Give all to love;

Married with children

This seems like the longest we've sat in quiet together in awhile. Yes, we look tired, but we're a happy tired. We looooooove being married with children.  Looooove it.

Watching Modern Family.

 

It's very funny.

And then the beginning of Cougar Town came on.  Why all the plastic surgery? Might as well go to bed.

WW "I Miss You Guys!"

 

Photo credit: Julie's main squeeze with Julie's camera

Change, still

And I am exhausted.  Made the big decision yesterday for Quinn to start Montessori.  Which is really wonderful.  When I think of his brain, I know Montessori will help him learn discipline and help him sharpen his ability to focus and think.  And I expect big things from that brain!

But, and this is a BIG BUT. He will have to give up his afternoons at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Preschool.  I can't express how great this place is, how wonderful it's been for him over the past few years. I am heartbroken.  And I have no idea how I'll tell him.  We'll finish out the week.  Gosh, are we really doing this?

Here are a few shots from his class last year.  And follow this link to some great shots from the year before.

 

Drilling for maple syrup.

 

Will they be runners?

We sure hope so.  Here they are soaking up some great inspiration.  Yesterday''s NYC marathon.  Great race, culminating in Ethiopia's beautiful Derartu Tulu winning the women's race and Eritrean now American Meb Keflizghi winning the men's.  There was cheering in our house!

 

Commander Matthew

And even though I tried to get my two beautiful commanders together, this is the best I got.

 

Allrighty, Day #1 of naplomoplasmatica down.  And for those who used their cute Halloween shots yesterday and have to come up with something new for the first day of naplomoplasmatica, ha, foolish rookies.  

NaBloPoMo, what the....?

It means something about posting every day for a month.  I can't even say it, we'll see if I can actually do it.

It was Steph's idea.  She sucked us all in.  She's doing it.  She's doing it.  She is too.  She's thinking about it.

C'mon, who else is in?

It'll be fun!  Really! 

Starts Sunday.  30 days hath November.  Bring it on people!

Change

I sit here at home in the quiet, quiet kitchen.  Boys' breakfast dishes still on the counter.  My laptop is sitting on dried yogurt from where I wiped up, badly, obviously, after Matthew's breakfast. I think I'll put the unread New York TImes under the laptop, since it is my lifeline to my precious adoption community:) We sure don't want to gum that up!  Patrick at work.  Both boys dropped off by 8am.  

8am.

I should be at work, but the surprise of today and the getting ready for it did not leave room for me to get ready, although for the benefit of the various teachers I saw this morning, I did brush my teeth.

Since the beginning of Quinn's uncomfortableness with his school, we've pulled this tiny string and watched our known future unravel.  

Not in a bad way.  Opportunities for the kids, balanced by losses, but culminating in us considering big changes.

It started off by figuring out why after all this time in preschools and schools Quinn was suddenly reluctant.  He's a far more sensitive kid than I'd realized. I learned that kindergarden is the new 1st grade.  Expectations of young kids.  Too many transitions.  No child left behind.  The Trouble With Boys.  I've asked and probed and picked brains and we've talked and talked and talked.  I cringe at the 'report cards' that Quinn already has in his file, noting his abilities at what he's supposed to know, but his inability to follow direction, sit still, be quiet.  Remember, he just turned 5.

And always, there is the consideration of the little kids, Matthew and Little Sister.  What's the best place for Quinn, and Matthew, and Little Sister to spend the bulk of their days learning, socializing, making friends, maturing, testing limits, experiencing the world and what they can do within it.  And, my secret wish, set them up so they can change those things in this world that are harmful, discriminatory, what they can do within the world, and what they can do WITH. THE. WORLD.  

In an enlightening discussion yesterday, a mom commented to us so kindly, 'Quinn is precocious.  Take advantage of that while you can for him.' 

I can't get into a long diatribe about traditional education.  I am only just learning and know so little.  But both our guts tell us it is not the best place for Quinn, and probably not for MZ and LS either.  And we sit here in a school district that offers the very best of public, traditional education.  This is a very difficult decision. We'd already made a good choice by living where we do.  

This morning, I dropped Quinn off for one of two 'visiting' days at a local Montessori school.  After some miscommunications, we got the late notice that these two days while Quinn is off from school would be great days for him to try it out.

His two classroom assistants came out to the car to meet him and bring him in, and he went, giggling, with his laptop lunch swinging over his shoulder, and was reminded to say goodbye to Matthew and me. Did I mention this was at 7:50?  These Montessori people start early!

Why Montessori?  Tactile learning.  Guided but self directed and uninterrupted learning.  Quinn can spend his 3 hour learning block on one subject, or all of them, if he likes.  Range within the classrooms for varied intellectual/ maturity combinations. Healthy food.  The ability to work on your tummy, swinging your feet up in the air while you think and work.  The ability to take a break when you need one.  World peace. (yes, I still figure that's possible and so did Maria Montessori)

Montessori kids do best starting at 3 or 4, in fact, after that, an exception has to be made for a child to enter the classroom.  Quinn has just turned 5.  We are asking for that exception, and these two days will tell us if it's worth a shot.

We'd like all the kids at the same school, and are hoping very much that this works.  

And this lengthy post is just about one of the strings we've unraveled, which all come together at the confluence of the river of change.  More later. I have got to get to work. I'm not sure how we're going to pay for this Montessori stuff.

WW "Read this book"

Quinn says - Read this book.  It's perfect for special families.  (his word for families like ours)

Go Shopping!

If you want to see some VERY cool stuff on Etsy, go here to Water4Christmas.

The stuff is so cool, you'll want it just because.  

But, ALL profits go to Water4Christmas to build fresh water wells in Liberia.

AND, of course, since it's Etsy, it's all original.

Hurry, there are only a handful or even just one of some of the neatest pieces.  I've got mine already, so go to town people!

WW "Scenes from the drive to Hossana"

 

 

 

 

 

And... someone who was too short to enjoy much scenery.