According to our calendar, most of us are 7 days out from sitting amongst a pile of discarded wrapping and packaging at the base of a dying tree in someone's living room listening to the squeals of delight and laughter but dreading the impending Yuletide meltdown. So, really, I should savor the moment of today and reflect back upon the really nice week we just had.
Upon Rex and Michael's return from Europe, we settled back into our home school schedule with Rex. Our home school reality was, sadly, far from my dream of fun and creative ways to learn. Basically it was me going to bed at night looking for ways to make the curriculum more interesting, waking up hopeful only to have those hopes be dashed by a boy who wakes up surly and full of dread. After only four days of him being back I sent him out for "recess" and immediately started calling schools.
It wasn't working because Rex is a social creature. And sitting at home with me doing anything was just going to be no fun. And when I make corrections, it comes across as criticism. And when I assign work, it comes across as punishment. Regardless of my intent. I mean, there were days I took him to a cafe, got a hot chocolate, played a game of chess, discussed characterization (direct and indirect) and read Bridge to Terabithia with him. We followed that by meeting a couple of other home school friends for skating in a park. And as much as he enjoyed it at the time, he reflected back on how it just wasn't for him. Some kids need to be in a classroom going through the trenches of learning with others. You know what they say, "Misery loves company. And by company, I don't mean your mother."
I had long said I didn't want to have to straddle more than one charter school. But at this point, I was willing to do anything to get out of home school hell. It just wasn't working for us.
Fortunately, being the time of year that it is, change was on the wind for other families too. And I guess a few of them decided to leave Blue Oak Charter School for greener pastures. This opened up an opportunity for Rex at Blue Oak. Yay! Finally, all three kids at the same school during the same hours? Oh, this will be a happy New Year!
I did a dance, high fived several people and then called home to give Michael and Rex the news: THAT WAS THE LAST DAY OF HOME SCHOOL FOR US! In fact, Rex is so excited to go back to school in the New Year he actually woke up happy on Friday morning. I hadn't seen that in a long time.
In other news, Blue Oak had it's extremely impressive Winter Concert Thursday night. Valerie performed recorder and sang with the fourth grade. She even sang in Japanese. for one song. When her fourth grade class came out to play violin, she got to sit up with her cello next to them all and play. And she got to perform one more time with the orchestra. Of course we were proud and impressed. But the performances by the other classes were amazing too.
As part of the 8th grade curriculum studying American history the 8th graders created a "jug band" and played some really cool music. Also, this school has an advanced orchestra. It was amazing (as usual). I was totally blown away. I wanted them to keep playing. It's open to the community. Many of the older Blue Oak students are part of it as well as a couple of teachers and some parents. It was truly a magical experience that we just won't get at any of the other schools in Chico.
And our bonus concert experience was that Rex met the other boy who would be entering the 5th grade at Blue Oak as a new student along with him in January. They both seemed really eager.
So, now we are on break. Rain and wind are moving in and plan on settling here for the next week. Kids are home and climbing the walls with anticipation. And I'm really looking forward to January when I have all three kids back at one school. They will have music and art and handwork infused in their daily lessons. What an amazing school that cultivates life long learners instead of jaded test takers. If I could go back to school, I would totally go there!
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