Our boy is brilliant!  Well, I don't know the technical requirements of that term, but his IQ tested out at about 115.  The teachers think that it is accurate but here's the thing:  his reading is still WAY WAY below average.  Totally out of line with his general functioning IQ.  Since reading and writing were part of the IQ exam, you'd think that getting those scores up out of the gutter would allow his overall IQ score to average out a bit higher.  The neurologist that is currently not speaking to us because they want us to pay their bill after our insurrance company already paid what they allow them to charge and has told us to not pay the rest wanted him tested to see if his reading ability and general IQ were wildly different - which they are.  They said that this would be indicative of a learning dissability like dyslexia.  Well, the school is now looking into what they can do and if it takes even half as long as it has taken to get the testing going I expect a plan in place right about the time he hits 11th grade.  Seriously though - I do hope that it will help.  He is CONSTANTLY getting into trouble and his world must be so frustrating to him because he just cannot seem to understand that he cannot always just DO whatever he wants.  If anyone asks him to do something, he instantaneously judges if HE thinks he should really do it and if he deems that it is not important, he will either ignore you, or he will not modify his actions other then to explain to you why you are an idiot and his way is better.  Since he unfortunately has parents who also both think they are the ones who know better, this doesn't go over well.  Since he is a kid in a world where kids are expected to listen and follow directions from adults, this doesn't go over well just in general. 

 

February 14th, 2007

 

Conference time!  We had a great report from Gavin's conference time!  He jumped TWO reading levels (not that I really know how many there are or what that means) in the past semester and his teachers were really very happy with him!  I think part of the reading might be that to play his Wii he needs to read quite a bit so it is a good motivator.  Speaking of his Wii, Gavin has smacked his finger on the TV while playing with that so hard that his whole nail turned black.  He has also thrown the controller across the room and into the TV.  Kinda dangerous little things.  Gavin got to pick something fun to do as a reward for doing so great and he picked bowling.  He really wants to buy his own bowling ball but I don't know.  We really don't go out bowling enough for that.  He also wants to pick up swimming again and I have to get on the ball about that.  I'm enjoying him being in dance, even though he really isn't picking up enough of it to, say, be in a show or anything.  Hopefully someday he will.  I love that boy but I'm just not sure he has the grace for it.  He does love it though so I'm not going to make him stop.  Who knows, maybe he'll get great!  I pulled out Battleship at my mom's house the other weekend.  He loved playing that.  I'd like to get a version he and I can play at home.  He has the computer game version, but you can't play 2 player the classic way with that. 

 

January 1st, 2007

 

Happy New Year from Gavin's pages too. :)  You know, it is strange to me to look back at Gavin from a few years ago and see how much he has changed.  To me, he has reached an age where he is NOT changing every day so I'm always shocked to see the 5 year olds look so much YOUNGER than him.  Right now he is playing video games with his friend Megan from across the block.  He was out sledding and playing on the ice rink before that.  He was having a blast out there with his snow board.  I grabbed the thing and briefly the thought went through my mind to try going down that tiny little baby thing of a hill with it but when I saw how slippery it was on the snow I changed my mind.  That was way too scary for me, but he just kept going down (and falling with each run, I might add.)  Just a little bit ago we made him go back out because he had left his sled across the street at the hill and he asked Megan if he could get hers too.  She asked why and he said because he didn't want her going back out there with wet socks on.  Awww.... my little man!  You should see him in the car with his little brother and sister too...  always the one to sing to them if they get sad or start crying.  He is very eager to get a chance to carry Asher around - I wish I could let him but I'm just not sure he is stable enough with the snow and all that outside.