Adventuroo.com

A Raleigh, North Carolina mom capturing the everyday

You are here: Home / Archives for Mommy Ramblings

Why I Love Year-Round School

by

As my Facebook and Twitter feeds fill up this week with back-to-school pictures of smiling kids with brand new lunch boxes in hand, we’re settling into week FOUR of first grade. This picture of Big Roo went up on July 29: our first day of school for the year-rounders.

When I first knew that year-round school was a possibility in our school district, I might have just died a little inside at the thought of it. BUT MY KIDS WON’T GET A LONG SUMMER BREAK LIKE WE USED TO HAVE? BUT THEY’LL BE IN SCHOOL ALL THE TIME? But, but, but. Then, the year Big Roo was about to start kindergarten, our best school choice was a year-round school. In fact, it’s considered one of the best elementary schools in our area.

And so I began to shift my paradigm, open my eyes and see the real beauty of year-round school. We’ve been through a year of it and I couldn’t be happier with our schedule.

I often field questions from curious friends, bloggers or even strangers. So I wanted to lay out the things I love about year-round, especially for those parents who might have the option for a year-round schedule but aren’t sure what to think. And this post is also for the curious (sorry in advance if I make you a little jealous that your area doesn’t have a year-round option)! Ha!

In our county, many elementary and middle schools are year round schools. High schools are all traditional because of sports schedules. Our year-round schools are broken down into four tracks, each one with different breaks. This gives the schools the ability to teach more children since one track is always out of school at any given time. There are about 3 weeks and a few holidays where the entire school is out at once.

Here are the things I love about year-round school:

We Get Breaks All Year Long

There’s not as much end-of-year frazzling going on when you get regular breaks throughout the year. Year round is a bit of a misnomer because people envision kids working away like a 9 – 5 job, getting a two-week vacation and a spring break. Nope. Not even close. We get four breaks: three are called track-outs and one is called summer. 🙂 In the track Big Roo is on, our breaks go like this:

  • School starts: late July
  • October: 3 weeks off
  • December – January: 5 weeks off (Holiday break plus 3 weeks)
  • March- April: 3 weeks off
  • July: 4 weeks off
That amounts to 15 weeks without school, just spread out for less frazzle-ness.

Our Breaks Are Just That: BREAKS

If I had a kid out for an entire summer, I might be inclined to make Big Roo churn out some school work so he doesn’t forget the entire grade he just passed. But when it’s just a few weeks? Pffft! We actually enjoy the breaks. We read daily and learn from the things around us, but I don’t try to stuff his days with worksheets and workbooks. He gets to truly enjoy his breaks and I’m guilt-free about it.

We Can Take Vacations in the Off Season

Whoop! Whoop! With so many breaks, we don’t have to cram our vacations into the summer like everyone else. (Though I admit last year I was invited to the Disney Social Media Mom Conference so I DID take a break during the school year). We have a few non-summer months to snag great deals on vacations, plus some time in the summer for trips to the beach. And since we totally owe Arizona a return visit after living there for 5 years, I’m glad we don’t have to return during those lovely 115 degree temps.

We Still Get a Summer… but with Less Whining

One of the things I was most worried about was feeling like my kids were getting gypped on a proper summer. But with one school summer break behind us, I felt like it was just the perfect amount of time off. Big Roo got to enjoy some lazy days, go to camp and spend a week at the beach. I didn’t get nearly as much “Mom- I’m BORED!!!” and huffing around as I know my parents got from me. I’d say less whining is a BIG plus.

It’s a Working Parent’s Dream

I work about 20 hours a week. Even as a part-time working parent, I can’t take off 2-3 months in the summer while Big Roo is out of school, nor do I want the cost of back-to-back summer camps. I want him to FEEL like he’s getting a break too. With a year-round schedule, we only have to worry about filling up the days a few weeks at a time. We typically do track-out camps and then I take off time around the holidays and part of summer break. And since my schedule is somewhat flexible, I can enjoy some time with him and still get my work done.

Are there any downsides to year-round school? Well, one thing is that the entire school rarely gets to do anything completely together. We have two walk-a-thons, two field days and multiples of other events since one track is always out of school. The plus side? It’s much easier to park at the school during those events. 🙂

I’m sure if I had a traditional school schedule, I’d like that too. But I can truly say I’m pleasantly surprised with how year-round school is working out for us.

Does your area have a year-round option?

It Wasn’t Official Until…

by

I threw a party!

As you might now, I’ve spent the past nine months with my nose in the computer as I pecked away at my book Blog Design for Dummies. You know what I did when I first held the book in my hands? I cried. Because those words were mine. Because those 352 pages represented something that consumed my life (both in good and bad ways) for nearly a year. Because I WROTE A FOR DUMMIES BOOK!

My family and I celebrated with a nice dinner out and a trip to Barnes & Noble. But my book’s kick-off wasn’t officially complete until I had a launch party.

Local blogger and friend Andrea Updyke of Lil’ Kid Things also published a For Dummies book earlier this year (Klout for Dummies!). So we joined forces and gave our books an official launch at Sola Coffee and Cafe.

Last Thursday, we invited bloggers from around The Triangle to join us for a night of celebration and chit-chat about blog design and Klout.

We even had fun For Dummies goodies to hand out and giant posters of our books (which I’m convinced should be my Halloween costume this year).

If you’ve ever been to Sola, you know an evening there isn’t complete without some hot minis. These little donuts are pretty magical with all their sugary sweet goodness.

We even had to take a picture of us eating them just for Instagram.

After a little socializing, Erin from A Parenting Production introduced Andrea and me. I talked a little about how I got the opportunity to write the book in the first place, a little about the process and gave my hubby a little shout out for taking on way more than his fair share of the household while I worked on the book. I talked about why blog design matters and answered a few questions about the book. It was so fun chatting about my book with fellow bloggers. We then gave away some books and autographed some too (ya know, like real authors and stuff)!

