08 March 2008

Getting a Bit Forgetful.

I don't know if all teenage boys are forgetful, but Patrick has an extreme case of the malady. He's driving us all a bit nutty. For example, he needed to stay after school to finish some make-up work. It took us forever, nagging him until he remembered to ask the teacher for an appointment time. But that day, he showed up at home at the usual time! It was only after I asked him what he was doing here that *OH YEAH* he remembered that he forgot.

He's had cello concerts, but getting the date, place and time accurately relayed is next to impossible. I would check the school website, but that's useless as well. (I suppose his teachers forget to update it, or orchestra stuff is just not important enough to be included on the general school calendar.)

He's brought home forms for me to sign the day before they're due. What's this date at the top of the note? You've had this in your binder for a week and now it's urgent for me to just drop everything and sign this cryptic paper? Nope.

The latest: It's snowing outside on Friday morning. I slipped at least three times, dangerously, in the snow when I was driving home from mailing the Stanleys to Casdok. It was bad weather, the kind where the most careful driver could careen off the road at 20 miles per hour. Literally. Guess who calls home just then to tell us that he's already taken the bus to another school in the district, and he needs to be picked up at 4 p.m.?

What makes it WORSE is that 4 p.m. is the exact time G arrives at home. All the children don't fit safely in our van, either. (We don't have a spare $30,000 lying around with nothing to do, so getting a new van is probably not happening. We just plan trips well in advance so that we have two drivers.)

D is livid about this irresponsible kid. I've tried to reason with him. I told him that Patrick is actually a very nice boy. He doesn't date. He doesn't cuss so far as I'm aware. He gets good grades. He doesn't do drugs.

Yeah, D says ruefully. Maybe he just FORGETS to do drugs! How 'bout that?

Awww. That was mean. The child remembers how to play his video games each day, though. I don't think he's forgotten that he has the Wii system for a single afternoon. We just need to put all his appointments and school notes on the system somehow.

7 comments:

  1. Okay now THAT's funny, what D said, you have to admit! Sorry about your day, I think the weather adds even more ick to it, no? I'm sending hugs your way! xoxo

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  2. Sorry to say it, but this is ABSOLUTELY TYPICAL teenage behaviour!!! Babe, get USED TO IT... he will not change until his hormones have settled down and his head comes outta the clouds! Take it from an expert who's had 3 teenage boys (and 3 teenage girls)... they are IKKKKKY.

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  3. LOL Thanks for the encouragement Chris! And for the hugs, Stacey!

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  4. Have you thought of like an organizer/calendar for him to carry around with him? I have had a regular one and an electronic one that I keep all my appointments and stuff on. Maybe that would help him out a little better.

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  5. Yup! He has an "agenda" through the school and is supposed to bring this binder to every class. I applaud that idea.

    It's like pulling teeth with rusty pliers to get him to WRITE something in the agenda. Then he goes and forgets the agenda in his classes!

    I think if I didn't understand the Word of God to expressly forbid tattoos, he'd be getting a few or writing his assignments on his hand. Of course, Christians have differing opinions on this issue and it may just be time to break out the Sharpies LOL!!

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  6. Did someone suggest a day planner yet? I have to write "take shower" in my day planner sometimes. I would never remember any of my daily appointments or tasks without one. I have post-it's all over my desk too. I'm not irresponsible or late either so I feel for Patrick...he does not sound like a bad kid. I know some people can remember to do stuff without writing it down but I am just not like that.

    As for the video game thing, I think people don't have to be reminded to do the things they're addicted to.

    Again, I would suggest the day planner.

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  7. Catherine, he's *got* to learn to write stuff in his agenda and then remember to BRING the agenda and then remember to LOOK in the agenda. Then he has to remember to DO the thing in the agenda.

    Somewhere in that whole stream of things he gets muddled. He's functional in terms of living life day-to-day, but we do wonder with his having two brothers on the autism spectrum if he isn't a little quirky himself. He wonders that, too, but since he is able to function it doesn't matter to me if he's Aspie. What would the point be of labelling him if he's functional? You know?

    And yeah, he's pretty addicted to those games. But he knows the games go bye-bye for him if he slips too far so he's pretty motivated LOL!

    He *is* a good kid.

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Non-troll comments always welcome! :)

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