Fuming

[shadesong]

So okay.

In late May/early June, I sent down two boxes for Elayna's summer - one of clothes, one of toys/books/videos. I got down to FL, if you recall, to find the clothing absolutely strewn about everywhere and had to fix it, etc., go read posts from June 6-10. Frustration.

So today, I got the boxes back.

We open the clothes box. It's messy, whatever, this I expected.

We open the toy/book boxes (there are two - the original one and a much smaller one).

And I am very. Very. Angry.

We subscribed her to a summer book club. My parents didn't even remove the shrink wrap from the books - they're not even bothering to pretend that they had her read. Every book I sent was returned, leaving her without reading material for the car, and hey, speaking of the car - they mailed back the magnetic checkers game we sent her specifically for the car. But wait - there's more! The toys I sent - still in their packaging. All of our care packages... opened, but otherwise intact. Unread. Her Magic School Bus club projects, her Which Way USA? map/books - all totally unopened, unused.

To fully understand my anger, you must understand that my mother's chronic lament is that I don't *do* anything with Elayna, I just let her watch TV.

Well, hm, looks like the only things they *kept* were the videos. I wonder what Elayna's doing tonight?

Fucking hypocrites.

I'm not rich. I do what I can to provide Elayna with fun educational activities. I was kinda relying upon them to get her involved with them this summer, but no. TV and swimming seems to be all she did.

I just hope she didn't forget too much of what she learned last year...

Comments

[m0usegrrl.livejournal.com]

what is wrong with those people? are they just idiots?

::sigh::

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

They are.

They sent back placemats and coloring pages that she colored. Coloring? The kid can do division. The kid can read the Wall Street Journal, okay? A crayoned elephant on a Deli Den place mat is cute, but it's not exactly awe-inspiring... like yendi said, they know nothing about child development. They certainly didn't raise me....

[m0usegrrl.livejournal.com]

gah. coloured placemats, Happy Meal toys... this is what they think is important to an intelligent 7-year old girl?

no thanks to them that you turned out as hella wonderful as you are, dude. you're just awesome, and i'm like thrilled to be your friend and collaborator. [haven't mentioned that in awhile, and thought maybe you needed to hear it today.]

anyway, hopefully you can UNdo everything they did [and didn't]...

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

I'm like thrilled to be your collaborator too. :)

[yendi]

Yes.

They also packed the eight zillion Happy Meal toys (at least they managed to take Elayna to those all-important fast-food joints) in that box. And the World's Gayest Bear.

And a 1944 penny just loosely thrown in. In a 48"x48"x48" box.

These people don't need to do drugs. Crack flows naturally through their veins.

[m0usegrrl.livejournal.com]

And the World's Gayest Bear.

just make sure Max doesn't see it, okay? =)

sorry, it just had to be said...

[technomom]

My mother still tries to play Hi Ho Cherrio and Chutes and Ladders with Katie - the 11-going-on-17-year-old. Occasionally, Katie plays a pity game with Nana. I find it rather sad.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

We've already moved those games to the storage shed....

Re:

[technomom]

We don't even have them here, but Nana has them in Katie's bedroom at her house.

Maybe Katie should bring them home and store them in the playroom for use by the younger kids who visit here at times . . .

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

That's a great idea... especially if she tells Nana the reason... :)

[metaphorge.livejournal.com]

I just hope she didn't forget too much of what she learned last year...

I'm sure she didn't. It's hard for kids to not retain knowledge....

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but there was stuff that she was learning at the end of the school year, like division - it hasn't been reinforced a whole lot...

*growl*

[snowelf.livejournal.com]

What total crackmonkey idiots. I want to go down there and kick them for you. *groan*

[missrachael.livejournal.com]

how old is elayna?

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Seven.

And it's not that she shouldn't be coloring, I'm all for kids being kids, but she learned so much last year - I just don't want her brain atrophying due to no input other than Rugrats and coloring books. I sent fun science kits, the kind of stuff she genuinely does enjoy, and they came back unopened...

What pisses me off most is that this is after my mom's repeated criticism that we "don't do enough with her."

[missrachael.livejournal.com]

that is pretty infuriating. well, she'll be glad to be home, i'm sure.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

I hope so! We don't spoil her quite as much as Grandma does.... :)