Advice anyone?

We are at a tough spot with J, he has no desire to do any of his school projects; when he does work on them he either does the bare minimum or claims he "does not know" or "can't think of anything", which is bull, since we've discussed the projects in detail at dinner or in the car to make sure he does know what he needs to do.
We are at our wits end with him, and have no idea how to get him to do his work. His normal homework has him working into the evening, so he has no outside time as it is. He does not watch TV during the week, and he has lost weekend TV whenever he has not done his projects. He has lost gymnastics each week he has not done his work. Nothing we say or do seems to get through to him. When we try to sit with him and ask questions to get him thinking, all he responds is "I don't know" even if it is a simple question such as "do you want to write this report on paper or on the computer?" I've offered to type as he dictates, so that he won't be frustrated trying to type or write. He answers no to that suggestion. I'm tired of fighting with him, I'm tired with fighting with my husband over him. I'm just tired.
Any suggestions?

Fall memories

When I was a child, my family would choose a crisp October day to go pick apples from an apple orchard. We three kids didn't necessarily like apples, but apple picking was a different story. We would grab a bucket and race out into the orchard, each looking for the perfect tree weighted down with ripe apples. It had to be a good climbing tree, one that allowed a child the ability to walk out end of the branch if need be to pick that fat crisp apple. We would also spend some time on the ground looking for the most rotten, oozy apples we could find, not to take home, but to throw at each other.
Once home, mom would take the 10-20 lbs of apples to make applesauce. Dad would help peel them, and we would marvel at how he could get the peel off in one piece. Each of us kids would also be put to peeling, or washing, or cutting duty as well; although if recall correctly we never did last the whole process. After hours of simmering on the stove, mom's applesauce would be done. It would be a rich cinnamon brown, sweet and tender. We would eat bowl after bowl and make applesauce sandwiches as well.
To this day, when a crisp autumn afternoon rolls in I think of that applesauce. I've never been able to duplicate it, there was no recipe, it was always just to taste, so mom can't help me out in that department. Not that there are any apple orchards around here, it is just too hot.

Writing blahs

Hi folks, I've got the writing blahs and the end of weekend bitters so I'm not going to write much, since my new focus is to be more positive.

Recent goings on included a well visit for J to the doctor's that turned into a 2 hour appt.
(wait time included), 4 shots, and a referral to a specialist for something that may be nothing but that the doctor wants to be sure about. So, if I seem preoccupied, this will be the reason why. Hopefully, it will be nothing, we shall see.

While at this same doctor's office, I decided to test the doctor. A little background: every year when we go for our well visit, the doctor addresses me as "mom" and normally does not address J by first name. So this year, after waiting an hour, I told J that I was going to ask the doctor "without looking at the chart, what is J's last name". Yes, I was all piss and vinegar, but I was tired from work, tired from waiting, and bored.
Anyone want to guess if the doctor passed the test? He did not, in fact, he was apologetic, stating that he was a "face person, not a name person" which is why he also calls all the mothers "mom". He admitted that it was not a good trait, that it was good that parent's called him to the floor on it every once and awhile, it keeps him on his toes.
I've noticed that when I do this to the doc, it makes him slow down and really pay attention to us, rather than his mind being 2 patients ahead. Sure enough, it was this appointment that made him decide to refer J, rather than our last appointments where, on hindsight, this same problem existed, but was not as noticeable. I'm not going to go into detail, since I choose to think positively, but I'm glad I listened to the devil on my shoulder this time.

Tribute

I remember the falling buildings,
I remember the sense of everything being lost,
I remember "the all circuits are busy" telephone tones,
I remember the worry,
I remember the tears,
I remember.

What would your super power be?

Growing up I always wanted to be a super hero, I wanted mutant powers. I remember reading comic books, with Marvel comics being some of my favorite. There was a comic called "Misfits" I believe, where there was a school of mutants, some with super powers not so great, like acid sweat.
That would be the type of super power I would get. Actually, we joke around my work place that my super power is the ability to render computers inactive, the ability to find every glitch in a new computer program. It is useful if you are a tester of computer programs, but not so useful when trying to get work done.
I think I would like the ability to turn into a fly. I could fly, always a positive; I could cling to a wall, be practically invisible in a crowd; all positives. I would have to avoid fly swatters, but I think it would work.

What would your superpower be?

I should be sleeping but...

I realluy should be sleeping but...
there is a bird outside peeping away. Well, it sounds like a bird, but what bird is up at midnight? All I know is that just as I drift off, I am startled awake by a "peep-peep".
I keep checking my facebook page, playing silly games like Yacht (similar to Yahtzee), Farkle, and the like.
reality television plays in the background, and it keeps catching my attention just as I am about to turn it off.
the floors need sweeping, the counters need to be wiped down and there is laundry to fold.

I really should be sleeping.