Adventures in Parenting, Human Children and Otherwise.

[tj_dragonblade]

I had my first P/T conference today, and I'm happy to report that it went quite well. AJ's report card looks fabulous, and he loves school. Is actually very upset when required to stay home sick, or for holidays, or inservice days, or these quarterly P/T Conf half-days. Not that I ever got half-days in elementary school, but that's beside the point. He loves school and he loves his teacher, and she tells me he's one of her top students. That he's reading at or above a first-grade level already, omg. And he got a monthly star-reader award for September, with his name printed in the school newsletter and everything. So. Freaking. Proud. of my baby. ^__^

She also said he's doing well socially in the class, as far as polite and appropriate interaction, group participation, etc. Which I'm glad to hear, because that's been one of the things I'm more concerned about (seeing as how I was never very good at that side of things, but adept at the academics). I'm hopeful that kindergarten will help him learn to behave like a six-year-old, instead of this six-going-on-sixteen thing that we're seeing so much of.

Teacher also reports that he and another of her top students (a girl) have latched onto one another, and that the girl sometimes drops words like 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend'.

AJ denies it, with much theatrical melodrama and kindergarten-y mortification.

*cough*

^_^

So yes. This school-thing is not going terribly badly, from this end of it.

As far as the other-than-human part of the subject-line, Nataku is...well, he's looking damned near female these days. We had a brief bout with little dotty-white something-or-other (ick, I suppose) awhile back. Kicked that, but then his fins began rotting away. I wasn't sure at first, as he's historically been a biter, but it wasn't long before it became pretty f*cking obvious that the damage wasn't self-inflicted (and yes, I'm a little angry that I couldn't tell the difference right away). It's been a long battle to halt the shrinkage, but I think I've got it stopped now. Knock on wood. I've been treating with some green gunk for the disease and some melaleuca-based stuff that's also designed to encourage re-growth, once the rot stopped. So far...I'm not seeing much in the way of recovery. But I'ma keep going. I might have to look into something stronger and more targeted/specific. He's not a Happy Betta, at the moment, and winter temperatures setting in don't help much either.

Goujun, on the other hand, is healthy and gorgeous and happy as can be. Knock on wood. Again. He was feisty all summer, and while he's chilled out a little as the weather has, he's not...mopey, like he seemed last winter. I've got better warming-conditions for the both of them, and hopefully I can keep them more comfortable through the cold this year. I've started feeding them bloodworms as a once-weekly treat, too, and yeah. They likes that. ^_^

Comments

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

Nope, it really can't. It's funny, how many times I find myself reminding him that life does not revolve around him, and yet...really, at this point, for me? It pretty much does. ^_^;

[soliandxpyne.livejournal.com]

eeee, i want to pinch your boy's cheeks!! ::grabby hands:: ahaha, sorry! but i love bright kids, they're just so adorable and full of promise. ::happy sigh:: at work they've been forcing me to teach kindergarten and 1st grade classes, and the children are simultaneously the cutest and most horrid things to walk the earth. ♥ i know that sounds mean, and the kids are all really sweet and such, but i am not the right kind of person to really enjoy 110% of my attention constantly demanded for 3 straight hours by hyperactive 5 and 6 year olds. i have to make them do their homework. @__@;;;; anyway, well behaved clever children are a GODSEND and i'm sure your son's teacher is so happy to have him lol. it's kind of weird; im reading about you sending your boy off to school and letting your life revolve around him, and my mom is dealing with the opposite. :d if things go according to plan, i will move out in 2 months, and she will be living on her own again for the first time in almost 30 years.

goujun is a fish, too? ((i cant help but think--albino iguana!)) that sucks that Nataku is having heal problems ((LOL on the names. XD )) and i hope they pull through. ::cross fingers::

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

For the record, AJ has very pinchable cheeks, although he'd disagree 'cause he doesn't like having 'em pinched. ^_^ I also don't think you're particularly mean, either - I'm one of those can't-really-stand-kids-in-general types, so I tend to admire the teachers of the world for their ability to deal with so many kids of so many levels and remain sane. ^_^; That said, you have my sympathy for current assignment.

I'm especially glad, though, that he does behave in school, because that's not always the case, and if he's not going to be 'good' 100% of the time (and what kid is, really?), I'd rather have the proper behavior in public and the other stuff at home where I'm on hand to deal with it.

And yep, Goujun is a betta too - that's him in m'icon. ^_^ I've had...seven of them over the past year and a half, though never more than four at a time, and pulled almost all their names out of Saiyuki 'cause I'm a dork that way. Nataku is my oldest and toughest, and I'm really hoping that toughness will help him pull through. And grow his fins back. ;_; He looks so unhappy.

Although, on the mention of albino iguana, I do have a big fascination with lizards and reptiles in general, which is probably reverse-engineered from my obsession fascination with dragons. The biggest thing standing in the way of my wanting a pet iguana or something of that ilk, though, is the whole feeding-of-live-insects issue. I just don't know that I could deal with that properly. ^_^;;