12/09/06 Cruise Continued ~ Pirating Bananas DIS Geekorama Part 2 Part 15

[becka]

I also can understand about Elizabeth...it gets hard. This year is the first time we will have to worry about school schedules. I am already feeling guilty because we have planned for DS to miss one week of K and one week of 1st grade. Most people don't think it is a big deal but I still feel strange about it and I hope the schools don't give us a hard time.

 

[87Heel]

I don't mind pulling the kids from school for a week, but I do have a problem at the high schoool level. Her high school uses a block schedule, which you can compare to college in that you have longer class periods, but you only have it for a semester, and you only take 4 at a time. So you miss so much more in a weeek.

 

[87Heel]

Almost time to get Walt from preschool!

 

[becka]

I am actually home by myself today because there was no way I would be able to take care of the kids by myself. DH took them into school earlier today and I didn't even hear them leave. I slept through them getting ready and everything.

 

[becka]

I did call the furniture store about DS's new bed that was supposed to be in by no later than early this week. They said they have 2 pieces but the last piece should be here on Monday or Tuesday. I am anxious to get it here because I want to transfer DD out of her crib and we need DS's current bed before we can do that.

 

[87Heel]

Walt's still in a toddler bed (the crib converted to a toddler bed). Poor guy, his room is tiny and it was our office/dumping ground before he was born. So there are still two four-drawer file cabinets and a couple of bookshelves with non-Walt stuff in there.

 

[MrsMork]

Becka, So sorry about your rib! You need some really good luck! I am sending pixie dust!

We won't let this thread die. I am actually having a hard time on the new thread. I think it is because I keep expecting it to be like this one and I am sure everything takes time. It just feels different... You all who have done this before, was this thread just "different"?

Kim, we have been involved in a couple of others. The 10 day group that we sailed with was like our group. We became good friends over time and have kept in touch with several of them. But others just don't develop the closeness that we have here. It depends on the group and they are all different. I think that some of us on the WB will get close, some will just participate a bit and then fade away after the cruise. We have over a year to get to know each other.

 

[becka]

Walt's still in a toddler bed (the crib converted to a toddler bed). Poor guy, his room is tiny and it was our office/dumping ground before he was born. So there are still two four-drawer file cabinets and a couple of bookshelves with non-Walt stuff in there.

Our crib did not convert to a toddler bed and we considered getting one because they are cute but DS went straight from the crib to a twin bed with bed rails and he loved it. DD loves to lay down on his bed when she is in his room so I think she would also prefer just to have something similiar. We just use the box spring and mattress on the floor with the bed rails at first so they can actually get in the bed and if they fall it is not a big distance.

 

[becka]

DS's new bed is a Captain's bed so it is much higher off the ground and has some drawers underneath. He campaigned really hard for bunk beds but he is just not ready for them yet. Too much energy and he is still too rambunctious for me to trust him with bunks at this age. I can see us getting bunks for him in a few years. Maybe one of those with a full on the bottom and the twin on the top but for now the Captain's bed seemed like a good compromise. It is high enough off the ground that he still has to jump to get up on it but low enough that I am not kind as conerned about him breaking an arm.

 

[MrsMork]

I also can understand about Elizabeth...it gets hard. This year is the first time we will have to worry about school schedules. I am already feeling guilty because we have planned for DS to miss one week of K and one week of 1st grade. Most people don't think it is a big deal but I still feel strange about it and I hope the schools don't give us a hard time.

Becka, in those early years they do not fall behind because of a week away. Believe me Aaron learned WAY more on this cruise and at WDW than he would have in his classroom. How many kids in his later years in school will have actually SEEN the Mayan ruins when they study about them? And he learned ALOT about animals at AK and about other cultures at Epcot (although he did not know he was learning anything at the time.) He did his reading and math worksheets over Christmas break and got that work all done. What did he miss out on at school during those 2 weeks?? High school it gets much harder to catch up on missed work, but John1's son even managed that fine.

 

[becka]

Becka, in those early years they do not fall behind because of a week away. Believe me Aaron learned WAY more on this cruise and at WDW than he would have in his classroom. How many kids in his later years in school will have actually SEEN the Mayan ruins when they study about them? And he learned ALOT about animals at AK and about other cultures at Epcot (although he did not know he was learning anything at the time.) He did his reading and math worksheets over Christmas break and got that work all done. What did he miss out on at school that week?? High school it gets much harder to catch up on missed work, but John1's son even managed that fine.

I am not really worried about him academically because I agree that the kids can learn so much. I am more worried about the school causing us issues. I reviewed the elementary handbook for our school district on line and it does not list vacations as excused absenses and it says that after 5 absenses (excused or unexcused) in a semester they start issuing letters and getting CPS involved. DS will miss 5 days this upcoming November and then 6 days for the 2008 cruise and I really just don't want to have to prove to CPS that we are not terrible parents who are neglecting our kids by taking them on vacation with us.

Also I just feel guilt because I grew up in a family where you did not miss school unless you were sick. My parents would have never scheduled a vacation during school and they disapproved of those who did. I am sure there will be a few comments from my parents as it is....

