Noah and the boat and ADD

Despite the "(pending)" next to Noah's name on the family side of my facebook page, he isn't waiting to happen, and he is most certainly my son. The conversation we had on the phone this afternoon while he waited for me at Boys and Girls Club left little doubt.


Noah launching the Catalina that is in the cove.
 His boat is the orange sister parked in the front yard.

Noah: Hey, Mom, you know that focus medicine I take. It really works, but today it worked differently. I was so focused all day on cleaning out my boat, I couldn't think of anything else at school. It was so hard to think, Mom.
Me: What did you do in school?
Noah: What? I was thinking about cleaning out the boat.
Me: How was the science quiz?
Noah: It was the hardest thing ever. It took me an hour and fifteen minutes.
Me: Why is that?
Noah: I was thinking about cleaning out the boat.
Me: Wasn't it a quiz with your notes?
Noah: I left my binder at home so it wasn't a quiz with notes. It was a quiz with me thinking about the boat. I'm sure I got an F.
Me: Well, don't worry about it. You know the stuff even if the grade doesn't work out so good.
Noah and I have ADD. Focus can be either non-existent or tunnel vision. He's on the all A honor roll in middle school, but there is still the occasional really bad grade on something he knows well.  It happens when he just isn't thinking on topic.
I wish I could make grades less important with a wave of the wand. Make them float off in the wind.

Noah with Grandpa Jim on the Windrider 17.
Noah will learning to sail the Windrider 16 over the summer.