More Mom Time

Day 6

2012-01-15T11:20:00.001-05:00

I have been eating vegan for 6 days and feel awesome. This has not been as hard as I thought. I haven't even missed junk food. Weigh in day tomorrow and for once I am excited!

Vegan day 1 and getting back into the swing of regular life

2012-01-09T16:27:00.004-05:00

Today has gone well - I have eaten plenty of good food. The main problem has been nothing to do with changing to a vegan diet but everything to do with the abrupt halt of junk food. We were still finishing up holiday treats and not having them today has been very noticeable. I'm not missing reaching for them or the taste of them but my stomach is wondering where all those empty calories are today. Let's hope I see the result of this when I step on the scale in a few days - the prospect both excites me and scares me because so many times when I have tried really hard to lose weight I see no change on the scale and get disheartened very fast.

G just called to say he'll be late home from work. Usually when he's not here for dinner I go the easy route and make something easy and fast that the kids will eat. Tonight I am determined to make something decent. I feel good about that.

We went to the library today. We haven't been in about a month. It was nice to sit and read a pile of books with the kids and then to check out a pile more to read at home. We are beginning a unit on Africa so we chose books to help us with that as well as regular story books.

At the grocery store T1 had my list and was in charge of produce that needed weighing. He did a good job of weighing what we needed and making sure we had enough. He hasn't had much experience with weighing things other than on a digital scale. Typically when I buy produce I just buy say 4 potatoes or 6 bananas but today I wanted to get enough for specific recipes and figured it was a good math opportunity for them both. T2 did her usual job of selecting and counting out fruit and prancing about in the aisles!

After a lengthy reading aloud session with both kids I let them go do their own thing so I could catch up on the many chores that were neglected due to a very busy weekend. T2 has been playing school and creating a book. T1 has been spending time with the love of his life - his laptop.

After dinner there will be a few rounds of Spot it which is a new family favourite

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-08T22:27:00.002-05:00

My first born T1 turned 12 today. I am in major denial -wasn't I just 12 myself a couple of years ago????? It was a low key day which suits T1 but it was a good day with gifts and chinese food and home made cake with funky frosting.

Tomorrow is what I consider to be the beginning of the year. I can never think past January 8 and T1's Birthday and wait until at least the 9th before considering any resolutions or planning ahead. After thinking and researching for a long time - I have decided to go vegan - or at least try to. I have been vegetarian for over 20 years and now it's time to take the next step. The hardest thing will be that T1 loves cheese. I love cheese. We will still have cheese in the house for him. I have no will power. Yikes!

Other resolutions - be more present, get outside more, try new recipes, show my appreciation and love more, blog more, keep on top of clutter, lose cough cough pounds, turn 40, take better care of myself, smile more.

That Crazy Elf

2011-12-18T19:07:00.013-05:00

This year we have an Elf on our shelf.

Her name is Starlight.

Apparently we got a really naughty Elf - she might look innocent but she is not.

Her antics thus far.....

Adorned the tree with underwear

Drank the cooler dry

Dyed the dogs blue (diluted food colouring)

Toilet papered the main floor

Marshmallow war

Fun with the copy machine

Decorated the interior of the family mobile

Elf feast

Elf graffiti - yep it's permanent

Flour snowball fight (also all over kitchen floor)

Brown sugar desert island

Sleeping mustaches

Apologies for photo quality - only had my phone available

Screen free day

2011-11-23T17:16:00.004-05:00

We are screen addicts. There, I said it out loud.

The first thing I do when I open my eyes is check the time on my iphone, then I check my email and facebook and sometimes twitter before I can even fully focus. The reverse happens at night. In between I have my iphone in my pocket all day long and everytime I hear that ping, I pull it out and check my email (unless I am driving or in the company of someone less addicted than me). I check blogs I follow, message boards I belong to. I shop online. I waste many hours a week just surfing and now there's Pinterest which is a seriously enjoyable time waster. Throw in some evening TV and I am amazed my eyes are not square.

G spends lots of time on his computer at work and and then again for sport scores, couponing (shhhh he thinks it makes him less manly!!!), shopping, researching stuff and listening to music on youtube.

T1 would happily spend every waking moment in front of the computer playing Roblox simultaneously hooked up to his itouch watching music videos on youtube. He doesn't care much for TV.

T2 loves TV. She likes some computer sites but she loves loves loves TV.

I don't let my kids have as much screen time as they would like but I am very aware that they have way too much and are not wanting to do anything else, are "bored" if they can't have screens and then there's the whining and complaining when it's time to shut screens off.

Last night I decided that today would be a screen free stay at home day. T2 cried and cried. T1 didn't say much but after breakfast when I asked what his plans for the day were he replied "to go to my room and sulk" - at least he had a twinkle in his eye when he said it!

Our day went something like this.....

8:00 - I announce to the family (and my facebook friends) that today there will be no screens until 5pm. Tears from T2. Grumbles from T1.
8:15 - My iphone has been pinging in the bowl where all the Apple devices are spending the day. I can't stand not being able to check so I power it off and walk away.
9:00 - Read books with T2 and T1 was in his room fiddling with his icoaster.
10:00 - Made cookies. Kids are now playing Lego together and TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER. Dishes are in dishwasher, laundry is sloshing about, my choice of music is playing. I am happy with the morning so far and have started a list of a few things I have to do online and some emails I have to send after 5pm. Kids have not complained since 8:00
I got engrossed sorting through a big box of stuff in the playroom that I had been putting off and managed to sort Polly Pocket shoes, Barbie accessories, toss anything I didn't recognize and return all kinds of things to their rightful homes.
12:30 Lunchtime. I realized that while T2 was crafting independently that she had not asked for snacks the way she does when she watches TV. She ate lunch enthusiastically. T1 wasn't hungry.
1:00 school work. Both kids got their work done really fast.
2:00 I bailed on our agreed screen time ban and let them go do their own thing. They hadn't done what I expected. They didn't whine, complain and shoot me hateful glances. I'm weak and I know it. I sabotage most things I try to achieve but that's a whole other post!

T1 asked to play Wii. T2 asked to go online. I grabbed my iphone and powered it on and was excited to see what I had missed. NOT A THING. Proving to me that the gazillion times each day I check my phone nothing has happened then either but I still check. In 5 hours I really hadn't missed anything except stressful facebook posts from my American friends hastily preparing for Thanksgiving.

I do wish we had kept going until 5:00. As soon as kid shows came back on I realized how annoying the background noise in this house can be.

