Daddy, Papa and Metag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://12008-07-23T12:02:08ZAn unconventional family in today's worldMovable Type 3.33Nature, a poem by Emmatag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://1.16162008-07-20T03:54:53Z2008-07-23T12:02:08ZWritten by her own hand, Birds, red, fly in the sky and blue rain falls down the sun is bright and yellow the grass is so colorful it shines the pretty flowers are pink Nature is just beautiful He inventive...
Written by her own hand,
Birds, red, fly in the sky
and blue rain falls down
the sun is bright and yellow
the grass is so colorful it shines
the pretty flowers are pink
Nature is just beautiful
He inventive spelling below
She did this on her own with her understanding of spelling as it stands now (best guess spelling)
Birds, red, fly in the sky
and blu ran fols down
the sun is brit and yelow
the gras is colrful it shins
the prety flowrs are pink
natur is just butiful
Apparently I'm a fat hairy ogretag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://1.16152008-07-18T21:53:41Z2008-07-18T22:21:15Z So yesterday I went to a hair stylist in Salt Lake City (a gift from Guy) and she did an entire 'work up'. Colored my hair (yikes, it's darker now!) to 'minimize the grey', trimmed/shaped my eyebrows, cut my... So yesterday I went to a hair stylist in Salt Lake City (a gift from Guy) and she did an entire 'work up'.
Colored my hair (yikes, it's darker now!) to 'minimize the grey', trimmed/shaped my eyebrows, cut my hair. I've never done anything like this (usually just the barber), but it was a treat and an experiment :).
When I got home Emma was NOT happy. She even started to tear up and got very upset and asked what I did and why I did it and cried that "I didn't look like her Papa any more."
Whoa, didn't expect that reaction (though she gave a similar reaction about 3 years ago when I cut my very long hair to very short). Anyway, she did calm down in time and then sat with me later to watch her show.
At a commercial she turned to me and said:
"It's like Shrek"
"What's like Shrek?"
"You changing. Like when Shrek became that man"
"You mean I looked like Shrek and now I look like the man?"
"Yeah, I liked Shrek better"
OUCH. I'm not sure whether to be insulted because she thinks that normally I look like a fat hairy ogre or be flattered that she thinks I've become more like a handsome prince (though she'd rather have Shrek).
Maybe, it's the eyebrows LOL.]]>
San Francisco: Most walkable city in the U.S.tag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://1.16142008-07-18T16:21:25Z2008-07-18T21:53:26Z According to WalkScore, San Francisco is the most walkable city in the U.S. Well, I could have told you that :). It's one of the reasons I love the city and our neighborhood, just about anything you could want... According to WalkScore, San Francisco is the most walkable city in the U.S. Well, I could have told you that :). It's one of the reasons I love the city and our neighborhood, just about anything you could want from gyms to parks to schools to grocery stores is within a quarter mile walk. If you look at the 'walkability' map of San Francisco, you'll notice the places with the least walkability are actually parks for the most part (though there are some neighborhoods that could use a bit more 'walkability'.
Walkability definitely is not the only criteria that would make a city livable, climate (check), mass transit (check), outdoor activities nearby (check), job possibilities (check), beauty (check), great people (check) and a few other criteria would make a city a livable city. Oh, and there is one more, affordability. Oh.. oops, San Francisco is near dead last in that criteria. I guess that is due to all the other criteria. Sigh.]]>
Reading, Riting and Rithmatic: Update, frustrations and joystag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://1.16132008-07-17T18:26:13Z2008-07-17T18:52:31ZLast week I told you some of the things we are doing to help Emma catch up to her peers and be ready for first grade (after it was suggested to us that we hold Emma back a year). Thought...
Last week I told you some of the things we are doing to help Emma catch up to her peers and be ready for first grade (after it was suggested to us that we hold Emma back a year).
Thought I'd give a quick update.
