It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!!!

No, not Christmas. Back to School!

If you've ever read my blog, or listened to me talk around, say, early August on, you'll know that I have never been a fan of back to school. When they start putting out the school supplies in July, I usually sit right down amongst the markers and note-books and bawl. Back-to-school not only carries with it the long ingrained feelings of dread that both 18+ (+++) years as a student instilled in me as well as 6 years of being a teacher. There is just something wholly depressing about realizing that your summer vacation is coming to an end. And when they throw that at you in July, well it's like rubbing salt in a wound.

Then there is also the fact that I am a summer girl. I love the spring and summer, the heat, the flowers, the blue skies, the wearing of flip-flops, the not wearing of coats, the going outside without a thought for bulking up your wardrobe, vacations, crickets at night, cool grass under your toes, the smell of hot asphalt (I'm serious), staying outside long enough to notice the stars and moon....summer just has so many great things to offer. And fall, though fall itself isn't TOO bad, is just the segue into winter, which I hate. So I have always dreaded the end of summer and the beginning of fall.

But this year, ah, this year was different. Because this year I had two kids who were driving me NUTS. Driving each other nuts. Sick of being home, sick of each other, sick of me, sick of reading and play-doh and swimming in the kiddie pool, and the trampoline, and the slide, and all the other things that were so novel and fun at the beginning of summer. They were even, gasp, sick of the TV and internet and iphones! Mostly I was sick of them FIGHTING OVER EVERYTHING. And since I added a new baby to the mix, I was soooo ready to get rid of them and have just a little peace and quiet for myself and for Pippa and me.

So it was with a happy heart--despite the fact that this year meant getting up early in the morning to get Daphne off to school, and making lunches for the first time, and having to drive my kids to 2 different schools at 2 times of day, neither of which is close to my house--that I took these pictures, kissed their cheeks, and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Beck, Age 4 1/2, Preschool



Daphne, Age 6, 1st Grade

How To Make A Victorian Whiteboard

Step 1) Collect :

1 Small Cookie Sheet

1/2 Cup Sugar (or so)

1 Chop Stick (or finger)


Step 2) Start Drawing in the Sugar.


Step 3) Give the cookie sheet a little shake to clear the image.


Step 4) Begin again! This is a great way to get reluctant students to work on their letters, numbers, name, or spelling words.



Step 5) Reward the artist with a little lick before you clean up.

Uniformity

I just finished purchasing Daphne's uniforms for her upcoming school year at a charter school. Short and long sleeved polos, one of each of the three approved colors. Khaki and navy twill pants. (What IS twill anyhow?) Two absolutely adorable little pleated skirts. And a couple of to-die-for little jumpers. Apparently the darling plaid skirt pictured on the school's website is not actually part of the uniform. It isn't on the list. But I may get a few of those just because I love nothing more than a little girl in a plaid skirt with white knee socks and Mary Janes.

ANYWAY....after spending all that money on uniforms, I had to ask myself, are uniforms good or bad? You'd think I would know by now. I grew up attending public school. Then I went to three different private schools in high school: one with a strict dress code, but no uniform. One with a classic school-girl uniform. And one with a more lenient dress code, but no uniform. I also taught at a private school for 6 years and was the enforcer of a school uniform that whole time. All of that should, it seems, qualify me to make the call on whether school uniforms are good or bad, whether they stifle your individuality or prevent one's financial background from being so divisive. I still don't know!

Any thoughts? Anyone out there with a sound, educated, well-developed opinion on the matter? Or a totally unfounded, biased, hysterical opinion on the matter? I'm all ears.

By Which I Offend Nearly Everyone, Even Star Wars Fans

If you haven't been around long enough to hear my opinions on baby names (1) boy, you must be new around here and (2) be prepared to leave in a huff. Because I'm going to lay it out how I see it. And there is a very high chance one or more of your children's names will be on my not-so-favorite list. I'm sorry, in advance. But since my readership has plummeted into the wee single digits already, I figure it's as good a time as any to get on my child-naming soapbox.