Tomorrow and Friday we have busy days and the screen time opportunities will be few and far between, in which case I don't mind as long as everything else they need to do has been done. It's days like today when we don't have much going on and I have jobs to do that I would prefer to complete alone and uninterrupted that I rely on electronic babysitters which I am not proud of.

I hope my kids have realized that they can manage to be home, just us with an empty rainy day, without being glued to screens ignoring their toys and each other's company at least until Mom caves.....

Our next 'around the world' destination....

2011-09-10T21:32:00.002-04:00

A few clues from our most recent library haul. T2 has been showing a big interest in Kangaroos and Koalas so it made sense to check out Australia next. I'm really excited about it and so are they : )

Could be interesting...

2011-08-31T18:19:00.002-04:00

We went to the library today and saw thelady in charge of children's events - she said she had been meaning to contact me about acknowledging the 1,000 library books we read this past year. She has an event happening at the end of September and she would like to invite T2 as a guest. I have no idea what to expect but it should be fun!

Stay safe

2011-08-26T20:00:00.002-04:00

I'm concerned for those in the path of Hurricane Irene and hoping she's not as powerful as anticipated. Stay safe friends.

Is it wrong.....

2011-08-25T21:29:00.003-04:00

....to be excited about public schools restarting just because it will mean less kids at the park, library, beach, store and all the other places our days of homeschooling take us? Here September 6 is the magical day and we will spend the day withour local HS group at our annual not-back-to-school-playdate in the park. We restarted HS on August 2 so we are nearing the end of our 4th week already and so far so good : )

WE DID IT

2011-08-11T20:46:00.002-04:00

We reached our goal of reading 1,000 children's library books. Exhale.

Apparently T2 will receive gifts next week at the library. This was not a library challenge but seeing our book haul every week did lead to conversations about what we were doing and at subsequent visits inquiries as to how many we had read. Earlier this week I told the librarian that we were only 50 or so from our goal and we were told to go in next week when we have reached 1,000. T2 does not know she will receive anything so that will be a nice surprise.

Hmm now for the next reading challenge.... a mini one is to read every book on her bookshelf and decide which ones to keep. Some of her books get read over and over but there are some that haven't been opened in a while so I am looking forward to that but after that I have no idea....

So close

2011-08-10T21:50:00.001-04:00

After a reading marathon tonight we are at 982 books. Tomorrow we'll reach our goal - wahoo!

Reading now

2011-08-10T19:30:00.002-04:00

Looking forward to craft filled days in the Fall

Excited

2011-08-09T20:25:00.002-04:00

Last year I met an amazing new friend and her fabulous boys who were also new to HS. Despite being a member of a large HS group - I only felt a connection with her. I was happy to know someone who was embarking on the same adventure as me. We bounced ideas off one another, had regular playdates (our kids totally hit it off) some field trips and tried geocaching together. I truly feel that our first HS year would have been very different had we not met. To be able to call someone on a day where nothing seems to be going right, when the kids seem disinterested with everything, when the TV/video games have held way too much of my their attention or when in need of a sanity check - we were there for one another, something I hopecontinues this coming year and beyond.

This year I know a few other Mom's beginning their HS journey and I am excited about that - to have a larger group of local people finding their way, seeking ideas and social time for their kids and themselves will be awesome and may lead to our own spin off group as we are in the same town (the group I currently belong to is spread over the region). It is so fun to share how our life has changed since we left public school with others contemplating HS. I hear the excitement in my own voice and see their eyes begin to glint as the possibilities start to collect in their minds and they realize they can do it, it doesn't have to be just a dream.

HS was a dream for me for a very long time. Many things in my life could be better - I could be more organized, take better care of myself, spend less time on the phone/internet - I could go on and on and on but despite those things I can still say I am living the dream - my dream : )

Final haul

2011-08-08T16:53:00.002-04:00

Today we returned our last week batch of library books and selected 55. Our last bundle to take us to 1000 library books read since September. As is typical eyes were rolling and feet were tapping behind us in the line to check out as we had about 70 books in total. We have to take a wheeled grocery cart (not a store one but a thing you can either push or pull) because I couldn't carry all our books each time. This is our second cart - the first one crumpled under the strain - oops. We should reach 1,000 next and then decide on our next reading challenge.

The finish line is in sight...

2011-08-04T23:16:00.001-04:00

After our most recent reading marathon - we are at 930 library books read since September. I am so eager to get to 1,000 and be done so we can move on to another reading challenge.

Remember me?

2011-08-02T18:27:00.003-04:00

So I guess those previous good intentions to post more went out the window but this time I really, really, really mean it!

After a break we started our new school year today. I enjoyed the break but as soon as I started pulling out books and planning for many, many hours I couldn't wait to get back at it.

This year I have divided our year into 4 nine week blocks and it has made it so much easier. We are starting earlier than schools here start so that we can be done when the garden needs attention and to make the most of the warm weather and going places before the kids are done school and the people who summer here roll into town.

We talked about our goals for the year and I took pictures of them to commemorate day 1 of grades 1 and 6.

I decided we should learn Latin using
Our first lesson from it was simple and fun and T2 (now aged 6) was very excited to share what she learned with G when he arrived home from work this evening.

It is so nice starting HS this year because I don't have the anxiety over whether I can do this like I did this time last year.

I can't wait to get stuck into some projects especially art and science.

T2 and I are still reading and tallying the library books we have read. We are at 905 and are determined t9o reach 1000 before September. We would be way past the 1,000 mark had I included reading books we already own but we decided only to include library books and it didn't matter how many times we read it - it only counted once unless we checked it out and read it again at a later date. It's getting hard to find books we haven't read yet at our local small town libraries but we will make it to 1000 be August 31!

What a difference a year makes

2011-03-22T21:03:00.003-04:00

This time last year I was losing sleep. I was reading and re-reading. I was listing pros and cons. I was stressing and battling inside my own head. I was dreading the morning nag-fest that was the breakfast routine. I was miserable inside hearing snippets of the events of the day. I was thinking out loud on the phone each day with my Mum in UK to get her feed back. I was so unsure.

Fast forward and here we are. We bit the bullet and withdrew our kids from PS. I planned and read some more and once we knew what we were doing everything fell into place. We are now 6 months into our HS journey and it has been truly amazing so far. Yes there are days when I would love five minutes alone to gather my thoughts but I discovered mid afternoon bubble baths where I can read and soak for a few minutes!

