Grandparents–What Do Kids Think

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

My bonus mom sent me this email today and I thought it was pretty funny.   Enjoy–I felt a little sad when I read the one about TV and them being the only adults that like kids.  Poor kid. 

WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT?
(Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)
Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people’s 
   
A grandfather is a man, and; a grandmother is a lady 
   
Grandparents don’t have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn’t play hard or run.

It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money 
   
When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.  
   
They show us and talk to us about the colors of the flowers and also why we shouldn’t step on ‘cracks.
   
They don’t say, ‘Hurry up. 
   
Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes. 
   
They wear glasses and funny underwear
 
They can take their teeth and gums out
   
Grandparents don’t have to be smart.

They have to answer questions like ‘Why isn’t God married?’ and ‘How come dogs chase cats?’ 
   
When they read to us, they don’t skip. They don’t mind if we ask for the same story over again. 
   
Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don’t have television because they are the only grownups who like to spend time with us. 
   
They know we should have snack time before bed time, and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we’ve acted bad. 
  
 A 6-YEAR-OLD WAS ASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA LIVED
”OH,” HE SAID, ”SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT, AND WHEN WE WANT HER, WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE’RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.”

      
GRANDPA IS THE SMARTEST MAN ON EARTH! HE TEACHES ME GOOD THINGS, BUT I DON’T GET TO SEE HIM ENOUGH TO GET AS SMART AS HIM
 
 It’s funny when they bend over; you hear gas leaks, and they blame their dog.

Thirteen Days

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 5 Comments

Well, we are thirteen days into 2009 and I have worked out/exercised every day.  My goal is to exercise/work out every day this year.  I am determined to get to a place where I am comfortable with my body and more energetic and fit. 

It has been a great 13 days.  I feel awesome.  I have been mixing it up so that I don’t hurt myself.  I am proud and am really beginning to think that I’ll be able to pull it off.  I haven’t started weight training yet and will start that one or two times a week in February. 

Here’s to a happier and healthier me.

Taking Stock

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 2 Comments

Making a decision about schooling for my children has forced hubby and I to think about our priorities and what is really important to us.  Private school is a huge expense and will require us to live a simpler life.  We live pretty simply now, but it takes off the table the possibility of moving out of our litte house anytime soon.  It takes off the table our hopes of buying new cars.  It takes off the table any aspirations and dreams we have of fabulous international travel or extravagant vacations to Hawaii, Belize, Costa Rica, Europe, etc. 

We had to ask ourselves if these were things we would be willing to live without.  We are.  Once these things are off the table it is easy to not think about them as possibilities.  Our kids are the most important things in our lives and we want them to have a great education and a fun education.  An education that teaches them not fact and figures (at some degree these are really erroneous things that simulate teaching and learning but don’t embody the essence of teaching and learning) but teaches them how to learn; how to explore; how to create and construct their own learning.  And most importantly an education that focuses on each child as an individual and allows and encourages each individual to learn who they are and to find their passion.  I know it’s a tall order and as you can clearly see explain why public school really isn’t an option for me to consider–regardless of how awesome a district we might live in some day. 

We have also begun to admit that diversity is really important to us and not just in the student body but also in the staff.  This is harder than one would think.  There are sadly, not a great deal of African American teachers in private schools–this is another issue that is larger than this post.  So many things to consider, but it is nice to have our priorities coming to the front of the line ad losing everything else. I feel a little lighter and a lot more hopeful that this will help us make the right decision.

An Addendum

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 3 Comments

Okay, so I have to admit my hubby has a point.  Private school is expensive.  Even with financial aid that we will probably get this year, it will be expensive.  I do have to add that daycare will also be expensive.  I then have to admit that the possibility of getting financial aid for Noah’s second year of school is slim since I will in theory be working fulltime pushing us up higher on the income scale and probably completely out of the financial market.  So, while we could afford his first year I don’t know about the second and I certainly don’t know how we would afford it when Zo is ready to start school.

Hubby pointed out to me that we can’t just think about this first year–we have to think about each year and to consider how we are going to send all of our children to school.  We plan to have four children (we are going to attempt IVF in the fall and then plan to adopt depending on outcome of IVF).  Even if we get financial aid because of the number of children we have can we really afford to send 4 kids to my dream school for the kids at just over $11,000 a year each.  Am I willing to sacrifice vacations and other things to send my kids to this school.  None of these were things I thought about.  I just wanted my kids to have the best education they could.  I need to change my way of thinking.  Maybe I need to give my kids the best education that I can afford.

Hubby thinks we can supplement their education at home and of course we will to some extent, but life will be busy and we won’t have the opportunity to do that as much as I would like.  I know that wanting the best for my kids–in terms of education and other things–is a normal parental desire.  I just don’t know how to reconcile that I maybe can’t give theme the absolute best or at least my impression of what is absolutely best.  I am so conflicted.  I have to accpet that not sending them to this school isn’t a failure on my part.  I can’t go back and think–“If I didn’t spend money on this or that, etc we wouldn’t have other financial obligations preventing us from sending them to this school.”  But I do think about that and I feel bad that I didn’t prepare myself for the cost of private school. 

So, those of you out there in my area–I’m looking for an awesome full day preschool.  Any ideas?

Back To The Drawing Board

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

In terms of choosing a school for the kids.  Hubby doesn’t feel like we fit in at my choice of school and I don’t know if it has something to do with the people, his lack of desire for being social, or the financial sacrifices it would entail.  I am a bit devestated and am not sure what to do yet or where to turn.  I was set.  We toured he liked it.  Now he doesn’t–we went to their winter festival/open house today and had a lot of fun. 

Men can be so frickin frustrating….