Buying and selling a home is one of the more wonderful yet stressful events in a person’s life. Recently my family did both. The stress was made even worse by the timing of the move, in the middle of the school year which increased the impact on my children My kids, as many do, are…. read more

April 6, 2011 by Susan Lane in Education, Parenting

As a youth growing up in Salinas, CA, birthplace of John Steinbeck, it was generally expected that every high school student would read at least 5 of Steinbeck’s published works. In fact, it was mandatory to read East of Eden by graduation. Because Steinbeck frequently mentioned Salinas and the surrounding areas in his novels, it…. read more

March 18, 2011 by Susan Lane in Parenting

It is well into the 2nd semester of my son’s 4th grade year, but I was not surprised when he came home with paperwork for yet another fundraiser. “Be sure to sponsor your son/daughter [insert name of child here] in the annual Jog-A-Thon. Top prizes include a free year book and lunch with the principal!” This…. read more

March 15, 2011 by Susan Lane in Education, Parenting

Parent /Teacher conferences are always tough for me.  I don’t particularly care for them, and generally feel that a note to and from the teacher would suffice in most cases. However, I was concerned over a steady decline in grades and general interest in school since switching my 9 year old from private to public…. read more

March 11, 2011 by Susan Lane in Education, Parenting