san luis obispo

[lovinmyboy]

:love
i lived in the area 4 years ago, and am finally comin back! im so happy, i love it there. just looking for some other kind mamas to hang out with. my son is 4. i could also use some help on the local education choices. anyone have good/bad experiences with public, charter, montessori, etc... or homeschool groups?:confused:

[Andrea0408]

Wish I had some great advice for you...I simply wanted to post my congratulations! Dh and I lived there (and Arroyo Grande for 3 years, and have been back here in Fresno for about 1 year. We are on "The three year plan" (as we refer to it) to move back. Rarely a day goes by that I dont cry just thinking about how much we miss it!

BTW, my children are young (one and two) so I dont know much about the schools, however, I have NEVER heard a single bad thing about public schools in SLO...Good luck to you!

[parnelli]

hi! i live in north county and have been here for 2 years. my daughters are 4 1/2 and 14 months. i don't know much about the schools in slo. i have heard good things about montessori and some not so good things. i guess they are not a full mont. school. they only use bits and pieces of the teachings. my daughter will be attending san gabriel elem. in the fall as a kindergardener. look forward to hearing back!!

[tlc4tots]

I hope you are still checking for replies. We live in SLO and love it. We've been here a year and half. I have LOTS of information to share about schools, activities, etc. I'll check back to see if you are still here.

[lovinmyboy]

:love yay! i havent checked this in awhile because i got no responses for a long time! im glad you are out there! i would LOVE info on schools. im still not sure if im gonna start my son in kindergarten in the fall or wait til next year. ( he will be be 5 nov.5th) i will definately do preschool until then though. he has been home with me so far. dh is in slo already, but i will be there within the next few weeks. i also need to do something to make money that wont take me away from my boy too much. dh and i are also going to cuesta. yikes.....:confused:

[tlc4tots]

There is a magazine that just came out called Living Here 2003. It has lots of information about the area schools, etc. When you get to SLO send another message and we can meet at a park. I'd love to help you get settled. Moving is a huge transition, but easier with a little help from a friend. I have a son who turned 5 in February so the boys will have a good time playing. Good luck packing and with your move.

[ShariMama]

Tiffany, where can I find Living Here 2003? I've been in Los Osos for years, but am always looking for new info.

lovingmyboy - welcome! I've been all over the state and this is the BEST (but we knew that, right?) I don't know a whole lot about individual schools in SLO, but we're in the same district and, I'm sorry to say, it's been a little screwy lately. Lots of budget cuts and more to come with the state budget deficit. Not good news.

If you guys haven't checked out the Morro Bay Natural History Museum, you might want to. I think kids are free and adults are $2. They just spent a bundle remodeling it. It's definately worth the $2.

[lovinmyboy]

tiffany-thanks for the info and i would love to meet. i will probably be there next week.
sharimama- being in los osos, i wonder if you know my midwife, sue oconnor?
do you mamas have kids in public school? know about the charter? im scared (and excited) because after being home with ds for four years, im going to find a preschool for him and do some work outside the home. i just want to find the right places for both of us.

[ShariMama]

No, I don't know Sue O'Connor, but I wish I did. That was my paternal grandmother's name (and my last name was O'Connor, until I added my dh name to the mix.)

My oldest is in public school (11th grade) and, despite my general belief that public school is good as long as parents are an active part of their kid's education, I am seriously disappointed in the education he has received. It's a long story, which I'd be glad to go into if you want to hear it. We're considering homeschooling for our youngest two.

My ds is almost 2-1/2 and my dd is nearly 1. If you guys are interested in a local, informal mamas/parents group. Let me know!

[tlc4tots]

Lovinmyboy,

My son will go to the only charter school in the area in the Fall. It is very difficult to get into unless you live in the school district. Schools really depend on your educational philosophy and financial means. There are some good private schools, but they are expensive. There are lots of homeschoolers in the area too. Finding a preschool is going to depend on the above, but also the number of hours you are looking for. The best schools have long wait lists so they may not be available in the Fall.

I second the Morro Bay Natural History Museum. It's fun and educational.

ShariMama,
The Living Here 2003 came in the newspaper. You might check the front newspaper box at New Frontiers for a copy.

[lovinmyboy]

sharimama, i would love to start a group and i know a few other mamas who would be interested too. i am interested in your public school experience, if you feel like sharing. i go back on forth on homeschooling. if i was gonna do it, i would definately want to get into a group that meets often!! (and find lots of regular fun, educational activities)
tiffany-i applied for admission at the charter and got turned down. i will probably try again next year as ds is turning 5 in nov. i wasnt even sure if i should start him this fall or the next fall. so is it best to live in s.l.o. ? i was using a pismo address on the application. im hoping that i can get a job at a good preschool and then ds can go there for a better rate.
i am just so glad to be back up there. it is the best spot in california.:D (if only it wasnt getting so expensive!!) but i always say-its worth it. i will be up there this week but might not be able to get online soon after, so dont go away! i hope we can all meet.

[tlc4tots]

To attend Bellevue Santa Fe Charter School you need to be in the Avila school district or border of Shell Beach. The rents in the area start at $1,700 usually.

[Twinsmama]

I moved to Grover Beach with my husband a little over a year ago and have 11 week-old twin girls. I'm in my late-twenties and my husband and I love SLO county very much--we felt it would be a much better place to rasie kids than the LA/OC area. I have been kind of house-bound caring for and nursing the twins, so I would love to meet/chit-chat with local moms (especially you mothers of multiples!).

[lovinmyboy]

im glad theres another mama in the area-hi twinsmom! you sure sound busy! we all must get together, i know i sure need the support and companionship. im also in my late twenties and in need of a better place to raise my babes. im leaving my extended family behind in orange county which i am very sad about but i just cant live there!! i will try to post next week and maybe we can arrange a park day soon?
tiffany, maybe we will have to move towards avila next year!! i actually havent even visited the school yet, it just sounded good on paper. i would like to check it out.

[ShariMama]

Twinsmama, I can only imagine the work of twins and the isolation. My mom's close friend has twin grandsons in Atlanta and I hear lots of stories. She keeps telling me that I need to put my kids on a nap schedule and other things that I can't bring myself to do, but that are working well for their family (there's also a 3-year-old brother, can you imagine!) But my kids are 16 months apart so there's some similarity, but still a very different situation.
I'm in Los Osos, but my mom is in AG, and I'm there often. I've got a few years on ya, and the kids are older, but I'd love to get together if you like. There's some fun new parks I've been eyeing between AG and GB.

lovinmyboy, there's a nice Montessori here in Los Osos that I'm getting my son in soon, but they have a 2-1/2 year minimum age limit. If you are in the Pismo/Shell area, the Shell Beach Elementary used to be one of the best in the county. I'm not totally up to date on it though. I'll give you the lowdown on my less-than-stellar San Luis Coastal District experience soon. Right now I'm in production on our newspaper and stealing time to write. More on that later...

