5/27/06 "Il pochi il fiero i blabbermouths" We *will* sail again Part 5

[tinksdad]

MAJOR HOLIDAY MERGER ANNOUNCED

NICE!! And it was all forbidden in the public forum!

 

[itdjbw]

Oh ... March of the Penguins ... Emily watched it at school yesterday. I was surprised after many of you posted how disturbing (sad) parts could be. I asked her if anything made her sad and she said one part where the eagle took the baby penguin. I told her that we'd have to rent it and watch it together. They also watched the old Willly Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. That comes on ABC family tonight. Now I'm wondering ... why did they even have school yesterday? They watched 2 movies!

Ang

Funny our kids watched March of the Penguins at school yesterday and we said the same thing 'why did they have school??' Fulton county made such a fuss when we took the kids out for the Disney cruise in Sept and we had the social workers calling us and all.

We saw March of the Penquins in the theatre with the kids, there were some sad parts but it is a documentary and an excellent informative movie.

 

[kikipug]

Funny our kids watched March of the Penguins at school yesterday and we said the same thing 'why did they have school??'

Our kids have been out for a week already... I'm not so sure I like the idea of a full week off before Christmas... it just makes them CRAZY by the time Christmas gets here!!! Then they've STILL got another week-and-a-half off AFTER!!! It's just too long for them to be out of school!

Thankfully, my parents are here this year, and are enjoying making up for lost time with the kids... if not, they'd be at the Y, and hating it, as usual.

 

[mickeymo]

I'm thinking why did they have school all week (Wed was their final day) - Monday - 5th grade went to go see "Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe" then made an ornament. 3rd grade did "Christmas around the world" stations...Tuesday, 5th grade had their party. Wednesday they watched Polar Express then an hour and a half recess outside. 3rd grade watched Polar Express on Tuesday. Had their party on Wednesday and watched "Wizard of Oz" - they had just finished reading the book...

 

[CajunGirl2]

Fulton county made such a fuss when we took the kids out for the Disney cruise in Sept and we had the social workers calling us and all.

Wow ... social workers calling! What did they say? Did they really give you a hard time? I was starting to think that it would be nice to go to Disney next year for Christmas but it would be nice to do it without the crowds (i.e., pull Emily out of school for a few days). She'll be in 1st grade next year. But, I don't want social workers calling!

Ang

 

[itdjbw]

Our kids have been out for a week already... I'm not so sure I like the idea of a full week off before Christmas... it just makes them CRAZY by the time Christmas gets here!!! Then they've STILL got another week-and-a-half off AFTER!!! It's just too long for them to be out of school!

Thankfully, my parents are here this year, and are enjoying making up for lost time with the kids... if not, they'd be at the Y, and hating it, as usual.

I don't mind the kids being in school if they are doing work, but they make such a fuss when we want to travel with the kids which is much more of a life experience than they will ever get from a book, it just makes me mad when they waste the days they are there.
Our kids go bak on the 9th of Jan, they are missing a 2 week cruise to Alaska because they will be in school and sometimes I wonder if homeschooling is the answer..................sorry about the venting!!!

 

[kikipug]

sorry about the venting!!!

That's what we do here!!!

Wow.. Jan 9th... so they end up with almost as long of a break as my kids... until 2 years ago, we lived in New England, where the kids got 1 week for Christmas/New Years, one week in February, and one week in April. Now its 2.5 weeks in Dec/Jan, 1 week in 'spring'. Not sure which I liked better...

 

[itdjbw]

MAJOR HOLIDAY MERGER ANNOUNCED

Loved it.

My kids are watching 'scary movie 3' which doesn't sound very appropriate but I am being told to 'chill'.?? Guess age is catching up or something!!

 

[mickeymo]

Safe travels to all this weekend! Stacey's continuing her "Double Scoop Ambassador" role tonight in Houston. Can't wait to meet her and her family!
We're starting the Christmas celebrations early with Stacey's family tonight. Ribs and Roasted Chicken as the main dishes and a Peppermint Cheesecake for dessert.

Then dinner with John's Aunt, Uncle and cousins on Saturday night after church....Prime Rib is on the menu....and another Peppermint Cheesecake...

Even though it's not overly fancy this year - Prime rib and John's Peppermint Cheesecake have become Christmas traditions...

Sunday is a "leftover" celebration with friends - casual and relaxed while the kids play with their new toys...So, adding to the Prime Rib will be Duck...

Then both families will head off to another family's house compling leftover desserts and wine. While the three sets of kids run around like crazy - we're asleep on the couches...

Can you tell I'm an anti-vegetarian? Not a word about the side dishes....Just the important items - main dishes and dessert!!!

