We're Number One!

Remember the other day when I had the big frowny face and I told you that we were wait listed at 3 schools.

I was wrong.

The letter that was coming in the mail from our 1st choice charter school was to inform us of what number we were in the school lottery for open spots at the school. This school is crazy hard to get into.  Last year...there were 250 applicants for 40 spots.

The letter came last Tuesday and I stood in the parking lot holding the envelope for a long time.  I was afraid to open it because I've never been one to have good luck.  

I walked all the way back to my apartment holding it to my chest and praying that it was good news.  Please God let us get into this school!

I tore open the envelope and scanned the letter.  Two things stood out.

1

Grade K

I re-read the letter three times and took a picture of it and sent it to iKeith.  

Is that a 1.  As in WE ARE NUMBER ONE in the SCHOOL LOTTERY???

It was and we are!

They called me today to offer my son a spot at their wonderful Blue Ribbon winning charter school.

I said yes!!

One of the great things about Alex getting into this school is that Mallory will get a spot next year. Siblings get priority.  There will be no lottery!

Speaking of luck.....

iKeith is my good luck charm.  Things really turned around for me when I met him and he's been experiencing good luck for years.

When he was a plebe at West Point his parents were planning to visit during Parents Weekend and all cadets were warned to make the nessessary hotel arrangements as soon as possilbe.

iKeith waited too long and there were NO rooms available.  Luckily The Hotel Thayer raffled off a few rooms every year.

iKeith won the Presidential Suite. 

Four years later...iKeith is graduating from West Point and his parents AND brothers are coming out for this momentous occasion.  

Guess who didn't make arrangements for his family.

Guess who AGAIN won a suite at The Hotel Thayer.

iKeith did.

I think I'll just call him Mr. Lucky!

They Are The Lucky One's

My new favorite recording artist Ian Axel, released a new album last week. I've been listening to it non stop and each day he's been explaining how he came to write each song. You may remember that I first heard Ian's music when he played the Double Encore fall release party! He's amazing!

Yesterday he explained We Are. It was exactly what I needed to hear and inspired this iMovie.

My kids are the lucky one's because they have parents that want to be involved in their education and will move heaven and earth to make sure that they have what they need.

Alex and Mallory....I won't let you down.

The Mom I Want To Be

We got the first phone call two weeks ago.

2nd choice school informed me that we're number 37 on the waiting list.  And that they were not accepting any students that didn't have a sibling already attending the school.

I was really disappointed because secretly...this was my favorite school.  I sat in the parking lot of open enrollment day watching Mom's drop off their kids and I could picture dropping my own kids off there.  I got a good feeling about that place when I walked in the door.

Oh well.

3rd choice called this week.  We're number 35 with 10 spots available.  That's okay.  This school is farther away and really small.  It'd be a pain to get to everyday.

And I wait...for our 1st choice school to call.   This is the school with perfect scores and all students are picked by lottery.  This is the school that future presidents will attend.  It's top notch.

I've been waiting for 2.5 weeks for them to call and tell me what our number is.  A parent that I ran into the day that I turned in our application told me if I got a number over 40 our chances weren't good.  But they haven't even called me with a number.

Suddenly, they are the boy I dated in high school that said...i like you and I'll give you a call.  And I waited and dreamed about how great it would be when he'd call and we'd be together.  We'd have a beautiful wedding, live in a mansion and raise 2.5 awesome kids.  If he'd just call.  I've driven past the school and visualized dropping my kids off there and how much they will learn and how bright their futures will be.

Yes, I'm stalking a school.

I wrote the above paragraphs yesterday....and then decided that I couldn't wait and I called the school.  They told me I'd be getting a letter in the mail next week with our number.  I was confused so I chatted with my friend JoAnn on twitter and discovered that this means we didn't get a spot.  We've been wait listed. UPDATE: The Charter School hasn't chosen spots yet!  We got the letter....we're NUMBER ONE!

Crap.

*****

I don't know how Christina and I came to know each other.  She might have followed one of my witty comments from another blog or it could have been just a random accident.  Christina has been an awesome commenter and friend.  We have so much in common and she's just a lovely person.

There have been many, many snow days all over the country.  A collective moan was heard from twitter and facebook as Mom's everywhere had to deal with their kids being home from school AND trapped in the house.

Christina blew me away.  She was excited that her kids would be home and promptly whipped up overnight waffle dough for the next day!  The day after that...she and her entire neighborhood went sledding.  There was mulled wine and hot cocoa.   Not only do I want to BE Christina...I also want to move to her neighborhood!