We are on the second section of the book we are using: Reading Reflex. I do like it, it make it clear and straightforward to follow. I have my quibbles, but I'll leave that for a review I plan to post on Amazon. The second section is on double consonants such as in words like 'ask, and, elm, end, task, plant etc'. (the first section is on simple sound combos like sat, hat, cat, pig, dig, fig, wig, ben, bet, etc). We are just entering 4 (sometimes 5) letter words with double consonant combinations. She's doing pretty well. There isn't a word she is confronted with at this level that she can't read. ]]>
phonemic awareness' and reads pretty well, many words becoming easy to read on sight.
But put those same words in a sentence and she'll do EVERYTHING she can think of not to read them. She'll make funny sounds like the sound is stuck in her throat, she'll look away, close her eyes, change the subject, want to turn the page, anything to keep from reading.
It was getting very frustrating. The day before yesterday was a very frustrating day for both of us. At our 'homeschool' lesson which started out reading a short story made up of only words she knows, I was getting so frustrated I almost just ended it right then and there. She was frustrated too and starting crying when she saw me that way.
Then, that night, when we were reading the Bob Book, the same thing. She reads it to me, and then I read our book to here (Harry Potter right now :). It took forever to get through the Bob Book and we were both getting so very frustrated, angry and upset.
I do NOT want reading to become a chore for both of us! Reading is one of the greatest pleasures in life and I want her to learn that.
So after talking to some other parents online, I decided to stick with the exercises and games and forgo actually reading sentences until she asks to or seemed ready.
The next two lessons went so well and reading to her at night was a pleasure again.
Then there was yesterday evening. About an hour after our lesson which was only exercise and games and went well, she went over to the table and picked up the first book in the second set of the Bob Books. She brought it over to me and asked if she could read it at bedtime.
I was both surprised and a bit hesitant. Surprised because the turn around was so quick! I was expecting weeks, if not months, and hesitant because I didn't want it to become a 'fiasco'** like the earlier evening.
Well, she read it to me. I did it a little different this time. I put a card over the sentence and uncovered one word at a time as she read them, eventually uncovering the entire sentence. Except for one page where she got distracted, the entire (little) book went very well. The story was even half-way fun.
Success!!
This is how we are going to do it for a while. I'll let her tell me when/if she wants to read stories or sentences, and we'll continue with the exercises and games.
It's a balance between pushing and not doing enough. We are finding it :D.
**Oh, and "fiasco" is our Fancy Word of the Day. She's liking our fancy words. I write them on a card and she and I decorate it. They are sticking. I've heard her use doubt and she likes "fiasco" so much she wants that to be the fancy word of the day today too. Today's is "yearn"]]>
Luminous Fogtag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://1.16122008-07-17T17:01:17Z2008-07-17T17:01:33Z .flickr-photo { } .flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; } .flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Luminous Fog, originally uploaded by Sutanto. One of the most beautiful night-time photos of San Francisco I've seen....
.flickr-photo { }
.flickr-frame { float: left; text-align: center; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }
.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }
One of the most beautiful night-time photos of San Francisco I've seen.
Emma said last night that she misses her home and 'my city'. I have to agree with her. As nice as traveling is, it's always nice to go home.
]]>
Essay on Culturetag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://1.16092008-07-15T20:20:38Z2008-07-15T20:28:11ZI just read this essay about culture, and I have to say, it is quite thought-provoking whether you come to it as a 'multi-culturalist' or the opposite 'One American culturalist' (both are severely pummeled). An excerpt:...
this essay about culture, and I have to say, it is quite thought-provoking whether you come to it as a 'multi-culturalist' or the opposite 'One American culturalist' (both are severely pummeled). An excerpt:
]]>
A century ago intellectuals worried about the degeneration of the race. Today we fear cultural decay. Is the notion of cultural decay any more coherent than that of racial degeneration? Cultures certainly change and develop. But what does it mean for a culture to decay? Or for an identity to be lost? Will Kymlicka draws a distinction between the ‘existence of a culture’ and ‘its “character” at any given moment’… So, in making the distinction between character and existence, Kymlicka seems to be suggesting that Jewish, Navajo or French culture is not defined by what Jewish, Navajo or French people are actually doing. For if Jewish culture is simply that which Jewish people do or French culture is simply that which French people do, then cultures could never decay or perish – they would always exist in the activities of people.
