I've homeschooled the kids for 10 years now, since Nick was starting 2nd grade. The only exception was that Alyssa wanted to go to kindergarten, and she did. I won't say it has always been easy, but I wouldn't do it any other way. I can't imagine my kids away from me all day for most of their childhood. We've gone through many different curriculum changes, with most of our years of homeschooling being an eclectic mix of different curriculums. Then, once Nicholas started High School, I realized it was important to us that the kids get a diploma. So, we signed Nick up for Abeka Academy, which was an accredited distance high school. He did that program for a year, and it was really hard on both of us. Then, we heard that Utah was starting their own online program you could get a diploma from, using the K12 curriculum. We started that program last year, and have been pleased. My only complaint would be that it is secular, and I would have preferred something with a religious/Christian theme to it.
This year Nick is in 12th grade. Assuming he finishes his six credits for the year, that put him two credits short. So, he is also doing two credits through Electronic High School online. So, he has a full plate. Alyssa is in her first year of High School through UTVA. She did it last year as well, but the High school program is quite different than the K-8 program. In the High School program, they have a different teacher for each subject, and classes they attend online weekly.
Here is my problem. Chad is in 1st grade and I sent him to public school. This has been eating away at me. We have multiple reasons for Chad being in public school (he also went to Kindergarten, but for some reason that 2 1/2 hours a day did not bother me as much). We have always said that we would evaluate each child and each school year individually and meet those needs, even if it meant public school. First, Chad is so much younger than his siblings, he has no one in the family to play with-Nick and Alyssa had each other. Secondly, my health is not as good as it was with Nick and Alyssa at that age. When they were Chad's age and I was homeschooling them, I was very active in the local homeschool groups and we did co-ops, field trips, outside classes, etc. I don't think I could do half as much with Chad. Thirdly, homeschooling Nick (even with it being an independent program and officially I'm not the teacher) is a big undertaking. He is very off-task, distracted, will not do his assignments, and is very argumentative. Much of this has to do with his medical conditions, and of course some is just being a teenage boy. BUT Chad is a VERY active boy, and with Nick needing to get more than the normal six credits done this year, I feel I need to focus on getting Nick graduated before I can really focus on schooling Chad. Even then, I wonder if homeschooling will be right for him.
In the meantime, I feel awful with Chad gone all day. It just does not feel right, and it bothers me so much. But then there are days when I get so much done while he is gone, that feels great too. Also, when I am having a bad health day or flare-up, it is so much better on my body to be able to take my medicine and go back to bed in the morning after getting Chad off to school. This week was the first week of High School, and I realize it would have been much more stressful with Chad at home. I guess what it comes down to is that I have homeschooled for so long, and have always had my kids home with me, it feels not right for one of my kids to be in public school, almost as if he is not as 'important' to me as the older two, and with him being the adopted one as well, I don't ever want him to think that way. We are doing what we feel is best for him, and he absolutely adores school and his teacher. These early elementary years I really don't worry about the things that bother me about public school-those things mostly happen in later elementary and middle school, when other kids are mean and self-esteem can be so low. Unless my health is really poor by then, I hope to homeschool him in the next few years, but I will try to be true to doing what is best for each child, each year. I must say I am already looking forward to his month of being off-track in October!!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Sleep study part 2
My last sleep study post I was waiting to go back for the follow-up night at the lab to find the right setting, so I could get my machine. I thought it would be simple. Turns out it wasn't-not a surprise in my life with this body of mine!! The second night at the lab was awful-the tech. had trouble getting my leads attached to my skull, and I did not do well with the apnea airflow being pushed into my nose. It is the strangest sensation-a force of air going in your nose, and if you open your mouth the air rushes out. It's hard to talk too. At first when I felt the sensation of the mouth air, I started laughing and couldn't stop. That didn't go over too well with the tech. Geez, get a sense of humor.