What's everybody doing a week from Thursday (4-17) maybe we could organize a big park party?

[Twinsmama]

A park day would be wonderful! Next week would be good for me, as my husband has off all that week for spring break.

[tlc4tots]

Park day would be fun! How about Mitchell Park in SLO? The new structures are really nice for older kids and toddlers.

[ShariMama]

Mitchell Park is nice. Sounds good to me. Now, what about timing? Coordinating nap times might be a challenge!

My littlest can sleep anywhere. My toddler drops around 1 p.m., maybe 2 p.m. if I'm lucky. It'd be great if I could make it home before he crashes. but I'm flexible.

[tlc4tots]

How about Thursday, April 24th at 10am at Mitchell Park?

[ShariMama]

Looks like it works for me.

[SoHappy]

Hey, girls! I wanna play, too!!
Unfortunately, I'll be in lovely Excremento, CA visiting the inlaws on the 24th. Count me in for the future, tho. I already know Tiffany and Shari, it'd be fun to meet everyone else.

[Twinsmama]

Urrrrghh...10am...(blink, blink)...Zzzzzzzzzzz:zzz If it were closer to Grover I could MAYBE do 11 or 11:30. Thursdays and Fridays are good fro me though, as hubby is home those days. I'm sure we'll meet up sometime!

[ShariMama]

Well Tiffany, You want to make it just us? Or shall we move further south? Your call. I drive to Arroyo all the time anyhow (and consider a 6 a.m. wake-up sleeping in!)

Glad to see you SoHappy! I was thinking about inviting you over here, but hadn't gotten to it!

lovinmyboy - here's my abreiviated gripe with the SLCU School District. My stepson, Ryan, came into my life when he was 11. His mother had done her best to get him diagnosed as ADD/ADHD. (I have some experience with teaching and ADD and could see none of the indicators.) So Ryan was in special ed from Kindergarten or first grade. The program retests the kids every three years and holds Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings with parents every year. All sounds good, but Ryan continues to drastically underachieve and was failing (literally) for a couple of years. (Until we got him full time, but that's another thread.) I have been at the IEPs, met with teachers and principals more than I ever expected and yet, in 11th grade, he is still barely literate in some regards. He reads voraciously (thankfully) but his writing is terrible (this is where his disability is). I have been seriously disappointed in the schools williness to move him forward, despite his failure to learn things. He actually failed about 80 percent of junior high but was passed nonetheless. He has a number of friends in the same boat. I do work with him a great deal, but with two small children and two businesses to run, my time is limited. I seriously considered home schooling for him, because that is the level of committment necessary to complete the back-work he needs. Unfortunately, I simply don't have the time. My goal now is to keep him interested enough to go on to college and then help him get the education he never recieved.

I know one of the board members, I am confident that there are good schools in the district and excellent teachers, but this district has made some seriously poor decisions. There was a large budget surplus for years due to Diablo taxes which recently dried up leaving the district with a huge budget shortfall. They closed three elementary schools and continue to layoff teachers that the kids love without any change to administration I can see. There's a lot of politics in that one, but you can see some poor administrative choices, to say the least.

Sorry, I guess that wasn't too abbreviated. There's more too, if you want to hear it!

[RyleenColinsMom]

Hi guys! We just moved to AG from Orange County and are looking for friends to meet up with. I would love to meet at Mitchell park too. My son is 5, born Nov. 3 and loves to play and I get to go and chase my 13 mo. old daughter around!! Hope to hear back from someone soon! :D

[RyleenColinsMom]

PS... I started a group on yahoo to try and get some moms together in my area for regular playdates. Take a look!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CentralCoastMoms/

[Twinsmama]

Great! I have signed up to join your group. In the meantime, I've posted some pictures of the twins here (http://www.photographica.org/user/Bunnigrrrl/stories), if anybody wants to see...

[tlc4tots]

Lindsey, I'm happy to find another Mom with an older boy. Sometimes my son gets bored at playdates with very young children. We've been chatting about meeting at Mitchell Park in SLO on Thursday morning. Is your son off school for Spring break this week?

[RyleenColinsMom]

My son too gets bored playing with the younger crowd. He was actually in Kindergarten in Orange County through a private school before we moved here in late Feb. Since he is so young and we moved mid-year we decided to take him out and try again this year so he is home still full time. I am free during the week as of now. I love Mitchell Park, it is so clean and friendly for all ages. We also like to walk to Gus' and get a sandwhich for lunch when we venture up to SLO. Email me and we can make plans. :D I think there's another Mom interested in meeting, her name is Angela.

mom2ryleencolin@aol.com

[tlc4tots]

Hello Central Coast Mama's, We will be meeting on Thursday, April 24th at 10:30am at Mitchell Park in SLO. The park is located near downtown on Osos. Sorry I can't remember the other cross street. We'll reschedule if it rains. Hope to see you all there.

[ShariMama]

Hey Mamas (and any papas)

I'm sorry to say that I can't make it after all. I had to schedule a meeting with a client who couldn't make it any other time. Given the meeting, I really also need to work on a rush design job that just got confirmed this afternoon. Of course, it looks like there's a good chance of rain, so we all may be rescheduling.

I'm sorry to miss you all. I hope you have a great time and we can do it again soon.

[tlc4tots]

We'll miss you ShariMama! Sounds like you are very busy right now. Good luck with your workload. Check back for the next attempt to get together.

[lovinmyboy]

:D i was just able to get online today after moving and being so busy. i saw that everyone was gonna meet TODAY and i was so sad that i was going to miss it by only hours. but then it rained, so i didnt miss y'all. so when can we reschedule? im glad to see some older kids too for my 4 year old. i will be so super happy to meet all of you. its great to see this many of you here:love

[veganmamma]

HI all, can you please check out this thread? We're planning an MDC gathering in Santa Cruz for the West Coast MDCers. We need people who want to come and people who want to help plan. We may start a Yahoo Group to keep in touch.
http://216.92.20.151/discussions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=56455
Thanks,
Lauren

[RyleenColinsMom]

lovinmyboy, where'd you move from? We met at the park and had fun until nap times were in order and the weather turned a light shade of black! I am sure we would like to go again.

[lovinmyboy]

oh, i thought you didnt meet after all....well, i hope it will happen again. my computer is screwed up so i hope i dont miss anything. i moved from orange county-los alamitos to be exact. miss my family lots but not the rest!! it is so wonderful here.... is friday morning good for anyone to get together? how many of you showed up last thursday?

[lovinmyboy]

i was also wondering about finding some nice daddies for my husband to hang out with. anyones dh like hiking and playing guitar (or other instruments)?? hey-like minded folks gotta make community....:love

[tlc4tots]

Only RyleenColinsMom and I made it to the last playdate. Mornings are usually busy for me. Do afternoons work for you?