The logic of the preservationist argument is that every culture has a pristine form, its original state. It decays when it is not longer in that form. Like racial scientists with their idea of racial type, some modern multiculturalists appear to hold a belief in cultural type.
I agree and disagree, but I would also use this to argue that the arguments of the 'multi-culturalist' opponents, those that see "Anglo-AMerican, English-speaking" culture as something in need of preservation and defense are also mistaken. I'll have to give this some thought.]]>
Have you considered... ?tag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://1.16082008-07-15T18:49:12Z2008-07-15T19:26:01ZWe occasionally get a question formatted in such a way, "have you considered how much work it will be to have a child?" "Have you considered the cost?" "Have you considered how difficult it will be?" More often than not...
latest comment I have received on this blog is a perfect example of the latter. This from the comment:
...makes me wonder if you fully thought out the severe emotional distress she will be faced with...
]]>
facts completely contradict your premise.
Every year, we are more convinced that our daughter is growing up to be an incredibly strong BLACK WOMAN very aware and secure in her heritage (ALL of it), her self-esteem and her power as a woman and as a black woman.
Oh, and read this if you have questions about that other study that was reported much more in the press, but much less rigorous or even serious.
]]>
A Weekend in Utahtag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://1.16072008-07-14T19:50:56Z2008-07-14T20:06:46Z We had a nice weekend this weekend, and for prosperity's sake I'm documenting it here (photo is out of the bedroom window where we are staying, Squaw Peak and the Mormon Temple): Our UTAH weekend: Saturday morning Emma &... We had a nice weekend this weekend, and for prosperity's sake I'm documenting it here (photo is out of the bedroom window where we are staying, Squaw Peak and the Mormon Temple):
Our UTAH weekend:
Saturday morning Emma & I picked Guy up at the airport. He was in SF on tax business :(]]>
Saturday afternoon we went to "This is the Place Heritage Park" It's a nice place to go, lots of old buildings and demonstrations of the life from pioneer days. They had a free family fun day with 'train' rides, bouncy houses, demonstrations, free pizza and icecream, etc. Emma and we enjoyed it! side observation: Being Utah it was overwhelmingly white, but we did notice there were a lot of families there with adopted African-American children (oh, which brings me to the comment recently to an old post, I have a blog post about that coming in the next day or so :D).
Saturday evening: we went with DH's parents to their neighborhood picnic in celebration of their new pond/park. Amazing the scuttlebutt you hear at neighborhood gatherings :D
Sunday Morning: DH and Emma went to church with the grandparents. I stayed home and did laundry.
Sunday Afternoon: Lazy day. Emma and I did some Hogwarts activities, a bit of 'homeschool' (Because she actually wanted to!!), watched a show or two. Then we took her out and taught her to ride a bike (getting there), then we went and played "Hogwarts Go Fish" with grandma.
Sunday Evening: DH and I went with his brother, SIL and 24yo nephew to Salt Lake City to eat a picnic dinner and see "Saturday's Voyeur" A musical satire of Utah politics and and culture (read: the Mormon church). It was quite entertaining though I only have some knowledge of Utah politics. Senator Buttars though is just easy to write a satire on!! Emma had a sleep over with Grandpa and Grandma and Suzie (their dog) which she was very excited about.
All and all a very nice and very Utah weekend!]]>
Our momentous decision: Reading, Righting and Rithmatic IIItag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://1.16062008-07-13T17:23:01Z2008-07-13T19:58:18ZWell, part II is here. I have a feeling there is going to be several more parts, it's been on my mind a lot lately. So, what are we doing about it? Of course, earlier we started the Hogwart's Summer...
part II is here. I have a feeling there is going to be several more parts, it's been on my mind a lot lately.
So, what are we doing about it?