1) I am not a fan of using trendy names. Personally. I know a lot of people are. That's how they become trendy. But for me, I just prefer something a little less common. What is a trendy name to me? It's the name that you hear all the time, the one that is shouted from every playground bench and into the bottom of every McDonalds playland tube slide. Often trendy names are last names made to be first names. They tend to end in -en/-on or -er/or, especially for boys. For girls, they can be last names too, but lately they tend to be cute old-fashioned names that have come back in style... with a vengeance. It's sad about those names. Because on their own I probably would have really liked each and every one of them. But once they reach the top 100 in popularity nationally, forget it. Overplayed is not my thing. It might be your thing. And that's OK. But I just can't do trendy. (Seriously, though, there are some very cute names on this list! So I'm not saying your child's name is ugly. )


2) I strongly dislike made-up names. You've heard a lot of these too, especially if you live in Utah. They sound vaguely familiar. They might use syllables from more popular names. But then the ending is changed, or part of another name is added, or they are made up altogether. These names are born of good intentions, I believe. A desire to be unique and different is something I can relate to. But once names become too kreeaytiv, I just can't abide them.


3) Which brings me to my third category: I despise, DESPISE alternate spellings for common names. In my mind, it doesn't show more creativity. Or make the child more unique. All it does is confuse the poor kid when they are learning to read and write, and cause every human being for the rest of their life to spell their name wrong. Again, I apologize if you are in the camp of loving unique spellings for common names. (Your name is probably Lisa or Jennifer or Heather, right? You certainly didn't grow up having to spell "A-R-I-A-N-N-E" twenty times a day, I'm guessing.)

So in the end, the best names, in my book, are usually traditional. You've heard them before, but not often. They are easy to say, spell, and remember, but they are slightly off the beaten path. And they are definitely not common enough that there will ever be multiple children in the same classroom with that name. (Irony approaching. Be prepared to mock.)



There is an actual plot to this blog post, though. It's not just a friend-losing post. So if you haven't been infuriated yet, read on?

After quite a lot of do-si-do-ing with this school and that, charter vs public, morning vs afternoon, I finally got Daphne into a charter school that I am reasonably pleased with, and, more importantly (FAR more importantly), I got her into the afternoon class of Kindergarten for the fall. HALLELUIA. So this week I got the class lists from the Kindergarten teacher.

The first thing I noticed when I got them was the plethora of uber-trendy names present: (Click to enlarge)


What jumped out to me next was, of course, the horrific spellings of common names. There were some doozies on the class lists. (Click to enlarge)



As I scanned down to Daphne's class, you can imagine my horror when I saw this:

Not only is there another Daphne in her school, and in her grade, there is one IN HER CLASS--after we specifically chose the name Daphne on the likelihood of there never being another Daphne in her class! AND the other Daphne is right next to her in alphabetical order! You could have scraped my chin off the floor with a spatula. (On a more pleasant note, I can't wait to meet Daphne W's parents and see what their other kids are named!)


The last thing I noticed, as I scanned through the lists, was this I-KID-YOU-NOT name. I didn't make this up. It isn't a type-o. Take a look-see....



Well, after all I said above about kids' names, I take it all back. Name your kid whatever you want! Name them any variation, any spelling, name them the #1 name in America spelled with all the 'y's and 'x's you want. Because from now on, any name beats R2.

Except...maybe... Renesmee.

Skool Dayz

Last January I put Daphne into the lottery for three charter schools within 15 minutes of my house. By March, all three had replied that she did not get in. Her lowest position on their waiting lists was 23rd, and her highest was 78th. So since that time I've been scrambling to find a better school to send Daphne to than our local one (which sucks royally). I had finally decided on a public school about 10 minutes away that got exceptionally high scores on their national tests and got great reviews from the other mom I know who sends her kids there. I have been waiting since March for the final word from their principal to say she will be allowed in (they take out-of-boundaries kids, but only if there is space after the regular in-boundaries kids are registered).

Then this morning I got a call from one of the charters saying she was accepted if I still wanted her in. I was kind of leaning towards not. I'd have to buy uniforms (and in all likelihood would send her somewhere else for 1st grade, either because we had moved--hope, hope, hope--or because this charter was my least favorite of the three), and I just wasn't crazy about the school mission statement/curriculum. But I decided to take her in for her assessment testing anyway, just in case. You never know how things will shake down between May and September.

