J must be registered for Kindergarten soon, even sooner than I had supposed since I just found out that the new school area into which we worked so hard to move is the smallest in the district and, when they're full, they're full, and all subsequent students will be bussed to another school...!!! So now, I am trying to gather the mountain of paperwork needed to get him into school, which includes, but is not limited to the following:
--birth certificate
--physician report form
--immunization record
--dentist report form
--tuberculosis risk assessment
--student health history
--parent identification
--school records (includes pre-K)
--authorization for record release for new students
--copy of signed lease (in our case)
--three additional proofs of residency
--owner/tenant affidavit (which must be notarized)
--residency and custody affidavit (which must also be notarized)
--student registration form
--proof of employment/income
Some of these are simply forms I need to fill out, others must be taken to various doctors, and still others have to be notarized. All of this is complicated by the fact that we are moving as of April 15th. So, can we register now with our current address, which is also in the right district, even though our lease here technically has no end date, something they frown upon? Or should we wait until some time after the 15th when we get our licenses changed over to our new address? And how long will that take, along with getting three additional proofs of residency in our new address? And will waiting jeopardize our spot in the school?
After all this angst and work to find a house in the best school area, only to find out something else could move us right out of that school? I am so frustrated and not a little piqued about the whole situation. Plus, this is more documentation to get my child into kindergarten than I have ever had to produce to do anything else in the rest of my life, including applying for a passport, going to school abroad, and getting married! Sheesh!
So, I am off to call the district tomorrow and ask my questions and hope I get good answers. Then I will try and collect and organize my mountain of paperwork and make my appointment to turn them all in and have them reviewed in person as soon as possible, hopefully before we leave for vacation and/or move. I've got nothing but time tomorrow, of course, in between filing our taxes, packing, going to music class, visiting teaching, and nursing yet another sick child (more on the Virus to End All Viruses next!).
Wish me luck! Better yet, send me a power bar, will ya?? And maybe a secretary!
Friday, March 01, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Downton brings me down
Part of the post below was written before I had seen the season finale of Downton Abbey and part written after. This is important if the post is to make any sense at all. Also, if for some reason you are even further behind than I am and have not seen the season finale or the season at all, SPOILER ALERT!! Do not continue reading!
----------------
I was late to the Downton Abbey party, but I came dressed for the festivities, and I've never left! I'm going to watch the season finale this weekend and enjoy it immensely, in the midst of lamenting the fact that the season is much too short! I've brought the husband on board, too (it was an easy sell), but he has a hard time watching because he detests Mary so much!
Me, I don't love her, of course, but I like watching the show for lots of other reasons beyond the Dowager's wit, the downstairs drama, and the pretty picture of a society on its way out. Most entertaining to me is the difference between a British Drama written for BOTH a British and an American audience and one written just for the Brits. You see, the Americans were probably SHOCKED that Sybil died, while the Brits were probably wondering why it took so long to dispatch someone substantive. And the Americans were righteously indignant on Bates' behalf, while the Brits were probably wondering why he hadn't died already. (Have you watched much British drama? EVERYONE dies!) As I've talked about here before, British dramas are very cavalier about killing off main characters. It happens MUCH more frequently than it does on American show and usually goes virtually unremarked upon, whereas American programs roll around in the death and its ramifications for hours and hours. So it's interesting to me that there has been so little death on this show that is produced in cooperation with both countries. And while I was surprised by Sybil's death, I still recognize that she was one of the more expendable characters, the kind of character who is much more likely to die in American dramas.
Then there are the shorter seasons, of course. Not only is Downton Abbey happening in much fewer episodes than it would in America, those episodes are covering a much greater span of time than any but our most ambitious mini-series would ever attempt. Season 1 covered a little over two years; Season 2 covered two and a half years; and Season three will end up covering one and a half years. In three seasons we will have moved from April 1912 to September 1921. Such a span of time would have taken an American show at LEAST that many years in real time. This condensation makes the series move much more quickly, of course, and has the added effect of making this particular period of decline appear to be happening at a headlong pace, which, arguably, it did, depending on who you were and how much you were paying attention.