So, after getting my giggling under control, I had the worst time sleeping. It was awful, and I thought there was no way I'd be able to do this night after night at home. About a week later, the doctor called to tell me that something interesting happened during that second night. Surprise, surprise. Anyone who knows my health history is NOT surprised. So, originally they said I have the most common type of apnea, obstructive. This is most likely due to the fact that my windpipe and esophagus were damaged during one of my surgeries, and they don't seal right or something (don't know the technical term). So, all you should have to do is force the air in the airway. Well, when they used the cpap machine on me that night, I still had times that I stopped breathing (which shouldn't have happened on the machine), but after those episodes I would over-compensate and go into a central apnea episode. Central apnea is a less common, more serious condition where your brain is sending the signal to not breathe. So. What next? The doctor ordered a smart bipap machine, which monitors your breathing and adjusts the airflow to what you need. This would hopefully stop the central apnea episodes and help with the obstructive apnea. It also has a computer card so after it has been a month, the doctor can download it and see if I had any apnea episodes and what airflow levels I was on.
So, I got my machine. It's pretty cool-it even has a humidifier so my nose doesn't get dried out from all that air. A rep came out and set it all up for me, fitted my mask, and showed me what to do. I was amazed at how quiet the machine is-you honestly do not hear a thing, at all. The first night was rough getting to sleep, but I woke up so wide awake and refreshed! It felt like a miracle, and I was so excited that this would be the rest of my life-I would have energy! Well, it has been almost a month now and I think it has helped my energy, but not as much as that first night. I've had some immune system flares so that hasn't helped much. All in all, I'm happy with it. I don't always last all night with it on-generally my max is until about 5 a.m when the dog needs out. I'm anxious to hear what the doctor has to say about if I've had any apnea episodes. I need to call and find out what I need to do to get the info. downloaded to him. I did get a great book from the library that I would recommend to anyone investigating sleep apnea. It is 'Snoring and Sleep Apnea' by Ralph Pascualy, MD. I'm going to buy my own copy even, it has lots of great resources. I've also been pleased with the company that supplied the cpap machine-they have called to check on how it is going,encouraged me to hang in there, and even sent me a smaller mask when I mentioned the fit of mine. It's always great(and rare these days) to get good customer service.
So, after getting my giggling under control, I had the worst time sleeping. It was awful, and I thought there was no way I'd be able to do this night after night at home. About a week later, the doctor called to tell me that something interesting happened during that second night. Surprise, surprise. Anyone who knows my health history is NOT surprised. So, originally they said I have the most common type of apnea, obstructive. This is most likely due to the fact that my windpipe and esophagus were damaged during one of my surgeries, and they don't seal right or something (don't know the technical term). So, all you should have to do is force the air in the airway. Well, when they used the cpap machine on me that night, I still had times that I stopped breathing (which shouldn't have happened on the machine), but after those episodes I would over-compensate and go into a central apnea episode. Central apnea is a less common, more serious condition where your brain is sending the signal to not breathe. So. What next? The doctor ordered a smart bipap machine, which monitors your breathing and adjusts the airflow to what you need. This would hopefully stop the central apnea episodes and help with the obstructive apnea. It also has a computer card so after it has been a month, the doctor can download it and see if I had any apnea episodes and what airflow levels I was on.
So, I got my machine. It's pretty cool-it even has a humidifier so my nose doesn't get dried out from all that air. A rep came out and set it all up for me, fitted my mask, and showed me what to do. I was amazed at how quiet the machine is-you honestly do not hear a thing, at all. The first night was rough getting to sleep, but I woke up so wide awake and refreshed! It felt like a miracle, and I was so excited that this would be the rest of my life-I would have energy! Well, it has been almost a month now and I think it has helped my energy, but not as much as that first night. I've had some immune system flares so that hasn't helped much. All in all, I'm happy with it. I don't always last all night with it on-generally my max is until about 5 a.m when the dog needs out. I'm anxious to hear what the doctor has to say about if I've had any apnea episodes. I need to call and find out what I need to do to get the info. downloaded to him. I did get a great book from the library that I would recommend to anyone investigating sleep apnea. It is 'Snoring and Sleep Apnea' by Ralph Pascualy, MD. I'm going to buy my own copy even, it has lots of great resources. I've also been pleased with the company that supplied the cpap machine-they have called to check on how it is going,encouraged me to hang in there, and even sent me a smaller mask when I mentioned the fit of mine. It's always great(and rare these days) to get good customer service.