Of course, earlier we started the Hogwart's Summer School of Witchcraft and Wizardy which Emma and we are having a blast at (next assignment comes up next week), but we realized we needed to do something a bit more.
So, we've instituted "homeschool," it's what we call it. I sit down with Emma every weekday for 20-30 minutes and we learn to read. I've been using Reading Reflex:
]]>
Bob Book:
She's completed the first set, so we are on to the second.
We also have been playing games that deal with sounds and words. For example, our favorite game so far is a modified "go fish." The cards are words from the Reading Reflex and Bob book. I made the cards on index cards and there are only two of each word (100 words so far, we use 50 at a time, using more and more complex words as we progress, using the simpler words too as review). We added a twist, everytime someone gets a pair, they pick a "Bernie Botts Every Flavor Bean" from the pot and put it on their pair. Whoever loses has to eat one of the beans from the winner's cards. Emma LOVES this, in fact so much that she has now decided that the winner gets to eat all their beans... and she looks forward to getting a weird one. So far she's gotten black pepper, dirt and booger. She loves it.
Just this weekend we started a "Fancy word of the day." We got the idea from Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words. Emma loved the book and we were advised to help build her vocabulary and so we've been adding a fancy word of the day. We'll write it on an index card, decorate it, tell Emma what it means and then use it throughout the day. I don't think we'll do this everyday, probably 3-5 days a week. So far we've done "doubt" and "fiasco." She enjoys it.
Oh, and one more thing, in addition to my tutoring we have a tutor here in Utah helping for two weeks. She takes Emma for an hour a day while I run errands and tutors her exclusively with games. She reinforces some of the things we learned in 'homeschool' and she helps with math, numbers and calendar. We are doing that for a couple reasons, one to help Emma with these things she needs practice and help on a and one to help us see where she needs help and give us some pointers.
Phew, it sounds like a lot, but really, we've incorporated it so smoothly into our day, it doesn't seem like much. It's about 1 1/2 - 2 hours a day of lessons and games over the course of the day.
And something else seems to be changing, she seems more interested in both reading and math. She's asking a lot more for us to read signs on the road and reading them herself. She's also asks and tries to guess larger numbers she sees on the road much more than she used to and adds things together a lot.
Even now, as I write this, she pulled out a dry-erase board Guy got for her that has letters, simple math and shapes. She's been doing it now for a 1/2 hour on her own, instigated it and seems to thoroughly enjoy herself. In fact, as she was writing down th lower and upper case letters on the board, she was making up a song to go along with each letter and how you write it.
So, progress is being made :D
now, some thoughts next time...
]]>
I'd like to see THAT paradetag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://1.16052008-07-12T23:35:32Z2008-07-12T23:39:16ZOr maybe not: Guy noticed this in an ad in the Salt Lake Tribune last week and cut it out :). I lost it for a while, but found it today. It's not quite as I remembered it, but still......
Guy noticed this in an ad in the Salt Lake Tribune last week and cut it out :). I lost it for a while, but found it today. It's not quite as I remembered it, but still... family fun in family-friendly Utah including a parade of 'ladies of the evening' apparently!
oops.
]]>
Listen to this songtag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://1.16042008-07-12T04:17:04Z2008-07-12T04:18:16ZIt kind of nicely sums up the state of things....
It kind of nicely sums up the state of things.]]>
Hogwarts III: Canyons and Shakespeare Photostag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://1.16032008-07-11T19:28:47Z2008-07-11T19:45:36ZJust some photos to go along with Emma's third Hogwart's school lessons....
third Hogwart's school lessons.
]]>
Zion Canyon's Patriarch peaks:
]]>
Our momentous decision: Reading, Riting and Rithmatic, part IItag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://1.16022008-07-10T23:40:02Z2008-07-10T23:08:40ZPart 1 is here. Well, before and after the meeting we've done a lot of thinking and talking. The school said the decision was 100% ours whether to send Emma forward to first grade or hold her back for another...
Part 1 is here. Well, before and after the meeting we've done a lot of thinking and talking.
