Look at these pictures closely...
Can you guess what these kids are doing?
That's right...they are going back to school....ALL of them!
Can you believe it?
I can't....
I was telling someone today, this is the first time EVER in my history of parenting that I won't have kids home at least part of the day. I started home schooling 5 1/2 years ago...when Troy was entering 6th Grade and Jake was Pre-K. It's too weird so far, and I'm honestly a little shell shocked...I think probably by just SO many changes at once (moving to a foreign country, the whole language/driving thing, downsizing house and belongings, husband leaving for so long right away...and now kids in school)!
Are you wondering how this all came about? I know I would be! Well...first it started with Coree's desire to go back to school back when we were still in The IV (Imperial Valley...when I say it like that, it kind of sounds like "The OC", doesn't it?). We weren't really too keen on that at first...but as we started talking about DoD (Department of Defense) schools overseas...which are supposedly really superior schools...like going to a "private" school, I've heard on many occasions...we started thinking, maybe she could give it a try...maybe ALL the kids could try it...and as we thought about it more, it seemed like a great idea, since they'd be coming in mid-year, we would be able to just try it for one semester, and if it was a bad idea, they would have at least met some friends and we'd use the DoD homeschool program that is sort of like the one we used in Cali.
The boys were all TOTALLY opposed to this idea. They had learned over the years that you can really get all of your school work done for the day in the time that it takes to do just the homework in public school some days, because you don't lose all the time with classroom management, passing time, learning differences, etc. They had learned to love home school. Troy was even able to take college classes in his "free" time...and (let's be honest) they were able to play a whole lot of video games!
So when we got here to the island, Coree was for, and all 3 boys against...and I wasn't going to force them, but I was really hard-selling the benefits, because I just had this feeling it would be a good experience for them.
Then Jake met Richard, another boy from church that lives here in the hood. He started thinking maybe going to school with him would be fun. So I had 2 down, but the older 2 were holding out.
Then came the New Year's Eve dance at church...and the Jones boys, who gave them the inside scoop on the high school...and next thing you know...on a drive the following day, Cliff asks, "So who has decided to go to school?" All four voices in the back chimed, "ME!" I was shocked. I asked where this had come from, and they explained their conversations with the other kids from church/school. So ALL the sales-pitch I gave amounted to nothing...but their peers telling them stuff carries weight because they know stuff, evidently!
The funny/sad thing is...yesterday was their first day...and the boys all LOVED it...but Coree, not so much! She has not been in public school since 1st grade...and it was pretty raunchy then, to tell you the truth...so she was TOTALLY unprepared for what she would see/hear in middle school...and they pretty much keep the 6th graders seperate from the rest, if that tells you anything. I feel so bad for her. I asked her if she wanted to come back home, but she says she wants to give it a couple of weeks. She has some good, sweet friends she's sticking with...so hopefully she'll survive. I guess "good" school or not...kids are the same everywhere...and they are going to bring to school whatever they learn/get away with at home.
So THAT, my friends....is my BIG announcement! Was it big enough for you?
Can you guess what these kids are doing?
That's right...they are going back to school....ALL of them!
Can you believe it?
I can't....
I was telling someone today, this is the first time EVER in my history of parenting that I won't have kids home at least part of the day. I started home schooling 5 1/2 years ago...when Troy was entering 6th Grade and Jake was Pre-K. It's too weird so far, and I'm honestly a little shell shocked...I think probably by just SO many changes at once (moving to a foreign country, the whole language/driving thing, downsizing house and belongings, husband leaving for so long right away...and now kids in school)!
Are you wondering how this all came about? I know I would be! Well...first it started with Coree's desire to go back to school back when we were still in The IV (Imperial Valley...when I say it like that, it kind of sounds like "The OC", doesn't it?). We weren't really too keen on that at first...but as we started talking about DoD (Department of Defense) schools overseas...which are supposedly really superior schools...like going to a "private" school, I've heard on many occasions...we started thinking, maybe she could give it a try...maybe ALL the kids could try it...and as we thought about it more, it seemed like a great idea, since they'd be coming in mid-year, we would be able to just try it for one semester, and if it was a bad idea, they would have at least met some friends and we'd use the DoD homeschool program that is sort of like the one we used in Cali.
The boys were all TOTALLY opposed to this idea. They had learned over the years that you can really get all of your school work done for the day in the time that it takes to do just the homework in public school some days, because you don't lose all the time with classroom management, passing time, learning differences, etc. They had learned to love home school. Troy was even able to take college classes in his "free" time...and (let's be honest) they were able to play a whole lot of video games!
So when we got here to the island, Coree was for, and all 3 boys against...and I wasn't going to force them, but I was really hard-selling the benefits, because I just had this feeling it would be a good experience for them.
Then Jake met Richard, another boy from church that lives here in the hood. He started thinking maybe going to school with him would be fun. So I had 2 down, but the older 2 were holding out.
Then came the New Year's Eve dance at church...and the Jones boys, who gave them the inside scoop on the high school...and next thing you know...on a drive the following day, Cliff asks, "So who has decided to go to school?" All four voices in the back chimed, "ME!" I was shocked. I asked where this had come from, and they explained their conversations with the other kids from church/school. So ALL the sales-pitch I gave amounted to nothing...but their peers telling them stuff carries weight because they know stuff, evidently!
The funny/sad thing is...yesterday was their first day...and the boys all LOVED it...but Coree, not so much! She has not been in public school since 1st grade...and it was pretty raunchy then, to tell you the truth...so she was TOTALLY unprepared for what she would see/hear in middle school...and they pretty much keep the 6th graders seperate from the rest, if that tells you anything. I feel so bad for her. I asked her if she wanted to come back home, but she says she wants to give it a couple of weeks. She has some good, sweet friends she's sticking with...so hopefully she'll survive. I guess "good" school or not...kids are the same everywhere...and they are going to bring to school whatever they learn/get away with at home.
So THAT, my friends....is my BIG announcement! Was it big enough for you?
6 comments:
That is big news. I hope it all works out. We have been fretting over schools here too. There never seems to be a perfect solution. At least your current solution involves child-free time during the day. I can't wait for that.
As much as I miss babies...I do have to admit, this stage is very cool, too!
I hope they all like their new schools! I'll watch for your boys at Kubasaki, i'm subbing Spanish the rest of tihs week and into next week! :)
Welcome to the Dark Side. Hope you survive.
TTFN,
Lisa
PS How many tears did you shed? Be honest.
Way to be open minded and show your kids that they can think out and inside the box! Clint and I always site your family as homeschooling done right. I'm sure your kids will thrive. And they've take to school with them that that little society/school is NOT the whole world and they don't have to fit in or all is lost.
Thanks for all your kind words and encouragement everyone...and Lisa...believe it or not I didn't shed ONE tear...NADA. Like I said, I think I was still shell shocked...those first few days are a blur, getting everyone schedules, buss passes, the SHOPPING...I had forgotten how expensive public school is! We dropped about $800 in backpacks, gym clothes and shoes, school supplies and school lunch accounts (BTW...the school lunches are done by the exchange system here. They are expensive, tiny, and nasty...I think our kids will be bringing lunch). Anyway, with 4 kids, it really added up!
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