Feb 2 - Today’s widow win is setting up Rich’s AppleID so that Ian can text his dad without bothering whoever got Rich’s phone number. That involved knowing all the answers to his secret questions like where his parents met, what model his first car was, and who his best friend in high school was. 

Ian was surprised the other day I couldn’t tell him when Daddy learned how to blow bubbles with gum. “It didn’t come up in the 20 years we knew each other, sorry. So sometime between birth and 27?”

Feb 6 - Ian: “Tell Facebook! This is a big deal!”

Ian found a dime on the floor so he could get two pieces of gum at the local store. He put them both in his mouth at once (like Daddy used to do) and then BOOM! He blew a bubble. A huge one!

So let it be known that Wednesday, 6 February 2019 CE at the age of 9.25 years old, Ian blew his first bubble with gum. I’ll make sure he tells his future spouse.

Feb 8 - Smart Kid Update:
Thank you to everyone for reaching out with your stories and advice. It's been helpful beyond measure. Not only are there close to 200 comments on my previous post (which can be super confusing to navigate, so thanks for hanging in there through all that!) ... but I had many people reach out to me privately with very personal stories they weren't ready to share publicly. 

I hear all of you. It's a wonder we all survived. Good job, everyone! 

The TL;DR of all this is that Ian is deeply unhappy at school. He told me yesterday that he goes to school every day worried that someone is going to fuss at him. And that the things they fuss at him for he can't control or even understand. That's no way to live.

I have a meeting with the principal next Friday. She's gathering information from Ian's teachers. I'm gathering information from Ian. And we will compare notes. And hopefully they can do better by him. 

Regardless of what the elementary school can do, I will do right by him. With all of your help, he is gonna be just fine.

Feb 15 - Smart Kid Update: 

I met with the principal this morning. She is a very reasonable person. She gets it.

Ian will be able to eat lunch with 2 of his friends in the main office. There are already kids eating in there as part of a Lunch Bunch. These are kids who need a little respite from the hectic nature of the larger lunch room. I think he will enjoy that.

He will not have his bathroom needs restricted or discussed in class. He will get a bathroom pass card he can just wave at the teacher and leave. When he comes back no one will give him grief.

The principal will go over with the teachers how to address gifted children. That like any special needs child, there are some behaviors you refocus and direct and others you just plain ignore. She noted that they should already know to do that but may need reminding. This should help Ian not feel so picked on.

Ian will be able to leave 3rd grade and go to a 4th grade class for portions of the day. She has to coordinate the schedules for that as well as decide which 4th grade teacher is best for him. She will investigate what's involved in having Ian skip a grade if he stays at Bayview.

She will talk to the principal of the Academy for Discovery at Lakewood (ADL) school in Norfolk. ADL is an application/lottery based system for 3-8 grades. We just didn't know about it (which bothers me, but water under the bridge). Entry points are only in 3rd and 6th grades so he's technically not eligible anymore, but she's going to talk to the school superintendent about making an exception. 

She still met with me even though her father died this week and she's been out making the arrangements. I told her Ian was very sympathetic to her loss. 

I dropped off the teacher recommendation forms with her for Ian's application to Norfolk Academy. The principal was resistant to it since she wants to find us a solution within Norfolk Public Schools. And they'll still fill them out. 

I have a meeting with the head of admissions at Norfolk Academy on Tuesday morning to go over Ian's application and any questions we both may have. 

We have a game plan and it's a solid one. Ian will get help with lunch, freedom of movement, and boredom at least through the rest of this academic year. And we'll wait and see what is in store for next year.

Feb 16 - He stuck the landing on the exam table. Dxed with ear infection. Sleepover postponed in favor of abx script and soup

Feb 19 - Because Norfolk Academy still splits out 4th grade into girls and boys, there has to be a boy opening for him for next year. There are only 40 slots total. We just have to wait and see if something opens up. 

I'm pretty zen about it, though. Ian has some tools to get through this year, and we have some options for next year to explore. I won't be busting knee caps of any 9-year-old boys at NA to make a space for my kid.

Feb 19 - Ian was super worried this morning if he would be allowed to bring his Kindle to school. "It's technically an electronic device, but I really want to read the book on there!" I told him I would fight anyone who took it from him (possibly physically). 

I also learned that he hides his drawings from teachers because he'll get in trouble if he draws anything that has zombies, monsters, or weapons. "It's a good thing they put me allll the way in the back of the room by myself or else I never could have made that Tofu Ninja drawing."

Feb 19 - I was gonna take him tomorrow, but we went to Build-a-Bear tonight and got an Eevee with a voice thingie and Pokémon pjs.

Feb 21 - Ian pulled out his phone to start a game while we waited for the dental hygienist. As soon as he started, she opened the door and called his name. 

Me (apparently channeling Rich): “Like lighting a cigarette when you’re waiting for formation.”

I can’t wait for Ian to use that example at school. 😊

Feb 21 - Ian had lunch with the principal today. Like they sat together and chatted in her office. He told her he was a big history nerd and that he loves “Oversimplified History” videos. She wrote it down and will check it out. 

He also got to visit the fourth grade for a bit today. He was excited about the worksheet he completed there all by himself on simplifying fractions (21/28 is 3/4).

He also insisted we bring Eevee with us to the dentist. He told her all about the Korean War in the car. I agreed to hold her while he went back for his checkup. 

I don’t go back with him and he covers any issues he has. He brought up his teeth grinding with the dentist on his own. We’re going to hold off on a guard since he still has so many moving teeth. Ian nodded approvingly. 

I asked him what they do in his social studies now. Like which time period. 
“We just sorta cover money.”
“Like economics?”
“No. Like counting money.”
“Oh.”

I can picture my kid stuffing his lunch in his face with his legs crossed all intently and telling the principal about the Cold War. He needs that time and so does she.

Feb 23 - Ian is having a friend for a sleepover. He came downstairs holding his Civil War musket in tears. The friend had accidentally sat on it and broke it. 

It can be fixed easily with some wood glue and the vise, but both boys were very distraught. Ian was crying because he got the musket from Princess and that makes it precious. The friend was crying because he felt awful for breaking it (and possibly afraid of being in trouble for an honest accident).

I’ve consoled all the children in the house. I’ve promised a trip to Home Depot tomorrow for fresh wood glue. I’ve texted Princess to request a lunch date for us all.

Feb 27 - (At the breakfast table this AM)

Ian: “If you could have any super power, what would you want?”
Me: “I’d like to be able to teleport.”
Ian: “So if I make you late, you could just ‘Bam!’ and be at work?”
Me: “Well, yes. And. I could have lunch with my friends in Hong Kong or the Philippines more easily.”
Ian: “But what if the teleportation failed and you were stuck in space forever??”
Me: “You said superpower, not device. If it’s a superpower, it’s part of me, not a machine I designed that could fail. I just won’t teleport if I have the flu.”
Ian: “But you have diabetes!”
Me: “I doubt my endocrine system is the thing keeping me from teleporting.”