[RyleenColinsMom]

I had fun at the park! :)

It takes a lot of preparation for us to be somewhere by 10 am being in AG, but anytime after 11 am is fine during the week. We'd love to meet some time. We live near Strother Park if anyone wants to go there or Mitchell Park is good too. :D

[claridad]

Hello all! Twinsmama, I love your pictures! I checked out out your website and your girls are beautiful! You're a very talented photographer.
My dh and I are also English teachers. We live in AG (old town,village) and would love to meet some like minded families sometime. I'm pretty busy working and mothering my two girls (4 and 3) but summer is coming up!
We go to farmer's market on Sat. (sometimes Thurs. night) and Strother Park on weekends...the beach, and the AG library. Perhaps we'll meet up sometime.

So good to see so many new SLO mamas!!!
We moved here from San Diego almost 8 years ago and have loved it ever since.

I was very happy to see this thread. :)

[Twinsmama]

Thanks! I like the village area of A.G. and somtimes we go to the farmer's market too. I'll let you know if we're up for that this coming Saturday. The twins may not be feeling so hot because they are due for shots the day before--we'll see. Hopefully we can meet sometime!

[claridad]

Thanks for the response. I was wondering, and this question is for any SLO mamas here, how you came across mothering?
I noticed that everyone posting here was realtively new. It's exciting to see so many new posters from this area...and interesting that so many of you have recently moved from OC/La. What brought you this way?

My dh and I moved here for grad school. We wanted something less crowded and more mellow. SLO seemed perfect. Once we finished grad school (credential program for me, master's program for dh) we were VERY lucky to find jobs here right away.
We originally lived in Shell Beach (and loved it) and once we wanted to buy a home, knew we couldn't afford it. AG was our second option. We are beach people (and teachers) so never really considered San Luis proper (mostly due to cost!). I miss Shell though. It is such a great neighborhood. What brought me to mothering (and now another site I frequent more often made up of present and ex-mothering mamas) are a couple of my Shell Beach friends who knew about it (the magazine). I started posting after the birth of my second daughter in 2000. It was so amazing for me to find a place where people parented like I did. For once not to have to defend myself for co-sleeping, or for not making my dd's cry-it-out. Still, to this day, I find myself the odd one out of my friends. I am strong in my philosophy though, so that's fine with me. Plus, I have made enough online friends who are parenting the same so I know I'm not the one freak of the area! I find that many mom's in SLO are very open to ap, but when it comes to any extreme issues (like extended breastfeeding, or co-sleeping post infant...etc) are more conservative. I like it here though, at least there are ways to connect. Lots of great mom's groups and such. I've never been a big mom's group person though. But maybe someday!!!
At any rate, I better stop babbling and get off to work. It is now 6:15 and the day calls. Thought we might all get to know each other here.

If you have the time please add some info. about yourself.

Kristie (aka claridad)

[SoHappy]

Hi, Kristie
I found Mothering when a friend gave me a subscription when she found out I was pregnant. She knew those mainstream mags would barf me out. Eventually I checked out the boards. That was a few years ago. You may not see much of me here this summer. We're the catering coordinators for the Live Oak Music Festival, a giant volunteer job, and we're remodeling. Wish us luck.

Some of you have probably already figured this out about me, but I'll toss out a few me-isms for the crowd.

I'm pretty mellow and almost always happy, thus the user name, but I think too much. I like living simply. I tend to minimize one part of myself with some people, but with like-minded people I'm an outspoken liberal hippy chick. I love being a mom and I also like organic gardening, cooking, reading, writing and rescuing funky old stuff. I'm married to a middle school English teacher. In addition to his great husbanding and fathering gifts, I keep hearing what an awesome teacher he is and that makes me even prouder. And, saving the best for last, we have an incredible, inspiring, happy and kind little boy who is almost four. He is currently studying paleontology, his latest obsession.

And another oddity about myself -- I was actually born here. I still love the SLO life.

[RyleenColinsMom]

My family moved here from OC 4 years ago in search of a better place to raise the kids. I stayed behind with my son who was 2 at the time. I really missed my family and came to visit often for 3 years or so. After I got married, my hubby had a chance to transfer here so we did. I love it here. I miss my Mom's group in OC though. I have not met 1 cloth diapering, AP Mom up here yet. We have only been here since the end of February and are just now settled in. I did not used to be "crunchy" as hubby calls it but I have always cared about what I eat and being healthy so once I had baby #2 it all kind of fell into place. I feel that people have the right to choose to raise their kids however they see fit. I have my own set of values to follow and pass on as does everyone else but, it is really nice to meet people that have like minded morals and parenting methods. I hope we can all meet sometime soon? If not, chatting online works too. :D

[tlc4tots]

We moved here about a year and a half ago from the Bay area. We were ready for a lifestyle change. My dh commuted 2 hours a day to and from work. In some ways we did change our lifestyle, but in others we didn't. We own a CPA firm in Grover Beach called Buther, Chambers, and Cook (we are the Cook part). So dh is working very hard again, but at least it's for himself this time. I like that we are getting deeply rooted in the area. We are moving to Avila this summer.

I find this parenting stuff pretty hard some days. I was not raised ap at all, so am always learning new parenting techniques. Our 5 year old is always throwing something new at me (not physically). He's a good kid at heart, but really tests me. He loves legos and has lots of energy. Our 6 month old is an angel. She's a good sleeper and very mellow. I've noticed we are a little less ap with her than we were with the first one, but she seems to take everything in stride.

We use cloth diapers, eat mostly organics, stopped vaccinating, nurse frequently, and limit tv and junk food.

I really enjoy exercise classes like yoga, chi ball, and cycling. I also like scrapbooking. I like to read, but it puts me to sleep in the evenings.

[naturesgifts]

Hi SLOFolks,
I live in North County and am looking for a *good*, female (preferred), OB or midwife. Also, any refs for doulas you like are welcome. I am willing to drive over the grade (gasp!) to receive care from this person but can't see myself going to, say, GB.

Many thanks.

[tlc4tots]

I loved my midwife, Lisa Winick at SLO City Midwives. I also loved my doula Jennifer Stover. She's in the Birth and Baby Resources book.