T1 was struggling in PS. I actually think it was harder on me than him in many ways. He was oblivious to some things, not phased by others. I don't think he knew how hard school was for him physically, mentally and emotionally but I could see it. He would stumble to the car, he and T2 would argue all the way home. both wanting my undivided attention. When we got home he would disappear for a while - he needed to decompress. It wouldn't be until around dinner time that he would start to chat or relax and then there would be the homework battles. It didn't matter when homework was done it was a constant battle to get him to focus and get the work done. He would act like it was our fault he had to do it. Often work came home home from school incomplete. Often homework went back to school incomplete. Many days he would complain of head aches or nausea and I would keep him home, often turning around halfway to school rather than to drop him off knowing he was feeling anxious and crummy. The accommodations and Special Ed help he was having helped a little but it didn't tackle the main problem. This was the school environment. It was sensory over load to him - all the noises, the lights, the distracting sounds of a busy classroom. All the rules to remember, the order of things, keeping track of his belongings, prioritizing. Then there were the social issues. Recess was hard - he didn't want to play soccer, other kids didn't want to hang out and talk about science. He spent many recesses alone. It was heart breaking.

Mornings now are calm. T1 has trouble getting to sleep so now he sleeps later and starts the day slowly. This gives me some time to either get some chores done or work with T2 on her school work. When I set T1 some work to do he can choose what order he does it in. He likes having that control and as long as it gets done and he puts effort into it then I don't mind which he does first. I try to incorporate the computer as much as possible because he prefers that to pencil and paper. He eats a good lunch instead of no lunch. At school he was either not hungry due to side effects of the ADD meds or something would put him off eating like someone's smelly lunch or a child chewing with his/her mouth wide open. When he seems overwhelmed he can go and play catch with the dogs or practice guitar for a while and continue later.

That really is just the tip of the iceberg with T1.

T2 was loving school but I still see many benefits from bringing her home. She has learned so much and enjoys the flexibility of the day but she does miss some aspects of PS.

I wish a year ago I would have known how relaxed our HS lives would be. I certainly didn't realize how much I would learn - not only academically but also about myself and my children. I realize how little I knew them before when they spent so much time in PS.

When I see parents from the PS and they ask how HS is going, I can tell they are expecting me to pull a face, roll my eyes and say how hard it is but for the most part it is way easier than keeping track of who has gym/library, who needs field trip money, keeping on top of homework, school mail, school fundraisers and I certainly don't miss ALL THOSE GERMS!!

HS is rocking our world and I don't regret making the change one little bit (but at the same time I do not feel anything negative towards those who choose to send their children to school either)

One of the many, many things...

2011-03-22T18:37:00.003-04:00

.....I love about Home schooling is the freedom it gives us. We can plan our day in any way we wish to suit our mood, the weather, appointments, trips, energy level etc. Today I felt we needed to use up some energy and I was bored of walking or playing fetch with the dogs so I called the YMCA where we have family membership and booked a racquetball court. Usually G takes the kids and I make use of the alone time to get some stuff done or just to enjoy some peace and quiet. I had never played before but figured my 11 (shhhh I know my profile says I have a 10 year old but I am still in denial) and almost 6 year olds wouldn't be too judgmental.

WRONG

T1 watched me miss shots or fumble with a look of despair and even though I managed to return the ball many times - apparently I am just "not as good as Dad" sigh. T2 didn't seem to notice thank goodness!

But despite being a total disappointment on the court to T1 - we had lots of fun. We'll definitely do this again - why oh why didn't I think of this in the thick of winter? Live and learn!

Lesson learned - hopefully

2011-03-21T17:08:00.003-04:00

I returned a bunch of library books today. Overdue library books. The fines - $67 - ouch.
This ticked me off - OK they were overdue but all kid books on a kid's card. I think there should be a cap on the amount that can amass. Where I grew up there was no fines on kid books when loaned on a kid card and that remains the same today. Anyway I didn't pay up, I just used a different card which I had to clear the $11 owing on that one leaving me with one other card with $26 owing. It might be hard to believe but I am actually pretty good at returning books. We borrow 40-100 most weeks so there are always a few that get squirreled away in T1's room and get forgotten about or in the side pockets in the van or whatever.

I feel kind of sick about it to be honest. I could do a lot with that $67.....

On a fun note though - T2 and I reached our goal of reading 500 library storybooks. To count each book could only be counted once even if we read it several times and only library fiction counted. We are celebrating tonight and heading to our next goal of 1,000

Some of the things we have been up to

2011-03-19T15:34:00.008-04:00

Learning about China ~ Eiffel Tower art ~ Cardinals ~ Math ~ Geometry ~ Russian eggs ~ Donating hair ~ Chinese lanterns ~ Chopstick skills ~ Italian Gondolas ~ Leaning Tower of Pisa ~ Geo-caching ~ Venice symmetry ~ Volcano fun ~ Making pasta

I guess that...

2011-03-19T15:32:00.001-04:00

...New Year Resolution didn't work out.
I guess it's never too late so back to blogging once again!

New additions to our homeschool

2011-01-04T21:18:00.004-05:00

I was not asked/paid to mention the above products by any company/organization

Back to school

2011-01-04T20:48:00.003-05:00

Not only is it the start of a new year but also a new school semester - our second. Schools in our area do not start back until next week but we finished before they did and I wanted to get back into a routine once more.

It is very different restarting homeschooling than starting. In August/September when we were getting started - I really had no idea how it would be. I didn't know what would work best, how well the kids would cooperate, how organized and motivated I would be. I thought more about those things than what we would actually be doing. We got lots done and I am really happy with how our first term went. Restarting I know what works and what doesn't. I know that mornings see better results than afternoons because we are all more alert and motivated but also because it is easier to get started straight after the breakfast/dressing/bed making routine than when the kids have become involved in their own pursuits. During our break when I had brief moments of quiet to think and plan - I was able to think more about what we would be doing than how. This was so exciting - way less stressful and I was better able to organize what we needed and to see that we don't need to spend as much time on straight forward math for example. I want my kids to know real life math as it happens. Real life rarely presents pages of math problems but they do crop up during the day when you least expect it and I want them to be able to figure that stuff out quickly and confidently.

Today we started learning about weather. I was given the heads-up on an Amazon deal on these I was so excited because the timing was perfect and we only paid $9 for them. They are assorted shapes and sizes and the images are very realistic - each one is also named. We inflated them today and I will hang them when I get a few minutes. The kids enjoyed handling them and attempting to name them.

