Walking the Red Carpet

Friday night Karrick's school had a "Walk the Red Carpet" party. A DJ, refreshments, raffle, a red carpet and a whole lot of dancing is what the night had in store.

The girls all came dressed as their favorite popstars. It was really cute. Our PTA puts on many events throughout the year...all at no cost , which is great.

Karrick was a dancing fool

Then and Now

In Karrick's open house folder labeled Then and Now was a writing sample from the beginning of the 2 grade and one written now. "Holy Shit" is what comes to mind. I think it's safe to say he has improved 10 fold. I have always been very open about Karrick's struggles from early on through 1st grade. It still doesn't really make sense how someone can transform that drastically in one school year. 

If Karrick wrote 3 words on his Journal page it was a good day. Now he is writing a series of short stories titled "Two Fat Men". Get this..he writes during his free time after he finishes his assignments in class...he zips through the work with ease. Damn near every assignment that comes home has a perfect score on it...we don't even check his homework...he does it all in 3 seconds flat. I think we may have another smarty on our hands. Karrick spends 90% of his time with Callahan and if you know Callahan, you know he speaks in facts, a talking human encyclopedia. Karrick is absorbing all that information. Callahan can't help himself it all just comes out...all the time.

 Honestly, it makes for a long car ride....just sayin

3 short sentences to two full pages!
I asked Karrick if he copied the info from a book . His reply
"No, I got it from my head"

Paddy's Day weekend

March is always a busy month in the Mcginty house...in a 2 week span we have our wedding anniversary, Tim's, Callahan's and Patrick's birthday. At the end of the month is Karrick's birthday.

Today was the district science fair. My Callahan took home 1st place! He came up with an idea to make affordable earthquake proof homes. He found if you construct a home using a tire base, the tire absorbed the shocks.  There are millions of old tires just begging to be used.

The judges were amazed at Callahan's knowledge and background information. Callahan has been blessed with an eidetic memory so he can go on for hours. The judges thought his idea was fascinating, but wished he displayed more of his knowledge on his board. that is probably what knocked him out of  "best in show". he was disappointed, but we were proud.

Below Cal built one balsa wood structure on a base supported by rubber tires and one w/o tires. When he shook the table the non-tire structure collapsed each time.

Parents weren't allowed in during judging so the shot is from practice at home. Cal said it went perfectly

My little Karrick in his 1st science fair ever took home 2nd place. He built a solar car all by himself and ran the tests all by himself. He even directed me on how to shoot the testing shots

Happy Birthday Patrick- 11 years old

 After the science fair Karrick went to a buddies birthday party at extreme trampoline...great day for the new car!

 My Callahan turned 13 yesterday!

He has turned into a teenager right before our eyes! He is growing like a weed almost 5'9, he has become the object of many girls affection. These girls text him non-stop and he meets a few at the mall every weekend

 Last night we went to Harry Carry's in Lombard for Cal's birthday dinner

I am officially the mother of 2 teenage boys...holy smokes how did this happen

they were just like this yesterday it seems

the boy is back...part-time

After almost 17 weeks, TJ is back at school...part time. He goes half days alternating between morning and afternoon classes. He had to drop H Chem, German 2 and drivers Ed. He lost all his German which is  not uncommon with a TBI (traumatic brain injury), so next year he decided to go with Spanish 1. In place of Drivers Ed we put him in a PE class with the Athletic trainer that has been a Godsend throughout this ordeal. Mr M has been in constant contact with me so knows all of TJ abilities and disabilities. I'd rather TJ get this credit instead of a class where he would have to concentrate and get homework. If TJ didn't take PE that would disqualify him from playing baseball or volleyball in the Spring...if he recovers 100% that is. TJ has an investing class instead of Chem, which as fate would have it, is taught by his football coach. Now Coach L can see the devestation TJ has suffered from being left in practice after not 1, but 2 blows to the brain. I will go on record as saying "my boy better get an A in that class". Lastly we gave TJ a study hall for last period.

Lunch and PE are back to back, smack dab in the middle of the day...long break when full days start

TJ has done well so far...gets headaches, but a 15-20 trip to the nurses office to lay down usually cures that. Just this morning (1/2 day # 5) TJ said "I feel like i'm waking up a little" music to my ears. He is also getting some of his humor back. Last week TJ and I had a 1hour meeting with his counselor and school nurse to put this plan in place. When I picked TJ up the after the 1st day on class I asked how it went and did the teachers get all the instructions

TJ: "yeah, they got em, the nurse sent out a group email"

"Great what did it say?"

TJ: "basically it said, 'TJ is pretty much retarded, so if he starts acting retarded please send him to the nurse"  here's a copy"

I had to laugh...

TJ has been a trooper throughout this whole thing, much thanks goes to his girlfriend Alexis that has been here for him (all non-school and non-sleeping hrs). She has understood and dealt with his memory issues, mood swings and just TJ not being TJ.

I don't know how many girls at this age would have done that. This shows her maturity and all around great character.  There were many times that they just had to sit in a dark room because that was all TJ's brain could handle.

