I have started my Grammar and Style class and one of my many homework assignments required me to sit and observe an individual for ten minutes then write about it. There was no question who my victim was going to be... Giggles during morning reading time. If you have ever had the opportunity to see this kid in action in the morning you will know why I chose him. Right April?
As I sat down at the table across from Giggles and began writing down his actions and words I realized the enormity of my task. I could not keep up with my son. The small snapshot you see below is a limited view of what actually took place. To say that this is a typical morning would be an untrue statement. This reflects a general pattern of behavior - an inability to focus, strange sounds, many stops and starts, lots of questions and a general irritability in the morning. (Usually the morning is much worse.)
Giggles sat down at the down at the kitchen table smacking his book report book on the table’s surface in protest. He opened the book, looked at the cover and said in an angry tone, “Really mom? Now I have food in my book.” Receiving no reply from me he tried again. “Mom, I have food in my book. Mom, you’re not listening. I have food in my book.” He scratched at the offending food.
“I am listening but your job is to read and I have my own job to do,” I replied busily writing down his actions.
“But I have food in my book,” he insisted.
“Focus on your job,” I asked.
He gave up talking to me and shook his head back and forth making a moaning sound. Giggles laughed and speaking to no one in particular said, “That’s awesome!” in a silly voice. After Brett also reminded him to focus he turned his attention to the book and began to read.
He laughed and slapped his cheek while reading the book. Then pausing for a moment asked me a question about whether he should do the seven habits assignment for his report while reading. He returned to his book and read a few moments more. This did not last long when he discovered a wet spot.
“Mom, my book’s wet.” When I did not reply he mumbled, “You don’t really care.”
To this I responded, “Giggles, I’m busy doing my job. You should be doing your job.”
Giggles sneezed. He wiggled on his chair and let out a moan. With his jaw thrust forward, he began reading again in a silly voice. He sounded out a word and said, “I have to know what every word in this book means.” Losing his spot in the book, he asked, “Where am I?” With a hand on his forehead, he began rubbing his right eye. “Mom, what is this word? I think it is relying?”
“If you are unsure of the word then just move on. I am doing my work right now.”
Giggles peered over to see what I was working on. I covered it up. “That is not very much writing,” he observed.
“You have your work to do and I have mine,” I reminded him.
He repeated the word relying several times, a word he felt unsure of, and then said, “Relying, it’s lying to me.”
Giggles found his spot again. After rubbing his eye several times he now looked like a squinting pirate. With one hand squeezing the bridge of his nose and the other hand shaking the book on the table he again began to read a few more words. But his hand rose off the book and smacked his head a few times while he exclaimed he was too tired to read. Then he laughed declaring, “I’m going to win!”
He rocked his body back and forth like a pendulum causing his chair to shift away from the table again and again. I got up from the table finally and pushed his chair back into its former position.
“See?” he said. “I got your attention.”