--------------
Oh. my. goodness. I CANNOT believe they killed Matthew! Are you kidding me? Matthew?? Everyman, savior, all around good guy (except for that kiss with Mary while he was engaged) Matthew? When I said the Brits like to kill people off, I had no idea that would mean Matthew was about to be crushed under a car just after the birth of his son. See, I'm an American through and through: I'm shocked and appalled at this development! And now Mary will become even more hateful and bitter, and we won't be able to blame her, really, and poor Tom will have to be the only champion for Matthew's vision, making him even more at odds with the family, and will we see less of Mrs. Crawley, because she has become one of my favorite characters, and do they really think I'm going to be able to replace Matthew with this new troublesome young girl whose name I can't even remember (Rose?)??? Awful, awful, awful. I think the husband was even more upset than I was and once again I have introduced him to a show that ends in unforeseen tragedy (though hopefully not as abruptly as the last show of this kind I hooked him on, Angel).
And now we wait for season 4. I don't know if I can take it!
----------------
I was late to the Downton Abbey party, but I came dressed for the festivities, and I've never left! I'm going to watch the season finale this weekend and enjoy it immensely, in the midst of lamenting the fact that the season is much too short! I've brought the husband on board, too (it was an easy sell), but he has a hard time watching because he detests Mary so much!
Me, I don't love her, of course, but I like watching the show for lots of other reasons beyond the Dowager's wit, the downstairs drama, and the pretty picture of a society on its way out. Most entertaining to me is the difference between a British Drama written for BOTH a British and an American audience and one written just for the Brits. You see, the Americans were probably SHOCKED that Sybil died, while the Brits were probably wondering why it took so long to dispatch someone substantive. And the Americans were righteously indignant on Bates' behalf, while the Brits were probably wondering why he hadn't died already. (Have you watched much British drama? EVERYONE dies!) As I've talked about here before, British dramas are very cavalier about killing off main characters. It happens MUCH more frequently than it does on American show and usually goes virtually unremarked upon, whereas American programs roll around in the death and its ramifications for hours and hours. So it's interesting to me that there has been so little death on this show that is produced in cooperation with both countries. And while I was surprised by Sybil's death, I still recognize that she was one of the more expendable characters, the kind of character who is much more likely to die in American dramas.
Then there are the shorter seasons, of course. Not only is Downton Abbey happening in much fewer episodes than it would in America, those episodes are covering a much greater span of time than any but our most ambitious mini-series would ever attempt. Season 1 covered a little over two years; Season 2 covered two and a half years; and Season three will end up covering one and a half years. In three seasons we will have moved from April 1912 to September 1921. Such a span of time would have taken an American show at LEAST that many years in real time. This condensation makes the series move much more quickly, of course, and has the added effect of making this particular period of decline appear to be happening at a headlong pace, which, arguably, it did, depending on who you were and how much you were paying attention.
--------------
Oh. my. goodness. I CANNOT believe they killed Matthew! Are you kidding me? Matthew?? Everyman, savior, all around good guy (except for that kiss with Mary while he was engaged) Matthew? When I said the Brits like to kill people off, I had no idea that would mean Matthew was about to be crushed under a car just after the birth of his son. See, I'm an American through and through: I'm shocked and appalled at this development! And now Mary will become even more hateful and bitter, and we won't be able to blame her, really, and poor Tom will have to be the only champion for Matthew's vision, making him even more at odds with the family, and will we see less of Mrs. Crawley, because she has become one of my favorite characters, and do they really think I'm going to be able to replace Matthew with this new troublesome young girl whose name I can't even remember (Rose?)??? Awful, awful, awful. I think the husband was even more upset than I was and once again I have introduced him to a show that ends in unforeseen tragedy (though hopefully not as abruptly as the last show of this kind I hooked him on, Angel).
And now we wait for season 4. I don't know if I can take it!
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Happy Birthday to E!
Toddler E turned 3 years old today! Hooray! He is that much closer to being as old as he looks! Huzzah for him! It's been hard to look like you're four and a half and be only two! And least now he's a whole lot closer!
