School's Out For Summer!

School has been out now for oh, about two and a half weeks now. The most severe case of boredom ever has hit this household. Not me, mind you. Those two female youngsters that call me mom are the ones who have been bit with the bug.

In a sense, I am terribly happy that I have this time to stop and catch my breath, if you will. Sad that they are home most days, not really knowing what to do with themselves while I work, but glad that there is no homework. No stress. No deadlines for dues. Field trips, expenses, etc.

What stresses me most of all, is that my oldest hates school. She really really does and it drives me insane. I mean, she has NO INTEREST in ANYTHING school-wise and I am to the point of pulling my hair out!

It is summer, what is there to stress about NOW, you ask? Well, I will explain.....

Chelsea will be in the 8th grade this year. In the state that we live in, it is required that all 8th grade students must take and pass what is called, the LEAP test. What this basically means is, they must take a mandatory test which covers Math, Social Studies, Science, and English. If any of these sections are not completed with a passing score, then they will be held back in 8th grade. Even if she makes the grades which make her eligible to pass on to high school and fails any part of this test, she will again be required to repeat the 8th grade. Or go to summer school. Whether or not she will pass on after attending summer school, is not to my knowledge. Yet.

So yes, summer has just begun, she has not even begun 8th grade, but I am already a mess. A wreck with worry about what will happen in the months to come.

Math is not her thing. At all. I can not say as I blame her, I myself did not do all that well in Math, but I never border lined on failing. Chelsea did. And has. She was struggling very much so in the 6th grade, so I hired a tutor. Not only did I pay tuition, because she was still in private school at the time, but I paid a tutor on top of that. And she failed math that year. However, she moved on to the 7th grade. In public school. Where she passed math this year. With a D!

I feel so guilty for feeling bad about this and worrying. Sad, because there are mothers out there with sick children. Children who have serious illnesses, whose mothers are just so happy to have every second with their child. And those mothers who do not have their child in their lives anymore at all. I wonder if I am just being trivial in a world of so much real loss and sadness.

I should not be complaining. However, all I want is what is best for my child. And to get her through high school with all of the hair left on my head!