Yes we did!

Wow! What an amazing election. I am glad it's over and that we won. Chloe and I took the day off of school and spent the entire day looking at polls and having her color in her USA map both red and blue; also writing down electoral college numbers. It was a great lesson in civics. Ryan actually took her in with him to vote and she thought that was cool. Chloe, Gabe and I then headed over to the Holiday Inn and partied hearty with the Dems. It was a great night and one that we will all remember for a long time.

School is going great now that we are caught up. It's also nice that soccer is wrapping up so that we can focus on other stuff. I'm so done with soccer and the irony is that my team made it to playoffs. I'm doing my best to keep my spirits high so that I don't ruin the memory for the girls. Our end of the season party was on Saturday and it was great. I got an awesome "coach" chair that all of the girls signed. I almost cried. I'll make a great team mom next year, and if Chloe decides after that not to ever play again that would be alright.

Everything is great here and we're all healthy and happy.

I'm in love!

Ryan and I got new bikes this weekend and I'm in love. We went to Wilson's bike shop downtown and picked up two Worksman Cycles, but they are more like tanks really. These heavy duty bikes are industrial bikes made in the USA as they are ordered. My bike is white with chrome baskets in the rear and one in the front. Ryan's bike is blue and his rack is being ordered by Wilson's as we speak. Our bikes are steel and the tires are made of kevlar, which means that we'll never have a flat. We are having Wilson's look into ordering some standby generator lights, but that may not be possible; these lights are powdered by you and the standby option keeps them on while you are at stoplights. If they can't find them then we'll just have them install basic generator lights. Either way we are stoked and we are desperately trying to teach Chloe to ride her bike so that we can have family rides. I've been to Borders, Costco, and Savemart (just to name a few places) already on mine and I love it! I feel really healthy and as if I am being a good world citizen by not driving my car so much. I've gotten many complements on my bike from senior citizens and children alike.

School is going well. We are still catching up, but I'm not going to worry about it since Thanksgiving vacation will give us ample time to catch up and maybe get ahead.

Week 5 and Going Strong

My week started with a bang when Alicia (my mom) took Chloe and kept her an extra day without even a phone call. We are caught up with our core subjects except for music. I really dislike music theory. In retrospect I should have opted for the foreign language instead of music, maybe next year. I've discovered the schedule that works for Chloe and I is doing all subjects except for music and French during the week and music and French on the weekends. We are moving along and so far I'm intact.

I decided this week to make time for myself which will include my book club on Friday and I thought a local screening of Religulous. To my dismay, I was disappointed to see that OF COURSE it was not playing in Visalia. I just thought, wow, creationist propaganda is the only thing that sells in the Valley. It's disappointing that I have to drive to Fresno. It's disappointing that people don't actually challenge their beliefs by exposing themselves to different viewpoints. I suppose that's why we got Bush, people like being complacent.

What a home run Biden had last night! Palin didn't fuck things up as much as I had anticipated she would, but she never really answered ANY questions either. I was REALLY wanting to see another Couric fiasco so I was disappointed a bit. Obama should win. McCain and Palin are dangerous. She wants to be Cheney and expand on powers that constitutionally Cheney shouldn't have. She scares me for her lack of insight, intelligence, empathy (poor wolves), and willingness to admit that she's fallible. That smug anti-intellectual "I've got common sense" rant that she and Bush share is dangerous. I'm comforted by the fact that she didn't really help her ticket move up and disappointed that she will no longer hemorrhage the McCain campaign. She's no Maverick, just another stupid hick trying to bite off more than she SHOULD chew.

Whoa!

Well week 2 was a bear but we got through it. We got most of math done and got through Art, History, Science, Music, and some reading. I can't imagine how much more hectic the schedule will be like once we get our Language Arts Materials. Since we're technically behind in language, I'm sure that we'll have to play catchup. I really want to "bank" some Math lessons so that we can just focus on Language when the materials arrive.

I suppose I just didn't realize how much work I would be doing. So far I think that the curriculum is great, it's just taking a long time to get through it. Chloe is taking notes, and I know that she wasn't working this hard in regular school. We both get a little frustrated at times, but breaks and outside walks help. This upcoming week we are going to the Coast for our first field trip. That will be really fun.

Sorry if I've been a bad friend, just busy.

Finally doing it!