We made nature books (I did one too). I really want my kids to be more nature oriented than they are and after reading (and loving) this book:

We started by making covers for our books, observing the weather and what we could see from our schooling table in the playroom, illustrating winter on a season wheel and looking up the moon phase (new moon) and sunrise and sunset times for our area. T1 was given the job of looking up these facts and then calculating the hours of sunlight we would have today based on the sunrise/sunset times (math on the go and he did it in his head which impressed me). It was fun and the kids like seeing me making my own pages and although I am no artist - I was quite pleased with my little scribbly drawings - it took me back to my childhood when I loved to draw and colour.

We kept things simple today - it was a good first day back - no complaining from anyone - full cooperation and some great results : )

I was not asked/paid to mention the above products by any company/organization

New year, New start....

2011-01-04T20:42:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!

I am always excited to start a new year and to plan, improve and challenge - not always with success but that's OK!

2011 for me is to be a year of challenge because I want to challenge myself in many ways. I am only 18 months away from turning 40 and that seems like a good amount of time to try to find my way to where I would like to be. I am happy with my life and have some many things to be thankful for but I am not happy with myself inside but mostly the outside so I am going to work at that and hope to be happier with what I see 18 months from now. I am excited about this and feeling very positive : )

...and a few more

2010-12-12T18:10:00.000-05:00

A couple more festive reads

2010-12-05T10:24:00.002-05:00

Festive reading

2010-12-02T20:57:00.004-05:00

T2 and I have been logging our library reading since we started HS. On November 30 we had reached 249 books. Our local library is small and we seem to be running out of choices.

Now that it is December we are going to be reading Festive books starting with our own collection and adding in new ones from the library as we find them.

So far we have read....

I love the next two!

We are already reading a chapter or so a day of...

France - making soap

2010-11-30T15:09:00.003-05:00

I wanted to make soap as part of our study of France and while catching up on some blogs I follow, I discovered that not only had Confessions of a Homeschooler been studying France but they had also made soap. I followed the instructions supplied by this awesome blog.
We bought supplies at Michaels. Melted the soap over a pot of boiling water. Next we added scent (pearberry) and poured the soap into molds. I let the kids choose their own colours and swirl them with kabob sticks. I made one too. It was cool to see the marble effect from only stirring a little. The soap hardened fairly quickly and were so easy to pop out of the molds. We are going to use the remaining soap block to make mini soaps using festive ice cube trays as molds to give as gifts.

France - Art

2010-11-30T14:40:00.006-05:00

Last week we drew and painted the Eiffel Tower. First pencil drawings using a printed image as inspiration. Next they drew over their lines with a Sharpie (actually I did T2's for her) and I erased their pencil marks.

Then painted using water colours. I let them choose their own colours! I love using water colour paper. It is so worth the money. I think they both did an awesome job.

Around the world - first stop..... FRANCE

2010-11-30T14:29:00.003-05:00

I wanted to begin exploring the world with T1 and T2 by choosing a new country each week and learning about it through books, listening to music, eating foods popular to that country, learning their flag and a few words from their language.

T1 chose France for the first destination because he already speaks French pretty well and loves the Eiffel Tower and TGV! He has also been there via the Channel Tunnel but he wasn't actually born yet!

I wanted to make passports that we could stamp after 'visiting' each country and was very excited to find this one.

We printed and filled in our names and dates of birth (must add photos!). On the first page we wrote 'France' and drew the French flag. We stamped our arrival date.

We had a great time learning about France and T1 enjoyed teaching us some French words and correcting us when we messed up (he loved that part!!).

Sharing triumphs

2010-11-15T19:03:00.002-05:00

Today T2 was reading some simple books and T1 said "I don't quite know why but I am really excited that she's starting to read". His expression was that of a proud parent watching a school play or a recital. It's so nice that he is able to see her achieve new goals first hand rather than just hearing us talk about them over dinner like we used to when they went to public school.

Week 12 and a bump in the road

2010-11-15T18:33:00.002-05:00

Last week was our twelfth week of HS and it was the week of the bump in the road. It was the week where I wanted to change my name and check into a hotel for a couple of days for some serious me time. We managed three fairly good days of school work and an awesome social afternoon with friends but I felt on the edge of losing it all week. I had very little patience, the kids were bothering each other all the time and suddenly everything seemed to be my responsibility. I felt like the house was a wreck, the dog's shedding seemed out of control, I couldn't think what to make for meals, I felt even fatter than usual, everything seemed to be piling up. Surprisingly, I didn't question the decision to HS or want to run down to our public school in a deranged manner dragging two kids behind me to drop them off. I just felt a bit lost. I didn't cry, I didn't shout but I was simmering all week.

I woke up this morning feeling more like my old self and we had an awesome school day, the kids (mostly) got along, I worked out and the towering laundry pile didn't overwhelm me. Even knowing G would be working late couldn't spoil my mood.

I knew there would be weeks like this. I am pleased we had ten good weeks before a bad week. I hope we have many more good weeks before the next bad one hits! One thing I am glad of is that it is a new week and so far this week is off to a way better start!

Ten weeks in...

2010-11-04T14:45:00.002-04:00

We have almost completed our tenth week of homeschooling. My kids haven't been to school since the end of June and I have completely forgotten how our daily routine was. I do know that with the darker chilly mornings having the opportunity to let my loves sleep until they are fully rested and ready to face the day and for myself to remain snuggled in bed a few extra minutes is quite delicious and we all start the day on a better note.

Both children are doing very well and neither seem to miss public school much. T1 hasn't mentioned anything other than positive things and T2 only misses not seeing her friends as much.

We haven't used a curriculum, although I have kept the Provincial curriculum in mind just in case either one should return to public school at a later date. T1 has only one more day of G5 written science and then we will get to the hands on (more fun) part. He has had some struggles with math and language arts but has sailed through social studies and has learned about Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, China and now Canada. He is researching the Wright brothers - his choice as he is fascinated with planes and the history behind flight. I am finding myself reacquainted with a protractor and angles and I still loath long division but try my best to hide it!

T2 has loved school at home and although we aim to start at 10:00 each day (unless we have plans outside the home or anything else on the calendar in which case we work around our other plans), most days she is asking "when are we starting school" before we are even done with breakfast. She has done most of the Kindergarten work I had lined up for her and really just needs to continue working on reading and math - both of which she is doing well at.

We have a large HS community around us but so far I haven't found too many people that I feel a connection too. We have become good friends with one particular family and my kids are thrilled with their new friends. T1 said yesterday that New-Friend-A is his "main man".

