Oo attends a community school, which is essentially a charter school that requires families to volunteer their time to the school. Why? Basically, the state provides HALF of the funding per student to her school that would be provided were she in a traditional public school ($5,700 vs. $10,200). There is no tuition at Oo's school, so to make up the difference in the funds needed to run the school, families are required to volunteer 10 hours a month. We can volunteer for anything, and I mean anything! From working in the library or the lunchroom to serving on the legal or marketing teams. One can help install new playground equipment and storm windows, maintain the computer lab, or write grant requests. There is no shortage of interesting opportunities to help.
(There are also a lot of fundraisers. But I HATE asking people to buy things — so I don't. However, if you ever need any magazines or subscription renewals, let me know and I can give you a web link and a code number so that Oo's school gets a cut. I also will gladly accept any Box Tops for Education or Campbell's Labels for Education. And if you shop at Giant Eagle, I can give you a web link to register your Giant Eagle card so that the school earns points for everything you purchase. There. That's my fundraising schpeel. Oo's school is an amazing place, filled with bright, fun kids who are served well by the unique environment this school provides — please keep us in mind.)
Okay, so you're thinking, "Ten hours a month? How does that equate to having a part-time job?" Well, the school has a shortage of parents who are available to help out at lunch time, so I usually put in more than my 10 hours. Also, there's the commute time to school. What should be a 15-minute drive one way, has been a 30- to 40-minute drive one way thanks to a major road resurfacing project. Take a different road? No can do. There are only a few ways to drive over the Metropark valley; any detour will take just as long as creeping slowly past the orange barrels. And on days that I volunteer (usually twice a week), we're making that drive six times a day.
Then there's homework. Homework in kindergarten?? Yep, Oo's school has an accelerated program (which is why we chose this school), so she has handwriting, math and reading homework every night. Oo resists doing everything I tell her to do (and she's pooped out from a full day at school), so homework time tends to be a long drawn-out process. I'm hoping for her sake and mine that we soon figure out a speedier (and less painful) way to do the work so that she has more time to play in the evening.
With school being a BIG adjustment for Oo, we've decided to forgo any activities (such as more swim lessons) until she adjusts. T, on the other hand, is craving new challenges and ways to occupy his time without Oo to entertain him. He's currently enrolled in a music class at an arts center on our side of town, and attends library storytime every week. When we're not out and about, he's attached to my hip. I don't get much housework done this way, but we've been able to use this one-on-one time to read together and work on some preschool skills. And as I suspected would happen, his verbal skills took a HUGE leap forward once Oo wasn't around to do all the talking.
Also not around as much is Adrian. A few months ago, he received a wonderful promotion. We're so happy with the new work he's doing — he's well-suited for it and is more satisfied because of it. There's a catch though. He's out of town a lot, and the kids and I are on our own two to three nights during the week. Faux single-parenting is a lot of work. I can't imagine doing the real thing!
The past few months were also jam packed with a large proofreading project, planning our block party, various visits from out-of-towners, and some out-of-town visiting of our own. And now we're heading into birthday and holiday season. Oy! I've recently accepted that life never slows down, it only gets busier. I've also learned that the busyness is worth it, and that it's important to keep that in mind.
And so... taking our new busyness into consideration (and planning for its inevitable increase), I've decided that if I'm going to keep blogging — which I LOVE (and have missed) doing! — it's going to have to be in a different format for a while... call it a blogette, if you will.
I hereby commit to more blog posts. But the posts will be much shorter, such as a single photo with a caption, a quote from one of the kids, or a short story. That way, I can keep you folks in touch with the kids' goings-on (and I can do a little bragging about my favorite little people).
The hard part for me is going to be keeping the posts brief. I do so like to describe every little detail. Take this post for example. I could have just said, "We've been busy, and we'll probably get busier. My posts will be shorter." I could have said that, but I'm just so darn verbose. Wish me luck blogetting!
And as long as I'm logged on, I simply must share...
The kids LOVED Halloween. They got lots of candy, but Oo lost most of hers in her first-ever candy swap with friends. (I have a lot to teach her, but perhaps her Aunt Meanie would be a better instructor — she always knew how to trick me out of my best candy!) Oo dressed as a dog, but thanks to a sudden, large growth spurt, her costume was uncomfortably tight — Oo was so sore by the end of the night. T dressed as the Cat in the Hat. After Halloween, he wore the hat all day, EVERY day, and everywhere we went. He even stored toys in it while he was wearing it (because the Cat always has something to pull out of his hat). The hat wearing, however, came to an abrupt end this past Saturday when he got sick. His fever was simply too high to allow him to wear a big, felt hat. The fever's gone now, but he hasn't put the hat back on. It may be because his sinuses are jam packed and his head hurts. Time will tell.
One more pic... Adrian carved a Lionel Richie pumpkin this year. :)
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