Well this week was our first official week with Chloe's new at home schooling option. I have really tried to keep my cool; from reminding myself that I'm not dealing with an adult to not having all of our materials here and ready to use. We started Math, History, Science, and Art this week so it's been eventful. I knew that Chloe was struggling with Math, but after being with her this week I wonder what they actually taught her at St. Paul's. Chloe is afraid to ask for help when she doesn't understand. I have really tried to emphasize to her that I am here to help and to give her tools that will facilitate her grasp of the information. It's helping, but I'm afraid we have a long way to go.
Chloe made a self portrait of herself this week and I have to say it's a masterpiece. She really loved Art and was amazed that paint can be made to look so real. This also made me realize that it's been much too long since we've been to a museum, so we're heading to the LA County Art Museum in November. It's going to be LOTS of hard work, but I know that we'll get through it.

Rock Band for Wii

Well we bought Rock Band for the Wii the first day it came out, today. It is so much fun! Chloe wouldn't play it at first, but soon got a taste for those drums and away she went. She is very serious about it and says that she will be the only one in the family to play the drums from now on. If you have a Wii, you should invest in it.

Summer is going great. I'll keep you posted on any developments.

Zoo Day

Well, today was our first outing with CAVA (CA. Virtual Academy) and what a horrid experience. Don't get me wrong, the school was fine, but the day and the facilities were truly unpleasant. First, let me start by saying that I've NEVER been to LA without it being disgustingly perfect, however, today was not. It was overcast, raining at times, and cold. A majority of the animals were unavailable for viewing because they were smart enough not to show themselves on such a cold day. Don't get me started on traffic. After living in the SF area you'd think that I would have gotten used to the traffic, but LA is unbelievable. I am just ranting and tired, so forgive my bluntness.

On a happier note, Chloe had fun. We saw most of the animals that she wanted to see and we ate junk food, which is a rare treat for her. All in all, I'm glad to be home with our dogs, my plants, and my family.

Test Results

Well we got Chloe's test results back and WOW! We always knew that she was smart, but now we have it on paper. She tested above average in Math and English and could have skipped 3rd grade next year. Ryan and I decided to keep her in 3rd because we don't want her to miss any fundamentals. She could skip through High School stuff where it doesn't matter as much. The teacher is going to see where she is at mid year and we'll also know whether or not the skipping would be good.

We are going to a field trip for CAVA on the 23rd in Los Angeles. We are going to the zoo and botanical gardens, so it should be a fun and educational day. I can't tell you how excited I am about spending more time with Chloe and also taking on more responsibility in regards to her education.

I have purchased some Latin books and the goal this summer is to start Latin and then move onto French later in the year. Chloe really wants to learn French, so I thought Latin would be a good foundation for her, and also give her a grasp of word origins. It's going to be a great summer! I just can't wait.

Well, I'll update when there is more to tell.

At home Schooling

We've taken the unusual step and decided that next year we will be home schooling Chloe. It is not what we ever thought that we'd be doing, but our kid is worth it.

We have loved having Chloe at St. Paul's. She has blossomed and was provided with an excellent academic foundation, but we wanted more for her. Chloe is an exceptional reader but struggles with math. Regardless of the school, no teacher can carve aside time to do one on one tutoring for each kid to excel where they are lacking. So let me explain how we decided that something different would be in Chloe's best interest.

I have been enrolling Chloe in different City programs to try and get her more exposed. She is not one to do sports, but I wanted to find something that she would like. During one of my many visits to the Recreation Center I came across a magazine full of camp ideas for the summer. I ran across an ad for the California Virtual Academy and decided to look some information up about it online. I liked what I saw and shared that with Ryan. We attended an orientation, and the rest is history.

California Virtual Academy is a public online charter school. All of the curriculum is done online with daily chats with a Teacher via phone or email. The program is fully accredited and she has a licensed Teacher at her disposal. We really liked the idea that she would be tested and based on her results would be given appropriate lesson plans. So let's say she is reading at Junior High level, she would be doing that work in the 3rd grade vs being stuck with 3rd grade reading. Or if she is at a High School level in math, then she would be doing that work vs 3rd grade math, etc. We just love the idea of Chloe being challenged at what she is proficient at and fostered with subjects that might not be her strong suit. I don't have to plan any lessons, it is all done in a structured manner, all I do is support. It's great!

Now that Chloe is enrolled and going through the testing process she will be sent all of the books, art supplies, etc that she will need for the year. That's another thing, they offer Art and Music as part of the curriculum. How awesome is that! When other schools have these programs cut, Chloe still has access to them.

I know that some of you are thinking, what about socialization? Well, there are field trips that she can go to. Each Teacher in the program is obligated to provide one field trip a month. The cool thing is that there are 4 Teachers in Visalia, so she could go once a week on an outing. We could also opt to join other Teachers outside of Visalia on their field trips throughout California. So if we wanted to go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, then we could. No worries about missing school, she can make up her time over the weekend, without being overwhelmed.

We feel that this is a good thing for our amazing child. I'll let you know what she tests at when we get her results. I am so excited!