 

[87Heel]

We can't put a twin in Walt's room (well, if we found a place for the other stuff we could, but that's a different problem!). When he gets too big for the toddler bed, I think he'll just sleep in Hannah's room (bunk beds), but have his stuff in his room.

 

[MrsMork]

I am not really worried about him academically because I agree that the kids can learn so much. I am more worried about the school causing us issues. I reviewed the elementary handbook for our school district on line and it does not list vacations as excused absenses and it says that after 5 absenses (excused or unexcused) in a semester they start issuing letters and getting CPS involved. DS will miss 5 days this upcoming November and then 6 days for the 2008 cruise and I really just don't want to have to prove to CPS that we are not terrible parents who are neglecting our kids by taking them on vacation with us.

Also I just feel guilt because I grew up in a family where you did not miss school unless you were sick. My parents would have never scheduled a vacation during school and they disapproved of those who did. I am sure there will be a few comments from my parents as it is....

Yep, I had those kind of parents also. I bet if you talk with the teachers and get his work assignments and he does them they will not even think of CPS. I do understand your concern about that though, I have heard horror stories from really good parents. That concept that it takes village to raise my child....nope, it takes me and my family to raise my child, friends if I choose to involve them. The village needs to stay out of our lives.

 

[87Heel]

The problem in many school districts is that there is no individual discretion ... it doesn't matter if you talk with the teacher, do every bit of work you miss, complete an extra journal/report, whatever. The absence policy does not allow for any extra days off. Our district is nicer than many in that we can request 5 days off for an educational trip... but no more. Any more and you have illegal absences, which result in hearings, etc.

 

[lbgraves]

I am actually home by myself today because there was no way I would be able to take care of the kids by myself. DH took them into school earlier today and I didn't even hear them leave. I slept through them getting ready and everything.

Glad to hear that you are taking care of yourself. Go get some rest before the kids get home.

 

[lbgraves]

Our crib did not convert to a toddler bed and we considered getting one because they are cute but DS went straight from the crib to a twin bed with bed rails and he loved it. DD loves to lay down on his bed when she is in his room so I think she would also prefer just to have something similiar. We just use the box spring and mattress on the floor with the bed rails at first so they can actually get in the bed and if they fall it is not a big distance.

We did the same thing when the kids got out of the crib at 18 months. DS needed to then because the doctor said 3 months was time for him to disassociate with the nursery being his room before DD was born. He moved into the guest room with the double bed that I had. We ended up getting DD a twin and didn't use the frame for a while. It was a lot easier for her to climb in & out of the bed that way too.

 

[lbgraves]

I am not really worried about him academically because I agree that the kids can learn so much. I am more worried about the school causing us issues. I reviewed the elementary handbook for our school district on line and it does not list vacations as excused absenses and it says that after 5 absenses (excused or unexcused) in a semester they start issuing letters and getting CPS involved. DS will miss 5 days this upcoming November and then 6 days for the 2008 cruise and I really just don't want to have to prove to CPS that we are not terrible parents who are neglecting our kids by taking them on vacation with us.

Also I just feel guilt because I grew up in a family where you did not miss school unless you were sick. My parents would have never scheduled a vacation during school and they disapproved of those who did. I am sure there will be a few comments from my parents as it is....

Becka, from what I have found they make the rules read like that to try to protect the kids who don't go to school just because their parents don't feel like taking them in or partied too much the night before to drive them there. When it comes to concerned & involved parents who are taking their kids on a family vacation that has educational value to it, you will find that teachers & administration tends to have a different attitude. Look at the test administrator for the school board that I talked to about the required end of year test that would be given during the May repo. When she heard about the cruise & where we would go, she told me to book the cruise and just have him take the make up test the last week of school. That was for 13 days of school!

 

[kimerinc]

I am not really worried about him academically because I agree that the kids can learn so much. I am more worried about the school causing us issues. I reviewed the elementary handbook for our school district on line and it does not list vacations as excused absenses and it says that after 5 absenses (excused or unexcused) in a semester they start issuing letters and getting CPS involved. DS will miss 5 days this upcoming November and then 6 days for the 2008 cruise and I really just don't want to have to prove to CPS that we are not terrible parents who are neglecting our kids by taking them on vacation with us.

Also I just feel guilt because I grew up in a family where you did not miss school unless you were sick. My parents would have never scheduled a vacation during school and they disapproved of those who did. I am sure there will be a few comments from my parents as it is....

Want to hear a funny? There were 3 other kids in her class out on cruises the same week Savannah was. Apparently it is not at all uncommon

 

[Jhalkias]

Did he use those words, or was that just implied??

No Angie,

Those are my words. He was much more political. Let my anger seep through.

John1

 

[Jhalkias]

Becka, So sorry about your rib! You need some really good luck! I am sending pixie dust!

We won't let this thread die. I am actually having a hard time on the new thread. I think it is because I keep expecting it to be like this one and I am sure everything takes time. It just feels different... You all who have done this before, was this thread just "different"?

I feel the same way Lisa.

This is family over here. Maybe in the next 12 months the other thread will grow on me, we'll see.

John1