kindergarten blues

Yesterday (or lasterday if you are Keira, my three year old) I realized that kindergarten registration began March 2. I had wanted to enroll Nyla in the all day pilot program. . . of course the deadline for that was the 13th. (Way to go loser mom.) I have heard good things about all day kindergarten and I know Nyla could manage the full days but going into further detail about that topic is now fruitless. Moving on. . .

I have heard mixed reviews about the elementary school for which we are in the district for. Mostly from my husband because he grew up in this town and likes to tell me that all of this friends that ended up in jail went to this particular elementary school. My sister in law offered to let us use her address to go to the elementary school that is actually closer to our home which scores a five star rating if you believe in this website that rates and compare schools. The "particular school" in our district scores a one.

I went to the "five star" school and picked up a packet and gave the snooty office lady my SIL's address. She oddly looked at me and asked which side of the street we were on. Turns out that her address is a border street and the folks across the street from my SIL are in the district but the side of the street she (we) are on go to yet a third school.

Feeling only moderately defeated I pack up the girls and we go to the "one star" school we are supposed to attend. It's a meek brick building with the playground invisible from the street, which I like so I shrug and optimistically charge the kids through the front door, aaaaand is smells. Badly. There is random crap all over the hallway and the office is a disorganized mess. I grab their packet and now I feel pretty crummy. I also feel pretentious and strangely guilty about it.

This is what's wrong with our current public school system. I want my daughter to go to a clean orderly school-an environment conducive for learning. I want the teachers to shower and dress nicely and comb their freaking hair (actual sightings from "one star"). We can't afford the artsy private school we prefer at $7,000 a year x3 and the other private schools are religion based which we aren't keen on either. But we do have the luxury to manipulate our current district zones and for that I feel lucky. For us the crappy economy has a silver lining: we have an undeveloped lot on the other side of town that no one, not even my husband the developer, wants anything to do with. So I will drive the 60 minutes roundtrip to take Nyla to one of the three best schools in our town. The guilt comes in because I think the kids that don't have another option except to go where the district tells you deserve clean schools and teachers too.

Good school aside there was an irrational (or very rational) part of me that considered homeschooling. An option which, for me, can easily be waved off with a, "I couldn't possibly. . . " I run a business. I have multiple children. I'm artistic which means I'm disorganized and suck at math.

That brings me to you people. E, I know you are planning on homeschooling, hijack the comments, what's your driving force? Crappy Schools? Curriculum? I am honestly curious as I think there are a slew of current and up and coming homeschoolers that will break down the stereotype that if you homeschool you are some sort of freak. And honestly I'm in awe of those people. Others who have school age kids, are you pleased with your school? Why or why not?

I have to go to bed now, dance starts tomorrow!

skin deep

Our skin is our largest organ and as women we slather all kinds of things on ourselves in the hopes of beautifying, firming, delaying aging, fading freckles, and minimizing scars or stretch marks. I am totally guilty of it. There are almost no regulations on cosmetic companies which is fine, but it is up to us to be educated about what we use on our bodies and in turn slather our kids in. Even the stuff that is supposed to be good for you-like sunscreen, can be chock full of metals and other things we probably wouldn't apply liberally if we stopped and thought about it.

Skin Deep is a highly resourceful cosmetics database that ranks the toxicity in each ingredient to provide an overall score ranking in three categories: low (0-2), moderate (3-6) and high (7-10) hazard. They have category short cuts for Makeup, Skin Care, Hair Care, Eye Care, Nail Care, Baby Care, Oral Care and Fragrance, or if you are curious about a specific product you use you can search by name brand or narrow it down to ingredient.

My Neutrogena sunscreen that I layered on myself and my kids last summer scores a 7. Naturally I freaked out for a moment, but did I really increase my children's cancer probabilities in one summer? Unlikely. Will I research and consider other products this year. Absolutely. Power in information, but be warned this website can be a total time suck. Don't put is past yourself to casually search a product and then feel compelled to raid your medicine cabinet. Oh and just please don't start with the deodorants.