Toddler E has really come into his own this year. He finally learned to speak...and then hasn't stopped! He has even started a funny little habit of talking to himself or to others and then, at the end of saying whatever it is he's saying, he'll just start nodding his head and saying "yep, yep, yep" and then he'll simply, literally, babble, make sounds and move his head as if he were talking but not say anything at all. It's as if he has realized that people talk and say a lot but he's run out of things to say so he just inserts some filler. It's hilarious! He has also finally realized that the way to compete with J is to match him story for story and, right now, that means he usually repeats every story J tells right after he tells it, embellishing and extending the narrative as he goes. E is also really, really loud lately. I think he is just daring us to forget he is there!
Toddler E is his own kid. Recently, even though I had decided to wait until he was at least three to start potty training, he started on his own, going whenever we put him on the potty. Then, a little later, I decided we would just start with the short potty training sessions I did with J...only I forgot we were doing them one morning and and he went until he couldn't stand it any more and went into the bathroom by himself, went, and called me to come help him finish. But as soon as I put a diaper back on him, he also promptly went in the diaper. So I decided that meant he had enough control to skip diapers altogether and move right into big boy underpants and we haven't looked back, with no accidents to speak of. He is even staying dry all through the night and resents that I am making him wear the overnight pull-ups I bought until they're gone. Toddler E does what he want, when he decides to do it.
He also loves to eat, and he's an adventurous eater. He recently told me, after visiting an Indian friend, "Gupta makes the best food, Mommy!" That's what I like, a just turned three year old who spontaneously identifies Indian food as one of his faves! His other favorite foods are cheeseburgers, blackberries, mandarin oranges, cheese pizza, watermelon, and the perennial favorite, mac-n-cheese. In fact, E would rather have fruit than just about anything. And he's a savory boy at heart, preferring bacon and eggs to pancakes or waffles any morning. He does love candy, don't get me wrong, but isn't a huge fan of chocolate or ice-cream or cake or any typical desserts at all. He'd really just like another serving of barbeque pork, please!
Toddler E is now a big boy with a big personality. He loves trains, cars, and animals and makes up intricate stories about all of them. He can entertain himself for hours doing that, but he would rather play with J. He wants to BE his big brother and or at least be WITH him, and, failing that, to beat him up when J becomes too much to handle! E can't wait to go to "P-K" so he can go to school just like his brother. In the meantime, he's learning his letters and numbers, faster than J, actually. He's ready to catch up just as soon as he can! Everyone love Toddler E and he loves most people, having skipped the shyness phase, at least so far. I wish he were a tad more shy, actually, or had a more intensely developed fear of the unknown, but my youngest child fears no one and nothing, not strangers or city streets or running off by himself or disappearing from sight and never reappearing until found. He is a handful because of this lack of fear and sometimes makes me wish it were kosher to put a leash on him! The only thing Toddler E is really afraid of is apple peel, because of an unfortunate incident recently when he choked on an apple peel while eating breakfast alone (I was dozing in the next room). I had to do the Heimlich when my mommy sense woke me up and sent me in after him and, sense then, he has avoided apples altogether, telling me solemnly each time "I choked on those apples, Mommy!"
As with J, I'm happy that Toddler E is growing up. I love the quirky, funny, creative little boy he's become and can't wait to see what the next year brings!
Toddler E has really come into his own this year. He finally learned to speak...and then hasn't stopped! He has even started a funny little habit of talking to himself or to others and then, at the end of saying whatever it is he's saying, he'll just start nodding his head and saying "yep, yep, yep" and then he'll simply, literally, babble, make sounds and move his head as if he were talking but not say anything at all. It's as if he has realized that people talk and say a lot but he's run out of things to say so he just inserts some filler. It's hilarious! He has also finally realized that the way to compete with J is to match him story for story and, right now, that means he usually repeats every story J tells right after he tells it, embellishing and extending the narrative as he goes. E is also really, really loud lately. I think he is just daring us to forget he is there!
Toddler E is his own kid. Recently, even though I had decided to wait until he was at least three to start potty training, he started on his own, going whenever we put him on the potty. Then, a little later, I decided we would just start with the short potty training sessions I did with J...only I forgot we were doing them one morning and and he went until he couldn't stand it any more and went into the bathroom by himself, went, and called me to come help him finish. But as soon as I put a diaper back on him, he also promptly went in the diaper. So I decided that meant he had enough control to skip diapers altogether and move right into big boy underpants and we haven't looked back, with no accidents to speak of. He is even staying dry all through the night and resents that I am making him wear the overnight pull-ups I bought until they're gone. Toddler E does what he want, when he decides to do it.
