Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The story so far

It has been many months since our last post, and much has changed since then. I stopped working at the charter school because they didn't have enough money to keep paying me. I was last in so obviously first out, but I'm glad because it lets me spend more time with my family and do our Amway business more frequently. It was tough living off savings and tightening our belts, but all is well with the Rath family. We have great things coming soon.

Nancy has recently began working with a community management company as an assistant, and after just a week or so they've already began discussing the idea of promoting her to a community manager. She actually really enjoys it, and I've begun to understand what it is to be a "kept" man. I take care of the home and kids during the day, and when she's home in the evenings I can do our business. We have a plan that she'll be done at the community management company in the next 2-3 years, at least if she wants to be.

Joram is a few months from turning ten, and we wonder where all the time has gone. Soon he'll be receiving the Priesthood, then driving, then graduating high school and preparing for a mission. We're looking into getting him into Basis for next year since his current school doesn't go beyond 5th grade. Kiran isn't far behind, growing beyond her years. In just a few days she'll be turning seven and in just another year will be getting baptized. She loves 2nd grade and her school, but we're considering other options as well. Nisha is being home-schooled, with me in charge now that Nancy is working, and every day I realize more and more how smart she is. She gets bored with the ease of the work, but we're plugging along. Marici is growing bigger and bigger. She's been walking for months, and saying words like crazy. She loves Bubble Guppies and learned from it, including saying apple. The cutest is when she says Argh! when you ask her if she's a pirate.

So, to the our schooling issues. We love the school and the teachers where Joram and Kiran are at (as opposed to disliking teachers where Nisha would have gone this year), but the director is a tyrant and constantly disparages the parents. Our friend who's daughter we helped get into the school just pulled her out because of the director. During a conference with the director she, the mom, asked what more she could do to help her daughter learn at home. The director then told her that she, the mom, had no right to try to teach her, but that it was the job of a trained teacher to teach, not the parents. Excuse me?!? To quote Glenn Beck, it is the job of the parent to teach their children, and for the teacher to supplement that teaching. They work for us, and do as we ask them. Nancy told me other parents have also removed their children because of the director, and another parent said the director told her that her children should be good at math because they were Asian.

More than a year ago this same director told Nancy that she was a bad parent because Joram had issues with another student (and we came to find out the other student was more at fault) and she told Nancy that problems at school always stem from problems at home, so we needed to fix out problems at home. We almost removed him right then. He'll move to Basis for next year, and I've even considered home-schooling both Kiran and Joram next year as well.

One fun thing we did recently was go to the PBS taping of a special be Dr. Robert Rohm, a renowned personality expert. We learned about personality types and how each one interacts with others. It has helped me understand myself, my wife, and my children much better, as well as everyone I interact with. I suggest everyone to learn about personalities so that your life is much easier. His special is available for viewing on his website. Other than that, we're just about the same as before. The kids are wonderful, as are Nancy and I. Hopefully the next update doesn't take as long. Until next time...

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Changes...

Over the last year or so we've gone through a lot of changes. I've been working at a Tucson charter school for the last year as a science instructor and the National Honor Society advisor, and I didn't realize how much I actually enjoy teaching, though I could do without the hormonal and snotty teenagers. I'm also looking to get on as adjunct faculty at Pima Community College in biology, if anyone has connections over there. I just got called as the Sunday School President in our ward and I'm looking forward to the challenge, as well as not having to stay after church every Sunday to do tithing!

Nancy is playing chauffeur to the kids, since they go to three different schools and she's also driving around a friend's children to those same schools. Next year will be better as Joram and Kiran will be at the same location. She's also the 2nd counselor in the Relief Society Presidency, which occupies much time as well.

Our littlest one, Marici, just turned 1 last Wednesday, and we had a little party in Safford with family to celebrate (pictures to come later). She walking all over the house, and saying as much as she can, including mama, dada, and possibly even nice when she was petting the cat.

Nisha just finished preschool (which Nancy organized and ran!) and is headed in to kindergarten, though we may home school her this year because we don't like the kindergarten teachers at the school. We already suffered through them with both Joram and Kiran. Kiran is finishing up kindergarten and will be heading into first grade next year. She just started playing chess at school just this year and competed in her first tournament a few weeks back. Joram is finishing 3rd grade and is too smart for his own good. His team placed third in state for chess this year as well.

Our family is growing and flourishing. Our Amway business has undergone some changes and we're looking forward to the great things that will soon come because of it. My mentor, Ross Bingham, and I just flew back to Charlotte last month to learn about the new changes, and it took us a few days to process the new and exciting information. Our last year has been fun, but our next year is going to be so much better. I just hope it isn't another year before I get back on here and share our lives again. Until next time...