Stop Worrying About Andrew!

Before that little immigration nightmare last week (details to follow, New Zealand postponed until March 21st to March 24th!) I spent the week before blogging about Andrew and then writing a letter to the principal.

Ian shows Andrew how to roll.

It was a terrible blog.  I didn't bother posting it.  (You're welcome!)

Nice letter.  But three pages long.  Sorry about that, Kylie.

It took the hassle of immigration - I call it the IQ test the Aussies don't tell you about - to put it all in perspective.

Please let us stay!  (Alma Park Zoo, February, 2012)

Having a bright, talented child is really not a problem.  Having too many options for him isn't either. 

I'm just not a patient woman - but WHEN are you starting the gifted and talented program?  why not yesterday? - and the responsibility of being the carer for such a child is humbling.

How do I know I am doing everything I can for him?

And then, after a fantastic meeting with Kylie and an entire page of suggestions from his teacher (can you even imagine a German principal wasting her time on me, let alone making me a chai latte?!) Ryan's teacher told me she had worked with Andrew on Monday as well.

She asked the kids to come up with complex sentences and this is what he wrote.

"The beautiful, young flower enjoyed the rain whilst the others lay crumpled in the greenhouse, living their last days."

My son comes up with that image whilst I putter about self-indulgently on my blog.

This from reading "Horrible Histories" and "Diary of a Wimpy Kid!"

Enriching "Sponge Bob" literature.

I humbly apologise to Lawnton State School for my impatience and insecurity.

"He was given to you for a reason." said Ryan's teacher.

I just have to trust in that.

A Word From Andrew

Reading is fun, yeah.  School is fun, yeah.  But fighting?  How would fighting be fun?  I hate, just HATE; fighting.  Man, war is the same, hate it.  Just be happy about YOUR land!, and betting: well, better than WAR and FIGHTING, but I don't like it.

(They ARE listening!  And how did a kid of MINE get to be a poet?!  Andrew got a star for his work.  The punctuation needs some work.  And I've not sure how that part about betting got in there.  (My best guess is a television commerical or ad campaign on the train somewhere!)  But that's what an editor is for right?!  For now, they are just letting the kids WRITE.  What a joy!