Planting Children

My apologies for being neglectful on this blog.  I didn’t realize I had any readers other than my hubby and a few kind friends.  LOL!   

I’ve been using my other blog (http://writersblock-susie.blogspot.com/) for regular blogging…and this one to talk more about our schooling. 

Hmmm….I guess there’s not much to report on the schooling side of stuff.  We’re plodding along with it, enjoying the triumphs and weathering the struggles.  Sound familiar?

Feel free to pop by the other blog.  Or check back here….  You never know, I might get inspired to keep up with both.

I’d love to hear from you either way.  You’re still very dear to me!!!

So we're hanging out at a playground in Central Park last Monday (see this), and I got to talking to another parent about the schools in New York City.  Seems it's a whole other world from what I'm used to.  You get to choose the school your child attends, but you have to apply…and you may not get your first choice.

The one man I was talking to — who happens to work as a special ed teacher in a New York City school — explained how he and his wife were already applying to kindergartens for their daughter — for NEXT year.  He said the high school directory is as thick as a phonebook.  And the research involved is incredible.

Interesting.

But what I found even more interesting is when he explained that the little “joke” in New York City is to ask a woman when she's pregnant if she's picked her preschool program yet.  Apparently it's very competitive and very costly.  A preschool in the area around Central Park goes for…are you ready??….hold onto your hats now….to quote Dave Barry, “I'm not making this up.”…..

$30,000 a year.

Yep!  (That's more than three years at my university rolled into one year of preschool!!) And people pay it because apparently their child has a better time getting into an Ivy League school as a result of the preschool he/she attended at 3.

Egads! 

All I can say is:  Thank God for homeschooling!!!

I've been neglecting this blog lately….I could say it's been busy (ie. crazy!) with the beginning of school — and it has.  Or I could say that I've been a little un-inspired — and I have (most of my blogging time goes here).  But mostly I've been away because my heart isn't into homeschooling this year, and I've had to do a re-evaluation and figure out what's going on.

This is our fifth year of homeschooling, and I'm feeling a bit tired.  I think Emily is, too.  Sadly, this is Edward's first year, and he's completely psyched!

Still, we're revamping our schedule, thinking up a few incentives, and buckling down to weather this.  Every road has a few bumps and potholes now and again, right?  (Esp. if you live in Pennsylvania!  LOL!)

Well, back to it.  I've got a “whip” to crack!  LOL! 

Only kidding!