During Daphne's assessment, I read through the literature they gave me on how they run the elementary school, what her curriculum would be, what projects they would do, etc. It actually impressed me a lot more than the online mission statement had done. It looked pretty fun! Next I took the liberty of exploring the kindergarten classroom while Daphne recited her ABC's to the teacher. That's when I saw this...



Should I be worried???


**Ironically, not an hour after I got home from the charter assessment, the public school I'd been holding out for called to say that the principal had denied all out-of-boundaries requests! So I guess the phonics libary school is it. Heaven help us!

High School Meme

There's nothing I like better than a questionnaire about myself, so thanks, Christie!



High School Meme

First let me preface by saying that I went to four different high schools, one for each year. That makes this a little difficult. My first school was a really difficult college prep school. Ever see Dead Poet's Society? It was written by Robin Williams about this school (where he attended for a short time). So you get the feel--not warm and fuzzy. I left after the first year to "get a life." My second year was Marian. It was a Catholic girls school. I actually liked it. It was like public school with little plaid skirts. Very easy. But not too good for getting dates. My junior year I went to Germany as an exchange student. I intended to return to Marian when I got back, but my little brother was hunting for private high schools while I was gone and found an excellent one, Cranbrook Kingswood (referenced in the movie "8 Mile" when Eminem makes fun of the other rapper for going to a private school at the very end of the movie.) Anyway, I attended Cranbrook with my brother for my last year of high school. I LOVED it. Wish I'd been there all along. So...that's my high school experience. Quite disjointed, pretty lonely being the new girl every single year, but some good experiences in there. And a lot of learning to stand on my own two feet.

1. Did you date someone from your High School? Yes. My freshman year was Nikhil Verma, who went out with me for a week and dumped me after Homecoming. My senior year I dated Dave Chung for 2 months. The other guys I went out with junior year weren't from my school. And obviously I didn't date anyone from Marian. I was always into the boys.

2. What kind of car did you drive?
My parents let me drive my dad's former work car, a Mercury Sable, until I crashed my mom's red station wagon (not my fault--hit by a drunk driver) in 10th grade and my mom took the Sable back. Then my first car of my own was an '81 Toyota Corolla Rustmobile, my senior year. When I burnt the engine out, I had to drive this:



3. What was the most embarrassing moment of High School for you?
It involved the above Ford LTD station wagon. Keep in mind that I was a scholarship student at one of the most expensive private schools in the country. The parking lot was full of Mercedes, BMWs and Lexuses. It was bad enough that I had to drive the old crappy station wagon to school. I felt like a character from Pretty in Pink. But one day I noticed on the way to school that my tire was almost flat. I was nearly to school, so I decided to drive slowly and just get to class and deal with it after school. I told my brother to get down to the parking lot as fast as humanly possible after school so we could get out of there before anyone saw us. Well, he doddled, and by the time he got to the car, the parking lot was full of kids. I didn't want anyone cool to see me in "the beast" WITH a flat tire. I was so embarrassed that I decided to just drive to the nearest gas station and fill it up with air there. But the parking lot was clogged with people, and I had to get in a long queue to get to the street. So as I waited there, people kept knocking on my window, "Hey, you have a flat tire!" I just wanted to crawl in to the floor and die.

4. Were you a party animal?
No. Not at all. I didn't get wild until college.

5. Were you considered a flirt?
I don't think so. I always liked boys and I always seemed to be liked by boys (mostly nerdy ones), but I don't think I was a flirt about it.

6. Were you in Band, Orchestra, or Choir?
I played the cello and was in choir in middle school, but in high school, they were always during the same period, so I had to choose. I chose choir.

7. Were you a nerd?
No. I always hung with pretty cool crowds. I was sometimes a loner at first, though (as I changed schools.)

8. Were you on any Varsity teams?
Junior varsity volleyball was the closest I ever came to that, freshman year.

9. Did you ever get suspended/expelled?
No. I got detentions a few times, but always for stupid stuff like too many tardies or uniform violations. Never for insubordination or trouble making.

