School is cool!

Dorky title, I know...but it kinda sums up that last two days. Both LM1 and LM2 started 'big school' yesterday. They are in a Montessori/JK program at a private school....fulltime (did I mention how happy I am about it being fulltime?) They were both duded up in their formal uniforms for the first day (since it was an 'assembly day'). Today and for the rest of the month, save one more 'assembly day', they can wear their regular uniforms, which consist of pants or shorts (skorts for girls) and golf-type shirts with the school emblem on them...very, very cute!
There are only 10 kids in their class...gotta love the small numbers. We've been getting some flack from certain people about why we've chosen to send our kids to a private school (especially since I used to teach in the public system)...not sure where the difficulty lies in this decision for those that KEEP asking us. Isn't each family/parent allowed to choose what they consider best for their own children? The school (and Montessori/JK program) offer something different that we know our children will benefit from...they are both very sensitive and I think would be lost in a class of 20 or so children. They are in the same class, which has its advantages for our LM's as well....they are only 11 months apart in age and have developed a very strong bond...they complement each other well and encourage each other to grow and learn. I guess I have 'virtual twins'...
I guess I'll take this opportunity to catch up a bit on my blog topics....
I had mentioned previously a few topics before my hiatus...hopefully, I can use this time to elaborate.
LM3 had his first visit to Sick Kids (Toronto) in August to evaluate his cleft lip/cleft palate. Unbeknowst to us at the time, he actually had his initial lip repair in April (while in China). We found this out when we first met him in China. His palate has not been repaired, but luckily it will not require surgery for a few more years. Since it is a very small alveolar cleft (gumline), and it is not affecting his hearing or speech development (or even the growth of new teeth), the surgeon has decided to wait until our little man grows a bit more and will schedule a bone graft (from his hip) and palate repair when LM3 is 4 or 5. Such a relief to think that our little man will not have to have surgery in the near future....he can just concentrate on his new life and enjoying this curious world that he now lives in. I am also grateful that he'll be at an age where his comprehension level and language knowledge will be at the point where we can effectively communicate what's happening to him. We also found out that he will not require tubes in his ears and that his hearing is normal. He has been growing like a weed...from a size 12 months when we met him in July to a size 2T now....he loves his 'num nums'!
As for the possible move to the Carribean that I mentioned in a previous post, this is something we are moving forward with - at least to the point where we are planning a spring break trip to the island that we would love to call 'home'...planning on renting a villa or a suite so that we can enjoy the local cuisine in a variety of locations, rather than an all-inclusive deal where we would be tempted to stay on the resort. We also need to look at teh schooling situation on the island and we hope to do a bit of real estate touring to see what types of homes are available. No actual tentative date for this big adventure...hopefully the right work opportunities will be available as early as next year at this time.
I'm going to save the "outlaw in-laws" topic for another post....kinda complicated at the moment...as these things tend to be....but I WILL spill the beans, I promise.
I need to go back to that old post to see if I've missed any topics.....I have a really good memory...but its short ;)
For now, I'm off to read some of your blogs....toodles :)