 

[mickeymo]

That's what we do here!!!

Wow.. Jan 9th... so they end up with almost as long of a break as my kids... until 2 years ago, we lived in New England, where the kids got 1 week for Christmas/New Years, one week in February, and one week in April. Now its 2.5 weeks in Dec/Jan, 1 week in 'spring'. Not sure which I liked better...

I think I'd like your original schedule spreading out the vacations and taking advantage of cheaper times to travel than peak holidays. Selfishly, for that reason, I'm all for year-round schooling...

 

[tchrmom]

Fulton county made such a fuss when we took the kids out for the Disney cruise in Sept and we had the social workers calling us and all.

I feel really lucky........twice we have taken the kids out of school in October to take a Disney cruise. Both times I wrote letters, 30 days in advance, describing ALL the "educational" experiences our kids would have on their trip. When they returned they submitted "photo/essay" on their trips. The teachers even gave the make-up work in advance for my middle schooler so he would not have a ton of work to do when he returned! Yeah for Hillsborough County!
Fran

 

[mickeymo]

I don't mind the kids being in school if they are doing work, but they make such a fuss when we want to travel with the kids which is much more of a life experience than they will ever get from a book, it just makes me mad when they waste the days they are there.

The last week of school is even worse - elementary grades must be turned in the Monday of the last week of school - so that last week of school is basically day care...Lots of movies and games....

 

[ohiominnie]

I don't mind the kids being in school if they are doing work, but they make such a fuss when we want to travel with the kids which is much more of a life experience than they will ever get from a book, it just makes me mad when they waste the days they are there.
Our kids go bak on the 9th of Jan, they are missing a 2 week cruise to Alaska because they will be in school and sometimes I wonder if homeschooling is the answer..................sorry about the venting!!!

We homeschool and, while it's hard somedays to not stick them on a bus and let someone ELSE deal with them for 8-9 hours, the vacation flexibility is nice. In fact, I have told Mike that if I ever start talking about putting the kids in school he should remind me what Disney is like ON-Peak!!!

Although that is not the ONLY reason we do it....the list of reasons is long....that is the icing on the cake!

 

[ohiominnie]

Hey, check out what Mike built me for Christmas. All from scratch:

(DUPLICATE POST....SEE TOP OF NEXT PAGE)

 

[kikipug]

I think I'd like your original schedule spreading out the vacations and taking advantage of cheaper times to travel than peak holidays. Selfishly, for that reason, I'm all for year-round schooling...

It really didn't work out cheaper to travel, because airfare from anywhere up there was jacked up, as all the schools pretty much had the same vacations.

 

[ohiominnie]

Hey, check out what Mike built me for Christmas. All from scratch:

It's got all the bells and whistles.....massive and multiple hard drives....more memory than i have! And my favorite...a built in media card reader!!! And it looks REALLY cool at night with the blue illuminating!

 

[kikipug]

Hey, check out what Mike built me for Christmas. All from scratch:

Well isn't HE the happy little Christmas Elf...

(Herbie doesn't want to make toys... Herbie wants to be a denist... Mikey doesn't want to make toys... Mikey wants to be an MD)

Cool!!

 

[kikipug]

I really like these guys...

 

[CajunGirl2]

I really like these guys...

My sister, Mom and neice are off to see the Rockettes in Orlando (I assume) today. That's what that reminds me of.

Ang

 

[justmestace]

The kids are watching movies in school because the government pays the schools for each kid that's in school for a certain number of days...whether they are learning anything or not. Sorry, Fran...not a slam at the schools so much as it is directed at the government.

OHMINNIE! That's very cool. It looks like the computer and stereos that Pete makes. I'm impressed!

Okay, Monica....now I'm DROOLING...and will be all day! Peppermint cheesecake! Never had it, but peppermint is my favorite flavor of anything!
I was at the grocery store the other day, and a lady was looking at ice cream when she asked me and another woman if we had ever heard of Peppermint Stick ice cream. I told her it was my favorite growing up, but hard to find here. We now get Blue Bunny, which was a mid-west dairy distributor, so I told her to check the Blue Bunny. That store didn't carry it, but I told her that Albertson's does. I hope she found it. YUM.

I woke up early....very excited, and a little of my usual "travel nerves". You would think as much as we travel, I wouldn't get nervous. Go figure.

BTW....I've sent letters to the schools in advance, and now even send one to each of the kid's teachers when we take them out of school. It has worked really well for the lower grades. I don't think the high school would let Jordan off quite as easily any more.
But my letters always extolled the virtue of seeing a foreign country, learning their customs, etc. And I had the kids keep journals so that they could make a small presentation to the class. The teachers always really liked that!