10. Can you still sing the fight song?
I'm pretty sure we had school songs at all my schools, but I can't remember any of them.

11. Who were your favorite teachers?
Mrs. Shuette, my 12th grade math teacher, who wouldn't let me write myself off as a terrible math student. She believed in me, and she actually got me to get A-'s in her class! She also let me cry to her over my parents splitting up. Also, I liked my senior year Spanish teacher, Senor Watson, who thought I was way hipper than I was. He was always inviting me to poetry readings and acoustic guitar sessions (with other students of course.)

12. Where did you sit during lunch?
Ooo...that's a sore spot. See, I was often the new kid and lunch seating was my nemesis. Freshman year was alright. I had a tight group of girlfriends because a lot of kids were new in 9th grade; we made friends fast. But sophomore year at Marian was really hard. I sat with one or two other girls usually. In Germany we all went home for lunch. And my senior year I sat with the Korean exchange students because I wasn't that good of friends with anyone else from my grade until the end of the year.

13. What was your school's full name?
Detroit Country Day School, Marian, Keppler Gymnasium, Crankbrook/Kingswood Academy.

14. School mascot?
DCD Yellow Jackets, Marian Mustangs, Keppler didn't' have one, Cranbook Cranes

15. Did you go to Homecoming? With whom?
I went to homecoming my freshman year with Nikhil Verma, my one-week boyfriend. I was only 15 and wasn't allowed to date, so I snuck out to go to homecoming. First I conned my mom into making me a dress, which she thought was for church. Then I stashed my dress at a friend's house the week before and just pretended I was going to hang out at her house the night of homecoming. The problem came when I arrived home from the dance IN MY HOMECOMING DRESS. I hadn't thought that far ahead. Luckily, when I knocked on my sister's ground level window, she let me sneak in there and got me some of my clothes to change into. The first nice thing she ever did for me. I think she might have been just a little impressed that Miss Goodie Twoshoes had done something so naughty.

16. If you could go back and do it again, would you?
Absolutely. But only knowing what I know now. I would change SO many things!

17. What do you remember most about graduation?
UGH. The fact that no one in my family knew about it. My parents had just divorced, my mom and brother were living in Utah, my sister was married and living in Oregon, my dad was living in an apartment while I lived in the family house, which was for sale. I guess I was sort of the lost child, and no one in my family remembered to ask about my graduation. I realized this as I was getting my cap and gown on, and I called my dad. He made it there before I walked up for my diploma, luckily. Bad memory.

18. Where did you go Senior Skip Day?
I'm not sure what that is. If we had one, I don't remember it.

19. Were you in any clubs?
Probably. I don't remember. Maybe International Club?

20. Have you gained some weight since then?
Yes. I'm not sure how much. I'd guess I'm about 15-20 lbs up from my graduation weight.

21. Who was your Prom Date?
UGH. Another bad memory. My senior year boyfriend and I (who attended different schools) had just broken up a few weeks before Prom. So I wasn't planning on going. But then a guy I sort of knew at school, Matt, asked me to go. So I said yes. A few days later, I got back together with my boyfriend, but he told me to just go with Matt so I could go to prom at my own school. But like my graduation experience, no parents were involved with my life. So I had no dress, no money, no salon appointment... I eventually borrowed a horrible dress from my sister's friend, got home from picking it up 20 minutes before my date showed up, had no hairdo or fancy make up or anything, had the wrong date (although we went on to become great friends) and forgot to wear deodorant. It was terrible.

22. 10 year Reunion? Are you planning on going?
10 year??? Hahaha, I wish. And no, I didn't go to any of them. I didn't know anyone at any of the schools well enough to make it worth the trip back to Michigan.

23. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself?
I should have been way more involved in extra curricular activities, the things I really enjoyed: photography, music, drama, etc. I was sort of a homebody and never really did much after school. I was invited to be in a band--a rock band, not marching band--but I never went to practices. I wish I had. I'd tell myself to really go for things. And make different friends. And be less worried about being "cool." And take the pre-SAT and pre-ACT. And not waste my time with Nikhil.