[lovinmyboy]

my midwife sue oconnor was and has been wonderful. she works privately, mostly homebirths but i think she is now certified. i couldnt say good enough things about her. i felt very comfortable with her. she is in los osos and in the phone book. under central coast childbirth i think.
i havent been able to get online lately and have been wondering whats going on here. (anyone have a referral for computer service?) im so glad to see so many of you here.
i got turned on to mothering magazine by a friend when i was pregnant and now am a devoted reader. i give an issue to many pregnant women i know and try to open some minds. my feelings are so clarified in those pages. i am so happy when a new issue arrives. i always wonder where are these wonderful mamas who write the articles. i would love to get together with you mamas and make some friends.my husband and i both need some like minded and kind folks to potluck and play music with while we chase our kids around.
:love

[Andrea0408]

I mean that in the nicest way possible...I'm just reading about home!!!! My dh and I moved here (to Fresno) about two years ago, and cannot wait to move back to SLO county!!! Lindsey and Claridad: we moved here from The Village too (lived on Nelson St)...I am actually starting to cry just reading your posts!!! We are looking at 18 more months (and counting) here. There is a slight possiblity that we will be out of here sooner, but I'm not holding my breath. There have been six drive by shootings in our neighborhood in four weeks!!!:eek :crying

Enjoy that beautiful ocean air...and hopefully I'll catch up to you guys soon!!!:love

[naturesgifts]

Here I am again, asking questions...we are at our halfway-to-newborn mark and are trying to decide on the best birth location for our first. We've toured both hospitals in SLO but don't really have a feeling for either one. Does anyone have input?
Thanks

[SoHappy]

I'd vote for homebirth, then French, then Sierra Vista in last place. And that's because we birthed at Sierra Vista. A few nice nurses, a few totally cranky ones, too many rules and bad attitudes.

[parnelli]

hi naturesgifts,
i had both of my daughters at home with a wonderful midwife, karni. in ventura. if you are comfortable with a homebirth situation i would most definitly recommend it. good luck with your decision. how far along are you?? is this your first??

[Twinsmama]

I had a very good experience at French. We talked to the nurses there several times beforehand, and got good vibes about the place from the beginning. We considered SLO General because it has a waterbirthing tub, but it was about to close when we were researching. We never even considered Sierra Vista, as the sense we got about it was that it was big on "tech" and might be more interventionist than we would like. Most people in my lamaze class went there, and I'm not sure why. I didn't think it was that great. Anyway, French was fine, and they are a pro-breastfeeding hospital. They helped me get started breastfeeding my twins right away.

I probably also ought to mention that I had a doula, Kathy Tuck, that helped me on the big day there. She was absolutely wonderful. She's warm and has a sense of humor; I can't recommend her enough.

If you can't stand the idea of giving birth in a hospital, there is a free-standing birth center in Arroyo Grande you might consider. It's directly across the street from the community hospital there on Halcyon.

[naturesgifts]

Thank you all for your input, I really appreciate knowing your experiences. I met with a homebirth midwife this week and my husband and I are still talking it over.

SoHappy, I love your 3 year-old's quote.

[lovinmyboy]

im pregnant!! didnt want to be yet and am still adjusting mentally. it will work out and be a good thing. i LOVE being a mama, just wasnt ready for a new one. but really, when is the perfect time?i was really wanting to finish my A.A. this year. i would still want to get together with anyone who wants to. i need some intelligent and fun mamas to hang out with. i would also love to find some nice papas for my dh to hang out with. he loves music and nature.all his friends are single and like going to frog and peach regularly (he does too)::( he just doesnt seem to make the right connections. well, at least according to my standards! maybe this isnt fair but i dont think alot of his friends are positive for his life. anyone understand this? it is a source of frustration for me..... lets get together!! i have a 4 almost 5 yr old.: oh!! i didnt know about the free standing birth center-tell me more!

[kathleenE]

This is kind of a new thread, but I thought I'd try posting it here anyway. I have been trying *so hard* for the last several years to find a way to move back to California, where my entire extended family lives! And my parents own a small vacation house in Cambria, so naturally my husband and I, who both teach here at Yale in New Haven, CT (I teach Italian, he teaches writing) have been desperately trying to find jobs in SLO so that we can afford to move. (Here in New Haven, you can still buy a great colonial house with tons of charm for $150,000 or so, and as I'm sure you all know, this is just not possible in California). We have considered just burning our bridges and moving to Cambria and then looking for jobs (my husband would actually prefer to teach high school, and he has credentials in several states), but we're too scared we'd find nothing and then be unable to stay, after uprooting our whole family--three boys, 10, 7, and 9 mos. We here nothing but bad news about jobs in education in California, since the big budget crisis (and I don't think the Terminator is going to help out much). Does anybody know what the job scene is really like in San Luis Obispo? What kind of jobs might people like us find? I'm happy to change careers--herd sheep or goats, teach elementary school, work in a museum, yarn store, etc--but of course, I'm not really qualified for any of those types of work, though I'd love it (my parents never told me that I'd really have to work and be a mom at the same time in order to just get by, and I thus failed to marry a rich man! Instead I married a lovely, wonderful teacher!)

Any advice anyone has would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, everybody! I'll be in Cambria this summer for a few weeks.

kathleen E.

[claridad]

My dh and I both teach here in Santa Maria. The area is exploding and they are adding a new h.s. next year and in need of an English teacher!!! I would have your dh apply quickly. I will send you a link the website shortly.
It would be great to have you in the SLO area. We live in Arroyo Grande and love it.

You can email me directly if you have any questions Kathleen.
wisepoet@juno.com

Best of luck,
Kristie

[claridad]

http://www.smjuhsd.k12.ca.us/

Here is the link to the district website.
Good luck!

[naturesgifts]

Here in the North SLO county, teaching jobs are hard to come by. I *was* a teacher here until last June. I am not as sure about the numbers on the coast, but school districts nearby are still cutting budgets and not planning to expand their staffing.
Good Luck!

[sixpence1978]

just wanted to drop in and say hello. i'm usually hanging around over in the diapering boards but decided to see if there was anybody else from around here checking in.

we live in santa maria here...dh works on VAFB. hmmm...i don't remember how i first came across mothering honestly.

anyways, hi everyone...now if it would just stop raining long enough for me to get out some more.

[RyleenColinsMom]

Just wanted to say hello again! :wave I haven't followed this thread in months so here I am! Just finished my DD's 2nd b-day party this evening. We live in Nipomo now and I still would love to make some new friends in the area.

[yllek]

I don't usually hang out in the "Tribes" forum, so imagine my surprise to see mamas from SLO county chatting away in here. I hope it's okay that I butt in to say hi. :wave

I moved here a year and half ago, am expecting my first in August or September, and was wondering if I would ever find other AP mamas in the area. I'm living in Pismo right now, but next week DH and I are moving into our first home in Atascadero, where we hope we'll be able to raise our little one amid oak trees, organic homegrown veggies, and a community of AP (or like-minded) families and friends. I'm not working now, but I used to be a teacher. It's good to hear from other teachers again.

Thanks, Twinsmama, for your input on the different birthing options in the county. My health insurance plan is definitely limiting my choices. I currently have a sweet, but not-into-natural-childbirth OB, so I'll be switching to a midwife when open enrollment rolls around again. I still have to check out the local hospitals. I would love to homebirth, but DH is way too freaked out. :rolleyes: :LOL Maybe that birth center would be a good option for us.