Towards the end of the night, a few of us posed with the books. Isn’t this fun? Thanks to all of those who came to support us and to Sola Coffee for being such a gracious host!

Oh Yes, Hello, It’s Me

by

Hi. Do you remember this blog? And, um, where did the last six months go?

I’m sure by now you’ve pretty much forgotten about my little ole blog. You probably follow Momcomm *cough cough* so you know where I disappeared too these last two seasons.

WRITING A BOOK.

In case you don’t follow me on my other blog Momcomm, I’ve spent the last eight months writing Blog Design for Dummies!

During the writing of this beast of a book, holidays have passed, major life events happened, and news broke:

  • My car accident (totalled my beloved XTerra)
  • Lots of car shopping (got a 2010 Mazda CX-9)
  • Big Roo learned to read
  • Thanksgiving
  • My birthday
  • One year anniversary of my father’s death
  • Sandy Hook tragedy
  • Hubby’s birthday
  • Christmas
  • New Years
  • My kids’ birthday (and birthday party)
  • My Mom’s birthday
  • Easter
  • Bachelorette party in Annapolis
  • Little Roo’s first soccer season
  • My one year anniversary at Burt’s Bees
  • Boston Marathon tragedy
  • My sister’s wedding in Charleston
  • Family visits, travels out of town, sick children, sick parents, and on and on and on

So many things… all things I wanted to write about here. I really, really wanted to write about.

But when you work 20 hours a week then shuffle kids back and forth from school, preschool and events, you run out of time to write anything other than your book and an occasional Momcomm post.

I’ve missed having this place to write down my thoughts about things that are happening in our world (and my little world).

I look forward to writing here again. Maybe not every week. But I’m okay with that! I’m just happy to have a place to share my thoughts and experiences.

Of course, as I say this, I’ll actually be MIA for a couple more weeks. I got invited to the Disney Social Media Mom conference and we’re leaving for Disney World Thursday!

I’ll be back to share my kids’ FIRST EVER Disney trip (and my first since college). I’m ready to learn and experience Disney SMM and watch my kids’ eyes light up over and over again!

See ya soon!

My Trip to Costa Rica Part 2: Family

by

My last post was all about the adventures my family and I had in Costa Rica (think zipping through trees and gazing at volcanoes).

But what I love about Costa Rica the most isn’t the rain forest, the zipline or the beaches. It’s my family.

If I counted everyone up, I’d end up with over twenty first and second cousins, not to mention aunts, uncles and my step-mom.

And if you’ve been reading this blog for longer than 9 months, you know that my dad is buried there in his home country.

One of our first stops was to visit the cemetery. Noah knew it was a somber occasion. Normally rambunctious, he walked somberly and then grabbed some itty bitty wildflowers to lay on Abuelito’s grave (that’s “little grandfather” in Spanish).

I love things about daily life there that are different than here. Like pretty much ALWAYS having afternoon coffee with the best bread EVER.

(That picture on the bottom left? Sliding down a hill on cardboard at the park. Oh yeah!) One of my cousins took us to Inbioparque, a cute park in San José. Holding the bunnies was surely the highlight.

Now for my awesome family. Big Roo kept asking “are they my cousin too?” Cause first cousin, second cousin, my cousin… it doesn’t really matter. A cousin is a cousin!

(Yes, I know there’s a duplicate photo but I wasn’t about to do that over!)

When I was a kid, I used to cry when we left Costa Rica. Even though I didn’t know much Spanish, I adored my family and they adored us.

Nothing’s changed over the years. (well, I DO know way more Spanish).

I STILL cry when I leave.

But this is the continuing of our family tradition. I grew up traveling here. And so will my boys.

I cherish all the memories that both my kids and I had. And I can’t wait to get there again.

 

Beautiful Photos, Even When Your Kids Act Like Wild Children

by

A few weeks ago, we did the first PROFESSIONAL family photo shoot we’ve done since Christmas 2010. Being a picture freakazoid like myself, that’s a long time.

I was so thrilled the last time Sarah from Sarah Fitzgibbons Photography took our pictures that I asked her to do them again. There’s this gorgeous place to stroll around outside the NC Museum of Art so we packed up and headed there bright and early.

We were off to a good start with some family shots.

How clever is this?

And this?

And OMG this?

During those pictures, only minor meltdowns ensued. Big Roo had to pee so there was lots of restlessness. And Little Roo wanted to run here and there. As kids near big open fields should do…. when they aren’t getting their picture taken.

The picture in the tree was at the end of the shoot when Little Roo was fading fast.

During these pictures, the kids were acting up. Stupid me forgot to grab the snacks from the car so our photographer was bribing them with pennies.

At this point (minus the first picture), Little Roo is pretty much only interested in squealing and looking AWAY from the camera.

Nevertheless, she somehow managed to make it look like everything went swimmingly.

In this case, eyes averting the camera was a good thing. Such a beautiful little thinker (with bigger eyelashes than mine, I might add).

This is me as I try not to care that my kids are doing some serious whining. And they’re hungry now too.

I WANT PROFESSIONAL SHOTS OF MYSELF, KIDS! HOLD ON!

After a little jaunt back to the parking lot with cranky kids, we decided to annoy them once more with one last picture.

Of feet.

They can thank us when they’re older.

It’s amazing how we ended up with these shots really. When I got the proofs, I couldn’t believe there were so many good shots given the state of the kids. I didn’t even post them all!

I’m truly grateful. Not only of the pictures but the fact the photographer had a decent amount of pennies to make up for my lack of snacks.

Good times.