Our new friends are vegan which has me contemplating whether I might want to follow that path. Already a vegetarian for 20 years I have eliminated meat/fish/poultry and never looked back but milk/cheese and eggs are still in my diet in small amounts. It's something I'm considering. Anyway they are awesome and we have enjoyed getting to know them. They are also new to HS so it is nice to be finding a rhythm and chat about hurdles together.

Home life hasn't changed much except the house is never tidy or quiet during the day unlike when they were at school but that's no big deal. I spend way more time in the car going places but way less time in the car sitting and waiting for school bells! I am loving not having to deal with the endless school mail, packing lunches, signing permission slips and remembering who has library/gym/music/homework due on which day.

There hasn't been a day yet where I have questioned or regretted our decision and over all I am less stressed than when they were in school. For sure some days are harder than others if one or two or all of us are grouchy but over all it has been a very positive change. It will be weird when report cards come out in a month at their old school. I half wish someone would come over and make sure the kids are where they should be but I think that it's typical to feel a little insecure this early on. I am fairly certain they are both learning at a good pace and it is very likely that they have both done more work at home than school. T1 spent a lot of time at school being unproductive and unfocused and T2 was only in school for a couple of hours each day and in that time there would be a lengthy snack time, free play, time spent moving from classroom to gym/library/music etc. Having spent a lot of time helping in her class last year I saw first hand how little time was spent focused on a task or practicing skills - and that was with a great teacher!

My favourite things about HS are seeing my kids learn and knowing I taught them - major satisfaction there, having so much time with them and realizing how much better I know them now, having so much flexibility in our day, eating lunch together and leisurely breakfasts, art projects - seeing T1 who typically shows no interest in painting/drawing etc take care and pride in creating art which I am proudly displaying, hearing T1 explain something to T2 having just learned it himself, seeing T2 listen intently as he explains things to her - I could go on and on.....

My least favourite things about HS are - hmm not coming up with anything really. It does bother me when people ask how it's going and I can see they are expecting me to complain about not having time for myself or how hard it is - are they hoping I will fail or do they want me to send them back to PS so they feel better about their kids being there?? I don't know. I do know that I am happy we are doing this but I don't think everyone should necessarily do it - all families are different and I don't feel like it makes me special or anything - it's just what is working for us right now and we haven't ruled out the possibility of the kids returning to school in the future.

What changes I would like to make in the way we HS.... I do think we need more field trips and activities outside the home at some point. I'd like the kids to have some more household responsibilities tied into their day and more family reading time and board/card games. I'd also like to add some volunteer work. I approached a farm very near to our house and asked if they would be interested in us helping out (I was thinking of joining their CSA next year). They asked to meet with us which we haven't done yet but I plan to. I think it would be good for the kids to get their hands dirty and see how a farm works and help out and it's something we can learn about together.

I can't quite believe that we are ten weeks into our HS journey already. I thought the time would go slowly but each day seems to fly by! I don't know how long we will HS but right now I am happy to keep going as long as it seems best for the kids/family : )

Kandinsky inspired art

2010-10-21T15:29:00.003-04:00

We enjoyed this art project I saw over at one of my favourite art sites
I love them!!!

Watercolour crayon resist leaf

2010-10-14T12:36:00.007-04:00

We did an art project today from this site which I love
Draw around a leaf template with a crayon (or pencil and then go over with a crayon).
Add the veins with crayon.
Place paper over corrugated card and do a crayon rubbing to give texture.

Paint with watercolours

Pizza fractions

2010-10-14T12:23:00.005-04:00

Today we printed off these pizzas
T2 practiced piecing them back together while T1 spent time figuring out as many combinations as he could to make 1 whole from assorted pieces.

Tick Tock

2010-10-14T12:19:00.002-04:00

Today T2 and I made a simple clock.

Fall wreaths

2010-10-07T13:15:00.003-04:00

Today we made wreaths having seen them on another blog but I can't recall which one (will link when I figure out).
Dollar store leaves, 2 naked wreath forms + glue

We ended up using my hot glue gun - I put the glue in each chosen spot and the kids applied the leaf and positioned it before moving onto the next.

Wax resist art

2010-09-30T20:11:00.002-04:00

Today we did another awesome art project from here.
I got the kids started by drawing a 25 square grid and asked them to write the alphabet one letter per square. Two letters need to share a square so we opted for Y and Z. I asked that T1 do cursive and T2 upper case letters. The grid and letters were both done using crayons (Crayola Twistables in our case).
Next each square was filled with water colour paint - using different colours. It was cool watching both kids discover that the wax resisted the paint.
Once the paint dried we wasted no time in framing them and adding them to our art wall.
My favourite part was having the kids use the rarely used white crayon - it looked great with combined with a dark paint colour!

Can I have a pair too?

2010-09-26T22:51:00.001-04:00

What do you do when your sister's endless chattering is driving you nuts......

I may borrow them on those days

Only T1!!

2010-09-25T20:23:00.002-04:00

During our table work yesterday - I mentioned to the kids that we had successfully completed four weeks of HS and we should celebrate.

T1 (10.5 years) responded...

"Why should we be celebrating - 'cause no one has had a nervous breakdown yet?"

Only T1 would come up with something like that - Goofball. I love him!

Primary and Secondary colour art lesson

2010-09-24T13:12:00.006-04:00

Today we decided to do another art lesson from Deep Space Sparkle. I love this site.
We started by painting blue backgrounds for a water effect.

I drew 3 large ovals for each of them. They coloured each one with a primary colour.

I drew 3 smaller ovals which they coloured secondary colours by mixing their primary colours.

When the ovals were dry - T1 & T2 outlined their fish and added fishy details before sticking them onto their blue water back grounds. This was a simple art lesson but demonstrated colour mixing effectively and produced awesome results. The only thing I would have liked would ahve been if the red came out redder. Neither wanted to do a second coat

Canadian shoreline clean up

2010-09-20T12:56:00.003-04:00

This week across Canada people are participating in the 16th annual Canadian Shoreline clean up. We were supposed to be meeting up with a group of other HS families who had been assigned a particular location about 40 minutes away but after a night of not feeling too great, I decided to stay closer to home. Armed with gloves, garbage bags and refreshments we drove the whopping 2 minutes to one of our favourite local beaches. The kids call it the rock-throwing-beach because that is typically hat we do there as it is not a sandy beach with a gentle slope of sand into the water but a collection of flat rocks with water lapping up the sides. We chose this stretch because we thought it would more garbage as it is a popular spot for teenagers to hang out around a bonfire leaving fast food containers and pop cans.
It actually wasn't too bad but we picked up every piece of garbage we saw, enjoyed some rock throwing and basking in the Fall sun, had a drink and a snack before heading home with the bag of garbage.
I am glad we were able to participate -even though it wasn't official or anything. I like that the kids are disgusted by what others leave behind and wonder why they would do that. Of course a garbage can there would help but realistically much of it would still most likely have been discarded around the hang out spot.
T2 didn't want me to take his picture.