[naturesgifts]

Hi Yllek -
"yllek" was a childhood code name of mine. Are you a Kelly too?
Welcome to North County; we've been here over three years now. It sounds like we have some things in common, including AP, organic veggies, teaching, and oak trees! Today is my son's three month birthday. email me if you want: daultonreed@netzero.net
:)

[SoHappy]

Hi, Yllek, and welcome! Sorry I didn't bop in here earlier to say "hi". Congrats on your new home and especially on your baby!!!

Hey, Naturesgifts, I just realized who you are!! I sent you a booklist a long time ago after you e-mailed me. So glad you found your way here!

[naturesgifts]

Hee hee, hi SoHappy, glad to see you here too. :D And thanks again for that booklist. I found Ina May Gaskins' latest book to be essential for birth preparation. Are you going to be contributing to HD anymore? I miss your collumn (and couldn't find your email). I have also been wading through cloth diapering...anyone want to start a diaper service in N. County with me? :p :diaper

[SoHappy]

NG,
I'm gonna e-mail you!

[yllek]

I've finally got my computer up and running again. :rolleyes: I'm still settling in, but it feels so good to be back in North County.

Thanks for the welcome, SH and NG! :) And belated happy birthday wishes to your 3-month-old, NG.

NG, I'll be emailing you too, but I just wanted to say, yup - I'm a Kelly too! :D It does sound like we have several things in common, including a wish for a diaper service around here! Let me know when you get that up and running, because I'll definitely subscribe. In the meantime, I'm ogling all the fancy-schmancy diapers that are in the diaper forum. It's a mite early for me to start a stash, but I'm just itching to try a few of those patterns.

I finally found that birthing center. Another little coincidence... my Bradley instructor is an assistant to the midwife who runs that center. It's listed under Central Coast Midwives, if anyone wants to explore that option.

Kelly
~one day I'll take the time to create a real sig~

[RyleenColinsMom]

Hi all! I haven't posted here in a while. We're still living in SLO County. We cloth diapered a lot more when DD was smaller and sling and eat organic, etc. Nice to meet you!! :wave

[13moons]

I see this thread has recently (kind of :) ) been revived, so I'll post my questions here. And hopefully someone will read it in time to respond--my dh was offered a transfer to SLO tday and he has until Wed. (5/27) to let them know whether he wants it. It's kind of wierd that we are even considering turning it down...I lived in SLO for many years when I was growing up(late elementary through early high school) and absolutely loved it. I was devastated when we left and swore to move back some day, When dh and I married I let him know in no uncertain terms that we would be raising our dc in the SLO area.
We have been wanting to move, the area we live in sucks but is centrally located near Monterey and Santa CRuz. My family lives here. Dh's family lives here. My ds goes to a wonderful co-op prechool here. My dd's are part of a wonderful homeschool group here. But AP is unheard of, no-one in my city even carries Mothering magazine, the crime rate is terrible and I am oh so tired of sidewalks and lowered cars speeding by and neighbors who are more concerned about killing off every dandelion in their lawn than whether they say hello.
I long for Los Osos roads where my brother, sister, and i rode our bikes day in and day out all over town. I want to walk down the street and have people say hi and smile. etc, etc...
It is no more epensive to live there than here, but does anyone know how hard it is to get into a rental right now, preferably in Los Osos? Is there any chance at all of getting my son into a good preschool in the fall? Are there any good homeschool groups (not Christian-based)? (I went to ps when I lived there.)
I really can't believe I am even second guessing this decision but I just can't fathom moving right now and I'm really afraid that if he takes the job, we won't be able to find a place to live. We need 3 bedrooms and have a dog and 2 cats.
Oh, by the way, my dds will be 10 and 7 this summer and my ds turned 4 in March. Thank so much for any comments, info, and suggestions...I hate having to make such a quick decision, but if we turn it down now, there's no telling when the opportunity will arise again, you know?
:hippie

[yllek]

Hi 13moons,

I'm not sure what's happening specifically in Los Osos, but DH tells me that some of his patients are rental managers, who say that the market is falling out of the rental market in the South County beach towns. He recently mentioned this because we had to get out of our lease recently so we could buy a home. We rented from a property management company that was very pet-friendly. If we hadn't had a pet-friendly rental, I don't think we would have found new tenants so easily. Apparently, there are lots of vacancies in the county. Check out http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/ to hunt for rentals. See if there's anything in the market for you right now.

I hope this move goes smoothly for you. I have family in the Monterey Bay Area, so I go up there quite a bit. Monterey/Santa Cruz is a wonderful place to visit, but I'm glad I live here.

Kelly

[SoHappy]

Yep, the rental market is getting soft, and with Cal Poly offering no courses this summer, it's going to get softer. It's a good time to arrive, with more choices for renters than we've seen in years. I wouldn't have been encouraging you a year ago, but I am now. Start packing!!

[13moons]

Thanks for the info--that's a bit reassuring. I just can't make a decision to save my life right now about whether we should go or stay. I can come up with arguments for both sides :rolleyes but can't convince myself of either.
Thanks for the link yllek, I did check out the Tribune already and found several places listed that sounded good for us, but I won't have a free day to come check it out until next week so we have to make our decision without actually looking at some houses to see what is available. I guess if we decide to go, I'll just make sure we come up on Thursday so we can go to Farmer's Market while we are there! :D
Do you know anything about the homeschool community or about my chances of getting my son into a preschool this fall? Be honest!
Thanks ladies!

[SoHappy]

I'm not tuned into the homeschool scene, but tlc4tots is. Maybe you can drop her an e-mail. Regarding preschools, that'll depend on where you are. I'm not familiar with the options in Los Osos, unfortunately.

[13moons]

Thanks, as far as preschools go, I would have no problem driving to San Luis for preschool so if you know about anything over there I'd love to hear about it!
:)

[daisynilson]

Hello,

I am wondering how close any of the moms on this thread are to Pasa Robles? I will be visiting my sister who is a new mom and would love to connect her (and me ; ) to MDC / alternative moms in the area. I'll be visiting from June 7th - June 17th. Will anyone be around/nearby? Smiles, Racheal

[naturesgifts]

Hello Again! :)
Hope all are well. Just wanted to send this out for anyone who might be interested: I have started a little "playgroup" for babies born in '03 and '04, and their AP/BF parents. We have been meeting in North County on Mondays. Email me if you would like to join us! AND since no one decided to start a diaper service =), and I was frustrated with our natural products choices in this county, I decided to sell them myself! kreeddaulton@yahoo.com
Take Care!

[cathe]

Hey everybody - I just found this thread (about time huh!) I recognize a couple of you and some of the names you mentioned.

