In The Mail

I walked out to the mailbox in a drizzling rain, wondering what might be in the box.  Of course, the only thing that ever is in our mailbox is junk, or a bill.  Today, there was an invitation for Andrew to join People to People and travel to Australia next summer.  It all looked very impressive, and made it seem like Andrew was privileged to be invited.

As I did a bit of research, it turns out anyone can go.  All you have to do is fork over $5,500 for the trip.  Wow.  We are feeling really special for having the honor of paying for a vacation to Australia for 2 weeks at the bargain price of $5,500!  Can you tell?

There has to be a better way to see Australia.  That's all I'm saying.

A New School

This year, as I think you may all be aware, we have enrolled Mandy and Andrew in a Charter School here in South Carolina. Because we felt the local school they were attending was not meeting their needs, we have enrolled our children in the South Carolina Calvert Academy.  After our orientation today, we feel we have truly made the best decision!  We can't wait for school to start on Tuesday!

Today, Mandy and Andrew made some friends in their classes, met their teachers, and have their new school t-shirts to show their school spirit.  We got to attend orientation in Columbia, at the South Carolina State Museum.  It was officially their first field trip, and school hasn't even begun yet.

Best of all, this school will teach Mandy and Andrew how to take control of their own learning.  They will have much responsibility for their learning, as they have not before.  I think it will be a great experience for them, and for us as a family, as well.