09 July 2007 - Spring Report

My last real update was the Christmas Report, although I've sent several short notes to let you know what we've been doing since then. This update won't be terribly long, but I'm going to try to roll up all the information in one place.

We started looking for a new house on January 1st. After six weeks of going out almost every single day, we finally found a house that we liked. They finished building the house in April; we closed on April 30th, and moved in on May 7th. We still haven't unpacked everything, of course, but most stuff is put away, and the house already feels like home. The old house is up for sale, and we're getting lots of showings, so I'm hopeful it will sell soon.

Two weeks after we moved, the boys finished school. We commuted for those two weeks, so the boys could finish out the school year with the familiar friends and teachers. Nicky completed 2nd grade, and Zack completed 1st. Our new house is in the same school district, but we won't continue commuting. Next fall the boys will attend the school right across the street from our new house.

We then took our summer trip. We drove in a big loop through the middle of the country this year—from Texas to Arkansas, then Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and finally Texas again.

We saw stuff and stopped along the way, but the purpose of the trip was (mostly) to see family in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Nebraska. I also wanted to show the boys the houses I lived in when I was growing up. Since we had to go through Chicago to reach Wisconsin anyway, we spent a couple of days in the Chicago area, looking at downtown musea, houses and parks in my old neighborhoods, Brookfield Zoo, and various points in-between.

Several of our northern family members had not yet met the boys (and everyone, the boys and I included, is getting older at an alarming pace), so it was nice to have a chance to see (almost) all of them. Of course, the obligatory stay with Grandma and the Nebraska Clan went well. The boys absolutely adore spending time with Grandma, Grampa, the Greats of both sorts, and miscellaneous other relatives.

The boys continue to grow and develop at an amazing pace. It's hard to believe it's been three years for us! I just filed our third annual report for Ukraine. From now on, we only have to report every three years (until the boys turn 18).

We're having "Family School" every day between now and the end of summer. Family School is like home school, but a little less formal than real home schooling. My main goal is to help them learn all the things they were supposed to have learned during the last school year, so they don't feel lost when school starts again. The Plano schools do a pretty good job in general, but the material and pace is geared toward kids who already know a lot about American culture, and who already have a good vocabulary. There's so much the boys miss simply because they have no idea what common words mean!

Zack needs to catch up to his peers in reading and math. Nicky is on-target for beginning 3rd grade, but while most of his classmates will be either 8 or 9, Nicky will be 10. He has the emotional development (and desire for independence!) of a 10-year-old, but only the knowledge of an 8-year-old. For Nicky, Family School is mostly about learning how to solve problems, how to learn new things, how to ask questions, and how to plan projects.

We continue to read together almost every day (in addition to the reading they do in Family School), and the boys love it as much as ever. The books I read to them are good stories that provide opportunity not only for entertainment, but also for learning new words and concepts. My hand puppet, Squirrel Nutkin, helps with vocabulary and keeps order. I get to play with voices and oral interpretation, and the boys get to learn things while having fun.

Aside from school this summer, the boys have a full schedule. They swim every day, play in their new upstairs playroom, work on the computer, and go on outings. We're trying to have a friend over at least once a week (not so easy with everyone else's summer schedules!), and July is also doctor month. Both boys see the eye doctor, the regular doctor, and the dentist in July. Zack will probably get glasses again, and Nicky will need a new prescription.

I'm enjoying having the space to keep different things in different rooms, have a spot for a piano, and (by the end of summer) the chance to have my recording studio set up again. I've been trying to play the piano for an hour a day, and am looking forward to relearning how to play guitar and drums. I'll post pictures of the completed studio when I get it finished. Right now, it's the least-unpacked room in the house. Although I'll be happy when it's done, I'm not looking forward to the amount of work involved in setting it up. On the other hand, music and electronics are things I enjoy, and which are quite different from sitting in my chair programming all day, so it won't be too bad.

In addition to scheduling the boys through the day this summer, I'm trying to schedule myself a little bit. Being one's own boss has many rewards, but regularity of work hours is not one of them. In order to keep from feeling overwhelmed, I'm setting aside certain hours for work, and setting goals for other things like writing, reading, music, and exercise.

(Those last two paragraphs are for those of you who complain that I only report on what the boys are doing.)