Friday 12 November 2010

ARKS, but not Noah's

Laterz about ARKS.
Has been a strange week. Zac was in school on Monday, but was clearly upset when I picked him up at end of school. There's an issue about bullying that the school have not yet resolved.
Upshot was that his Mum kept him out of school on Tuesday and Wednesday, until she could speak to his head of year. This "decision" was made without any discussion with me - I was informed of it.
Head of Year phoned his mum on Wednesday. She promised he would be in school on Thursday.
So Thursday morning, I managed to prise the little shit out of bed, with much grumbling - "no point going in for a day, why can't I start fresh next Monday" (Friday's are a sporting day, agreed with the school, which is where ARKS comes in to the story.)
Getting no joy from me, he went to Mum with the same argument, only to be told "sort it out with Barry", and she promptly went back to sleep. Great, I'm thinking, make a decision on your own, and leave me to pick up the pieces.
So, I get 10 minutes of the same old record off Zac, simply stalling for time, coz he knows when it comes to school and Mum leaves it to me, he goes, might be late, but he goes.
So, eventually I just say "I'm not discussing it any more, it's not negotiable. Either go to school today, or you go in tomorrow and miss Karting. (clue? K from ARKS).
Predictably, he backed down, and just as predictably, spent 30 mins in the shower to make sure would be late foe school. Still, better late than not at all.
So, ARKS (association of racing kart schools). Zac has a racing Kart (pic of it on some earlier posts), and on Fridays he's allowed by the school to practice.
Last Saturday, he passed his ARKS test, so he's now licensed to race. First race this Sunday, Hopefully, I'll have time to get some pics and post them next week.
Karting is a motor racing sport, and isn't cheap. Since we started, 6 months ago, I guess I've "invested" about 15k in it. Last Saturday, the look on Zac's face, and the little swagger in his walk made it all worth while.

5 comments:

lazyboy43 said...

Odd that she would call the school and make a decision as to Zac's welfare without you (yay), and then turn around and throw it back in your lap the next day (boo).

It's like she wants to be a parent and doesn't want to. Whichever road is easiest and serves her best at the time.

Anonymous said...

Oh Executive Decisions she makes. I bet Mum would call it 'taking responsibility'. She's put her foot down.

But of course the reason you're there is that she can't actually be bothered to change his nappies any longer. She isn't quite into looking after him to be bothered to get up in the morning. Oh no.

If she could do all these things she'd hardly need you, would she?

Baz said...

@ Keliss & Micky. I think you've both said the same thing in your own words. Mum will take respocibility / make decisions when it suits her, otherwise she leaves it to me.
@ Micky. The reason I'm here is not because she needs me, it's because Zac is here. Maybe he needs me.

lazyboy43 said...

I'm confused then. I thought, at least initially, you were there because she needed your assistance. Are you saying you're there because she needed your assistance with Zac?

Baz said...

@ keliss.
food for thought in your comment. I'm not here because of her "needs". She plays the sympathy card too often - portrays herself as bed bound when it suits - she most certainly is not.
In an earlier post, I said that if I left, I felt Zac would follow. The converse is true. if Zac left, then so would I.