ok .. so i've brought it up a few times .. and have gotten a few questions ... so here are the whats ... whys ... wheres ... whens ...and hows :)
although we built our current house only 8 years ago - we have continued to watch new housing for the past few years. we are just fine in the house we are in. but from a long term perspective, we want to get into something that is more permanant. something that was more "what we really wanted".
SO ... a few of our neighbors moved into a new development that is being built up here. it is beautiful. it is full of families. and it seems like a great fit. so we started looking around more seriously.
we looked through TONS of floor plans. AND ... we have FINALLY created one that we like and have found a builder willing to build it for a really good price. the added bonus was that this builder has a lot that we really like. (4 houses down from one old neighbor. and the backyard touches corners with another)
that brings us to where we are now. we hired a stager and are in the process of getting our house ready to sell. it should be staged and ready by the end of next week.
the builder will start our house about a month after our house is on the market. and from there it will probably take about 4 months. should we sell before our house is done (which we are REALLY hoping for) ... the builder has a temporary townhouse that we can move into and live for free! (so the sooner we sell ... the more we can save!!)
as we get closer to making this reality i am finding myself excited - but yet hesitant.
although only 5-7 minutes away - the new house is in a new school district. so i'm left with the dilemma of pulling the boys and enrolling them in the new school(option A), or keeping them where they are (option B). a big part of me wants to leave them because i know so many of the teachers (and love them) and have also gotten to know so many parents. however, it makes sense to pull them now. ben is just starting kindergarten in the fall and drew will only be in 2nd grade. BUT ... the new school (A) is only K-3. at that point they move to an intermediate school for 4 and 5. PLUS ... this school (A) runs half day kindergarten which i REALLY dislike! i've considered switching drew (to A), but leaving ben here (at B) for kindergarten simply to have the "ideal" kindergarten schedule for both of us. (full day every other day)
basically ... i know they will be fine no matter what i do. i don't really think there is a WRONG choice. BUT .. it is a VERY emotional one for me because i want what is best for my kids - always. so i'm left wanting to fast foward 10 years and see which has the best outcome. and that's something i obviously can't do :)
in the long run i know that we will be SO happy that we did it now - before we, or the boys, get any more attached. but ... change is hard. we are leaving a great neighborhood. and we are leaving a house that holds a lot of memories. and neither one of those is easy for me ;)
so ... that's the story. that's where we are at. and that's why without question i need to start each day out with at least a grande starbucks :)
** as a side note - if anyone is great at decorating - or loves looking at floorplans and is full of ideas ... let me know .. i'll forward you ours and you can give me some ideas ;) **
13 comments:
You mentioned that you don't like half-day kindergarten. I'm wondering why? We've got another year before Henri enters kindergarten, and all-day kindergarten (every day) is all they have near us. But some of my friends prefer half-day kindergarten so that their child isn't wiped out. That's why I'm curious about your reasons though it looks like the school near you is every other day.
Sadly, I'm a poor decorator and I have to rely on friends and my mom for that.
Blessings to you as you pursue selling your home. I hope it goes well for you.
I'm not good at decorating, but I'd like to see your floorplan :)
My son just finished half day mornings this year and it was great. He absolutely loved it and learned a ton. Being a teacher, students at the elementary get more out of morning schooling then afternoon. There is actually research to prove this. But when it comes down to it if there is parental involvement in the child's life they will succeed...doesn't matter what type of program they are in.
ok ... a few quick reasons why i dislike 1/2 day school. and let me clarify. it isn't that i think kids that go to school full days learn more - or that they need to learn more. it's kindergarten. anyone that knows me should know that my main goal for preschool and kindergarten is for my kids to learn to become a valuable part of a functioning classroom. of course i want them to learn. and they do. but whether they walk away reading novels or dr. suess doesn't matter. if they start out their school career with a positive attitude towards school and are excited about everything that it has to offer - that is what matters!
when drew first started i was skeptical because 1/2 days were all i knew. i didn't have the option so we had to do all day every other. we ended up LOVING it. so that is a huge part of what my feelings are based off of.
i think half days are hard. the school day lasts for under 3 hours. having been in a classroom, i know that it takes a while to get the kids settled down and ready ... to get through announcements .. and to get on with your day. that doesn't leave you a lot of time. i like that with all day - once they get going ... they are in the groove and can stay there. the day isn't rushed or broken up.
i feel like half days just break up the entire day. we've done half days for the past year with preschool. it creates such a time crunch. if we do morning school we can't do anything in the afternoon because alex naps. if we do afternoon school we are left with a short time in the morning that we can go do things. we are on the go people. we love to go do things like the zoo, the park, the museum. so by having 2 full days free each week we can go do that kind of stuff.
as far as them being "wiped out". it is an adjustment. but ... they actually adjust quickly. in the beginning of the year they do a rest time in the afternoon where the kids can read quietly, or sleep. they phase this out as the kids get more used to being there all day.
to be honest i would rather do full day every day than half days. (but i'd have to pay 2500 extra) they learn the routine of the day and know what to expect. PLUS ... school is fun for them right now. they love going and being with their friends! drew LOVED doing lunch at school. and if you ask ben what he is looking forward to - that is the #1 thing and he says it every single time!
what it comes down to is that i know that Ben will be fine no matter what i choose. and i know that full day isn't for everyone. but ... based on what we have done and experienced ... full day is my preference :)
**as a side note ... i don't want to hear about studies. there are studies out there supporting both sides. each has it's benefits. i know that because i have done a lot of reading, and talking to a lot of teachers, trying to make my decision easier.