He also loves to eat, and he's an adventurous eater. He recently told me, after visiting an Indian friend, "Gupta makes the best food, Mommy!" That's what I like, a just turned three year old who spontaneously identifies Indian food as one of his faves! His other favorite foods are cheeseburgers, blackberries, mandarin oranges, cheese pizza, watermelon, and the perennial favorite, mac-n-cheese. In fact, E would rather have fruit than just about anything. And he's a savory boy at heart, preferring bacon and eggs to pancakes or waffles any morning. He does love candy, don't get me wrong, but isn't a huge fan of chocolate or ice-cream or cake or any typical desserts at all. He'd really just like another serving of barbeque pork, please!
Toddler E is now a big boy with a big personality. He loves trains, cars, and animals and makes up intricate stories about all of them. He can entertain himself for hours doing that, but he would rather play with J. He wants to BE his big brother and or at least be WITH him, and, failing that, to beat him up when J becomes too much to handle! E can't wait to go to "P-K" so he can go to school just like his brother. In the meantime, he's learning his letters and numbers, faster than J, actually. He's ready to catch up just as soon as he can! Everyone love Toddler E and he loves most people, having skipped the shyness phase, at least so far. I wish he were a tad more shy, actually, or had a more intensely developed fear of the unknown, but my youngest child fears no one and nothing, not strangers or city streets or running off by himself or disappearing from sight and never reappearing until found. He is a handful because of this lack of fear and sometimes makes me wish it were kosher to put a leash on him! The only thing Toddler E is really afraid of is apple peel, because of an unfortunate incident recently when he choked on an apple peel while eating breakfast alone (I was dozing in the next room). I had to do the Heimlich when my mommy sense woke me up and sent me in after him and, sense then, he has avoided apples altogether, telling me solemnly each time "I choked on those apples, Mommy!"
As with J, I'm happy that Toddler E is growing up. I love the quirky, funny, creative little boy he's become and can't wait to see what the next year brings!
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Moving on
I know, I've slipped behind in writing, but I've been busy! We are almost to the point of signing a lease for our next place, which means I have been deeply involved in packing (because it's never too early!) and buried in the Ikea catalog as I figure out how to furnish a place with more rooms both cheaply and cleverly. At the same time, we've looked at lots and lots of local and national furniture stores to comparison shop. We have determined that 1) furniture is MUCH too expensive, 2) my tastes are not reflected in most contemporary furniture trends (what is with the 70s revival? Black shellac? Crazy mirrors? Insanely detailed and uselessly decorative drawer pulls? Ugh.), and 3) this is going to be harder than we had originally thought!
Our biggest certain decision so far is that we are going to get an actual bed frame for the first time in our married lives! Huzzah! But we've also decided to take advantage of the fact that we have a garage and don't love anything we've seen and do a DIY frame using one of Ikea's bare bones pine frames as a base. I would show you the pictures of the tutorials we found online that we love, but I don't want to get your hopes up in case it doesn't work out! Let me just say, we're going for an upholstered headboard--shazam! It's going to be a joint project, the husband working with me, and we're going to take our time and not feel pressed to have the bed done IMMEDIATELY! We've had a Hollywood frame for this long; we'll survive with it a little longer!
In fact, I think that taking our time is going to be the theme of outfitting our new house. I was all set to head to Ikea and spend tons of money all at once and be done with it, but I think instead we're going to go more slowly, really be sure of what we want, shop the Habitat for Humanity Re-store and Craigslist, hit the garage sales in the spring, and pull everything together over a little bit of time. We've got a few spaces we need to work on, our bedroom being one of them. In our last move, our dresser got damaged but we've kept it anyway, and then the boys dresser got damaged as well, so we need to replace both dressers, along with our bed frame. In addition, we have an "unfinished" basement that is actually quite nice and more finished than any others I've seen, really, but I want to make it into a serviceable play space for the boys, so I'm going to address the flooring (which right now is just painted concrete) and put our kid-friendly furniture down there. Right now, I have a pouf (that I picked up at a thrift store ages ago) and a dream, but I think it will all come together.
