First let me preface this (though this is MY blog and I can say whatever I want to) by saying that I don't mean to offend teachers or people who love their kids' teachers.
From day one, well, actually well before day one of kindergarten I have not clicked with Zachary's teacher. See, last year I started checking into the Kindergarten teachers at what would be Zachary's school to see what to expect and was not impressed. Two of the three teachers use Skittles as an incentive for behaving in class which I do not like at all. Then at back to school night, the am parent's were supposed to meet at 5:30 pm and the pm parents at 6:00pm; because 2 parents from the pm class showed up to the am class meeting the teacher went over pm procedures and routines and dismissed anything about the am class. This teacher also said that she updates her website at least weekly, which I know is a lie, I've been checking since early 2010 and she hasn't updated one of the pages since November 2009, one since Easter and there were never links to any homework. This teacher said that all homework was accessible on-line...no surprise, it's not.
So Zachary got his first "homework packet" sent home today. It consisted of 2 sheets of paper, one a note to the parents explaining that the homework should not take more than 15 minutes and the other a homework sheet. The instructions are so lousy and hard to understand it's horrible. Then there is a section that says to complete a "Mm" worksheet, so I e-mailed the teacher to ask about it since it was not sent home, she said they aren't doing those this year but she might send some home with other letters later in the year. WTH!?! So apparently M is an unimportant letter, why learn how to properly make it or get any practice with it. And if she wasn't going to use this worksheet why not cross that item off the sheet since she already had to write each kids' name on their paper so they could practice tracing it, it literally would have taken a fraction of a second to "X" it out. I'm not impressed with the lack of attention to detail. She seems like she just gets things done as fast as possible without caring. She's been teaching for 29 years, 28 of those as a Kindergarten teacher at Valley, maybe she's worn out but if she is she just needs to retire.
If I knew that we were staying at this house I'd go to the office and have Zachary moved to another class or go to the district and have him transferred to another school but I don't want to do that now when we could be moving in the next month or two. He's already made a good friend in class and I don't want to disrupt him more than once. So I guess I get to be frustrated with his teacher until at least October, then we should know if we're staying or moving and I'll be able to decide what to do.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Successful Open House?
How is success measured with an open house? Is it just sheer number of people who showed up? Is it how many (if any) offers are, well, offered? I don't know.
In my opinion our first open house a week ago Sunday was somewhat successful because a few people showed up to look at the house and no one had anything negative to say about the house. The 2nd open house, yesterday, was even more successful because more people showed up...apparently, a lot more people. There were 2 very, very interested families. One was a newly wed couple, not looking to make any changes up front but they run a seasonal business so they may not be able to get the financing...but there probably would not be a contingency for selling another property to get into this one. The 2nd family was a couple who just finished remodeling another home which they leased and were talking about putting in stainless appliances, granite counter tops and so on...again, probably no contingency and likely to get financing without a problem. The only negative comment was about "Red Neck Bob", the neighbor to the west of us...the inconsiderate dweebs were out 4 wheeling during our open house...come on, we had signs out, there was traffic into/out of our drive way...it's obvious, you can't wait until after 4pm to ride the dang thing. They don't ride them often, which is good, but their timing to ride them yesterday was horrible. Whatever. Our fingers are crossed for an offer from at least one of the two interested parties.
So again...now we wait.
In my opinion our first open house a week ago Sunday was somewhat successful because a few people showed up to look at the house and no one had anything negative to say about the house. The 2nd open house, yesterday, was even more successful because more people showed up...apparently, a lot more people. There were 2 very, very interested families. One was a newly wed couple, not looking to make any changes up front but they run a seasonal business so they may not be able to get the financing...but there probably would not be a contingency for selling another property to get into this one. The 2nd family was a couple who just finished remodeling another home which they leased and were talking about putting in stainless appliances, granite counter tops and so on...again, probably no contingency and likely to get financing without a problem. The only negative comment was about "Red Neck Bob", the neighbor to the west of us...the inconsiderate dweebs were out 4 wheeling during our open house...come on, we had signs out, there was traffic into/out of our drive way...it's obvious, you can't wait until after 4pm to ride the dang thing. They don't ride them often, which is good, but their timing to ride them yesterday was horrible. Whatever. Our fingers are crossed for an offer from at least one of the two interested parties.
So again...now we wait.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Need to make memories
I don't know why I've always felt this need to make sure we make memories at every chance, but I do. On Friday night we went to the drive-in with the boys, the movies were horrible (in my opinion) and I slept through most of them anyway but it was still fun and the boys always look forward to going.
Yesterday we went to our first Lowe's Build and Grow Workshop, (getting up for a 10 am activity when we didn't even get home until 4am because of the drive-in was so not appealing) but the boys loved it so we will plan to go to all the future workshops. Then we drove to Okarche for lunch at Eishen's where they happened to be having their local fair so we walked around that for a little bit. We really didn't want to go home yet when we were through so we drove north through a few small towns and to Enid. There is a park run by the Kiwanis Club where they have a train, carousel and some other rides along with normal park play structures. We rode the train and the carousel then let the boys play for a while. We also found an old metal, very high slide, you know like the ones that were around when we were kids? The boys loved it, and the best part was it was in the shade so it was actually enjoyable.
