Homework

This week saw Climber take his turn as the class "VIP". He got to sit on a beanbag during listening time instead of the hard old floor and was allowed to stand at the front of every line with a partner of his choice. In return he had to complete a couple of activities from the list of VIP options and fill in a double page all about himself in the VIP book.

Now, I'm pretty sure his teacher won't read this so I'm going to make a small admission here. I did a LOT of work on Climber's VIP week. When he said he wanted to do a magic trick I researched (to the tune of $9.95 for a book of magic tricks) an appropriate, fool-proof pick-a-card-any-card trick and then I made him practise and practise till it ran smoothly. I also organised a guest speaker for his class. (I have family in high places at the Melbourne Museum.)

You might be able to infer from this that I take homework seriously. (You should have seen me with the normal homework sheet from last fortnight, nag, nag, boss, boss.) Possibly too seriously, seeing as the success or otherwise of Climber's VIP week will have no bearing at all on his academic career. Still, once a girly swot, always a girly swot. And may I just say: VIP Student week my arse. It was bloody VIP Mother week here at Chez Fixit except I didn't get to sit in the beanbag.

Anyway, apart from the fact that his teacher was absent on his presentation day, I hear everything went smashingly well. My Aunt M was a wonderful guest speaker and impressively, she came bearing a stuffed platypus and a stuffed echidna for the kids to look at, which almost caused pile-ups in the corridor. (Are they real? they'd ask in passing and Aunt M said Yes but they're dead. Actually she might have said stuffed instead of dead.) The magic trick was also a success. He found 'the card' and managed his patter as well. (You see how much effort I put in here? Patter, I made him do patter.) I also organised the photos for his VIP book for him. Oh allright, and gave him a few suggestions as to the things he might include. I may have made spelling suggestions too. Climber did actually say to me (more than once) : Mum, this VIP thing doesn't have to be perfect you know. But that's just crazy talk.


Then, as if VIP week wasn't enough, Cherub got to take home the class toy for the weekend. Harry the Dirty Dog. Poor Cherub. He's been soooooo desperate to get Harry. In fact, last week he burst into the saddest tears twice, once in class with his adorable teacher and again as I picked him up, because for the third week running, another child got to take the toy dog. When I asked the teacher what her system of allocation was (alphabetical? age?) so I could prime Cherub on when he could expect his go, she looked at my tear-stained child and mouthed I think he might be SOON over the top of his head. So an ecstatic Cherub bounced out of class last Friday and Harry came to stay with us for the long weekend.



When Harry comes he brings with him the Dirty Dog Diaries but this was an easy homework challenge for a blogging Mum. We photographed him at the pool, in the bed, meeting Bertie Wooster and at tap class. I think it's made for a very good couple of pages for the Diary.

Only problem is, I've done all this fabulous work and I won't get any feedback for it. It's not even graded so I can't cross my fingers for an "A". And then I thought, wait. I know where I can put my homework for some feedback.