The school said the decision was 100% ours whether to send Emma forward to first grade or hold her back for another year of kindergarden. So, we've done an enormous amount of thinking, discussing, researching and talking to others. Here are some of the points that have informed our decision.]]>
(understanding what is explained to her) and her abstract and logical thought abilities.
Given these, the next are important...
* Most (though certainly not all, 1 or 2 suggested retention) of the people (outside Emma's teachers) we have discussed this with who are professionals (and the non-professional parents), teachers and learning specialists, say that you don't retain, hold back, a child a grade for one aspect of their academics. The only time, we have been told over and over again, you should do this is if the child is trailing in a large range of developmental, physical and academic traits. Emma is not that child.
* I've done a lot of reading of the research and it backs up what we've been told. To summarize, it basically concludes that most of the time (but not all) retaining a child a grade has no impact on advancing them academically and can sometimes have detrimental social and emotional impacts. Retention is warranted only if the child is trailing in a large range.... well, exactly what many have told us above.
and then more reasons...
* Emma has known these kids for three years, 4 of them she has known for over 5 years of her 6 and are friends from outside the school. If she remains at this school which goes to 8th grade (and we will have to consider that on an annual basis because of financial reasons), she will spend another 8 years with the kids. I can't imagine that being in the same small (on class of 20-25 per grade) school with your friends and forever below a grade is any less socially and emotionally detrimental than struggling in class with them.
* Emma might indeed have a learning difference, perhaps even be dyslexic (some symptoms fit, though it is too early to say that). Or it could be, because children are just this way, she is developing at a different pace and in different areas. At this age kids develop in spurts, starts and stops in different areas. Emma is ahead physically and in receptive ability, she might have a leap in reading. Either way, a long-term learning difference, or just a not-as-yet-jumped development, holding her back won't help. In the first case, a learning difference will need attention whether held back or not (and holding back won't help) and in the second case, it wouldn't help at all.
* We have been tutoring her _daily_ since this experience a month ago and she has made a lot of progress. She reads better and is now actually interested in reading where she wasn't before. More on this later.
All of this suggests strongly to us that retention will not help Emma, and will more than likely be a detriment to her social, emotional and academic well-being. At this point are decision is not to retain her and she will go to first grade this year.
All this said, we don't have to make that final decision for nearly a month, so we are holding out in case some overwhelming bit of evidence to the contrary of our decision comes up. And we are continuing to seek opinions and thoughts and data :), so, if you have any, we'd love to hear them, even if you think we won't like the opinion.
In tomorrow's post, I'll write about what we are doing with Emma (in addition to the Hogwart's Summer School) to help her be prepared for first grade. And I'll write a bit about private vs. public schools, pushing kids vs letting kids be kids, about 'sending kids ahead even when failing' and so much more.
I have a lot in my head.
UPDATE: actually here are some of those references referred to above:
Meta-analysis of Grade Retention Research: Implications for Practice in the 21st Century
"Although grade retention is widely practiced, it does not help children to 'catch up.' Retained children may appear to do better in the short term, but they are at much greater risk for future failure than their equally achieving, non-retained peers."
"...rentention... is not beneficial to students' academic progress, the financial cost and cost to children's self esteem are too great, and it has a correlative relationship with dropping out of school"
"On average, kindergarten repeaters continue to perform below their peers in terms of literacy skills both at the end of kindergarten and at the end of first grade... Most children appear to recieve little or no cognitive benefit from repeating kindergarten."
"Controlling for initial levels of achievement and adjustment, little evidence was found supporting retention as an intervention for improving educational outcomes"
]]>
Yes, I know, the new iPhonetag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://1.16012008-07-10T13:21:15Z2008-07-10T12:51:59Z I'm not getting one. I really want to, but I'm not. I can't in any way justify it. I love the one I have and it does everything I want to do. But I did just get something that... I'm not getting one. I really want to, but I'm not. I can't in any way justify it. I love the one I have and it does everything I want to do.
