A Woman's Work – Brooke Basically Blogging

Who gives a report in May? Not me. Sydney’s project on her Washington, DC trip was due yesterday. So she is already at 45/50. The problem is she didn’t go on the trip due to increased seizure activity. It was hard for her to understand why she needed to do the project.

After reading the choices to her. Syd picked creating a poster. The problem was when it was time to find facts about Washington, DC. She kept repeating “No DC. No DC.” She didn’t want to do the report and started writing about The Ten Commandments on the poster board.

My friend Elisabeth suggested that I make the project more of an emphasis on Anne Frank. Sydney did a book report on Anne Frank earlier in the year.

We searched pictures of the Holocaust Museum. Sydney typed facts she wanted to include on her poster. I made sure that she could read the captions for her pictures. No matter how much we practiced. She would say Alabama instead of Amsterdam.

I thought we were making progress. Then it was time to assemble the display. I was even thinking of ways to modify the assignment. I was being a terrible parent. All I kept saying was who gives a project in May?

Sydney was having sensory issues using glue. This has never happened before. She refused to use glue. She constantly wanted to wash her hands. As much as glue would have worked better. As much as I wanted to glue it all myself. I gave Syd tape and told her to finish up.

She gave me attitude and I gave it right back to her. I like how she added her personal touch to the poster. The fact that she likes cherry blossoms near Dr. King’s memorial.

She drew her own picture of The Washington Memorial. I’m glad that Syd finished and she did it on her own. I had to hold back from fixing things on her display. But I’m proud of Syd for finishing. That tape on the pictures is messing with my OCD.

What did she learn from the project? Well, she will have a chance to present in front of her peers. She learned how to find a new font and size. I learned that my advocating paid off for Sydney. She acquired skills that I never thought she would.