Swine Flu part 2 (originally H1N1 fun)
So, our H1N1 saga did continue. Alyssa completely recovered from her H1N1 and subsequent infection, though it took a lot out of her. A couple weeks after she recovered, Chad got it!! Of course this was at the start of swim lessons, and he was having allergy issues anyway, but the chlorine seems to make him cough the first few days he is in the pool. So I didn't take him to the Dr. right away, thinking it was allergy/asthma related. Once I took him in (about 4-5 days after onset), it was too late for Tamiflu. So he was on his regular nebulizer regimen, which helped but didn't get rid of it, and we ended up back at the doctor's the next week to get a steroid prescription. That finally got rid of it. He had a few high fevers that got us really nervous, but he did really well while he was sick and confined to the house. I got on Tamiflu AGAIN. So, after school ended it was one child after another, and by the time all three kids were through this *crap*, it was just a few weeks until Chad started 1st grade (year-round here). So, no camping trips or quick trips to nearby fun spots. Oh well. Maybe in October when Chad is on track break. Since the high school kids are homeschooled we can do things like that (if it isn't too cold then!)
So, that is (hopefully) the end of our Swine Flu saga. I'm hoping the kids have an immunity to it if it breaks out again in the Fall!
So, that is (hopefully) the end of our Swine Flu saga. I'm hoping the kids have an immunity to it if it breaks out again in the Fall!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Summer Update!
I can't believe how this summer has been flying by! Since my last post was over a month ago, I figure its time to get caught up. I'm going to do a few specific posts to follow up on previous ones, but this is just a general rambling first.
The past month and a half have been kind of crazy. Our oldest has had a rough time, losing his job and just not doing well medically/emotionally in general. Right now we are trying to find a program at the U of U Neuropsychiatric Institute that may be a better fit than what we've been doing for many years, which is meds with counseling. We are just waiting for an opening for an assessment. He also was supposed to be taking two credits this summer through electronic high school, yet they decided to revamp their system at the beginning of summer break, and we just now were able to put in course requests.
Alyssa hasn't been too busy-an overnight yurt/boating trip with youth group (Nick did this as well), some babysitting, a few dance classes, and hanging out with friends. The lucky girl is leaving for 10 days in San Diego with her grandparents soon!
Chad is already back in school! He started 1st grade July 27th.(The older kids don't start until the last week of August) Hmmm....maybe there is some connection between my last post being near his last day of school and this post just after he went back......Anyway, I'm having a bit of a rough time with it, it goes against all my homeschooling spirit to send him to 1st grade for SEVEN hours a day! We've always said that we would treat each child and each school year individually and do what is best for the child/year. Well, for Chad, who has no siblings anywhere near his age and is very social, this should be the right thing. Also, it is Nick's senior year and he needs a lot of help-there is a lot riding on getting a diploma, and school is tough for him. Already, although he has been tired, Chad is loving his class (lots of kindergarten friends in it), and his teacher seems great-a man teacher this year! It just seems that the summer was SO short for him, and we never had time to take any quick trips or anything. Maybe in October when he has his first track break for the month. Chad's short summer break was fun for him-mostly riding his new big bike, playing in the sprinklers, and playing with neighborhood friends. We did squeeze in two sessions of swim lessons, VBS, and a day camp for a few days at the dance studio, where he learned some clogging and tumbling.
My health has been kind of up and down during this time. Some flares and some days of feeling well. I'll do a separate post soon on the latest developments.
Our family did have a nice Saturday hike up to Donut Falls in big Cottonwood Canyon a few weeks ago. It was a harder hike than we thought it would be, but the waterfall was really worth getting to. We brought a picnic lunch and enjoyed the cooler temps and cold creek water!
