Betsy, I'm so sorry. You're doing everything right. Speaking as a teacher, I love parents like you and share your frustration when "our" student decides to check out.

Don't know if you're looking for advice. If you aren't, then feel free to stop reading here.

If you are, then all I can say is that that kind of behavior reaches a point where sometimes it's best to just take a step back and let them make the (bad) choice they're making. I hope that isn't the case with your son, but I've seen so many parents tie themselves in knots when their child isn't doing well. I just hope you're able to release some of that stress.

Betsy, that's really sucky. Still, when it comes down to it, you can only help him so much, you can't do it for him--including keeping track of his notebook. Gotta be frustrating, though. My daughter nearly failed one class just because she didn't like the teacher. Made it through 5 out of 6 grading periods with A's all the way through and then tanked it with a D the last period. Still had a good enough average to pass the class, but nothing I said could get her to try and make it better. Fortunately, she had a different teacher the next year.

I've just received new replies from two women! Um, that's separate replies. Nothing kinky to see here, move along. One from an email I sent yesterday. The other from an email I sent in mid-November. I guess it wasn't an easy decision.

Also, I have a date tomorrow. Not sure that I expect too much from it, but it should be a pleasant lunch.

sometimes my I'M AN UNGIRLFRIENDABLE FREAK alarms go off

They reverberate throughout some parts of DC too. (er, for myself, not for you)

Though a cute girl I know (who rides a motorcycle and is a firefighter--how hot is that??) did ask for my phone number last night! Except I think the girl sitting on her lap most of the night was her girlfriend, so I don't think she's planning to ask me OUT using that phone number...

you'll WISH your mom would come and stroke your hair and pick you up and wrap you in fleece and make you go to sleep for 2 hours in the middle of the day!

No KIDDING!!

You took membership in a martial arts secret society that demanded celibacy, didn't you? To strengthen your chi, right?

The secrets of ita, revealed!

The kid with the videocamera was the son of another embassy officer. it turns out that they made the tape vanish so it couldn't be used as evidence.

Holy shit. That is seriously seriously uncool.

Most of them against the kid who was beaten up. Because he's Jewish, and his father is a liberal.

Oh my god. I would so be going around kicking peoples' asses. (Which is, um, why I'm not a diplomat...)

Oxford would be very lucky to have you, vw. And if you go, I have a good friend and Buffy fan working there. She'll take you to tea!

My old college roommate (lj user=darthfox) is there also! Though as seen by the name, she's more of a Star Wars fan (and a curler!) than a Buffy sort.

Meanwhile, at work, I am starting on a new project (which isn't terribly thrilling in some respects (like happening in San Antonio) but is OK in others (some of the start-up stuff is neat)). BUT, the doc in charge is going to MAKE ME CRAZY. He's a freak, and annoying and SLOWWWWWW--he's horrible in meetings, the exact opposite of me. And I had my first meeting trying to *accomplish* something today, with him (we were reviewing and changing a form) and OMG I nearly killed him, and it wasn't even my work he was criticizing. I saw my manager afterward, and was like OMG and she kinda laughed adn was like "Yeah, it'll be good for you? Good luck?". OY.

I have a work-related whine, but I'm starting to get paranoid that someone will find it here, so I'll just say whaaaaaaa.

t /whine

Yeah, I worry a little about that too, libkitty, but I never go to b.org from work, so I'm figuring I'm safe. (LJ, otoh...well, I friendslock it, but since I go there at work, they could likely break in and know...)

Ah, well. Here I am at work, so I guess I'll err on the side of caution, even though I don't wanna.

Perhaps we can just offer you a generalized "They're all asshats and you are absolutely right," libkitty.

Thanks! It's funny, but that actually helps.

Betsy, are you sure he's losing it? Sometimes it's playground extortionists (AKA Bullies) taking it for themselves, and the kids are too embarrassed to tell their parents.

Signed, BTDT, I loved my parents, but feared the bullies....

If it's not bullies, sometimes a kid who has suddenly gotten real good at a subject will get singled out and is embarrassed by the singling out. "Losing" the notebook can be a quick way to subvert the process.

I'm not saying these are likely, or indeed that I know your child. However, I do recall childhood rather vividly and there may be more than one explaination for the sudden pattern.