The boys had a lot of fun and I'm sure will ask in the near future to go to the 'train park' or the 'fast slide park' again. I'm not sure for how long they'll remember all the fun they had or even how long I'll remember the day but it was fun and a good way to spend the day.
Today we, as in I, have to clean the house for our 2nd open house in 2 weeks. The good news is that since the last open house was only 7 days ago the house is relatively clean, I just need to vacuum, dust, clean the tile floors, spruce up the bedrooms and I'll pretty much be done. I really need to get moving but my sunburn across the small of my back and my need for a lazy weekend day are getting in my way. I have until 2pm to get the house clean, and it will happen...just not right this moment.
Yesterday we went to our first Lowe's Build and Grow Workshop, (getting up for a 10 am activity when we didn't even get home until 4am because of the drive-in was so not appealing) but the boys loved it so we will plan to go to all the future workshops. Then we drove to Okarche for lunch at Eishen's where they happened to be having their local fair so we walked around that for a little bit. We really didn't want to go home yet when we were through so we drove north through a few small towns and to Enid. There is a park run by the Kiwanis Club where they have a train, carousel and some other rides along with normal park play structures. We rode the train and the carousel then let the boys play for a while. We also found an old metal, very high slide, you know like the ones that were around when we were kids? The boys loved it, and the best part was it was in the shade so it was actually enjoyable.
The boys had a lot of fun and I'm sure will ask in the near future to go to the 'train park' or the 'fast slide park' again. I'm not sure for how long they'll remember all the fun they had or even how long I'll remember the day but it was fun and a good way to spend the day.
Today we, as in I, have to clean the house for our 2nd open house in 2 weeks. The good news is that since the last open house was only 7 days ago the house is relatively clean, I just need to vacuum, dust, clean the tile floors, spruce up the bedrooms and I'll pretty much be done. I really need to get moving but my sunburn across the small of my back and my need for a lazy weekend day are getting in my way. I have until 2pm to get the house clean, and it will happen...just not right this moment.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Shower remodel
I don't remember exactly when, but a couple years ago the shower floor in the master bathroom cracked rendering it useless. We've wanted to replace it but the cost was always just too much so we all used the 'boys' bathroom shower. When we decided to list our house we had to fix the shower. When the old shower was taken out we realized the drain was at least 2 inches too high which is what caused the floor to crack, basically the drain was causing a tent like angle in the floor and for a rigid floor that is not good. Also the old shower was about 34"X34", small and the ceiling over the shower was dropped so it was small and cave like. We had the plumbing moved to the wall it was originally on so we could put in a longer shower, we ran into the problem that the drain is in an odd spot; with a cement slab sub floor it would have been too expensive to move the drain, we finally found an offset drain and didn't have to special order a shower floor. We also took out the wall between the shower and toilet, which made it feel like you were peeing in a closet.
I found 13"X13" tiles on clearance (regular price was over $28 per box for 10 tiles, I got 2 boxes for $20 total). Jerry cut down the tile to 6"X13" and used a running bond pattern, I found some tumbled travertine Noche 3"X6" tile ($47 for 7 sqft) for the trim, it turned out awesome.
I found 13"X13" tiles on clearance (regular price was over $28 per box for 10 tiles, I got 2 boxes for $20 total). Jerry cut down the tile to 6"X13" and used a running bond pattern, I found some tumbled travertine Noche 3"X6" tile ($47 for 7 sqft) for the trim, it turned out awesome.
Househunting...
So, we found this short sale house in The Pines neighborhood, we liked the house but it had a smallish backyard and backed up to commercial property, but the price was great. We started our shower install to get our house ready to put on the market and put a bid on the short sale. In the week it took us to get started on the bathroom (and cover the hole in the ceiling) there were 3 other bids put in on the house, after 8 months of nothing. So we put in our bid and didn't get the house. Originally we decided that if we didn't get the short sale we were not going to look at other homes, then we changed our minds.
After looking in a couple different areas we found another house in The Pines neighborhood for sale, the house was a much better layout, looked brand new (it's 12 years old, only 1 single female owner without kids), the backyard is much bigger but manageable, unlike the 1.2 acres we currently have. So we put in an offer and it was accepted. Our bathroom is finished now and the house has been on the market for 2 weeks and we've had no offers, I'm getting discouraged. We had an open house last Sunday and will have another this Sunday along with a Buyer's Open on Tuesday.
I keep trying to not get excited or to look forward to moving but I really like the other house and neighborhood. But like I said, I'm getting discouraged.
This is the front of the other house...