Hot-our house! Our A/C broke at the beginning of summer, and even though we kept our home warranty, a lot of what needs to be done is our responsibility, and we are considering not fixing it at all. Way too much money. We have a portable swamp cooler that helps, but with our floor-to-ceiling west-facing windows in our great room and super-high ceilings, most days our main floor is between 90-100 degrees by afternoon, only dropping down by late evening. Our basement seems to be somewhat cooler. Needless to say, we are eating simple, microwavable and crock pot dinners instead of using the oven or stove.
Coming up, I'm planning on posting an H1N1 update, and a sleep apnea one as well.
The past month and a half have been kind of crazy. Our oldest has had a rough time, losing his job and just not doing well medically/emotionally in general. Right now we are trying to find a program at the U of U Neuropsychiatric Institute that may be a better fit than what we've been doing for many years, which is meds with counseling. We are just waiting for an opening for an assessment. He also was supposed to be taking two credits this summer through electronic high school, yet they decided to revamp their system at the beginning of summer break, and we just now were able to put in course requests.
Alyssa hasn't been too busy-an overnight yurt/boating trip with youth group (Nick did this as well), some babysitting, a few dance classes, and hanging out with friends. The lucky girl is leaving for 10 days in San Diego with her grandparents soon!
Chad is already back in school! He started 1st grade July 27th.(The older kids don't start until the last week of August) Hmmm....maybe there is some connection between my last post being near his last day of school and this post just after he went back......Anyway, I'm having a bit of a rough time with it, it goes against all my homeschooling spirit to send him to 1st grade for SEVEN hours a day! We've always said that we would treat each child and each school year individually and do what is best for the child/year. Well, for Chad, who has no siblings anywhere near his age and is very social, this should be the right thing. Also, it is Nick's senior year and he needs a lot of help-there is a lot riding on getting a diploma, and school is tough for him. Already, although he has been tired, Chad is loving his class (lots of kindergarten friends in it), and his teacher seems great-a man teacher this year! It just seems that the summer was SO short for him, and we never had time to take any quick trips or anything. Maybe in October when he has his first track break for the month. Chad's short summer break was fun for him-mostly riding his new big bike, playing in the sprinklers, and playing with neighborhood friends. We did squeeze in two sessions of swim lessons, VBS, and a day camp for a few days at the dance studio, where he learned some clogging and tumbling.
My health has been kind of up and down during this time. Some flares and some days of feeling well. I'll do a separate post soon on the latest developments.
Our family did have a nice Saturday hike up to Donut Falls in big Cottonwood Canyon a few weeks ago. It was a harder hike than we thought it would be, but the waterfall was really worth getting to. We brought a picnic lunch and enjoyed the cooler temps and cold creek water!
Hot-our house! Our A/C broke at the beginning of summer, and even though we kept our home warranty, a lot of what needs to be done is our responsibility, and we are considering not fixing it at all. Way too much money. We have a portable swamp cooler that helps, but with our floor-to-ceiling west-facing windows in our great room and super-high ceilings, most days our main floor is between 90-100 degrees by afternoon, only dropping down by late evening. Our basement seems to be somewhat cooler. Needless to say, we are eating simple, microwavable and crock pot dinners instead of using the oven or stove.
Coming up, I'm planning on posting an H1N1 update, and a sleep apnea one as well.
Friday, June 19, 2009
H1N1 Fun!
Not really. It hasn't been fun. If you had told me a month or so ago that H1N1 would sweep through our family, I would have freaked out. But, it really has not been that bad, not as bad as I had it hyped up to be in my mind. Granted, ours stayed under control and we got medical attention quickly with a diagnosis, which I think was the key. So, here's what happened:
About 1 1/2 weeks ago, Nick (17) had a sore throat and dry cough one night. Jeff was thinking H1N1, and with my illness(es), was considering putting either Nick or me in a hotel. We decided to wait and see how he progressed. He ended up with a low grade fever, cough, and mild chest congestion. Being as he is the only child with a bedroom down in the basement, we told him he needed to stay there (I hope that doesn't sound cruel). When he occasionally came upstairs, he had to wear a mask and use hand sanitizer. We also prepared all his food/drinks and passed them to him at the top of the stairs. Poor guy, sounds like he had leprosy but we really didn't want this to spread. We did take good care of him, really. We never took him in to the doctors because it never got concerning, so we just figured it was a run-of-the-mill cold/flu.
