Whoa, I can't believe I haven't blogged in about a month. What the....
Well, basically, the things you have missed:
One or the other of our girls has been home sick THE WHOLE DAMN TIME.
But never with the same thing, or at the same time.
What would the fun be in that?!
We are reaching hard to believe status over here. I'm waiting for social services to show up and accuse me of having Munchausen by proxy!
Oh, and Kid jammed her finger during gym the day after Thanksgiving break which required another trip to the doctor and round of X-rays and finger splint... on top of the flu- pneumonia- cold- sinus infection- cold roller coaster we've been on. Awesome times. I should just go to medical school... it will probably be cheaper in the long run!
So, I never did get around to putting up our Christmas decorations early like I had hoped to. I pretty much have had to spend my time driving whichever kid is healthy to and from school and the sick one rushed to sick appointments and chest X-rays.
I just got started bringing up our Christmas stuff. I don't know... this year is weird. I just can't get ahead on anything. And every time I think we're about to get a good normal week, one of the kids gets a fever (hacking cough/broken finger/etc) and all my plans are scrapped (again).
On top of that there is a lice outbreak at Baby's school and I'm the "lice mom" which means I go to school and braid all of the kid's hair in the morning. That takes... oh... forever. But it is a small(ish) price to pay if it keeps Baby from getting lice.
In other news, our vacation was a success. We went Up North to a ski resort. We definitely took a risk booking a ski vacation so early in the season (in fact I did not know this, but they had never been open that early for skiing)... and... it worked out. They had had some good snows the week leading up to Thanksgiving and there was at least a foot of snow. Unfortunately, Baby was pretty much on her death bed with a severe sinus infection and had to sit out of the fun for the first couple of days. On the plus side, we were upgraded from a two bedroom suite to an entire three bedroom cottage. It was AMAZING, and made our stay (and our homebound sickie) so much easier to manage and enjoy.
The girls and I all tried downhill skiing for the first time. Kid loved it, Baby over-loved it, and I... meh... not so much for me. Maybe you need to try it before adulthood? I just think sledding is more fun and takes less concentration. (plus there is always the fear of a butt fracture looming in my mind).
Upon our return, we discovered that our dishwasher had leaked and buckled our cherry floors. Not good. Mr F stopped the leak, the floors are still buckling... hoping they dry out and go back down?! Hopefully?!
That's about the whole of it, peeps. OH, except for some serious shit that has been going down at Kid's school. I spoke for about an hour to the school board (involving lesson examples!). They were enlightened ;) This will definitely be our last year, but I'm trying to get as many changes implemented as I can for the betterment of the kids who remain. I am definitely stirring the pot, but I've had many people (even the board members) tell me that they have pretty much needed someone who was willing to do it. There are some pretty big systemic problems. But as one school board member called me to say "There is no arguing with what you say.", so with that in mind, light is being shed where it needs to be. I know I've created a lot of interest in the other parents and the school board in seeking out how to improve the functioning of the school and the effectiveness of the classroom teachers. I feel good about that. I've also started making study guides for a few of Kid's classmates... and... they are getting As now, too. (Kid's rocking a 4.0) (Which all just helps my street cred at these meetings) (And, yes, I think I'll be homeschooling for middle school... since I've been homeschool all year anyway)
Happy Holidays!
Oh, and photo updates of our trip (and did I ever actually tell you about our spring break to Williamsburg last year?! It was fantastic despite Kid having the flu and my being a solo-parent... so that says something. Busch Gardens was very doable & easy to navigate & all of the Williamsburg area is so easy to get around. We really liked being able to do a historic area in the AM and then heading over to Busch Gardens for a couple hours around dinner time... best of both worlds! I whole heartily recommend it!! We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn and we were really happy with it... great breakfast buffet. I booked a package through Busch Gardens website that included everything.)
TTFN as they say.
And because this never stops making me laugh, here it is again:
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11 comments:
You had me at I'm the "lice mom"...
Vacations sound fun. Sicknesses not so much. Interesting school developments. So glad you feel you will able to leave your mark. You won't send Kid to Baby's school next year? Does she/you still like where she is? Good luck getting into the Christmas spirit. We're struggling a bit here for a wide variety of reasons, but hoping things will pick up as the days go by. I did get our first Christmas card today. Um. I totally kind of forgot about doing those. We'll see how the month plays out... Hope you all get/stay well!
