Hello!
This year I forgot somehow to take the 1st day of school pictures, but I have 2 somewhat scruffy school photos to share ;-) Iain is now in 11th grade, 16 years old, and Ria in 7th, 13 years old. Goodness me! This year for Iain is going to involve thinking and planning about college applications. yeep! This has all 3 of us somewhat stressed, needless to say.
Both kids are doing great this school year. Iain is in the Freestyle Academy program at his high school, which pairs the English class with 2 elective courses, digital media (where they learn to use digital cameras, record audio, use photoshop and other programs, make web pages, make videos) and in his case animation. All of the English class work is done project based using the skills learned in the 2 electives. Iain is LOVING it! He has found an artistic side to himself and is throwing himself with glee into it. For Christmas his main gift was a drawing tablet for his computer, and he's been exploring it non-stop, with great joy. Here's some eye candy from his efforts:
He has also started taking piano lessons this fall, though those got interrupted for a few months while he healed from a broken bone in his hand - he took a dump off his bike the day after his birthday. He's back on the piano, back at aikido, and back on his bike (though rather less often as he's made friends on the city bus to school). He never left the computer, and now has a D&D group he plays online with kids in Japan, England, and across North America - a true 21st century digital boy (without the connotations of the song). He's taken an online drivers ed class, but hasn't yet taken the written test to get his permit.....soon, though.
Ria started taking guitar lessons this fall, and has gotten to the point where she is playing some songs that she likes, and I hear her singing along up in her room while she practices. At school she's getting great grades, and in 2 of her 6 academic classes she is independent from her classroom aide. In 3 others she only needs medium support, and in the last she needs strong support (nearly 100% project based group work). So, we're starting to talk about how to wean her off her classroom aide next year. They have roving aides assigned to the school in general so that she can have help in just 1 or 2 classes and be independent in the rest. The goal is 100% independent, as long as she can maintain a B or better in grade level classes. Even without the aide she'd still have the support class (in addition to the academic classes) to get help from her case worker in organizing, etc. She's joined at D&D group at the local game store which is run by a guy who used to be a special education teacher, and has merged that with his love of gaming, so its a perfect group for her giving her all the support she needs to have FUN! She also is taking karate lessons 2x/week, and has just been awarded her first "stripe" on her belt. The yellow belt for kids is broken into 4 steps, 1, 2, and 3 strips, and then the yellow belt proper. With her coordination issues its taken her longer than most to get that stripe, so it has truly been a labor of love. So proud of her.
Our house has sprouted gluten based objects now that Ria's gut is healed to gluten tolerant levels. Our gingerbread house was a great success, and was plundered on New Years Eve. William has been sporting a new blanket on the couch, which comes with cat enhancements.
And, there's been some holiday projects: shelves for cats, and new antennas!
Finally, proof that I've been here too. Happy New Year ;-).