Fast-forward to one week ago today, Friday. Alyssa had a scratchy throat and dry cough. BUT, she also had her year-end dance recital the day before and had been running around like a wild woman for a few days, so she/we figured she was just over-tired. She spent the day taking it easy and by evening, reported that she felt fine. The next morning, Saturday, it only took one look at her emerging from her room to know she wasn't fine. She looked like death warmed over. She had a fever, cough, sore throat. Since my husband was home from work and we try our best to have me avoid any medical places not necessary, he decided to take her in to urgent care. They did a swab for Influenza A, and it came back positive. Apparently, H1N1 is a subcategory of type A, and as it is the one going around right now in Utah, especially among teenagers, if you test positive for A they assume you have H1N1. There are so many cases right now here that they have stopped testing directly for H1N1. So, she got a prescription for Tamiflu, which is supposed to hugely cut down the illness symptoms and time frame right away. They also prescribed it for me, due to my immune system. Nick, who by now was feeling much better, they said for sure had it but it was too late to give him the Tamiflu as he was on the mend.
The next day, I had a sore throat and felt yucky, but that could have been allergies and my normal junk. I guess we'll never know for sure. I kept taking the Tamiflu and came out fine. Alyssa felt better Sunday, and a lot better Monday. The doctor said that as long as she didn't have symptoms she was not contagious. Well, Tuesday afternoon my teens were to leave for a 3-day retreat in the mountains outside Park City in Wanship, UT. Not tent camping but in a lodge. After calling the doctor yet again and being told she was not contagious anymore, and Alyssa begging, I went against my mother's intuition (big mistake) and let her go. At this point she didn't have 'symptoms', she just had a tight, raspy voice.
This same day, Jeff was feeling like he might have it. He went in right away (major for him, as he never goes to a doctor) but tested negative and was told it was probably a sinus issue. He felt better the next day. All during this time, I was worried about our littlest guy, Chad, as he has asthma and just has a hard time fighting off any respiratory stuff. We were still being diligent with face masks, hand washing, etc. so I'm sure that helped him to never get it.
So, off the kids went on Tuesday, with my intuition nagging at me. Yesterday morning, Thursday, I got a phone call from Alyssa asking me to come get her. She had been vomiting all morning and felt awful. She also thought she had run a fever the day before and had a very tight chest. My first thought was the H1N1, that it had turned into pneumonia. My second thought was what a bad mother I was to not go with my instinct and make her stay home. My third thought was she had probably infected everyone-yikes! Bad mother again!
Chad and I packed up in the car for the long drive. I've never driven in the mountains by myself, so I was a bit nervous. Of course, once we got up into the windy mountain roads and the windy narrow dirt road to the camp, it started pouring rain, hailing, with thunder and lightning. Great. It took about 1 1/2 hours each way to get her, and I did it. Whew. Alyssa was actually feeling better, but I could tell right away how tight her chest was. She also has lots of respiratory problems (seems to be her weakness), so on the drive home I made a doctor's appointment. The entire drive home I was thinking Bad Mother. Bad Mother. Bad Mother.
Surprisingly, the doctor said it was not the H1N1, but rather a secondary bacterial infection in her chest. She had finished the Tamiflu the day before, and the doctor was certain this was not the flu at all. Whew. I was also very relived that her lungs were clear, as she has a tendency toward pneumonia. So, we left with antibiotics and Mucinex and orders for her to rest for two full days before getting out and about again, with more days of rest if needed. She crashed out at home (there's no place like home after you've been sick on a trip!), and we're hoping she improves today.