Sorry, accidentally posted the same comment twice. I'm not even sure how I did that?
Brenda,
You haven't made your Christmas letter?!!! I'm shocked. Things must be hectic!
We love Baby's school for Baby. I can acknowledge that it isn't probably the best academic setting for Ruby. It would really challenge her particular anxiety issues. It is kind of chaotic/artsy/group work/creative problem solving oriented. And that definitely sounds great for Chars but that is not how Ruby works. She likes clear goals/rules, etc. I think it could be good for her to challenge herself... particularly before high school. It is small and a similarly safe social setting to her current school. But middle school is middle school and it is pretty much an acknowledged hell for girls, and she is the most developed girl in her grade (and will be) and the boys are already starting to treat her a bit differently. So all that is going to come into play. If she gets in, she will visit and we will encourage her to try it next year with the option of homeschooling if it is a no-go. But I also respect that she's switched schools a lot, and really just doesn't want to do it again. She is content with leaving her school, and knows we can maintain those friendships no matter where she goes. So we'll see.
Also, in a way, her academic success in this rigorous setting, and my ability to out teach the teachers (without the benefit of teaching materials) has reinforced that we can do it on our own and I don't feel like I have any doubts about that anymore. We still plan for her to attend the local high school but we also plan for her to be in the IB program and homeschooling gives her the best chance of being as far ahead academically as she needs to be to get in.
I check in every day waiting for your updates. Stop being so busy. Don't you know we need you?!! :)
Also, if I had to spend the rest of my life with only one person... it would be her, she's just an awesome person... so, there is that. I enjoy her company and we're good for each other's self esteem ;)
Jamie,
thanks :) I keep thinking I will update EVERY day. Then I blink and it's 20 something days later. I miss it! and the readers!
I'm sorry-but what the hell is a lice mom? Never heard of it! Too funny. Also what does putting the girls hair in braids do? Knock on wood we haven't experienced lice YET...
Jenny,
I kind of designated the position myself and offered my services. There has been a lice issue in the school & now in the class, but they don't have a formal way of dealing with it. Having gone through that nightmare in Asheville I suggested all of the little things that make lice less likely to keep getting passed around (putting hats in coat sleeves... coats in backpacks... braiding hair). Lice only lives off of a human head for 1-2 days.... it really needs head to head contact to spread... think coat hooks!!!... little kids reading together with their hair touching (it happens all the time)... reading corner pillows where hair is shed (with lice) and then another kid lies on the same pillow,etc. If the hair is braided or tightly pinned down and not flying around there is less hair to hair/head to head contact in the day. This is less important when the kids are older but in a K/1 classroom they are still very physically close with each other when they work or play. Also, braided hair (with nits) will stay on that kids head and not fall off during the day causing more contact issues (play rug, reading corner, hoods touching on hooks, etc). Since most of the girls (and some boys) have long-ish hair the teacher asked that they braid it. Still parents were just sending them in as is, so I nominated myself to braid hair (with parents permission... they all said yes!).
That's good to know!
love checking in to see youve written, sucks that the kids have been on sick time rotaion. I came here today to find your gloruios sugar cookie recipe and then got sucked into videos and old posts. Still love your blog most of every blog I try to read now days. I wanted to throw something out there with the lice I swear tea tree oil keeps them away you can google a couple ways to mix it and make a spray so you can add that to your arsenal and no more lice and its natural. Wishing ya'll a very Merry Christmas may ya'll be happy and healthy this season and always!
You are a brave woman to volunteer to be Lice Mom. We have never had lice here, but it scares me. I just don't think I could deal with it. I'd have to set our house on fire and start again in a new home.
Can't wait to hear about the school stuff.
That's so awesome you guys had a fun ski trip! Yeah, I'd be hesitant to take on skiing as a new hobby if I were you and had broken my butt a few years back.
Well, we cut down & put up our tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We put lights on it, but haven't gotten around to decorating it yet. I am afraid if too much many days go by that we may not end up putting ornaments on it. Actually there are 2 ornaments on it because they are brand new--One is a Tardis from Dr. Who and the other is a felt fox that I found at Target because of that song, "What does the Fox say". I half kind of want to keep it like that. Tom actually suggested we just blow off putting on ornaments since the tree looks pretty just with the lights,but then remembered his family was coming to visit on Christmas Eve day.
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