TJ's modifications are

1. half days
2. elevator pass
3. leave class 5 min early (avoid movement and chaos in hallway)
4. can leave class at any time to go to nurse to lay down
5. laminated (usually paper) SRC (student resource center) pass to get help in Math, science, or English during any of his 3 study periods ie PE , lunch and study hall
6. reduced homework
7. longer time for tests
8. all instructions need to be written down by teachers (still has short term memory loss)
9. notes from missed classes need to be given to TJ (every other day he misses am or pm classes)
10. teachers need to remind TJ daily to show them assignment notebook at end of each class

if  TJ shows any signs/symptoms of brain fatigue they need to document it and send him to nurse ASAP (a lists of signs/symptoms were given to each teacher)

that's all I can remember at this point

TJ did say that "I LOVE BEING BACK AT SCHOOL!"

He still has a long road ahead of him and is behind almost a full semester (has 9 wks to make up Incomplete's and SRC is helping him)

My Callahan is studying abroad

Callahan is officially going to Italy for 10 days with his teacher and 9 other students from his middle school. It is a 10 day educational tour...pretty intense from what I've been told. They will visit Rome, Florence and Venice. They are up and out by 8am and go until late evening..sometimes until midnight. It is a chance of a lifetime!

This is the 11th trip his teacher has lead...always to a different country. I am so proud that Callahan was invited to be part of this life changing experience

Who Knew?

Today Karrick's teacher informed me that since he had his Tonsils and Adenoids out his test scores have sky rocketed. His MAP and Benchmark tests  in math were near perfect and perfect respectively. Next year he will be put in the differential Math program for the academically talented! 

I damn near hit the floor, people who know me and karrick know how he has struggled in school....Dyslexia, processing problem and just not getting it were all discussed and discarded.

Turns out Karrick's tonsils and Adenoids caused more then the obvious trouble. To sum him up pre-surgery, Karrick was unable to: hear, breath , smell, taste food, sleep and eat properly. He had a chronic throat infection that made it almost impossible to eat, not to mention in constant pain.....he never complained. He became pale, thin and weak...he couldn't learn

His confidence level is low as he never felt like a smart kid. The smile and look of pride on his face when the teacher told us was priceless!  

He is a new kid!

Statue of Liberty

Karrick's in class project was to construct anything using cut out shapes. Tim gave Karrick a mini Statue of Liberty before school from his trip to NY on this day

The latest McGinty toys

Tim, his brother, Callahan and my niece have been enjoying all this snow for the last few weekends

What a beautiful shade of pink.....eye

Crazy Train

 This year Karrick's school had an 80's dance party instead of the traditional sock hop. Karrick was Ozzy Osbourne. He was a little upset when we got there and he realized there was no stage for him to get up and sing on, he loves the song Crazy train and Iron Man. Our PTA puts on this annual party all free of charge, complete with DJ, games, prizes and food...FREE

The above picture was taken at the end of the party. All the kids do is run, run and run until they a exhausted. There is something adorable and kind of tragic about it...the big brown eyes?  Rosey cheeks? A Kewpie doll?  Do I dare say "the Heroin sheik look"

 Karrick's "pleather" pants a find at the Good Will store $3.99, along with the rocker tee $2.99 . Both found in the girl section. When we got home Karrick goes "get these pants off me, I am sweating, even my underwear is sweating"

 Ring Pop walk...Karrick won

It's A Boy!

It is that time again in the McGinty house.... Baby Egg time.

In 6th  Family Science all students must take care of their own baby egg. Callahan must take care of "Chester" 24/7 for 3 days. In the event he can't,  he must get a baby sitter.

In order to receive their eggs yesterday, they had to bring a crib and all the necessities to school. Monday night Callahan ran around and found everything he believed little Chester would need. Tuesday morning he ran out the door to catch the bus and left all his stuff on the table....Aarrgh!

After I dropped Karrick at school I schlep all my grand-egg's stuff to the middle school office. Clearly it shows that GOD FORBID, 6TH GRADERS JUST AREN'T READY FOR PARENTHOOD. As I was walking out, another proud grandfather was walking in with a little basket.

I thought Callahan did well with gathering supplies, I love the roll of "baby wipes". Next to it is the baby bottle and below is Chester's doll

I wasn't really sure what the band-aid was for...

Then Chester came home on his first day wearing a band aid. Turns out Callahan stuck a pencil in the lid of his Tupper-wear crib to ventilate and 

SHANKED THE BABY! 

We had to put out an Amber Alert for Chester, he didn't come home with Callahan today.

This is Cal's story "I didn't want to put Chester on the floor after school at my locker for fear he might get kicked, so I put him in my locker while I filled my back pack. I was running late for the bus so I slammed my locker and ran. Once I got outside and saw all my friends with their eggs getting on the bus....CHESTERRRRRRRR!"

"By then it was too late, I would have missed the bus...."

The rule in the McGinty house is

"you miss the bus...you walk"

We'll see how poor Chester weathers the night in the locker. Cal says on average 3 eggs come back to the teacher unscathed at the end of the project. One poor egg was eaten by the house hold dog and just pieces were turned in.

On a positive note my TJ was one of 2 kids in his class to return a perfect egg and receive a 100%. TJ has and always has had a knack for taking care of babies. He has taken care of Karrick since birth. At age 5 we left Karrick, in TJ's ( age 13) care overnight while Tim and I went to a hotel. Yes, we sent Callahan over to a buddies.

Tj's friend Doug, while waiting for the bus in 6th grade let a classmate hold his egg. That classmate dropped the egg. If someone else breaks your egg, you get an automatic A and the murderer gets a detention. Stories of broken eggs are a dime a dozen