8th Grade English....for the 3rd time

Cade's adjustment to the new school has been going along pretty well until this week.  In  the same day we hit a few snags.  We ended up changing his schedule around a little bit - which I think is working out much better and we had to get a handle on some English issues.  Which we all know "getting a handle on things" to a parent means that Jay and I have helped write and edit a Descriptive/Narrative Essay with a thesis of  How Crystal Shepherd was changed by the events of 9/11?  Otherwise known as we hate homework and we may or may not have hid in our closet at least one night this week. 

We have really tried to not be helicopter parents.  We've made him do his own thing.  We've made him remember to tell us when he needs food for a party, when he needs money for a Homecoming t-shirt and when he needs a permission slip signed.  Sometimes is works (normally he hounds me for weeks about when I'm going to give him the money for a field trip) and sometimes it fails (like when I didn't send food for the 6th grade Halloween party).  Now I'm also not going to lie and say we've never told him the answer to his math homework just to get the insanity to end.  Anyone who says they have never done that is either LYING THROUGH THEIR TEETH or they are insane. I mean flat out, we can't be friends kind of insane.  #clearlyyouarewaytoouppitytobemyfriend

We've gotten along pretty well over the years at school.  Of course minus the unfortunate incident of Jay, Cade's 3rd grade teacher and her boyfriend who happened to be the elementary principal.  That whole thing still makes me laugh. #knowwho'skissingwhobeforeyoucomplainaboutsomeone.   But we may have met our match this year.  I'm not sure Jay and I are prepared to try to pass 8th grade English for a combined 3rd time.  Those of you reading this blog know how weak my grammar skills are.  I'm one essay in and not sure I'm going to make it until May.  Of course the 4 year old blowing a whistle in my face while I'm trying to proofread isn't helping anything.

We were proof reading out loud tonight and there was a line that said "she recalled."  Jay started making fun of it saying that I wrote it.  I didn't write the word recalled I assumed it was Cade.  Cade said he wasn't the one that wrote that so it had to be Jay.  No one claimed the word recalled.  That's how crazy things are around here - forget grammar rules and restating thesisis (I don't think that's a word) Jay and I can't remember what words we may have added to a paper for our 13 year old son. 

For those of you who say they never have (or never will) help their son write a paper well you can stop reading now.  I'm sure we aren't the only parents desperate enough to just get something finished!  I feel like with 8 years under my belt I'm somewhat experienced enough to say this.  Actually let me restate my thesis again so I can get my 5 points of credit....Anyone who says they have never done that is either LYING THROUGH THEIR TEETH or they are insane.  But school isn't always about learning sometimes it's about surviving.  This week has been about survival....and asking questions like "is that supposed to be double spaced and does the punctuation go inside the quotes? and when are these interview questions due?" 

Everyone tells you sleep when your baby sleeps and all those other clichés when you first have kids.  No one ever told me how much it sucks to write papers when your last grammar class was 25 years ago  Would that be considered a memorable ending?.......