. In some ways this is saying that some children are innately smarter then others...something that I do not believe and indeed impress the opposite upon my children. Even with my own math struggles I never, ever, never, never suggest that I was bad at math. I always explain that I was not given a strong foundation in basic skills and that led to a lot of frustration along the way. I did have a lot of instability growing up...that was hard enough to deal with without adding the times tables. I did gain confidence by passing my college algebra class...yes, I still had to work harder then most...but I was able to do it through shear determination, practice and studying. It bothers me that some children may get the impression that these skills are predetermined. We always encourage our children to challenge themselves even if that means failing. Sevrin does not take failing well...but I keep reminding him that means he is actually learning something. Meanwhile, Josiah wants to know why he isn't in GT math, since he is second best in class. I think some of this may have to do with his previous teacher's attitude with me as he did test into Advanced Math at Russell before we moved to McDonald. I wrote his new teacher and asked how students could be placed into more challenging math classes...without mentioning GT because I don't want her to think I just want my kid to be GIFTED and TALENTED...because aren't there parents out there that do think their children are extra special and deserve that title? Title be damned...I think he would have a lot of fun playing challenging math games and learning new things. Sevrin brought home ALGEBRA tonight...my third grader.

What would be a better title for that? Even Advanced Math sounds more equitable then Gifted and Talented. How affected.

The boys all finished their homework without complaint, Jon helped Iris with her reading lesson before going to work and the kids and I even straightened the house before they had their Tuesday video game time and watched Scooby Doo episodes from the library. We had falafel for dinner and I always forget how much I love it.

One last note...I have been purposely disengaging on the political front because I CANNOT TAKE IT ANYMORE. But I have to say something about Paul Ryan's budget proposal which I know will not pass...but speaks so loudly to me about the direction the Republican party is going. To see him giddily slashing Medicare for the elderly, pretending vouchers for private insurance companies will EVER be enough for ill seniors to pay for their own nursing home and medical needs, and slashing Medicaid funds for low-income individuals...mostly CHILDREN while simultaneously proposing tax cuts of nearly a 1/3 for the wealthy in this country from 35% to 25% has got to be one of the most disgusting, immoral things I have seen a  politician propose in a long time. The cherry on top was saying this wouldn't affect people 55 or older...essentially enticing seniors to vote for them still because it is no skin off their back is disgusting. These people repulse me. To pretend that privatization is the answer to all our problems is ignoring the issue of greed in mankind. Humans are selfish and corporations are the worst. The GOP has hated Medicare and Social Security since their inception...forget that it has kept seniors out of the poorhouse for decades. Screw my generation and reward the rich...EVEN MORE. I can only hope and pray that people stop voting against their own self interest.