Friday, July 19, 2024

Friday, July 19, 2024

 

  I only met with Twin E this morning.  A was still sound asleep. E surprised me by reading a more advanced passage than usual.  She has problems with multi-syllable words and often ignores the spelling of a word if she doesn't recognize it immediately.  All the kids who were delayed readers have this problem. They can quickly figure out the correct word when I tell them they misread it. The teachers say they have a problem with phonics. They don't.  They have a problem recognizing when they misread a word.  E was encumbered by itchy eyes. I think it's an allergic reaction.  There was a big problem with kids rubbing their eyes when the vog was high.  My optometrist said the kids rubbed their eyes so much that some required cornea replacements.

   I got into garden work big time today.  I weeded the mulched area until my back started hurting.  I came inside, did some work on the updates, and then returned to attack one of the weeds along the driveway that had gotten out of hand.  I still haven't gotten around to the Schefflera or any haole koas. I needed to drill holes in the trunks and pour a minimal amount of Round-Up. That will kill the tree in four or five months.

   I made it to the Hulu class today; I loved it. My attitude has changed since the last session. The difference is that I recognized some of the steps. They're not quite automatic; I need to keep my eye on someone who knows what they're doing.

  In today's class, we held our elbows at chest height. My left one, with the shoulder replacement and elbow reconstruction, gave out quickly.  I could only do so much when I had to drop the arm to my side and rub it. Because I have a reverse shoulder replacement, I can no longer lift that arm using my shoulder muscles. I can only use my upper arm muscles.  One of the participants came over and told me another woman in the class had shoulder problems. Very sweet. 

   In contrast, the teacher tried to correct my drooping arm. I was the only one she picked on. I know she did it because she saw I knew how to isolate movement and should know how to hold my arm in place. "I'm a year out from a shoulder replacement and an elbow reconstruction." Oh! She backed off.  I was the only student she corrected. I was sure it was because she saw evidence of my dance training and thought it was worthwhile instructing me. Someone called out, "A Bionic woman.!' "And I'm two years out from a hip replacement!" more laughter. 

   I learned the name of one of the other students, Alia. I found her delightful. She is also one of the better dancers. My age came up. As usual, people are surprised. They think I'm 10 years younger, in my 70s.  I'm always disappointed they don't think I'm in my 60s. I inherited my mom's skin and body, except for my bones and teeth. Those definitely didn't come from her.

    When I was 66, the woman giving me a facial said my skin was dry for my age. I asked her how old she thought I was, "46." I told her she was off by 20 years.  Those are numbers I like to hear.

    I left the Hulu class early because I wanted to stop at the post office to return a box of dog food I bought from Dr. Marty.  It's much more expensive than the prescription food Elsa prefers above all others. Dr. Marty's may not cause her lesions like the Science Diet prescription food did, but she doesn't seem to like it. 

  When Adolescent D and I met today, I had him read the decoded paragraphs.  This was a vast improvement over his previous work; he read with greater fluency. He was a bit choppy in spots but could read it with the correct intonation when I asked him to. But every word was decoded; he didn't have to read the text in the regular printed format. At least half the work was done for him.

   I asked him if he could hear the improvement in his reading. Yes. Was he pleased? No. What am I going to do with this boy?  His attitude worries me.

  I spoke with his mother. I asked her if she'd thought about what he would do after graduating high school. He is about to start his junior year. This gives him two more years. I was asking what I should focus on once his reading was reasonably fluent. Given how little reading he's done, it is difficult to believe he is up to snuff.  D's parents are college graduates, but I doubt they engaged in dinner table conversations complex enough to cover all the skills needed at a college level.

   I pointed out D seemed happy working at Costco. He has an entry-level job as a cashier's assistant; he repacks the carts,  and he brings the carts in from the parking lot.  It's supposed to be a good place to work. I've heard nothing but good things about it; the employees look happy.  She said she was hoping for something more creative for him. I asked her for examples of his creativity.  Knowing her, she thought I was challenging her. I was, I suppose. She said he did good work creating videos and had a good sense of humor. I asked her to think about how he might pursue those skills. He would need training. She shrugged. That is very much her response. Drives me nuts. 

  Logan continued with comprehension. He still needs to understand the purpose of using the author's words to answer questions about the passage. He wants to use his own words and his own ideas. First, you have to know what the author said. Then you can put your own interpretation on it. You must come as close as possible to understanding the other person's meaning. The second objective is understanding what the author is not saying. The sentence was, "Some people cannot see very well at night." I asked if the author was saying all people couldn't see well at night. He didn't understand the question. I drew a horizontal line. I wrote 'all at one end,' and at the other, I wrote 'none.'  While he didn't know the antonym for all, he understood that "some" fit in the middle. Excellent

    I couldn't find Call the Midwife on Netflix tonight. Later, I learned there was an international Internet glitch. Netflix advertised a Harry Connick Jr. film, Find Me Falling. I watched it. It was a weak romcom for middle-aged people. It was not very satisfying. Also, Connick is not the stud he used to be. I thought, "He needs the money." Does he?