The midwife for my oldest dd was Sue O'Connor. For my second dd, I had Edana Hall (Templeton). Both were great.

I live in Suey Creek which is up in the hills off route 166. The closest town is Nipomo which is where I hang out mostly (at the library or doing stories for the Adobe Press) - also hang in AG a lot.

We started homeschooling this year - Aimie is 5 3/4 and we are doing a relaxed kindergarten/first grade type thing (she is reading very easy readers right now). Anyway, I am looking for a homeschool group - or to start one. I checked into the Santa Maria group and the Five Cities group but they are both CHEA's (Christian groups) and I am looking for something non-religious. At this point, it is mainly to get Aimie with other kids - she really misses all her friends that have started school and she would like to meet other homeschooled kids (and I would like to meet other HS moms).

Any interest/advice????

Also, a friend of mine has started a waldorf preschool/kindergarden in Avila if anyone is interested I can give you info.

[kathleenE]

Hi everyone,

I just found this thread after no one replied to my recent (3/12/05) posting about Cambria and area moms. It seems there are quite a few of you--or at least, there were quite a few of you up until a few months ago. The thread seems to have died. Anyway, my dh and I and our three sons, who are almost 12 yrs, almost 9 yrs, and 21 months (an afterthought!) are planning to move to Cambria this summer, for good, both of us leaving the East Coast after 20 years here (me) and a lifetime here (him). My health has been really compromised by the stress of our life here with no family around (all my family lives in CA) and with both of us working. I teach Italian at Yale and had to take a medical leave in the fall, I got so sick. Now we've decided to take a leap of faith and move to my parents' vacation house in Cambria, to start with; but my husband has not found a job out there yet! For my health and sanity, we really need to make this move. However, we do need to eat; so dh must find a job. He teaches both college and high school English (writing, lit, etc.); but though there are a few college jobs he's applied for, there are absolutely no high school jobs advertised anywhere within an hour and a half's drive! Does anybody out there know anything about the teaching market at the moment? What are the chances that my husband--a very smart guy, with many advanced degrees and so forth--could just find a job when we get there? It just seems way to risky to me and we're getting discouraged.

Any advice from anyone? By the way, job or no job, assuming we do make this move, I would love to meet some of you! We are not into homeschooling, but are very much into the AP thing, and were happy members of a great cooperative daycare here in New Haven for seven years.

If any of you can think of a place to post this that might get more of a response, please move it to the correct forum.

Kathleen in CT

[SoHappy]

I don't come here much anymore, but I'm subscribed to this thread, so it notified me of your post. We live in SLO. My dh is an English teacher (secondary public school). Thank goodness he has a job, because they aren't easy to come by. We have friends in the same profession driving all over to work. One in SLO drives to Lompoc. One in Atascadero drives to Santa Maria.

I'd recommend getting on the sub lists in all the local districts ASAP once you get here. The pay is sucky, but it'll give him a chance to show his stuff and get to know people at all the different schools.

There have been a lot of cutbacks in the last few years. Even the tenured teachers have been biting their nails.

Maybe Claridad will log in and see this message. She's in south county and recently gave up teaching English to stay home with her cuties, but her dh is still teaching. Maybe she'll have some insider info for that part of the county.

[cathe]

I'm from the east coast too - massachusetts. It's so great here - don't think I'd ever go back. But the job situation is hard and Cambria is an expensive (though really cool) place to live. I have friends that are teachers that are looking for jobs - like sohappy said, it's not easy. There are a couple of junior colleges here too but I don't know how easy it is to get a job at those either.

[naturesgifts]

I am an ex-teacher from this area and I don't want to sound pessimistic but now is not a good time at all to be looking for teaching jobs. Experienced, talented teacher friends of mine continue to be forced back into the job-search mode year after year because they have to sub or take weak temporary positions (and 250 applicants for one job??!!). They also commute 50 minutes to districts like King City. My opinion in this climate is that one must have multiple skills to sell - and not just in the teaching market. Be prepared for frustration, be creative in the search, and have a back-up plan. Good luck!

[ShariMama]

Hiya KathleenE,

From my own research on teaching in this area, the colleges seem to be easier to get into than the secondary schools (and I think that multiple subject is even harder). If you can start with a less than stellar salary, I know several people teaching a class or two at Cal Poly, Cuesta and/or Hancock (Santa Maria, kind of a long drive). I obviously don't know if this works for you guys, but everyone here kind of pieces a living together. Maybe if you get here and combine various part time teaching gigs together, you can secure regular jobs.

The other thing you might look into are things like the tutoring centers, such as Lindamood-Bell. I believe they're based in San Luis and have centers around the central coast. I couldn't begin to guess at salaries. Also, my former not-quite-mother-in-law worked at the Laureate private school in San Luis Obispo. I don't believe they post openings in the traditional public school way, though that was many, many years ago.

Once you get here, let me know. We're in Los Osos, so kinda close. We own and run a weekly newspaper in the Los Osos, Morro Bay, Cayucos area as well as a biweekly in the 5-cities area. I'm not sure what that has to do with anything, but I've gathered a fair-sized batch of connections for strange and sometimes esoteric things that are sometimes useful. I'm happy to help if I can.

Good luck!

[SoHappy]

Hey, Naturesgifts, I forgot about King City. I have a teacher friend in Templeton who makes that drive.

KathleenE, don't let us scare you. There's always a way to make a living here when you're willing to think outside the box.

[13moons]

Hey--I looked for this thread a couple days ago and couldn't find it but here it is! (In my exhaustion I did not think to look in threads I was subscribed to :down ) Anyway, I posted almost a year ago I see saying we were thinking of moving to the area but then we didn't.
Well now the opportunity has presented itself again so we are taking it! Work is not an issue for us as the reason for the move is dh transferring his job (thank goodness!) but I am a bit concerned about the rental market. Not the prices--they are the same as we are paying here but without the bonuses like drive-by shootings :irked: --but the availability. We prefer Los Osos or Morro Bay. If it was a tad closer to summer I'd be less worried, but dh will be starting work down there in April and we will try to stay here until ds finishes preschool in May. DH will need a place to live so we are considering either a small apt/studio and we'll stay in our house here or find a 3 bedroom house for him and the dog down there and me and our 3 dc will just stay with family for a month or so. If anyone has any useful suggestions for us that would be great!
Also, I think I asked before and maybe most of your kids were younger(not sure?) but does anyone know anything about the homeschool community in the area? I found one group when I did an online search but that is all I found. Then again, as established with my search for this thread, searching is apparently not my strong point :LOL .
kathleenE--I can't say anything about the current job market since I am not there, but I can tell you that I lived there when I was in juniorhigh/high school and am moving back because I love the area. When I was a freshman in high school, I wanted to go to college to get my teaching credential and teach English at Morro Bay High because even then I thought it was a great school. I remember distinctly having a conversation with my English teacher in which he told me that it was a really difficult place to get teaching jobs just because the school are great and they are highly desired positions....it sounds as though that is still the case if they have 250 applicants for one position! Good luck and know that the area is worth the move!
Any helpful hints will be much appreciated as this move is imminment! I'm so excited! I think we will be coming down this Thursday to check out rentals and go to Farmer's Market. :D
:hippie

[cathe]

I think there's a really good homeschool group based in Los Osos. I found a contact a couple of years ago thru California Homeschool Network - it was too far for me to drive so I haven't kept up. I know there are several other homeschool groups - some christian ones and there is another non-religious one that just started up called The Village. This county has a lot of homeschooling going on so I don't think you'll have a problem in that regard.