But I did just get something that satiates my geek needs... the Eye-Fi. It's 'just' a little camera memory disk for our little point and shoot camera. But what a nice little memory disk it is. It has this cute little ability to wirelessly send the photos (without any work from me) to both my computer (iPhoto!) AND the internet service like Flikr, SmugMug and many others. Cool.
Now super cool. It also 'geotags' your photos. Through wireless networks it triangulates where it is and then 'tags' the photo with the location. It doesn't work everywhere, covers about 70% of the US and over 50 metropolitan areas in Europe including 70% of Germany, France and the UK. Which, serendipitously, we'll be this summer. Now I won't have to remember which castle or cathedral I took a picture of, the photos will be geotagged :D.
Just posting a reminder of my geekiness.]]>
Our momentous decision: Reading, Riting and Rithmatictag:www.lathefamily.org,2008://1.16002008-07-09T23:08:54Z2008-07-10T05:15:44ZI haven't written about this up till now because it's taken awhile for us to wrap our heads around, make decisions and well.. we've been busy, but here it is. I'm sure there will be more momentous parenting decisions in...
I haven't written about this up till now because it's taken awhile for us to wrap our heads around, make decisions and well.. we've been busy, but here it is. I'm sure there will be more momentous parenting decisions in our life and there surely has been more momentous parenting decisions in our past (like, becoming parents). This decision is though, momentous.
Let me give you the background information.
3 and a half years ago we tested Emma for her verbal abilities because we notice they were behind compared to what is 'normal' and considering the kids her age we knew. The public school district suggested language therapy and we accepted. So for three school years Emma attended a language therapy class twice a week with two of her friends (the twins). It did seem to help a lot and she made huge progress.
This year we had an IEP (Individualized Education Program) earlier this spring with the language therapist and her two preschool teachers. The language therapist's assessment was that Emma had caught up to the average for her age in expressive ability (she's always been ahead in receptive language) and the teacher concurred. She had a few things she could work on (reading), but was doing well.
Additionally, we had our annual teacher-parent conference with the two main preschool teachers. The report was glowing. Emma was socially, creatively and academically well adjusted and developed. She had "big emotions" but we knew that.
Then later, around April, we had a meeting with the learning specialist at the school who had been working with Emma (and a few other kids) who needed some help in reading to prepare for 1st grade and with the other full-time specialist. Her tests and experience suggested that Emma was struggling with reading, specifically with attaching and remembering phonemes (or remembering the last sound in a word, etc). They suggested we get help with her and work with her to prepare her for first grade and reading since she was behind the others (24 kids) in her peer group.
Hence the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry you see me reporting on. It was our attempt to teach Emma reading, writing and other topics (through the journal).
Then, in May, we asked for an SST (I can't remember what it stands for). This was set up by us and the school. In attendance were the two preschool teachers, the two learning specialists, the language specialist from the public school, the first grade teacher and us. We discussed Emma's educational future at length. On the board we wrote down Emma's strengths (social, happy, quickly grasps complex subjects, bright, artistic and creative), her challenges (struggles with reading and a bit too with math). We discussed some of the things we could do over the summer to help her catch up with the rest of the class in reading and some other areas. Overall we felt confident about her 1st grade year.
Then, the last day of classes, about a month after this last meeting, the learning specialist called about Emma. She said it was important and it would be good if we returned her call ASAP. We did.
She said in this conversation that in the preceding month Emma seemed to have hit a wall and had made no progress. She was concerned about Emma's progress and felt that putting her in first grade would not be advisable. She strongly advised we hold her back for one year of kindergarten. She felt that Emma was so far behind that she might not be able to catch up. She felt that the strain of being so far behind and the overwhelming challenge would make hurt her self esteem strongly enough that it would hold her back academically. The first grade class at the school is quite intense.
I was angry. Furious actually wouldn't describe it strongly enough. So angry in fact that during the entire conversation I did not say a single word. It was on speaker phone and Guy did any talking that was done on our side. Guy was upset, but he's better and anger-management than I am... and when I'm angry I usually shut down.
