There are a few things going on over here I sure think about a lot lately. So I figured I'd write them down to get my thoughts out...
There's a huge new charter school that was recently built close-by. It incorporates K-12 and it's a great school. I went with a group of friends to take a tour of it's sister school near the end of the school year last year and was pretty impressed. It's smaller than our giant high school, the caliber of students impressed me, and I was really interested to find that they take IEP students like Lucy.
But the thing I liked the very most is that our tour guide guy told us they don't allow cell phones. From the moment the first bell rings to the end of the day kids aren't allowed to have cell phones out.
At all.
Why does that speak to me so much??
After talking to many of the kids who go there I've realized that it's not a hard and fast rule, and that kids are still texting a bunch, but there's something so appealing to me as a mother thinking about that distraction being gone during the day while kids are trying to learn. It's one thing for one mom to try to limit her child's cell phone usage, so tough to do in a sea of kids who are glued to their phones. But if EVERYONE leaves their phones and just talks face-to-face for a whole day at school, and listens whole-heartedly to teachers, how incredible would that be?
I guess I'm just so old fashioned, but I think cell phones are such a huge problem with teenagers and getting worse all the time.
But I'm not delving into that today...I'm working on a whole post all about that because it takes a whole post to express my myriad of feelings. For today, I just have to say I think it sounds dreamy if there's a way to at least limit cell phone usage at school. That being said, I really love that I can text my kids during the day. I love that they can tell me how they did on a test or let me know how they're feeling, and that I can text them too. So I'm a wildcard on that one. But we are sure trying to figure out a balance around here.
Back to this whole big new fancy school dealio though...there are a bunch of kids moving over there. We have thought it through as a family, together and individually and we all feel like we want to support public schools and we really do love the schools where these kids are. We love the school spirit, the traditions, and even the size to a certain extent which brings a little more diversity. And we LOVE the support Lucy gets. Our public schools here in this district are incredible with special needs kids.
But somehow I'm hoping that having all that competition (there are so many charter schools in our area!) will help the public schools step up their game so they can retain kids rather than unraveling them by being able have more flexibility in what they offer. It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.
On another tangent, I help Lucy brush her teeth every night as she adjusts to her braces. Let's be honest, I did before braces as well...her fine-motor skills just don't do super well with teeth brushing (we each usually have a "turn" and she's getting better, but still needs help). But this braces thing is throwing us for a loop. It is so difficult for her to loosen her cheeks enough to get that toothbrush back there to keep her gums healthy. We are struggling! Any suggestions anyone has on that would be so welcome. Her brackets keep coming off as well. Hmmmm...
Claire listens to music so loud every morning I have to get right next to her to tell her anything. She is turning into such a teenager it is craziness over here.
We have three girls-choice dances coming up at the high school.
Right in a row. Crazy right?
One is a fund raiser for the cheerleaders that's new this year. So everyone is asking like crazy to the next two dances. Grace asked one boy to the "harvest dance" one night and then someone else to "winter formal" a couple nights later. We are in for some serious dance business coming on the horizon...right after we finished the last one. Fun times for that girl.
Elle is settled back in Hawaii and having what she claims are "the very best days." She's in a new house with mostly new roommates, is settled into all her classes, and still finds some good time to surf. Makes me happy.
And Max, well, I just talked about him back
HERE. He is in a pretty great stage of his mission.
I wish I could remember all the things Lucy says these days. She cracks me up, melts my heart, and drives me crazy all in unison. We had a conversation about prayer lately. I told her I'm trying, every once in a while, to only thank Heavenly Father for things, not ask for anything (inspired by this talk that one of the missionary letters we get recommended:
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/pray-always?lang=eng.
She looked at me incredulously and asked how in the world she would pray for all the people who are hurting from the hurricane? And how would she pray for my back to get better? (I hurt my back pretty awfully a couple weeks ago.) And all I could do was hug her with all my might and tell her how lucky I am that she's mine. We did pray a gratitude prayer after that, kneeling beside her bed. We thanked God that He inspired Lucy's teacher to collect food for those suffering after the hurricanes, and also that He made our bodies that they can heal themselves all up relatively quickly. And her little bedroom felt so full of love and beauty that night.
There are certainly all kinds of awfully annoying and taxing and boring things to being a mother, but the goodness fills it all in so beautifully.