We have sunshine, the snow is melting, but I’m sure it’s not nearly as warm here as it is in Arizona. The sky didn’t clear until after the groundhog had made his appearance, which means he didn’t see his shadow when he poked his head out of the ground and an early spring is in store for us. I’ll believe when I feel the 60-degree temperatures in mid-March.
Teacher conferences are scheduled for this week, to follow up on the end of the second quarter of the school year. Andy brought home a very good report card last Friday. Two A’s (Spelling and Social Studies) and two B+’s (Reading, and Science), and two B’s (Language Arts and Math). We are very proud of him and happy to know that any doubts we had about his schoolwork were unfounded. Since he never seems to have any homework, JoAnna and I became quite concerned about his progress this quarter. Andy hasn’t always been forthright with us about what’s in his backpack or take-home folder. We’ll wave a sheet of paper in front of his face, and he’ll tell us, “That’s not something we have to hand in.” The fifth grade teacher that Meaghan has is a big believer in homework, at least a couple hours a night, which I think is going overboard. Mrs. Wellman tells the parents that she is preparing their children for middle school. If she is giving them make-work assignments, she’s not preparing for much of anything besides drudgery. Obviously, Mrs. Ball, Andy’s teachers, has a different teaching philosophy.
We haven’t seen Eddie’s report card yet. I suspect that his teacher will share it with us at our conference with her on Thursday afternoon. I expect that we’ll hear good reports, though, from both his regular classroom teacher and his special education teachers. Eddie has made great strides in his reading during second grade. His behavior has improved also. We haven’t received as many reports about classroom disruptions and recess incidents as we did last year. I’m not sure how much of it can be attributed to the Ritalin he takes twice a day every schoolday – unless we forget to give him his morning pill, like a couple of times last week, to no ill effect, fortunately. From what I’ve read about it, the drug probably does help him stay focused.
I think JoAnna is already into week four on the Abrahamsom campaign. This past weekend, Shirley asked her to be fulltime campaign manager, but JoAnna declined the offer. It’s very likely she’ll start working for the Department of Justice next month, and she absolutely positively doesn’t want to do anything that will force us to scrub our trip to Washington, D.C. If she accepted Shirley’s offer, she’d have to clear her schedule through the first Tuesday in April, which means, like last year, with the special election for Lynn Adelman’s senate seat, the boys and I could take a spring break vacation, but Mom would have to stay home and work.
So what have you two been up to? Any traveling around? Have you seem Margaret and Earl or other Wisconsin friends who are wintering in the area? Albert called us this past weekend. “What’s the news?” I asked expectantly, even though I realized it was a few weeks before Cyndi’s due date. Al quickly assured me that the birth had not yet taken place. After a few minutes, I gave the phone to JoAnna. She and Al talked for nearly an hour. It sounds like we’ll be able to attend the christening in Pennsylvania, as it will be held on Easter Sunday, the next to the last day of our spring vacation. The boys don’t go back to school until Tuesday.
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