I'm Jen Koste's sister in law..want my opinion or don't you look for opinions on your blog? : )
i'm always open to opinions!!!
by the way anne ... you have a very sweet new addition ... congratulations!!!
one more thing .. i didn't mean to sound snotty by saying i don't want to hear about studies ... but i really have done a lot of reading. i want first hand thoughts ... experiences ... any of your own opinions!!! where are all of my teacher friends :) te he he :)
Hope you have some time for this one! haha Excuse the typo's...I'm rambling through this while I'm feeding my baby!
First off..I am a teacher and I do think that younger kids do better with earlier times, not because of research but because of the experience I have with 2nd graders. We have a messed up schedule this year with our busing so HS starts and ends earlier then the Elementary…it was part of their way for “saving” money in our district, which they found didn’t save us money, (do you think they’d listen to the teachers on this..NO). So now thankfully we have start times an hour earlier next year for the elementary school. By the end of the day I’m sorry it’s a long day going till 3:30 for K-2 grades..they can do it but you don’t get the quality of work that you get from them in the morning. So thankfully for our school our younger kids have their major core areas in the morning…but it switches from year to year and you just work with it! I agree…kids adjust, it’s tough at first but if I could have had my way I would have put my son in all day every day if I could have…he just eats up school but we couldn’t afford the all day price and daycare on top of it…and on a side note it makes me mad that you should have to pay for a child to go to a public school all day in kindergarten! Ugh! I do know some districts you do not have to pay for it…wish I lived closer to one of those! Jen and I have had a lot of talks about this stuff and I’ve always said it doesn’t matter what district you are in as long as your child as the motivation to succeed and parents supporting them they’ll do well in any district with any options they are given. From what I hear and read in your blogs you sound pretty involved in your kids lives..so I agree to that too…I know there are parents that believe they shouldn’t have to do anything with their kids at home, that that is why they go to school. Bummer for those kids cause those are the kids that aren’t going to succeed unless they can self motivate themselves, which is possible...but very sad to me. As for research I completely agree with you on that…just like vaccines and flu shots and all the cr@p that causes autism…well there is just as much research proving it doesn’t. Just depends on what research you want to believe…drive me nuts and don’t get me started! To each their own as long as those kids aren’t getting my kids sick then I guess I’m fine with it! Just give your kids some fr-cken fruit snacks with red food coloring in them and let them enjoy life..even if it’s short cause apparently the food they aren’t eating isn’t organic! HA Just don’t give them the fruit snacks, chocolate Capt Crunch or Starbucks before they come to my class in the morning! haha
ha ha!! anne ... you're hilarious! and i'm right with you on a lot of what you said!
i do agree the quality of work is probably better in the morning. and at our current school they have the core subjects in the morning as well. i figure that with of all the stupid stuff that they are required by the state to throw in (as i'm sure you know) ... you might as well use the time when they aren't functioning at their best to get that out of the way ;) right?!
but we won't even go there ;) alex just woke up and is anxious for some diego fruit snacks and a little elmos world ;)
thanks for all of the thoughts!
I would LOVE to see your floor plan! I love looking at houses and layouts!!
I so see what you mean about the mixed emotions of change and all of the stress with the decisions that you need to make concerning schools. All of that is so very stressful...good thing that packing and moving in and of itself isn't though, right? ha ha ha
Thanks so much for informing us all about this...I have been wondering what you guys were doing here!!
And, about the school stuff, I can't believe that every school/district is SO different in their Kindergarten schedules! That is crazy to me!!
Hang in there, my friend!
Hey there my NWC Psychology bud!! I am going through the same thing with you on the Kindergarten thing. Isaac starts in the fall and every public school in Bismarck is all day every day starting this year. At first I didn't like it, but i am now okay with it and Isaac is getting excited for it and i think that is one reason that I am becoming more excited about it. I will pray for you as you make all these decisions. They are tough ones!!
I would LOVE to see your floor plans eventually we are going to build a house (not anytime soon a few years down the road so I am told :-) ) But I love to look at floor plans and I do love to decorate. I don't know how good I am, but i love to do it!!
wow...a lot of opinions on this one, sarah! you already have had my input on kindergarten, so i won't go there today. but i'd love to see your floor plan! we put an offer on a house today!! check it out...
http://www.ggaronline.com/listing_detail_view.asp?key=487F7F0047CB4E5C98AD6741B974B699
Im such a decorator stud. My house is completley fashionable. well, if you count kid paintings hanging up and scribbles on the wall. HAHA. I would love to see your floor plans..im curious to see if they varied much from the ones I saw what a year or so ago?? congratulations on it all how exciting. Now go have a starbucks!
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