Now, before you say something that might sound condescending, I've been told, several times now, with a verbal pat on the head... "oh that's most parents' reaction when they are told their [amazing and perfect] children are behind or learning disabled"
No, that wasn't it. Granted, we have a parents' view of our child. She is amazing to us. And damn it, she is. But I also know that she has struggled with verbal expression and reading. She _might_ have a learning difference or disability. That doesn't anger me. I've had my own problems with education (more later).
No, what bothered me was that after four intensive meetings over four months, nothing at all was ever said about retaining Emma. Nothing. And now, after planning in detail Emma's future in first grade and, more importantly, getting Emma excited about 1st grade, we are told at the last minute that she should be held back.
The learning specialist wanted us to meet with them ASAP to discuss this. We were leaving for Mexico, but she felt that it was important enough to delay our trip.
After some advice from several people, parenting friends online and IRL, we decided to not to delay our trip. And I was angry enough that that was probably a really good idea.
We left for Mexico the next day and had a great time.
When we returned, we had another meeting with the two learning specialists, the two preschool teachers, the first grade teacher, the lower head of school and us.
Phew... I guess that's what you get when you pay the big bucks for private school. A very focused individual attention.
So, we had the meeting, we discussed the learning specialists' advice. In the meantime we had talked to several parents, teachers, learning specialists and others. I had also did a lot of study of the research literature.
Before I go on. As angry as I was and we were with the learning specialist and to a lesser extent with the preschool teachers.... we love, respect and trust all three of them. They have Emma's welfare as their sole concern and the best of intentions. After three years, we believe that strongly. If we didn't believe that and respect them, we wouldn't have taken this advice as seriously and painfully as we did. That doesn't mean they are correct though.
So, tomorrow I'll tell you our decision (hint, unless hit with some huge new information, 1st grade) and what we are doing.
This is already long enough.]]>
So yesterday I went to a hair stylist in Salt Lake City (a gift from Guy) and she did an entire 'work up'.
Colored my hair (yikes, it's darker now!) to 'minimize the grey', trimmed/shaped my eyebrows, cut my hair. I've never done anything like this (usually just the barber), but it was a treat and an experiment :).
When I got home Emma was NOT happy. She even started to tear up and got very upset and asked what I did and why I did it and cried that "I didn't look like her Papa any more."
Whoa, didn't expect that reaction (though she gave a similar reaction about 3 years ago when I cut my very long hair to very short). Anyway, she did calm down in time and then sat with me later to watch her show.
At a commercial she turned to me and said:
"It's like Shrek"
"What's like Shrek?"
"You changing. Like when Shrek became that man"
"You mean I looked like Shrek and now I look like the man?"
"Yeah, I liked Shrek better"
OUCH. I'm not sure whether to be insulted because she thinks that normally I look like a fat hairy ogre or be flattered that she thinks I've become more like a handsome prince (though she'd rather have Shrek).
Maybe, it's the eyebrows LOL.]]>
According to WalkScore, San Francisco is the most walkable city in the U.S. Well, I could have told you that :). It's one of the reasons I love the city and our neighborhood, just about anything you could want from gyms to parks to schools to grocery stores is within a quarter mile walk. If you look at the 'walkability' map of San Francisco, you'll notice the places with the least walkability are actually parks for the most part (though there are some neighborhoods that could use a bit more 'walkability'.
Walkability definitely is not the only criteria that would make a city livable, climate (check), mass transit (check), outdoor activities nearby (check), job possibilities (check), beauty (check), great people (check) and a few other criteria would make a city a livable city. Oh, and there is one more, affordability. Oh.. oops, San Francisco is near dead last in that criteria. I guess that is due to all the other criteria. Sigh.]]>
We had a nice weekend this weekend, and for prosperity's sake I'm documenting it here (photo is out of the bedroom window where we are staying, Squaw Peak and the Mormon Temple):
Our UTAH weekend:
Saturday morning Emma & I picked Guy up at the airport. He was in SF on tax business :(]]>
Saturday afternoon we went to "This is the Place Heritage Park" It's a nice place to go, lots of old buildings and demonstrations of the life from pioneer days. They had a free family fun day with 'train' rides, bouncy houses, demonstrations, free pizza and icecream, etc. Emma and we enjoyed it! side observation: Being Utah it was overwhelmingly white, but we did notice there were a lot of families there with adopted African-American children (oh, which brings me to the comment recently to an old post, I have a blog post about that coming in the next day or so :D).