Through all this, I've wrestled with the whole issue of whether I should have made her stay home or not. I think I should have, but I also think she learned a lesson in all of this. At a certain stage, we have to let them have some input with these types of decisions, and Alyssa is a very mature, level-headed young lady. She knew I had reservations, and now I think she knows to lean on Mom's reasoning a bit more. I could have kept her home, and she would have not argued, and I should have gone with my instinct. I question that instinct constantly, but it almost ALWAYS turns out to be right. Also, I'm relieved that in our case, the H1N1 was not that bad-we've had worse flus, much worse. With my illness, everyone tends to freak out just a bit with things like this, but it all turned out okay. Hopefully Alyssa will be herself in a couple days too.
About 1 1/2 weeks ago, Nick (17) had a sore throat and dry cough one night. Jeff was thinking H1N1, and with my illness(es), was considering putting either Nick or me in a hotel. We decided to wait and see how he progressed. He ended up with a low grade fever, cough, and mild chest congestion. Being as he is the only child with a bedroom down in the basement, we told him he needed to stay there (I hope that doesn't sound cruel). When he occasionally came upstairs, he had to wear a mask and use hand sanitizer. We also prepared all his food/drinks and passed them to him at the top of the stairs. Poor guy, sounds like he had leprosy but we really didn't want this to spread. We did take good care of him, really. We never took him in to the doctors because it never got concerning, so we just figured it was a run-of-the-mill cold/flu.
Fast-forward to one week ago today, Friday. Alyssa had a scratchy throat and dry cough. BUT, she also had her year-end dance recital the day before and had been running around like a wild woman for a few days, so she/we figured she was just over-tired. She spent the day taking it easy and by evening, reported that she felt fine. The next morning, Saturday, it only took one look at her emerging from her room to know she wasn't fine. She looked like death warmed over. She had a fever, cough, sore throat. Since my husband was home from work and we try our best to have me avoid any medical places not necessary, he decided to take her in to urgent care. They did a swab for Influenza A, and it came back positive. Apparently, H1N1 is a subcategory of type A, and as it is the one going around right now in Utah, especially among teenagers, if you test positive for A they assume you have H1N1. There are so many cases right now here that they have stopped testing directly for H1N1. So, she got a prescription for Tamiflu, which is supposed to hugely cut down the illness symptoms and time frame right away. They also prescribed it for me, due to my immune system. Nick, who by now was feeling much better, they said for sure had it but it was too late to give him the Tamiflu as he was on the mend.
The next day, I had a sore throat and felt yucky, but that could have been allergies and my normal junk. I guess we'll never know for sure. I kept taking the Tamiflu and came out fine. Alyssa felt better Sunday, and a lot better Monday. The doctor said that as long as she didn't have symptoms she was not contagious. Well, Tuesday afternoon my teens were to leave for a 3-day retreat in the mountains outside Park City in Wanship, UT. Not tent camping but in a lodge. After calling the doctor yet again and being told she was not contagious anymore, and Alyssa begging, I went against my mother's intuition (big mistake) and let her go. At this point she didn't have 'symptoms', she just had a tight, raspy voice.
This same day, Jeff was feeling like he might have it. He went in right away (major for him, as he never goes to a doctor) but tested negative and was told it was probably a sinus issue. He felt better the next day. All during this time, I was worried about our littlest guy, Chad, as he has asthma and just has a hard time fighting off any respiratory stuff. We were still being diligent with face masks, hand washing, etc. so I'm sure that helped him to never get it.
So, off the kids went on Tuesday, with my intuition nagging at me. Yesterday morning, Thursday, I got a phone call from Alyssa asking me to come get her. She had been vomiting all morning and felt awful. She also thought she had run a fever the day before and had a very tight chest. My first thought was the H1N1, that it had turned into pneumonia. My second thought was what a bad mother I was to not go with my instinct and make her stay home. My third thought was she had probably infected everyone-yikes! Bad mother again!
Chad and I packed up in the car for the long drive. I've never driven in the mountains by myself, so I was a bit nervous. Of course, once we got up into the windy mountain roads and the windy narrow dirt road to the camp, it started pouring rain, hailing, with thunder and lightning. Great. It took about 1 1/2 hours each way to get her, and I did it. Whew. Alyssa was actually feeling better, but I could tell right away how tight her chest was. She also has lots of respiratory problems (seems to be her weakness), so on the drive home I made a doctor's appointment. The entire drive home I was thinking Bad Mother. Bad Mother. Bad Mother.
