Adjustments and Education
Work update:
I need a job. So far I have a job that is exactly one hour per week. It's working for an after school program at Blue School--a private school in Lower Manhattan that was started by Blue Man Group. I'm pretty stoked about my one hour a week here. However...that one special hour will not tide us over. I was tentatively offered another job and it fell through. I'd like to teach piano lessons but have yet to find any neighbors that don't speak either Yiddish or Bengali. I have an interview Monday for a job that is teaching SAT prep for high schoolers on Saturdays only. It looks like I'll be doing a hodge podge of work, trying to make ends meet, get out of the house and accommodate a possibly difficult semester of Jacob trying to apply for residency.
I've decided to homeschool the girls for sure. No other school or option is panning out to be a better choice. The decision soothes some fears and concerns while introducing some new ones. No choice was perfect. I'm learning that this year will be that way--no option will be obvious and clear and better than the other choices. I'm bothered by this.
Yays:
Homeschooling will help Leah's anxiety. It will give Hannah a chance to be challenged academically. It will help them both explore subjects they are interested in. We will save money on supplies, uniforms and fees. (I've noticed that East Coast schools expect parents to shell out a lot of money to the school for many things, even in public schools. This is not the case in West Coast or Utah schools. So the cost is a real concern.) We will be free to explore the city and visit museums and sites during the school day. We will have a more simple schedule, instead of shuttling Leah to middle school and Hannah to elementary everyday, without a car and in extreme weather.
Nays:
They both thrive on grades and rewards. They love the systems of positive reinforcement and measurable progress. I stink at these. Of deepest concern is meeting their social needs. Both are extremely social and already a bit lonely here in NYC. It seems like an easy fix--just enroll them in activities and homeschool groups. That's great, but I don't have a job, child support and we are squeaking by on Jacob's financial aid that doesn't cover kids who aren't his own. And in case you were interested, joining a swim team has a base fee of $2,500 for the year, not including gear, travel, and meets.
In short, or long, or however many words it takes me to say this: Every time I think I have a decision made, I run into roadblocks and issues. I'm frustrated and worn out of trying to make things work.
The girls have settled into their new home with much more ease than I expected. It took no time at all to have Barbies spread out all over the couch and binge watching of Cupcake Wars to commence. We are still in a phase of breaking away from bad habits learned at dad's house (like snacking on garbage food, no personal hygiene, spending money on candy and drinking Pepsi everyday.) We are also trying to find our niche and figure out what will make us happy. Side note: I showed Hannah a picture of a possible park to visit today. She said, "That doesn't really spark joy." My words are a boomerang.
I need a job. So far I have a job that is exactly one hour per week. It's working for an after school program at Blue School--a private school in Lower Manhattan that was started by Blue Man Group. I'm pretty stoked about my one hour a week here. However...that one special hour will not tide us over. I was tentatively offered another job and it fell through. I'd like to teach piano lessons but have yet to find any neighbors that don't speak either Yiddish or Bengali. I have an interview Monday for a job that is teaching SAT prep for high schoolers on Saturdays only. It looks like I'll be doing a hodge podge of work, trying to make ends meet, get out of the house and accommodate a possibly difficult semester of Jacob trying to apply for residency.
I've decided to homeschool the girls for sure. No other school or option is panning out to be a better choice. The decision soothes some fears and concerns while introducing some new ones. No choice was perfect. I'm learning that this year will be that way--no option will be obvious and clear and better than the other choices. I'm bothered by this.
Yays:
Homeschooling will help Leah's anxiety. It will give Hannah a chance to be challenged academically. It will help them both explore subjects they are interested in. We will save money on supplies, uniforms and fees. (I've noticed that East Coast schools expect parents to shell out a lot of money to the school for many things, even in public schools. This is not the case in West Coast or Utah schools. So the cost is a real concern.) We will be free to explore the city and visit museums and sites during the school day. We will have a more simple schedule, instead of shuttling Leah to middle school and Hannah to elementary everyday, without a car and in extreme weather.
Nays:
They both thrive on grades and rewards. They love the systems of positive reinforcement and measurable progress. I stink at these. Of deepest concern is meeting their social needs. Both are extremely social and already a bit lonely here in NYC. It seems like an easy fix--just enroll them in activities and homeschool groups. That's great, but I don't have a job, child support and we are squeaking by on Jacob's financial aid that doesn't cover kids who aren't his own. And in case you were interested, joining a swim team has a base fee of $2,500 for the year, not including gear, travel, and meets.
In short, or long, or however many words it takes me to say this: Every time I think I have a decision made, I run into roadblocks and issues. I'm frustrated and worn out of trying to make things work.
The girls have settled into their new home with much more ease than I expected. It took no time at all to have Barbies spread out all over the couch and binge watching of Cupcake Wars to commence. We are still in a phase of breaking away from bad habits learned at dad's house (like snacking on garbage food, no personal hygiene, spending money on candy and drinking Pepsi everyday.) We are also trying to find our niche and figure out what will make us happy. Side note: I showed Hannah a picture of a possible park to visit today. She said, "That doesn't really spark joy." My words are a boomerang.
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| Jacob was so happy to have them back. They were SO jet lagged in this pic. |
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| We headed into downtown Brooklyn to look for kick scooters--the only way to get kids around NYC. |
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| Hannah found one right away, Leah wanted to hold out for a pink one. They quickly learned the meaning of 'sore feet'. |
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| All three of us have had to cut about 4 inches of dead, pool damaged hair. Both girls cried and are still mad at me. |
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| The only way to survive the subway--BYOB. Bring your own book. |
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| Leah approached me yesterday after dinner and said, "I REALLY want to go to Times Square tonight." This is a bit unusual, considering how much of a homebody she is. I tried to tell them it's like Disney World but worse. Unsurprisingly, they loved it and consider it a highlight of the week. |
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| Necessary tourist event--ride the carousel at Toys R Us. |
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| I don't know why they do the V thing with their fingers. Just smile and take a decent pic, ladies. We got lucky and got to ride in the Barbie car on the Ferris Wheel. Much better than the feared Cabbage Patch bus, or worse, the Mega Blocks truck. |
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| All Leah wanted the whole night was to personalize her M&M's at M&M World. This whole thing was her idea. I think she's hilarious. |
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