We started homeschooling this year but haven't found a group to hook up with yet . . . I'm looking for a non-religious group but haven't found one in south county.

[ShariMama]

Hi 13moons,

I wouldn't worry about the rental market during the time you mentioned. It gets competely impacted usually when Cal Poly starts the year, but even that hasn't been as bad lately. Right now, I'm seeing For Rent signs all over town (Los Osos) in fact, I can think of three studio or one-bedrooms that are being advertised right now. If the few extra hundred per month wouldn't break the bank, I'd consider finding a house large enough for all of you so you don't have to move again. Studios just aren't that much cheaper. Then you and the kids can visit.

There's a couple of realtors handling rentals that you can call to get an idea of availability. Prudential King Management (they may have changed the name) is good and pretty representative of market price. The realty office phone is 805.528.7171, they can probably transfer you to the rental portion. If you want further details, PM me and we can gab.

I know of a few people who are homeschooling, one of which is very involved in the community here in Los Osos might be a good contact. Again, PM me if you want me to try to hook you guys up.

There's also a GREAT Montessori Pre School through K here in Los Osos that I'm really, really happy with.

[SoHappy]

13moons, the rental market is good. Much cheaper than a few years ago. Things that used to be snapped up are sitting vacant and landlords are willing to make more concessions.

[SoHappy]

Wow, a little posting flurry from SLO! Just want to say that I know both Shari and Cathe, and they're both totally cool, in case you're wondering who you're hooking up with here.

[13moons]

yay replies! Thanks for the info. The rental issue in Los Osos, coming from another area, is that there are way more places for rent than are advertised in the paper so you really almost have to be there in town seeing the signs to see what's actually available. We were there last week but it was almost dark by the time we got over to Los Osos so it wasn't very helpful. I think if we could just find a house there and get rid of the house here that would be a good way to go.
I would love to get to talk/email with someone more about the homeschool community. I am not looking for a Christian-based group, or should say, I am looking for a non-religious group. The homeschool community we have here is one of the few things I will miss. That and ds' preschool but since he'll be finished with that I'll be missing it regardless. :( Other than that, I am totally looking forward to being back there. I think I've heard about the Montessori there--financially, Montessori just isn't a choice for us, esp. after a move, but I know the schools there are way better than the ones here anyway if for some reason we decided to go that route.
It's a funny coincindence that when my family moved to Los Osos from the very city I live in now, I was the same age as my oldest dd (10 yo). Even though Bob's arcade that I spent countless hours at after school with my friends is gone now, I look forward to my dc getting to grow in the same place that I spent several great years.
:hippie

[swngrrl]

Hello!

My husband has an interview in SLO tomorrow, and we're driving up from LA tonight. I'm very excited about the possibility of making the move to the area! I haven't read thru this entire thread yet (will catch up soon!), but I'm wondering about midwife and alternative birthing options in the area, as I'm about 10 weeks pregnant right now. We really want to make this move, but the idea of switching caregivers is abit uncomfortable for me. We were planning on using the same center for our home birth as we did with our first son.

I read an article about "Birthaven", but it was from 2 years ago, and I'm wondering if it ever actually came to be.

Other recommendations?

Thanks bunches!

[cathe]

I had a homebirth - my midwife, Edana Hall is in Templeton (20 mins north of SLO). The other main midwife in the area is on sabbatical but Edana is great.

[swngrrl]

Wow. Something to get used to. Only two midwives? My birthcenter here has 3 itself, with another 3-4 apprentices.

Really, tho, looking forward to the slowdown. Interview in 3 hours!

[13moons]

I remember about 8 years ago when I was pregnant with dd2, I was talking with my SIL (who lived in Los Osos) about a homebirth and she was telling me that (at that time) homebirths were illegal in the county! I couldn't believe it...so I guess the fact that they are a couple midwives now means things have improved?
We were down there yesterday stalking Los Osos for rental signs. We found a lot and today I'll be making calls--wish me luck!--but the kids were restless so we didn't actually look inside any place. Then we went to Farmer's Market in SLO and came home. DH will start his job down there mid-April. :D

[swngrrl]

Well, DH's interview went well, but he doesn't think this is the job for him, for the salary they're offering. :( Very bummed about that.

13moons, we were at the farmer's market too! I'd never gotten to go before, as we usually visit on the weekends and miss it. Was fun, but was at the end of a very long day. With the interview over, DH promptly gave in to the cold he'd been fighting off. DS already had it. Lots of crankiness at the end of the trip, and with the rain on Friday, the drive back to LA was twice as long as normal.

I'm feeling really nervous even entertaining the thought of switching caregivers right now. DH is going to continue to look for the right job for him there. But in the meantime, I'm perfectly fine with staying here for the immediate future, I think. I think. I'd really love to be settled there before the baby arrives in October, but I'd also really like to keep my current midwife team.

Such decisions.

[kathleenE]

Hi ladies,

I'm so glad to see several replies to my questions about teaching jobs in SLO county! Thanks so much, everyone, (especially SoHappy and ShariMama!) for answering, and for your encouragement. Actually, we have news now. DH got a job at USC for the year, which is all we need to get out to California: health insurance, one income to start with, and a free place to live in Cambria (my parents' vacation house). We're hoping that dh can get a Tues/Thurs teaching schedule and therefore be down in LA only three days a week while I hold the fort down with the kids in Cambria, and hopefully rest and recover from this *##!!@@ mysterious malaise that has plaguing me on and off for the last 6 months. My teaching job here in CT is over in 4 more weeks, so I'm looking forward to regaining my health, moving to Cambria, regaining my health some more, and then re-entering the work force in some way sometime late next fall. Teaching Italian for 15 years doesn't qualify me for much else; but I may be able to teach one course at Cal Poly for starters and think about a career change in the meantime.