End of week three

2010-09-17T18:23:00.004-04:00

I can't believe we have just completed our third week of homeschooling. I am just amazed by how well it has gone so far. I have never spent this much high quality time with them. I am theirs for table work time with zero interruptions and I think they respect my dedication even if they are not aware of it because they are so cooperative and eager to get on with their work and so far I have not needed to remind them that the work needs to be done or anything like that. T2 is usually harassing me before I am ready "when are we starting school?" and often remains at the table long after her work for the day is completed to hang out or colour while I finish up with T1.

Looking at the work completed so far - I know for sure we have accomplished more than they would have done in several weeks of public school. Both kids are retaining what they are learning and applying it to daily life. We have done lots of reading. T1 has read a large chunk of the material from the Ancient Egyptian shelves in our local library as well as other non-fiction he has gravitated towards. T2 and I have read 50 library books alone as well as many of the books we own. My homeschool log is full of work completed, activities, social opportunities an observations of self directed learning and still we spend the majority of our days relaxing and hanging out and unschooling.

Obviously our choice to HS was based on what we felt was best for our children. I hadn't thought much about how rewarding it would be. I feel so incredible right now because I am dedicated, less stressed than when dealing with making lunches, helping with homework, remembering which day is library/gym/pizza day, attempting to keep on top of the never ending pile of school mail, clock watching for drop off and pick up, battling for a decent parking space, worrying about T1's anxiety, the morning nagfest to get the kids out the door on time......

Our days are kind of like this....
I typically wake around 6:30-7 but spend as long as I can enjoying the silence before T2's feet hit the floor running with lots to tell me! She and I eat breakfast together with the radio blasting some get-up-and-get-moving tunes.
About an hour later thud thud thud - that's T1 who takes a while to shake off sleep. He now has time for a long shower to ease into the day followed by a leisurely breakfast while I do some chores/take a shower/make any necessary phone calls.
At about 10 when we start school (unless we have plans outside of the house), we gather around the dining room table and we set to work with drinks and snacks close by. We work through assorted subjects. I don't have set days for certain subjects - I decide based on the mood of the day. Most days both kids do some math and writing of some kind and whatever else I/we decide. For T1 I set a timer for 5 minutes and a starter sentence and he has to write as much as he can without worrying about spelling/grammar. I do this because he needs to allow his thoughts to flow freely. typically he makes less errors when he is not paying attention to those things.
T1 works until lunchtime but T finishes a little sooner and goes off to play while I help T1 with anything he is struggling with. Sometimes he will take a break and go practice his guitar or run outside with the dogs.
When lunch time rolls around we are usually done with our table work.
The afternoons allow for self directed learning, play, some screen time, reading, board games, puzzles, library or any other outings and playdates.
There are other days when we have an activity with our local HS group or appointments and then we work school around those commitments.
If T1 is becoming frustrated with something, we will save it for later when G is home and he'll offer another perspective which sometimes helps.

I love our HS life right now.
I just heard that the teacher T2 was supposed to have is pregnant and due in February. I am so happy for her but glad that we will not be facing a change of teacher during the school year : )

Early math with T2

2010-09-16T10:40:00.002-04:00

Super easy math using manipulatives. We used 3 small bowls. She counted out the buttons for each number to be added into the first 2 bowls. Then we reread the number sentence and she poured the first 2 bowls into the third bowl. Finally she would count the total bowl and read through the number sentence with the answer. She enjoyed this and carefully selected which colour buttons to use each time (very important apparently!!) and it helped her that she was manipulating the buttons rather than just looking at pictures.

Painting perfect for a rainy day

2010-09-16T10:26:00.002-04:00

drip water colour with a very wet brush onto paper

blow drips with a straw

allow to dry, display and then snuggle up under a cozy blanket with your artist/s and enjoy a stack of with your favourite children's books!

Week three

2010-09-13T12:04:00.002-04:00

Homeschooling is still going really well and I am yet to wonder if this was the right decision but I am sure there will be days when I wonder...

T1 continues to study Ancient Egyptian history and is really interested in how people lived then. Today he is learning about what they ate and drank and he's telling me all the fruits and vegetables that had yet to be discovered. T2 asked "so what did the Egyptians eat then anyway?" and T1 instantly reeled off all the things he had just learned without needing to refer back to the book. I was so pleased to hear him sharing what he knew and seeing her so interested. This would not have happened in school because they would have been in separate rooms and she wouldn't be introduced to that period in history for another several grades. It totally warms my heart and makes me smile.

Life is good (except for the stitches in my finger where I had a fight with some dead grass and lost when gardening yesterday!!)

Turtle Art Project

2010-09-10T11:59:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we worked on our turtles. Both kids were totally loving colouring on aluminum foil and using water colour for the back ground. We found this art project here

First draw turtles on aluminum foil using Sharpie permanent markers.
Cut out turtles.
using water colours paint a background scene.
When the paint is dry glue the turtles on and display with pride : )

T2's finished art

T1's finished piece

Tomorrow..

2010-09-08T21:17:00.002-04:00

I am looking forward to this art project tomorrow. I've been having fun colouring my own foil turtles : )

I just can't believe it...

2010-09-08T18:03:00.000-04:00

My life is just awesome right now and I am so truly thankful

I had no idea

2010-09-08T10:45:00.003-04:00

When we were deliberating schooling at home, we were considering the needs of our kids - mainly in terms of education. We wanted T1 to be able to learn in a less chaotic environment in his preferred style. T2 thrived in public school but there were many things about public school that didn't thrill me and we also had to consider whether it would work to homeschool one while having another in public school. Ultimately we decided that it made more sense to keep her home too this year and reevaluate next year.

I guess I hadn't considered how our time at the dining room table (our table work spot) would bring the three of us closer together. I thought there would be more prompting by me to stay on task aimed at T1 and I expected T2 to chatter more and irritate T1. Not the case so far. It is only week two but our table time has been very civilized. T2 has been asking for more work and T1 has taken it seriously and isn't procrastinating or day dreaming and this is WITHOUT his meds. Yayyyyyy
I have discovered how much I enjoy researching and planning our work and watching my kids enthusiasm compared to the groans when it was time to go to school.

