Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes + A Freebie

I was trying to come up with a catchy title for my blog post and now I have that stupid Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes song stuck in my head. The worst part is, those are pretty much the only words I know to the song. I don't even know who sings it. Ack!

So, things are changing around here. (Body shape aside. Although let me just say, the red licorice I received from the Easter bunny has not been helping matters. But dang is it good!) Kelly moved his home office into an actual office office last week. He was able to find a building that met his needs and is only about 2.5 miles from home, so he rides his bike everyday. I am very proud of him! That is pretty much the only positive thing I can say about his office right now. I liked having him at home! Not that I saw him much, but he would eat breakfast and lunch with us and I could tell him when dinner was ready. He would take a coffee break and come upstairs for five minutes or so throughout the day... Now he gets home around 5:30ish and spends about an hour and a half with Zoë before bedtime. I shouldn't complain. Really, we have been spoiled having him home with us for these last three years, but I do not like the fact that he is spending so little time with Zoë. I know this is the norm for most households, but I think the norm sucks. I am trying to keep a positive attitude, but I am not pleased about this at all.

On a happier note, Zoë got accepted to The Little School. I told you about this school last year. They have a Progressive Education Philosophy which I think Zoë will thrive in. It sounds very much like a school Kelly would have enjoyed as a child. What is progressive education? Here are some of their key tenets:

• We see humans as natural learners. Human beings are born with abundant curiosity and an innate desire to find out about the world they inhabit. A key responsibility of the progressive educator is to nurture, support and fuel this desire to learn.
• We emphasize the child's role in the learning process. Children construct knowledge by acting in the real world and reflecting on those actions in a supportive environment. We pay as much attention to the process of learning as it its product, because doing so provides valuable insight into a child's thinking.
• We believe that school communities are important arenas for experiencing democracy and we seek ways to integrate democratic decision-making into all areas of institutional operation. We foster critical thinking and encourage students to have a voice and to speak their mind. We support their developing social conscience and sense of social responsibility.

One of the reasons we decided to go the private route is because The Little School offers a full day 4 year old program (Monday-Friday.) Things are going to be getting pretty hectic and crazy around here come September, and I would love for Zoë to be learning with friends during the week while we adjust to having a new baby in the house. I will admit, Kelly and I both had a bit of sticker shock when we saw what tuition is going to be, but I think it will be worth it. That being said, the Bellevue school district is one of the top in the country so we want to transition her to public school in first grade.

Now have you have stuck around for this loooong post you deserve a freebie! I received my Hawaii Album from Shutterfly the other day and it turned out beautifully. I was most impressed with the custom cover. It is beautiful and vibrant without being over saturated, and it looks like it will hold up to little fingers. The layouts themselves are also beautiful. The only bummer is that the photos on the inner edges are partially bound into the gutter of the book. The Shutterfly preview showed it printing perfectly and I spent hours adjusting it according to the preview. Ugh. It doesn't bother me enough to spend hours readjusting everything and having Shutterfly reprint it though.

Now for the freebie. You can download the 24x12 template I created for my Hawaii Album here. I wouldn't use this with a Shutterfly album, but it will look fantastic in a traditional post bound album. (I created my layouts as one 24x12, then cropped each side of the layout to 8x8.)

Comments

[Angie]

Thanks for the freebie and your Enchanted night was so dang adorable! That Hawaii cover is gorgeous. What a great treasure to have around.

[Jane Ross]

I love your template....thanks so much. And congrats on your pregnancy.

[Heather R]

I am so glad that Zoe has been selected to attend the school you wanted her to attend. Sounds like a great school. What made Kelly decide to seek an office outside of the house? It is the norm, but it does suck for sure.