I've given a lot of thought about the Mom I want to be when my kids start school.  I want to be involved in their classrooms, be able to help with homework (lord help me), be active in the PTA and not dread my kids being home.  I'm guessing this will become even more important since Alex will be attending a less successful school.

I started something new in 2011.  It's a simple change of words that has helped my attitude so much!  Instead of i HAVE TO (insert chore here)....I say i GET TO (insert chore here).  I'm blessed....I know this.  I embrace the ordinary in my life and that makes it extraordinary!

I get to be the best Mom I can be...and Christina is my role model!

Yesterday....I GOT TO teach my daughter how to read.  What started out as a sad day with me crying about lost opportunities...ended with joy and excitement as she learned something amazing.  Something that I taught her.

I realized that everything's going to be just fine....

Waiting for Superman: Colorado Edition

Today...was a big day for us.

I turned in two (of three) applications for open school enrollment for Alex to attend Kindergarten this year.

Our neighborhood school...is not acceptable. It has very poor test scores and a mandatory NON-Competitive 6th Grade Science Fair. No one wins. Everyone gets a participation ribbon. In our opinion...this is ridiculous. iKeith comes from a long line of Science Fair winners and we're not about to stop with this generation.

We are hoping for one of 40-70 possible spots at an excellent charter school. A school where a C is 79-84%. YAY for competition and grading performance! There are approximately 270 children applying to this school. A lottery will determine who gets in.

Because our chances aren't that great...we're also applying to two other schools within a few miles of our house that have excellent test scores. I'm excited about all of the possibilities.

Open Enrollment began this morning and goes until January 24. iKeith is laughing at me because I insisted on getting the applications in today...when it's a lottery system and when the application was turned in has no bearing on it getting selected. This man doesn't understand me at all!

I recorded my journey this morning...for your viewing pleasure. Yes, I do need a haircut.

Dinosaur School

Children are likely to live up to what you believe in them.
-- Ladybird Johnson

Yesterday, iKeith and I went to an informational meeting at a charter school that we might like the kids to attend. I've been dreading this day because it's the first step in me having to admit that my baby is growing up and will be going to Kindergarten soon.

I'm not ready to admit this. At all.

I expressed my apprehension to my husband as we were walking up to the school and he told me that I should be excited for this next step in our lives because it means more free time for me.

As I fought back tears...I told him that I should be, but I'm not.

We walked into the library, 10 minutes early and got the last two seats a tables that were in the center of the room. By the time the meeting started...there were at least 80 parents there and it was standing room only. (this is one of three meetings before open enrollment)

iKeith was irritated at the seats that I had selected....in the very front of the room. I explained to him that it showed that we were interested and serious....not the slacker parents at the back. Speaking of slackers...we had to sign in and write down what grade we were interested in. Ten people signed ahead of me and they all shorted the word to KINDER. I don't do things half assed so I wrote to WHOLE word. KINDERGARTEN. Our table ended up being the sign in table and everyone wrote the whole word after I did. I thought this was kind of funny.

Thoughts on the school:


They have excellent test scores. As in, damn near perfect! They do whole class teaching with no ability groups. Keith thought their slide presentation was horrible. They have a great art and music program. If a student is falling behind, they pull them out for extra instruction. 70-76% is a D. Last year 270 students applied for 40 available slots. The school is small. It's picked by a random lottery. If by some miracle, Alex gets selected...then Mallory automatically gets to go when she starts school.

Do you feel lucky?  I don't.

We walked around the school peeking in and observing classrooms and I had to leave.  I'm so not ready for this yet! Also...you could smell the competitiveness on all of the parents in that room.   We were all checking each other out...wondering if we'd end up in the PTA together in a year or if we'd be one of the one's who aren't going to make the cut.

When we picked the kids up from Nana's house, Alex asked how the Dinosaur School was and when he could start!  HA!  And then it hit me.  Damn Nana is moving to California and now I won't have anyone to watch Mallory so I can volunteer at the school!  This is what I'm going to call her now.  Damn Nana.

Alex starts school in 9 months, 5 days (and 37 minutes as I'm writing this).  I've got to get a grip here!  I can't sit here crying every single time I think about him going to school.  Keith just laughs at me and tells me I act like I'm sending him to boarding school...or to the Army.  OH GOD ALEX DON'T GO TO THE ARMY!

I need more Ativan.

You're little hands wrapped around my finger
And, it's so quiet in the world tonight
You're little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming
So, I tuck you in
Turn on your favorite night light
To you, everything's funny
You got nothing to regret
I'd give all I had, honey
If you could stay like that

Oh, darling don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh, darling don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up
It can stay this simple

I won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart
And no one will desert you
Just try to never grow up, and never grow up 

~ Taylor Swift