Yesterday we celebrated homeschooling with a group of other homeschoolers at a park. It was weird seeing so many school aged kids on a playground on a school day!It was nice to have the opportunity to have a fun outing and then do our work when we got home (although I do prefer completing table work before lunch when possible). I was also proud of myself for driving to an unknown destination on the highway because I have avoided high way driving for many years and rarely drive outside my comfort zone. T1 made a friend instantly. A sweet 8 year old boy. they had so much in common and they didn't care that there was almost a 2 year age gap.

Today we have completed our table work early so we can attend a matinee showing of Marmaduke at our local movie theatre and then we have an awesome art project planned for when we get home and T1 will review the movie for our monthly newspaper which we will make and send to the Grandparents so they can see what we have been up to and to keep for our records.

Despite some mild stress regarding providing an adequate education, I am finding this to be just an amazing experience. I know there will be days when things do not do great or we are all cranky and feel like we are not achieving anything but for now I feel such a peace about it and so inspired, rewarded and it feels so right. I wish we had started years ago.

It's official.....

2010-09-06T20:34:00.002-04:00

We are officially a homeschooling family. Tomorrow we will be meeting other homeschoolers at a park to celebrate homeschooling.
Last week we started and it went really well. It was a gentle start but we managed to accomplish lots and the kids did really well and seemed to get along better than much of the summer. I think our time together at the dining room table really brought us closer together. T1 worked so hard and stayed focused which was so exciting because in public school he needs ADD meds to stay on task but with me right there he was able too complete his table work without any nudges from me. T2 asked me to have school at the table on Saturday and I was thrilled and did a little extra while waiting for friends to arrive.
We have some field trips planned and hopefully a road trip or two.
I never realized how well this would suit our family. I know there will be bumps along the way but I feel really good about our decision : )

Brain overload

2010-05-16T19:19:00.003-04:00

It seems the year is flying past and blogging has fallen to the back burner once again. My mind has been consumed with T1 and whether we should homeschool him. I have been researching, devouring home school books, forum lurking, discussing the pros and cons with G and my Mum and pretty much anyone willing to keep an open mind and listen to me puzzling it over. Today when we found a spare moment when neither of us was working, sleeping, showering or in close proximity to T1 or T2 - we had a conversation - a real conversation, OK it barely qualified as a conversation because it lasted only a couple of minutes but we decided that T1 will not be returning to school for Grade 5 in September. I feel I can finally relax for this small pocket of time between making the decision and actually taking on the challenge. I keep reminding myself that I have been homeschooling him since birth - all parents do. We teach, we practice, we try new things and expose our children to new experiences providing learning opportunities without even realizing. His education has never began and ended with a school bell - this change just means having more time to learn together.

We haven't decided whether T2 will return to school but I am leaning towards keeping her home too but we shall see.

Maybe now I know which path we are taking with T1, I'll be able to enjoy some more playtime online : )

Happy Spring!

2010-04-04T21:11:00.002-04:00

We enjoyed a weekend hanging out enjoying the glorious weather, an around the house loot hunt with clues sending them here, there and everywhere to allow sleepy parents a few extra minutes of slumber. Today while many people were seated around the table with family and friends having a feast - we opted to enjoy a quiet backyard picnic with left over pizza, fruit and crackers and although a little quiet with just the 4 of us plus 2 dogs - it was stress free and did not require hours of preparation which suited me just fine!

I hope you all enjoyed a Spring weekend of family fun!

RIP Layla Grace

2010-03-09T21:34:00.000-05:00

: (

Holding my babies extra tightly tonight

Shoe box puppet theatre

2010-02-24T20:58:00.004-05:00

What can you do with an empty shoe box and a few minutes to spare?
Make a simple mini puppet theatre....

First cut rectangle from base of shoe box

Decorate

Frame dog - just kidding!

Thread paper curtains on piece of yarn/string/ribbon and attach to box

Enjoy!

Spotted...

2010-02-24T20:47:00.001-05:00

Most of the time I find being 5'6" just right - not too tall, not too short but even being just 66" from the ground can cause a person who tends to look at the world at eye level most of the time to miss things. This is where having a 4 year old can be really useful - not only for passing things I drop or pointing out to me the bit of floor I missed with the mop but also for noticing things that most adults would miss such as this.....

We were just arriving home after delivering T1 to his other home - grade 4 at public school when T2 paused on the driveway and told me that I simply "must come and take a look". She was indeed right and she asked me to "get the camera quick" which I did and we snapped away at the glistening melting ice, listening to the plip...plip...plip as it dripped. I am so glad she brought it to my attention because the next time I took a look it had gone and all that remained was a puddle on the ground.

I found the glistening ice as it melted to be really beautiful - the pictures truly do not do justice but the true beauty for me was being invited by a busy bug of a girl to pause for a moment and tosee the look of amazement of this magical sight on her sweet face as we enjoyed it together.

Another one bites the dust

2010-02-24T20:23:00.000-05:00

You may remember a while ago when my beloved Dyson broke - well it remains broken and for the most part I haven't really missed it. I do sometimes hook up our central vacuum (which I detest) to clean the baseboards and corners, but mostly I am happy with my trusty broom.

Last week my hard floor steam cleaner broke. When I first got it - I loved it and thought it was the best thing since... well since my last small appliance purchase. It worked great on the stone tile we had at our old house which seemed to suck dirt in like a sponge and regular mops just didn't cut it. Without thinking, I continued using my steam cleaner at our new place which has nice smooth tile.

While cleaning the floors one day last week, I noticed something missing - steam! I was basically just rubbing a cold wet toweling pad across the floor spreading the dirt. I was momentarily in a panic. How would I get the floors clean? Would I have to buy a new steamer with money we don't have? Then I remembered that somewhere in the depths of the laundry room closet - there should be a MOP - a regular mop with no bells and whistles, no hissing when it's ready to go, no toweling pad to attach, no not-long-enough cord, no annoying handle part that keeps falling off... It was at that moment I began to wonder what I ever saw in that electrical piece of crap and I reaquainted myself with my old mop, pulled out a bucket and filled it with hot bubbly water and set to work. I started with the floor that I had steamed before the steam ceased to exist and instantly the water in my bucket turned grey - ewww that steamer hadn't even been properly cleaning when it was working.