Speaking of going back to work, can any of you give me any idea of the child care scene there? In Cambria there seems to be one Montessori school, which starts with 3 year olds, and one other place listed on the web; but I'm finding nothing for 2 year olds. I'd drive half an hour if I had to; but I'd prefer not to. I was really hoping to find a cooperative daycare like the one we belonged to in New Haven, mostly populated with parents like us--poor academics, hippies, musicians, and others committed to a life more spiritual than materialistic (not that I don't long for more material comforts, but for me that means being able to own a sheep and a goat).
If there aren't any cooperative daycares, are there any good home daycares? Do you work out of your home, ShariMama? I have a feeling that what with running a newspaper and all, you must know pretty much everything there is to know about the area!

Hope to meet some of you in the late summer or fall!
Kathleen

[yasi]

I used to live in SLO- I went to Cal Poly. When I got pregnant before my son, I had 2 miscarriages. Brenda Ramler a homebirth midwife in Arroyo Grande is the one that helped me through. In fact, when I lost the second pregnancy, no dr in the area would see me! and Brenda took care of me with open arms and an open heart. I don't know if that is the other midwife that was referred to, but I think there is a 3rd homebirth midwife in Los Osos also.

[cathe]

Brenda has just retired - the midwife from Los Osos retired a few years ago.

[13moons]

DH will start working down there next week! We were down on Thursday and found a couple houses in Los Osos that looked promising. I feel so disorganized right now, like I have only half a plan. We are moving to Los Osos, we have put in our 30 day notice at the house we are in now, but we don't yet have a place we are going to. It will come together--I just wish it would come together a little quicker :) I will update as I know more!
:hippie

[RyleenColinsMom]

Hey ladies! I haven't been on here forever! I am looking to get to know more like-minded Moms here. I live in Nipomo. I'm pregnant with #3 due in Sep. I have a 7 year old and a 3 year old. I'm a SAHM. I also have a yahoo group that I'd like to get going so check it out if interested.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CentralCoastMoms/

[cathe]

Hey ryleencolinsmom - I'm sort of in Nipomo (we're actually in Suey Creek but Nipomo is closest town). We go to storytime at the library now and then. Do you know about the Kangaroo Club? It was started by mom's who had Brenda Ramler as their midwife - most of them seem to have kids about 3 years old and many have just had their second child. I know a few other AP Nipomo moms if you want to get hooked up . . .

I will check out your group. I'm looking for homeschoolers in the Nipomo area.

[RyleenColinsMom]

Hey ryleencolinsmom - I'm sort of in Nipomo (we're actually in Suey Creek but Nipomo is closest town). We go to storytime at the library now and then. Do you know about the Kangaroo Club? It was started by mom's who had Brenda Ramler as their midwife - most of them seem to have kids about 3 years old and many have just had their second child. I know a few other AP Nipomo moms if you want to get hooked up . . .

I will check out your group. I'm looking for homeschoolers in the Nipomo area.


Hey Cathe! We were in Mom's Club together here. I am not really too active anymore with them. I am pregnant with #3 and can't wait to have a baby to sling again!! Please do let me know about the AP Mom's here! :) :slinggirl

[cathe]

Ha - that's funny! Nice to see you here. If you email me your email, I'll send you an email from the kangaroos. THey have play groups - twice a month in Nipomo, twice in SLO - and there is a north county playgroup that meets the same week as south county. They do big campouts and picnics too.

and CONGRATULATIONS on number 3!

[13moons]

Oh my gosh--we are finally here! We didn't find a house in Los Osos, but we did find one on a big lot with tons of trees in Atascadero. We got the keys on Sunday. Still haven't got our furniture here, but we do have a home. Which is good since dh just spent a couple weeks in hotels and then 3 more weeks in the camping trailer at El Chorro. So if anyone is in Atascadero let me know! And I did find an organized homeschool program here listed on the Internet but the kids have been talking a little about going to "regular" school, so we'll see.
I also wanted to check and see if anyone knew anything about the doctors available to us with our new health insurance--it's an HMO so I have to choose one of theirs. The only primary care physicians I have to choose from are Steven Goodman, Mary Brown, and Scott Negri (all in SLO); Klyda White in Templeton;Mark Ward in Los Osos; Patrick Vaughn in Morro Bay--that's it so if you can offer any good or bad info on any of these docs please let me know. We have to choose by the end of the month or they choose for us.
:hippie

[ShariMama]

Hiya 13moons and welcome!

I can give you a little info on the doctors question. DH goes to Dr. Vaughn now after a glowing referral from a friend. No problems so far. He's been accessible and willing to work with various strange situations as they emerge. My stepson just started going to him and had no complaints either.

I'll be interested to hear anything about the others.

[Amoreena]

PS... I started a group on yahoo to try and get some moms together in my area for regular playdates. Take a look!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CentralCoastMoms/

Hi! I keep an informal list of southern California AP groups to recommend when moms are asking around for groups, and wondered if this group is an AP group? I just visited the site and it doesn't indicate either way. Usually anything that starts from MDC is AP, but wanted to check :) ...

I started a couple AP groups last year, one for my county (Ventura) and one more general for all of southern California. The first is for moms only, the bigger one is for moms AND dads. (Links in sig)

I love learning about new groups and sharing information!

[kathleenE]

Hey 13 moons,

We're moving to Cambria in July (not buying yet); but I was wondering how your house search was. What kind of places were going for what kind of money? Did you see anything with a lot of rustic character? My cousin lives in Atascadero; but they have lived in their house for so long that she has no idea what things are like now.

Gotta go; I hear someone whimpering for me!

Kathleen E.






[QUOTE=13moons]Oh my gosh--we are finally here! We didn't find a house in Los Osos, but we did find one on a big lot with tons of trees in Atascadero. We got the keys on Sunday. Still haven't got our furniture here, but we do have a home. Which is good since dh just spent a couple weeks in hotels and then 3 more weeks in the camping trailer at El Chorro. So if anyone is in Atascadero let me know! And I did find an organized homeschool program here listed on the Internet but the kids have been talking a little about going to "regular" school, so we'll see.

[kathleenE]

Hi everyone!

I've been enjoying following this thread as we pack and clean and throw things away here. It's now four weeks until we move to CA from CT. Our plans are still only half-baked; we know my dh will be staying down in L.a. three nights a week, but where..??? I'll be managing my 2 yr old and my 9 and 12 yr olds alone in Cambria those three days, but how....? At least I've contacted both their schools and they seem like good schools--cambria grammar school, and Santa Lucia middle school. But so far, no luck on finding any kind of community-minded daycare for my 2 yr old. (well, actually, no luck in finding any daycare at all, community-minded or not!) If anyone has any knowledge of home daycares, please weigh in! I'll check out the Montessori in Los Osos too, I guess...I keep getting farther and farther away from Cambria.

I joined the yahoo group that one of you was trying to start...maybe it'll get off the ground eventually? Or has it already?

joy,

Kathleen E.

[cathe]

Good luck with your move.