Saturday evening: we went with DH's parents to their neighborhood picnic in celebration of their new pond/park. Amazing the scuttlebutt you hear at neighborhood gatherings :D
Sunday Morning: DH and Emma went to church with the grandparents. I stayed home and did laundry.
Sunday Afternoon: Lazy day. Emma and I did some Hogwarts activities, a bit of 'homeschool' (Because she actually wanted to!!), watched a show or two. Then we took her out and taught her to ride a bike (getting there), then we went and played "Hogwarts Go Fish" with grandma.
Sunday Evening: DH and I went with his brother, SIL and 24yo nephew to Salt Lake City to eat a picnic dinner and see "Saturday's Voyeur" A musical satire of Utah politics and and culture (read: the Mormon church). It was quite entertaining though I only have some knowledge of Utah politics. Senator Buttars though is just easy to write a satire on!! Emma had a sleep over with Grandpa and Grandma and Suzie (their dog) which she was very excited about.
All and all a very nice and very Utah weekend!]]>
:
:
. Emma loved the book and we were advised to help build her vocabulary and so we've been adding a fancy word of the day. We'll write it on an index card, decorate it, tell Emma what it means and then use it throughout the day. I don't think we'll do this everyday, probably 3-5 days a week. So far we've done "doubt" and "fiasco." She enjoys it.
Oh, and one more thing, in addition to my tutoring we have a tutor here in Utah helping for two weeks. She takes Emma for an hour a day while I run errands and tutors her exclusively with games. She reinforces some of the things we learned in 'homeschool' and she helps with math, numbers and calendar. We are doing that for a couple reasons, one to help Emma with these things she needs practice and help on a and one to help us see where she needs help and give us some pointers.
Phew, it sounds like a lot, but really, we've incorporated it so smoothly into our day, it doesn't seem like much. It's about 1 1/2 - 2 hours a day of lessons and games over the course of the day.
And something else seems to be changing, she seems more interested in both reading and math. She's asking a lot more for us to read signs on the road and reading them herself. She's also asks and tries to guess larger numbers she sees on the road much more than she used to and adds things together a lot.
Even now, as I write this, she pulled out a dry-erase board Guy got for her that has letters, simple math and shapes. She's been doing it now for a 1/2 hour on her own, instigated it and seems to thoroughly enjoy herself. In fact, as she was writing down th lower and upper case letters on the board, she was making up a song to go along with each letter and how you write it.
So, progress is being made :D
now, some thoughts next time...
]]>
Guy noticed this in an ad in the Salt Lake Tribune last week and cut it out :). I lost it for a while, but found it today. It's not quite as I remembered it, but still... family fun in family-friendly Utah including a parade of 'ladies of the evening' apparently!
oops.
]]>
I'm not getting one. I really want to, but I'm not. I can't in any way justify it. I love the one I have and it does everything I want to do.
But I did just get something that satiates my geek needs... the Eye-Fi. It's 'just' a little camera memory disk for our little point and shoot camera. But what a nice little memory disk it is. It has this cute little ability to wirelessly send the photos (without any work from me) to both my computer (iPhoto!) AND the internet service like Flikr, SmugMug and many others. Cool.
Now super cool. It also 'geotags' your photos. Through wireless networks it triangulates where it is and then 'tags' the photo with the location. It doesn't work everywhere, covers about 70% of the US and over 50 metropolitan areas in Europe including 70% of Germany, France and the UK. Which, serendipitously, we'll be this summer. Now I won't have to remember which castle or cathedral I took a picture of, the photos will be geotagged :D.
Just posting a reminder of my geekiness.]]>