Technical Difficulties and other things...

Brett's computer died a few weeks ago. Because of that I have not been able to update my blog because I use his computer to download all of our photos and then we push them (magically) to my computer (because my photo card reader has been broken for a long time). (Excuse the horrible run-on sentence! Yikes!) You'd never know that Brett earns his living working on computers by the sad state of things around here lately. I know I am soon due for a new laptop myself, but other than the photo card reader problem, this 6-yr old machine seems to work just fine. So, I'm pushing back on Brett's suggestion to replace it just yet. I think it has at least another year in it!

Anyway, life has been very busy since Halloween really. I’ll try to play catch-up this week and post about our new backyard, our beachy Thanksgiving, Christmas activities, Sydney’s acting debut in our church’s Christmas pageant and so on. For now, about Sydney’s new school…

Sydney started at a new school last week! St. Mary Magdalene Catholic School in Apex. I know, I know. You’re thinking, “What? In the middle of the year? Right before Christmas? Why?” We just didn't feel she was in the right place at our local public school for a number of reasons and we found a great local Catholic school with one opening in a kindergarten class, so instead of waiting until the fall to compete for that spot with several other families, we went ahead and switched her! So far so good. Her new school is smaller (2 classes per grade instead of 8), which I love. She wears a uniform, which I love. Her teachers are really kind and caring Catholic women, which I love. The school teaches one grade ahead for all students and provides additional accelerated material for those needing a little more of a challenge, which I love. And her schedule is much earlier (8am to 2:50 pm as opposed to 9:15 am to 3:45 pm), which I also love. (Ok, I do NOT love the sound of my alarm at 6:00, but otherwise, the earlier days have been great.) We are more productive and it just works better. She has time to play and just be a kid after school instead of rush rush to dinner and bedtime (her bus was getting her home at 4:30 previously). So, for now, we are all happy. The tuition payment hasn't hit the bank account yet - we may feel a slightly diminished sense of joy at that point, but I'm sure it will pass. :)

The first day of school:



On the third day of school, Sydney got to participate in their class "play" - the ABC's of Christmas. She quickly memorized her lines, "K is for the kings who traveled from the East to come celebrate the first Christmas feast."