Back to School Already? You Betcha!

Dear Charlotte,

Yesterday I decided to do a little back to school shopping. It is indeed only April. BUT with some of the deals going on at the outlet mall, I couldn't help it. So here is what I got:2 pairs of jeans from Carters
The rest is from The Children's Place:
1 Skirt and 2 sets of leggings2 pairs of gloves and 1 hat (hat and 1 pair gloves for Turtle)
2 pairs of super cute, not to mention SPARKLY pants

3 cute sweaters, one of which is, of course, sparkly
3 long sleeve tees - one is a thermal fabric with mandatory sparkle
2 turtlenecks and a cute dressier shirt
I also got her 1 pair of flipflops for the summer, which were the only things she was allowed to wear before school starts, which is why there is no picture because I can't find them now.

So, for 6 shirts, 3 sweaters, 4 pairs of pants, 1 skirt, 2 sets of leggings, 2 pairs of gloves, 1 hat, and 1 pair of flip flops, how much did I spend? IF I had paid retail prices (which, of course, I wouldn't do), the grand total including tax would have been $271.72.



I don't have that kind of money. I only spent $51.92 - A "savings" of $219.80. She's already got short sleeve shirts if she doesn't want long sleeve, so there ya go. And unless she needs new shoes by then, school shopping is D-O-N-E.

If Only...

Dear Charlotte,

I've been thinking a bit about Ricochet starting Kindergarten next year. I know we're in a good district, but sometimes I still wonder about her being able to adjust to the classroom and all that comes with SCHOOL. I've never really been into private schools, but there is this one...
Let me tell you about the Colby School. But first, let me tell you about how it started. Way back in once upon a time time when I was in early middle school, we had a handful of outstanding teachers. They were the kind of teachers you hope your kids have (and I was lucky to have). They took a very hands-on approach to learning and were very student-oriented. They actually and truly cared about us as students (which is often rare after elementary school, I think). Even as a middle schooler, I could sense their uniqueness and difference from other teachers. But they became increasingly frustrated and hedged in by the public school system and all of the politics and requirements that came along with it. They got tired of dealing with serving the interests of the powers that be rather than the students. And then they left. Three or four of them. I can think of three specifically, but I think there were four. They set up a private school that focuses (amazingly) on the students and what is the best way for each individual to learn. It was very small at first and has grown over the years. At this point they serve preschool-8th graders. They integrate different subjects together. They let students experiment and discover the learning methods that work for them and share with the other students. The older students and younger students work and learn together on occasion. They have a sense of community with the entire school and more specifically within each grade. They foster respect and service and responsibility. It's an incredible school founded by some incredible teachers. I don't think any of those teachers are actually teaching now, but I'm sure they hold their current teachers to just as high of standards. It's the kind of learning environment where I think both of my children (with their vastly different attention spans and personalities) could thrive. I've told Ben, if we ever come to a point where we feel like we need to send our kids to a private school, I want it to be the Colby School. So I thought, hmmmmm, I wonder how much tuition is: $11,500 for a kindergartner - and that doesn't include uniforms and other incidentals. Obviously, I'll never be able to send my kids there, but it's one of those things that is on my "if only..." list.