I'm not good at waiting and dealing with an unknown. I hate suspense in my life. But all I can do is wait and hope we get a good offer soon. I'd love to move Zachary to a new school. I'd love to live in a cul-de-sac with other kids for the boys to play with. I'd love to live walking distance to the park and eateries. I'd love to live in a house with a better layout and use of square footage than we have now (the new house is 1400 sqft, our current house is 1574 sqft but the new house has bigger bedrooms, closets, bathrooms and just an all around better layout). I'd love to live in a neighborhood with people similar to me (working or SAH moms with young kids). The neighborhood we're in now is nice and quiet but all the residents are older, retired, kids are gone or in high school so I feel like I'm alone out in the sticks sometimes.
After looking in a couple different areas we found another house in The Pines neighborhood for sale, the house was a much better layout, looked brand new (it's 12 years old, only 1 single female owner without kids), the backyard is much bigger but manageable, unlike the 1.2 acres we currently have. So we put in an offer and it was accepted. Our bathroom is finished now and the house has been on the market for 2 weeks and we've had no offers, I'm getting discouraged. We had an open house last Sunday and will have another this Sunday along with a Buyer's Open on Tuesday.
I keep trying to not get excited or to look forward to moving but I really like the other house and neighborhood. But like I said, I'm getting discouraged.
This is the front of the other house...
I'm not good at waiting and dealing with an unknown. I hate suspense in my life. But all I can do is wait and hope we get a good offer soon. I'd love to move Zachary to a new school. I'd love to live in a cul-de-sac with other kids for the boys to play with. I'd love to live walking distance to the park and eateries. I'd love to live in a house with a better layout and use of square footage than we have now (the new house is 1400 sqft, our current house is 1574 sqft but the new house has bigger bedrooms, closets, bathrooms and just an all around better layout). I'd love to live in a neighborhood with people similar to me (working or SAH moms with young kids). The neighborhood we're in now is nice and quiet but all the residents are older, retired, kids are gone or in high school so I feel like I'm alone out in the sticks sometimes.
1st day of Kindergarten!
Zachary's first day of Kindergarten was on Friday, August 20th. It was actually an orientation day so I had to go with him and he was only there from 9:00-9:30, they also split up his class into groups of about 7 so he wasn't able to meet all the kids until the following Monday. I'm not sure why the school decided to coddle the kids but, whatever. I thought all the schools in our district did this but found out over the weekend our school is the only one. So Zachary's first real day was Monday the 23rd, he was very excited, found his classroom just fine and loved every minute of it and that's what counts!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Dogless
So for over 10 years now I've been a dog owner, Jerry has been a dog owner for far longer than that, at least 15 consecutive years that I know of and I also know of other dogs before that. Yesterday we had to bring Scooter to the vet, the night before I tried to put him out to do his business and he literally could not figure out how to walk out the door. He ended up running into the side of the door then wobbly walked through the garage again got confused at the outside door and ran smack into the fence. He's been acting strange for a couple weeks now, not able to find a treat when you place it right in front of him, wobbly legs, seemed almost blind at times, drinking so much water he should have been floating.
So I brought the boys to visit Maddox and brought Scooter to the vet who said he likely had diabetes, which would require special diet food and shots and would be costly, he also said it sounded like he had a stroke and was likely at least partially blind as a result of both. The vet said that this was all very unusual for such a young dog and that while we might extend his life he would never recover so we had him put down. This all devastated Zachary because he's gotten very close to Scooter, especially since we had to have Maggie put down in June.
We have decided to take a break from having a dog, or any furry animal for that matter. The idea of a puppy sounds great until you remember that they grow up, get big, drag mud into the house, slobber on everything and bark every time someone walks close to the house. Add to that the cost of the vet visits, food and grooming and it will definitely be a while before we have another dog. A small, short haired dog sounds a bit appealing at times, until I remember we like to travel a bit and it's a pain to find someone to feed/water the dog while we are gone.
It has been odd to not have to tell someone to 'let the dog out' or 'get the dog some food' or to make sure the dog goes out before we leave and worry about how hot it is and if the dog should be in or out when we leave for a while.
So I brought the boys to visit Maddox and brought Scooter to the vet who said he likely had diabetes, which would require special diet food and shots and would be costly, he also said it sounded like he had a stroke and was likely at least partially blind as a result of both. The vet said that this was all very unusual for such a young dog and that while we might extend his life he would never recover so we had him put down. This all devastated Zachary because he's gotten very close to Scooter, especially since we had to have Maggie put down in June.
We have decided to take a break from having a dog, or any furry animal for that matter. The idea of a puppy sounds great until you remember that they grow up, get big, drag mud into the house, slobber on everything and bark every time someone walks close to the house. Add to that the cost of the vet visits, food and grooming and it will definitely be a while before we have another dog. A small, short haired dog sounds a bit appealing at times, until I remember we like to travel a bit and it's a pain to find someone to feed/water the dog while we are gone.
It has been odd to not have to tell someone to 'let the dog out' or 'get the dog some food' or to make sure the dog goes out before we leave and worry about how hot it is and if the dog should be in or out when we leave for a while.
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