We are here! We are here!

I feel like I'm the major of WhoVille and I'm needing to let people know that we are indeed still here:)

Last June, we made some major decisions regarding our children's educations that has caused an avalanche of change here in the Riddle household. Let me give you an overview of life here now.

Kyla is being schooled at home for fourth grade. We are using Connections Academy, an online public school in Oregon. I am her learning coach, teacher, planner, poker, lunch maker, chauffeur, the list goes on and on. The first month was so rough, that I was ready to give up and send her back to our local public school. The second month, wasn't as bad as we figured out a schedule that worked for us and adjusted our expectations of our educational experience. We are in our third month and I can truthfully say that this avenue of education seems to be working for us...with Kyla...for now:) I have never doubted myself as much as a parent, as a teacher, and as an educated woman as I have done these past three months. Kyla is carrying an A as her average grade and has settled into this new adventure. She does miss her old school, but enjoys all the extras we get to do like piano lessons, science experiments, art projects, and Science Days at Evergreen Aviation Museum.

Gavin is in the morning kindergarten at Wascher Elementary in our little town. He is enjoying the bus riding, the outside playing and the learning. He is officially a reader and is loving to do math and interact with his friends at school. This year he really enjoys Awana and looks forward to it each week, wanting to prove his memory verses and play the group games. He is our wonderful helper for Lego Club and continues to wow our fourth graders with his building and his thinking. 

Chad and I are coaching two Lego Robotics teams for Wascher and overseeing a third this year. Kyla is an active part in her team and truly seems to have a talent for critical thinking, building, and planning. Our 14 kids are wowing us with their determination, team work and growth. Meetings started in September and we will continue until our competition in early December.

We are still plugged in at Wascher. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to volunteer in Gav's class yet, but the plan is to do so while Kyla volunteers in the library with her favorite librarian. Chad is this year's PTA President with all the glory and work that entails:) He often falls into the PTA trance as he plows through emails and planning and meetings, all in effort to make the school a better place for the kids in our community. The principal actually introduced me once as the wife of the PTA President...pretty fancy:)

Oh, and he still works full time:) Life just isn't life if you're not super busy, right?:) Thankfully, he's working from home about half of the week right now until his next assignment. Then we will see...

That is where we are and where we've been. We are here, We are here!