And then there's the kitchen. The kitchen, on the one hand, is beautiful: black granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, the works. On the other hand, it's also severely lacking in counter space and storage cabinets AND the backdoor opens right into the kitchen, so we need some sort of mudroom-esque area as well as additional counter space, which means I need a multifunctional free-standing piece to solve all those problems. No worries, right?! And did I mention that the first floor half bath is in the kitchen? Yep, it is! Shaker houses are so quirky sometimes!
I'm so excited!!
Our biggest certain decision so far is that we are going to get an actual bed frame for the first time in our married lives! Huzzah! But we've also decided to take advantage of the fact that we have a garage and don't love anything we've seen and do a DIY frame using one of Ikea's bare bones pine frames as a base. I would show you the pictures of the tutorials we found online that we love, but I don't want to get your hopes up in case it doesn't work out! Let me just say, we're going for an upholstered headboard--shazam! It's going to be a joint project, the husband working with me, and we're going to take our time and not feel pressed to have the bed done IMMEDIATELY! We've had a Hollywood frame for this long; we'll survive with it a little longer!
In fact, I think that taking our time is going to be the theme of outfitting our new house. I was all set to head to Ikea and spend tons of money all at once and be done with it, but I think instead we're going to go more slowly, really be sure of what we want, shop the Habitat for Humanity Re-store and Craigslist, hit the garage sales in the spring, and pull everything together over a little bit of time. We've got a few spaces we need to work on, our bedroom being one of them. In our last move, our dresser got damaged but we've kept it anyway, and then the boys dresser got damaged as well, so we need to replace both dressers, along with our bed frame. In addition, we have an "unfinished" basement that is actually quite nice and more finished than any others I've seen, really, but I want to make it into a serviceable play space for the boys, so I'm going to address the flooring (which right now is just painted concrete) and put our kid-friendly furniture down there. Right now, I have a pouf (that I picked up at a thrift store ages ago) and a dream, but I think it will all come together.
And then there's the kitchen. The kitchen, on the one hand, is beautiful: black granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, the works. On the other hand, it's also severely lacking in counter space and storage cabinets AND the backdoor opens right into the kitchen, so we need some sort of mudroom-esque area as well as additional counter space, which means I need a multifunctional free-standing piece to solve all those problems. No worries, right?! And did I mention that the first floor half bath is in the kitchen? Yep, it is! Shaker houses are so quirky sometimes!
I'm so excited!!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Life goes on...
Quick updates:
--The bank finally came back after the underwriter's investigations and said our home was, wait for it, valued at exactly the amount we had left on our loan! What a coincidence! Too bad housing values in the area won't support that valuation and the offer on the table is for significantly less than that! I am incensed that it took them all this time to basically look at our loan papers and say "yep, that's what it's worth!" So ridiculous! Don't even get me started!
--The rental "inspection" turned out to be a 15 minute chat with the realtor during which she recommended places for me to live next, took some pictures of the missing kitchen cabinets, and discussed the relative merits of two nearby schools. She didn't even look at one of the two bathrooms or the boys' room because Toddler E was napping. All that stress for naught but a clean house, which is now, umm, not as clean!
--The husband went to Tampa on Monday for an overnight pharmacy-related errand, but the company he was meeting with turned out to be unprepared, and he had to stay an extra night. He's not back yet, actually, and will go straight to work from the airport. It's a good thing he drove himself and parked there this time, something we never do, AND brought along the extra pair of underwear and shirt my constant paranoia and real travel disasters have trained him to bring!
--It's mid-year feedback time at the preschool, which meant I spent part of the weekend tweaking the survey form and then delivering it to the other parents. I'll collect them all tomorrow and then read and report the results to the co-op board. My co-op job is communications, which responsibilities appear to be somewhat broadly defined, but at least I don't have to do something aggravating like grounds keeping or hospitality committee!
--I finally got a primary care physician! I see him for the first time on Friday. One doc down, a gazillion more to go.
