I had my domain redirected to this blog and the other one is gone, gone, gone. Okay, I did export a copy but it is no longer available on the internetz.
February 23, 2010
We have been spending a lot of time trying to decide where to send Widget for kindergarten next year. We aren’t thrilled with our local school district, primarily because they are continually changing which schools kids go to and our neighborhood school has been a low performer on standardized testing. Also, they are only doing full day kindergarten and I’m just not sure that Widget is ready for that (or me, having her gone that much).
Right now, we are comparing two local charter schools, her current school (the local Catholic school) and possibly a neighboring public school district as we would be as close to them as we are to the other schools we are considering.
The first charter school uses a Montessori approach for kindergarten and when we visited, I loved the simplicity of the room. But I’m not sure about the Montessori approach and Widget. I could see her focusing on just one area and neglecting the others, though I do know that the teacher guides them. Plus I was not that excited about the organization of the rooms for grades 1-3. Only one of the teachers we met seemed very organized and all the rooms felt like they were trying to cram too much into too small of a space, especially with the idea of putting 21 children in the room as well.
The other charter school we looked at earlier this year, considering switching Widget into their Readiness Kindergarten program to guarantee her a place there next year. But I was not impressed with those classrooms. They were overwhelming and busy with WAY too much focus on academics for children who are mostly barely five-years-old. I knew right away that we were keeping her in the pre-K preschool program she is currently in and were going to take our chances with getting in next year. The kindergarten rooms seemed a little bit better organized but I do think there is a stronger focus on academics with this school, which is important but I also feel strongly that kindergarteners are young and need to experience much of their learning through play.
Our current school is, honestly, really where I want to send her because it just feels like the right place to be. The kindergarten class room reminded me of my own kindergarten class as a child- academics but with room to play. I have no qualms about her learning and gaining through her experiences with the Catholic faith in school, so that isn’t even something we are worried about. What I’m worried about is the finance of sending her to a private school, especially as we aren’t Catholic (though we are considering trying the Catholic church in our current search for a new church home). Tuition is more than double our current tuition for preschool and then the next year, it would almost double again for the rest of the years. And obviously when we have more than one child in school, we would have to pay the tuition twice over.
Lastly, there is the neighboring public school, which I haven’t actually visited but our friends’ neighbors send their kids there and they love it. The only drawback to kindergarten there is that it is on a funny schedule of two full days one week and three the next week. It seems to me that would be hard for a child to not have a totally consistent school schedule from week to week, especially with school holidays.
We find out if we are chosen for either of the charter schools next month. They both have a lottery system for open spaces because of state laws on charter schools, so we may or may not get in despite having applied. I know that we can get into her current school and I know we able to enroll at the neighboring public school because I received a letter confirming our slot in their open enrollment program but I have to let them know ASAP once I find out about the charter schools next month.
I never thought this would be so hard! When I was little, there was no choice really. Either we went to the neighborhood public school- low scores or not, or we went to a private school (in my hometown, also a Catholic school).
February 7, 2010
which has totally messed up my goals with the television. I am finally on the mend after nearly two weeks, thanks to getting an antibiotic from my doctor on Friday.
I have a post brewing about finding a kindergarten for Widget for next year and how challenging it has been to find a school that fits what we want for her and what will suit her needs.
But I wanted to let you know I haven’t forgotten about this blog. I’ve just been doing a lot of recuperating 
January 18, 2010
I was trying to implement a plan to reduce the amount of time the television is on but it has been rather hit or miss. I think my biggest struggle is that Widget is a child in need of constant companionship. An oft repeated refrain around here is “Who can I play with today?”. It doesn’t matter if she had school or a playdate the previous day. To her, today is a new day and must be filled with activities. Sometimes, I can fill the gap, but I am a person who recharges with downtime, usually spent reading (or on the computer), so I am the one who thinks “Oh, another half-hour of television isn’t a big deal, that way I can finish this chapter or work on housework” and suddenly an entire morning has gone by. Plus I have been battling a morning fatigue for many months now, and that doesn’t help my motivation to not take the “easy way out” by letting her watch.
I need to be firmer with myself about it.
Perhaps I will use this blog to help myself be accountable for how much television is watched.
January 3, 2010
There is always something about the new year that makes me want to change. As the year changes from old to new, I find myself contemplating an assortment of new ideas about my life and what I want for myself, for my family, for my home. I’m always excited to see what the new year will bring and thankful for the blessings the previous year has given us.
These are some things I would like to do this year:
1. Learn to knit
2. Do more of the cooking from scratch, rather than relying on processed foods for quick meals.
3. Find a church
4. Eliminate excess toys, focusing on the ones that promote the most imaginative and free play. (I’m reading a book called The Power of Play by David Elkind, so far it is has been rather textbookish but very interesting about how media has taken over childhood).
5. Plant a garden in the spring
6. Make sure we get more time outside/exercise.
7. Go to the farmer’s market more frequently when it starts up again.
8. Reduce the amount of time the television is on, even if I’m picky about the shows Widget watches, it can be on for far too long.
9. Be more conscious with the time I have left with just Widget at home. She starts kindergarten next school year, meaning I will have less time with her. And we are waiting to adopt an infant (plus considering opening our home to a slightly older child, younger than Widget still), so that could change our lives in a blink of an eye.
10. Find ways to make this house work for us, so I don’t get my usual itch to move after a couple of years. We really don’t need a different house, despite some of the things I wish were different. I think a lot can be remedied by some renovation projects (paint, new doors/trim, perhaps knocking a hole in a wall).
December 25, 2009
Wishing you peace and joy this Christmas!!
December 22, 2009
We have been busy getting ready for Christmas:
December 14, 2009
I am a reader by nature. I have always loved to read. Primarily, I am an Anglophile and I read mostly fiction books set in England (mysteries are my favorite genre). However, upon becoming a parent, I have found myself reading more and more books on parenting. These three books are ones that have really had me thinking the most on what kind of parenting we do and what we are exposing Widget to environmentally, socially, emotionally.
You are Your Child’s First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin Dancy
Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
Healthy Child, Healthy World by Christopher Gavigan
These are books I would like to read (both of which are on hold requests at our local library- yay for libraries!):
Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne
Mitten Strings for God by Katrina Kenison
If anyone has any additional suggestions, I would love to have them!
December 12, 2009
Here I go starting a new blog. This one is to be focused on my search for a simpler lifestyle and incorporating more elements of Waldorf education into our parenting of Widget.
