Russian Ramp

(A Castle in Russia. The whole post I used castles from there.)

 

Jaden coined this phrase (Russian Ramp) the other day during one of my

 

Motivational Speeches.

 



One night J. and I had to pound through some hardness. i.e. homework, having football practice, and me trying to incorporate "Order" , "Organization" and P.S.:

"Wash school off your hands!"

when ya get home cause there is some crazy virus back east that is supposed to make its way here and plus it's just disgusting. (Kids pick their noses. So do grown ups. And nobody is washing their hands in the cold water at the faucets.)

 

 

 

J: "I can't wait til you get over this 'organization' kick!"

he said as I was telling the virtues of Hand Washing before going to lunch.

ME: "This isn't a kick- it's what people do. Well, people who like to enjoy life without having the latest epidemic."



But by then it was too late. He was stressed with back to school, having three different teachers for different subjects and the roving that it entails. Like you are in Jr. High minus the locker.
His back pack is wicked heavy with all those books.

Anyway, we had to transition to reading and that caused moans cause the sun was out and he hasn't gotten down the part where he leaves his planner for me to sign in a designated spot.
(heck, the past two days he hasn't even brought his planner home. )

More spouting:

"Well, this is great! I have no time to just go outside and/or hang out with friends! And YOU start in with this

 

 

 Russian Ramp!

(apparently this Russian Castle is Rotting...)

 

Readers, it isn't like we are dealing with Calculus here but he did have a point.

 

 

Now that we are back into school, and football with mid week games, new teachers- it is

 

GAME ON!

 

Meaning I need to get physically better and fast because my duties as tutor, launderer, and basically head honcho/ co-ordinator / Captain Kirk of his life from my 'Star Enterprise Station' is in the balance.

I have a kid coming home from school and practice with dirty clothes (it doubles when they are in sports), bruises and new injuries (which means I turn into physical therapist/trainer and stretcher outter before practice for those ham string pulls, he needs to eat real food (which means a bigger meal than I do cause if I am nauseated I assume everyone else just wants broth and crackers too),

a kid hitting puberty who needs to jump in a shower and then " Go to Bed!" (my last instruction of the day which is said at least ten times.

 

 

How hard can that be?

 

Hard. Very, very hard.

 

Who really likes math when you struggle? And watch the light outside fade and your window to freedom shrink? He needs chill time. And that is going to be incorporated into my

"Back to School Organization. "
(shh. don't tell him I am calling his unstructured time part of the Order in the House dealio)

 

Getting him wound down after all the hullaballoo and coaxed to sleep after football practice, making sure all our ducks were in a row for the next day,

 (thank you organizational angels for helping us do our best each day)

 

is a task.

 The night that was from a day that took 1.5 hours, we veered from the hoped protocal that I haven't even been able to do once yet since the year started and we pillow talked. For a long time.

 

It stemmed from his first day meeting Officer Zaugg at his school. And it was the best hour I have had with him this week!

 

No, he was not in trouble! The D.A.R.E  (drug) program was introduced and the officer told about his partner who was killed in the line of duty.

 

That partner was

 

 

a dog, 

 

 

but it had me crying by the end of J.'s recap. wow.

We have some brave people who are protecthing us. And a lot of them are canine!

Fuzzball, the German Shepherd helped for many years and then was shot by a group of men with drug related charges.

Listening to J. tell me all about a dog before bed and his patriotic service was a tear jerker.

The program that the kids go through now is very intense- they are required to be responsible and are givin a lot of things to do outside of their regular school work.

 

When I was in elementary we had just a small Say No To Drugs program. We re-enacted some things and had a notebook to learn. But today kids have to:

give up pop for the whole time (Ends in Jan.),

keep their rooms clean and in order,

dress in Sunday best once a week,
go without all TV, and other electronic gaming, videos, texting for a two week span,

and

 complete the course in a notebook.
It's Fantastic!

Russian Ice Castle
 

 

I also had homework!

 (The third night in a row since he has started school.)
 

They really want to bring us parents to the table and I appreciate it. It worked last night as I spent a good half hour listening to Jaden tell about this officer, his partner in crime, and the new dog that assists him today.

 

It will be hard to not watch some of the fun tutorials he watches on youtube, going to hard football practices, doing school work, facing hard subjects head on, and dealing with the changes your body goes through on top of it all.
(Ha 'erbon, the city of ice. Says that when you walk through it, there is a 'painfully cold breeze.')

(Does Russia hire this sort of work locally, or what?)

However, I can relate to the acne issues of these years as prednisone does a great job of keeping my skin on permanent teen year mode.

As for my speeches/tutorials/lessons of life being dubbed
'Russian Ramps' I will take that as a compliment because that nation is know for hardworking ice skaters. And who knows, maybe J. will become an Olympic Ice Skater.

*Come back soon. I have some laughs I recalled from my Infusion and Idaho now has the EV-68 virus! Confirmed cases at Eastern Idaho Reg. Med Center.
(I am on their mailing list so I got the fun email last night. Yay.)