I attended Jax's and Dex's parent/teacher conferences today. They were both pleasantly surprising and a little disappointing. Dex has a hard time working independently because he wants to be where the action is and be close to his friends. The teacher says he usually does ok in circle time but when his table has to work independently he is always in the thick of it and is talking too much in class at those times. Academically he is right where he needs to be so that was the good news.

Jax is doing well academically too. The teachers are going to start sending home extra math homework for him because he is doing really well in that area. His issues fall in the "Life Skills" area. He doesn't like being told his answers are not complete or that he needs to add addition things. He isn't rude to the teachers but he debates with them and tells them he doesn't want to add more or doesn't think it needs it! YIKES! Then there is the whole issue we had with an imaginary friend that popped up last month after his friend from his class last year stopped playing with him at recess because he would rather play Yu-Gi-Oh than play with Jax. Jax was devastated and up popped Zack Zukes (his imaginary friend). It got so bad with Zack Zukes that I had to tell him he was not allowed to go to school with Jax and Jax was terribly upset with me for a few days. He has not made any friends in his class this year (there are only 6 boys in the class). The teachers say he is well-liked and he likes others but he just doesn't seem to know how to approach them to play with them. Then they suggested that he take some "Friendship" lessons with the guidance counselor and other kids in the same situation with him where they role play and learn how to approach others and to be friends. Stephen's back went up and he told me afterwards that he thought that was the fastest way to the short bus for Jax. Man, I was mad at him for that. We agreed to try to roll play with him ourselves and if that does not seem to work then we will have him go to those classes.

Anyway, I guess things could have been worse. Ash was told by Gav's teacher that she thought he had ADHD and suggested they have him tested! Ash feels Gav's behaviour is because he is gifted and is not challenged or is bored.

And on top of all that, it was a half-day today and Stephen is working late so now I need some chocolate...