--I actually did get my room clean, though it happened by the first week of February, not the last day of January, but hey, for 24 shining hours or so it was clean. Mission accomplished!
--We have decided that we really only want to live in one neighborhood here in Shaker Heights, largely because of the school since J starts Kindergarten next year. Which means that we will be renting (because, to review, in theory our home will be a short sale some day) in the most expensive and least available area here because everyone else wants the same things we do: a great, small school in which every home in the district is within walking distance to school. We did get a line on a house at the very edge of our budget, through back channels at the preschool (our friend found out that her neighbors across the street bought a house and are renting and got us the landlord's info before the house even came up for rent officially). We're going to check it out tomorrow, but on paper and via pictures online it looks perfect, price notwithstanding: 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, large master suite on third floor, completely renovated, two car garage, 1.5 blocks from the elementary school, 1.5 blocks from the preschool, available in April, etc., etc. We shall see.
--Toddler E's third birthday is coming up. We're having a small party after the fact (since I'm going on an IKEA trip on the actual day of--mother of the year, right here!) with just a few family friends. I went through the ward list looking for kids his age and discovered...there aren't any. Not for many months in either direction. And all but one of those are girls. No wonder he only wanted to invite J's friends! I think instead we'll invite our friends and their kids, none of whom happen to be his age. There's always next year to get the poor kid some actual peers!
And that's a wrap!
--The bank finally came back after the underwriter's investigations and said our home was, wait for it, valued at exactly the amount we had left on our loan! What a coincidence! Too bad housing values in the area won't support that valuation and the offer on the table is for significantly less than that! I am incensed that it took them all this time to basically look at our loan papers and say "yep, that's what it's worth!" So ridiculous! Don't even get me started!
--The rental "inspection" turned out to be a 15 minute chat with the realtor during which she recommended places for me to live next, took some pictures of the missing kitchen cabinets, and discussed the relative merits of two nearby schools. She didn't even look at one of the two bathrooms or the boys' room because Toddler E was napping. All that stress for naught but a clean house, which is now, umm, not as clean!
--The husband went to Tampa on Monday for an overnight pharmacy-related errand, but the company he was meeting with turned out to be unprepared, and he had to stay an extra night. He's not back yet, actually, and will go straight to work from the airport. It's a good thing he drove himself and parked there this time, something we never do, AND brought along the extra pair of underwear and shirt my constant paranoia and real travel disasters have trained him to bring!
--It's mid-year feedback time at the preschool, which meant I spent part of the weekend tweaking the survey form and then delivering it to the other parents. I'll collect them all tomorrow and then read and report the results to the co-op board. My co-op job is communications, which responsibilities appear to be somewhat broadly defined, but at least I don't have to do something aggravating like grounds keeping or hospitality committee!
--I finally got a primary care physician! I see him for the first time on Friday. One doc down, a gazillion more to go.
--I actually did get my room clean, though it happened by the first week of February, not the last day of January, but hey, for 24 shining hours or so it was clean. Mission accomplished!
--We have decided that we really only want to live in one neighborhood here in Shaker Heights, largely because of the school since J starts Kindergarten next year. Which means that we will be renting (because, to review, in theory our home will be a short sale some day) in the most expensive and least available area here because everyone else wants the same things we do: a great, small school in which every home in the district is within walking distance to school. We did get a line on a house at the very edge of our budget, through back channels at the preschool (our friend found out that her neighbors across the street bought a house and are renting and got us the landlord's info before the house even came up for rent officially). We're going to check it out tomorrow, but on paper and via pictures online it looks perfect, price notwithstanding: 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, large master suite on third floor, completely renovated, two car garage, 1.5 blocks from the elementary school, 1.5 blocks from the preschool, available in April, etc., etc. We shall see.
--Toddler E's third birthday is coming up. We're having a small party after the fact (since I'm going on an IKEA trip on the actual day of--mother of the year, right here!) with just a few family friends. I went through the ward list looking for kids his age and discovered...there aren't any. Not for many months in either direction. And all but one of those are girls. No wonder he only wanted to invite J's friends! I think instead we'll invite our friends and their kids, none of whom happen to be his age. There's always next year to get the poor kid some actual peers!
And that's a wrap!
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