Really? Again?

Yes, really. Yes, again.

But didn’t you just move a year and a half ago?

Yup. We’re as surprised as you are.

Okay, before we go any further, where’s your listing?

Sure, here you go. (Be sure to do the 3D tour, it’s super cool.)

(This is part of our 100 Things in 2017 challenge. Here’s the full list. Click on the photos for a closer look!)

Didn’t you do a bunch of work on that house?

Yeah, it’s going to be hard to leave. We’ve made so many improvements that it’s a real struggle to have to start over again (again).

So… why are you moving then?

Will is going to be coming home in a few months (probably early spring), and he needs a place to go to school. We looked and looked for private schools that would specialize in his needs, but there aren’t any nearby.

What about public schools?

We also looked at that. It turns out that the story in the Vancouver school district isn’t great for kids like Will. He’s considered a “behaviorally challenged” student, and Vancouver has a specific school for those kids, isolated from all the “normal” kids. That’s not a situation that’s going to work well for Will – we’re looking for an environment where he can potentially be reintegrated with the general school population, rather than permanently isolated.

So moving puts you in a different school district then?

Yes, we’re about half a mile from the line between the Vancouver and Ridgefield school districts. We asked about boundary exceptions, but Ridgefield is growing super fast, so they’re not taking exceptions.

And Ridgefield is better?

So much better. We had a meeting with the director of special services, and he said that they don’t currently have a program in place that would help kids like Will, but we could help build it.

Wait, they actually said that?!

Yes! Everyone we’ve talked to is surprised, too! Apparently, while public schools are legally obligated to provide students with services that meet their needs, it’s pretty common for them to make the parents fight for those services. Ridgefield is the exact opposite; they’re asking us what we need, and they’ve said they’re going to help us put together a program that meets those needs.

Wow, that’s amazing. I can see why you’re moving there.

Fortunately it won’t be a super long move, probably just a mile. Lucy gets to stay at her beloved Gardner school, and keep all the nearby activities and friends she loves. But the difference for Will (and Lucy, once she moves up to high school) is going to be amazing. We’re excited.