6 Months

Well, today is the 6 month aniversary of our arrival in NYC. We left Australia on Friday the 8th of December and arrived here on the same day a few hours later (well we did cross the international date line). I have not posted any photos of our evening activities but will do so tomorrow since it is nearly 10pm.

I did feel however that it was pertinent that there be a post on this day. It is hard to believe that it has already been 6 months, and some times I think "crikey is that all!".

To mark the ocasion I took the children to the pool directly after school, they had a huge play and M was actually swimming, taking a few strokes, then a breath and some more strokes. He did not venture far from the wall, but he was independently moving through the water. J collected sand from the bottom (it is not a sandy bottom!) of the middle sized pool and heaped it onto the side of the pool, thus spending the best part of an hour under water. W found a friend from school and they played hapily for ages. I had a big chat to his mum, they are from Canada and I just have to share this with you.

A is in a different grade 1 class and is a lovely little boy, his mum describes a terrible situation at school and she told me these two corkers! 1. The teacher told her that A was a ESL (English as a Second Language) student (even I know that they speak English in Canada).and 2. That A had reached the National standard for grade 1 but not the Scarsdale standard. When his mum asked for an explanation of what that meant the teacher said "well if the nation is driving Volvo's, the Scarsdalians are driving Mercedes Benz". Is that not the most horific thing a teacher could say.

I feel a little better knowing we are not alone (I have also this week had scary conversations with a Kindergarten parent) I am also even more concerned that these terrible teachers are endemic in the school and now am very concerned about what will happen to the children next year. J's teacher seems to be an exception and has been very supportive.

I am researching home schooling with all seriousness. what is the time from my day in comparison to the stress that attending this school is having on all of us.

Any way, I was telling you about our day! After the pool we came home for showers and to collect D and head out to the local diner for dinner. Food was ok, but not fantastic, we all came away full though so I guess it could nothave been too bad. Unlike Friendlies the diner serves alcahol so D and I ware able to celebrate the milestone adequately and the children all had chocolate milk, what could be better.

Then, we came home and I took video and photos of the children riding their new bikes and throwing the basket ball into the hoop. W has a special spot that he stands in and gets the ball innearly every time, D and I cought rebounds and kept him supplied with the ball. J is getting a little more confident on her bike, M was having a huge time with his bike and then the ball, so much so that his little body was clammy with persperation and the earlier shower meaningless. It was a lot of fun and hopefully tomorrow I can add some photos, maybe if D helps me out I can get the video on too.

Good night.