Feels like Summer!

We have enjoyed some beautiful days since the rain and storms, and we have been taking full advantage.  Lance and I played golf and tennis this weekend, the kids went to an outdoor birthday party, and every evening we have grilled out, played on the swingset and in the sprinklers and answered crazy questions from Tyler (why are lice and fleas at the bottom of the food chain if they have no predators - didn't think of monkeys in our explanation).  Poor Lance has tried to enjoy our family time each evening, only to be interrupted by almost constant work calls.  I love that business is picking up, I just hate that everyone seems to wait until the hours of 6:00-9:00 to need something "desperately."  He is considering hiring an assistant (there is just a lot of paperwork and details that need tending to in his job that are becoming difficult for him to take care of), and sadly we aren't in a position yet where I can become that assistant and give up the steady income of the family!  Especially since I am now considering private school for the kids sooner than later.  I am really disappointed in how common core is affecting the classroom environment, from the assignments and curriculum, to what interests and passions are being neglected in exchange for an emphasis on teaching to the tests.  Private schools do not use common core curriculum, and if the assignments (math in particular) continue in this vein, I know I am getting to want to get the kids as far away from it as possible.  I hate that my little boy who naturally does calculations, and is constantly adding and subtracting for fun, is now labeled bad at math and I fear it will only get worse.  I just have a suspicion that the common core academic environment is not one in which he will thrive, and I know that I will get incredibly frustrated that Tyler's particular brand of "smart" can easily be overlooked in a classroom whose primary goal is to ace the test. 

Since we opted to play this afternoon, instead of work on homework I guess I can't complain too much, though  :)!