Surprisingly, the doctor said it was not the H1N1, but rather a secondary bacterial infection in her chest. She had finished the Tamiflu the day before, and the doctor was certain this was not the flu at all. Whew. I was also very relived that her lungs were clear, as she has a tendency toward pneumonia. So, we left with antibiotics and Mucinex and orders for her to rest for two full days before getting out and about again, with more days of rest if needed. She crashed out at home (there's no place like home after you've been sick on a trip!), and we're hoping she improves today.
Through all this, I've wrestled with the whole issue of whether I should have made her stay home or not. I think I should have, but I also think she learned a lesson in all of this. At a certain stage, we have to let them have some input with these types of decisions, and Alyssa is a very mature, level-headed young lady. She knew I had reservations, and now I think she knows to lean on Mom's reasoning a bit more. I could have kept her home, and she would have not argued, and I should have gone with my instinct. I question that instinct constantly, but it almost ALWAYS turns out to be right. Also, I'm relieved that in our case, the H1N1 was not that bad-we've had worse flus, much worse. With my illness, everyone tends to freak out just a bit with things like this, but it all turned out okay. Hopefully Alyssa will be herself in a couple days too.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Alyssa's dance year!
It's about time I post on Alyssa's dance, since it is a big part of her life. This year, as in the past 5 years we have lived in Utah, she took dance at Starz Unlimited, a non-profit cooperative dance studio, with a large number of homeschool families. http://www.starzunlimited.org/ It is a great studio, focusing on modest music and costumes, and everyone working together to make a great experience for the kids. I've helped by doing the accounts receivable for the past three years, and this was my last year with that job. It will be strange to not do it anymore, but I'm hoping to find a new job to help with.
Alyssa has taken ballet, pointe, lyrical/jazz, and clogging at Starz. The past three years she has been on a competition clogging team, and quickly moved up to the championship level this past year! This year she was on an all-girls team, with a variety of ages, Alyssa being the youngest at 14, and the ages ranging up into married young moms in their 20s. This was the first year she was not on a mixed boys/girls team, which she did miss. For the past two years, Alyssa has been involved in another dance studio, Mountainwest ballet's, Nutcracker performance, which is a big time commitment from September through Christmas, with multiple weekly classes, and then rehearsals, costume fittings, performances, etc. Due to the Nutcracker schedule and her regular Starz ballet/pointe teacher having a baby, she decided to wait to take any ballet/jazz/pointe classes until after Nutcracker. Then at the beginning of the year, she decided she wanted to take a break from her crazy dance schedule and only be in clogging for the rest of the dance year. Clogging alone can be quite busy during competition season (Feb-June).
Competition season went great, and Alyssa's team got ALL 1st place high gold on both their dances (Ladies choice and A Little Less Conversation) at all four competitions, including Nationals! She had so much fun with these dances and the group of girls on her team. Each year, they have a new dance and do the previous year's new dance for a second year before it is retired. So, next year they will do A Little Less Conversation again plus their new dance. They also got to perform at Starz' end of the year recital last week.
Alyssa was also a teacher's assistant for a 3 year old ballet class of girls and boys. She has really enjoyed doing that this year and hopes to assist again next year. Their dance at recital was adorable, and the kids had the audience roaring with all their cute antics!
This summer Alyssa will be getting back into ballet/pointe/jazz with Starz' new teachers, and decide if she will continue with ballet/pointe next fall. She also wants to try ballroom dancing, which I think she would be good at.
Here are pictures from recital, some from the class she assistant teaches, from her clogging team, and one from this year's Nutcracker. In the two team pictures she is in the front. I'm sure I sound like a typical bragging Mom, but I/we really think she is a beautiful dancer, and has so much talent and potential. We're proud of you Alyssa!!!
I really need to learn how to arrange pictures on this blog!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)