Each day since, I have pulled out my mop and bucket and although I still detest cleaning the floors, I really have enjoyed the slopping of bubbles and kicking my bucket to the next place I need to mop. I am once again reminded of how I don't need gadgets and gimmicks - they don't necessarily do a better job and at the end of the day cleaning the floor is cleaning the floor - it's always going to be a sucky job but bubbles definitely make it more bearable than steam!

GO CANADA!

2010-02-15T12:11:00.001-05:00

Just whizzing by....

2010-02-14T12:12:00.000-05:00

...to wish you a very happy Valentine's Day

Never to old to learn...

2010-02-14T11:59:00.002-05:00

A few months ago T1 started mentioning that he'd like guitar lessons so for his Birthday my parents bought him a beautiful 3/4 size guitar. He's had 2 lessons and is loving it. Since I was about his age - I have wanted to learn to play too. Last night G ordered me my very own guitar and chatted with T1's guitar teacher and I'll be having lessons with T1. First T1 has to teach me what he has already learned - he'll love that! Then I shall join him on Saturday mornings at his lessons. I cannot wait. It will be such a special time for he and I to share - both the lessons, the drive to and from (with no sister to compete with for Mom's ear) and we will both need to practice which we can do together. With T1's interests and mine typically being so different - it will so nice to have something that is just ours.

1...2...3...4...5....

2010-02-09T14:06:00.000-05:00

...6...7...8...9...10. That is what I had to do when I saw this.....

45 minutes later and I can breathe once more. Just needs dusting and vacuum and fixing the slip cover but that can wait until tomorrow. Oh and the box of baby/toddler toys has to go back in the guest room closet.

Valentine's kisses

2010-02-08T16:02:00.001-05:00

3tbsp butter, 4c mini marshmallows, 6c Rice Crispie cereal, sprinkles, foil
Melt butter, stir in marshmallows and melt, stir in rice cereal and sprinkles

Either use a buttered funnel or shape with your hands to make 'kiss' shaped mounds. Remove from funnel and cool.

wrap in foil and attach a message on a strip of paper to complete your Rice Crispie kiss. Our message said 'A kiss from T2'

T2 helped with the foil wrapping so they are a bit random in shape but she had a blast and of course the left over mixture had to be eaten!

On a cold February Day.....

2010-02-08T15:18:00.000-05:00

....Finding pictures like these, on an old memory card, has me longing for Summer. T2 aged 15 months in Florida. Sigh.

Poor doggies

2010-02-04T22:28:00.001-05:00

Our dogs escaped from the backyard on Tuesday afternoon and vanished on a woodland adventure for 3.5 hours in the cold. Finally when they returned, they were wet and very cold but smiling and bounding about - fast forward to today and they are lethargic and one has had diarrhea and the other has been throwing up, not eating/drinking and looking terrible. A trip to the vet, anti-nausea shots, antibiotics and $330 later...

Luka - our newest addition seems almost his old (young) self but poor Hudson is a sad sight. Luka gobbled the ice we gave him but Hudson turned his nose up. Poor fuzzy guys - I hope they feel better tomorrow : (

Happy Groundhog Day (5 minute craft)

2010-02-02T09:15:00.001-05:00

We wanted to acknowledge Groundhog Day so we did a super fast craft to fit in with our super busy day!
First T2 drew a Groundhog after a quick look at one online (could print a picture instead)

Then I cut it out for her

and glued it onto a strip of cardboard from a box of cereal

Next we cut out a little cave (she chose red) and she glued it on her page and added sky and sun..

..and a strawberry in case the Groundhog is hungry!
I cut a slit in the paper at the mouth of the cave and slipped the cardboard strip through it. The slit needs to be big enough to fit the whole groundhog through.

Now Mr Groundhog can poke his head out of his little cave and then retreat back inside again!

We wanted to acknowledge Groundhog Day so we did a super fast craft to fit in with our super busy day!
First T2 drew a Groundhog after a quick look at one online (could print a picture instead)

Then I cut it out for her

and glued it onto a strip of cardboard from a box of cereal

Next we cut out a little cave she chose red) and she glued it on her page and added sky and sun..

..and a strawberry in case the Groundhog is hungry! I cut a slit in the paper at the mouth of the cave and slipped the cardboard strip through it. The slit needs to be big enough to fit the whole groundhog through.

Now Mr Groundhog can poke his head out of his little cave and then retreat back inside again!

We wanted to acknowledge Groundhog Day so we did a super fast craft to fit in with our super busy day!
First T2 drew a Groundhog after a quick look at one online (could print a picture instead)

Then I cut it out for her

and glued it onto a strip of cardboard from a box of cereal

Next we cut out a little cave she chose red) and she glued it on her page and added sky and sun..

..and a strawberry in case the Groundhog is hungry! I cut a slit in the paper at the mouth of the cave and slipped the cardboard strip through it. The slit needs to be big enough to fit the whole groundhog through.

Now Mr Groundhog can poke his head out of his little cave and then retreat back inside again!

Couldn't resist!! Happy Groundhog Day!!

: ) + : ) + : ) = : )

2010-01-29T19:06:00.001-05:00

A mountain of snow in front of the house + 2 happy dogs + 2 happy kids = 1

happy Mom with a heart full of love!

More Mom Time - a different spin...

2010-01-28T23:39:00.000-05:00

I've been having some very special More Mom Time - Mum actually. My Mum has been visiting from England (leaving my Dad behind this time). We don't get to see her very often so her visits are like gold dust. She has been here for 2 weeks and unfortunately has to return to UK tomorrow. We will all miss her terribly. It seems that no matter how old I am, time with my Mum means as much as it did when I was young - actually it means more because I know now to cherish it. I hope my children feel this way about time with me when they are older. Hopefully they won't pack their life in a suitcase and move 3,500 miles away like I did 16 years ago today. Hopefully it won't be too many months before I am able to have some More Mum Time : )

Simple wands and fuzzy pictures

2010-01-28T08:50:00.000-05:00

T2 was star of the day in her class earlier this week. One of her tasks that day was to bring in something that began with either a W or a Z. She chose a wand. She then decided that she wanted to make 20 wands for the kids in her class. She wanted to do it all herself so aside from pouring glue and writing the word 'wand' on each one - I let her work by herself. The pictures are poor quality because my regular camera was out of power.

She chose craft sticks and foam stars and wanted to match them by colour. She had to put pink sticks and red stars together as they were the closest match. After sticking a star on each stick, she smothered the stars with glue (there's no such thing as too much glue when you're 4!) and added glitter to "make them sparkle and have magic". When they were dry, she took them to school and passed them out to her classmates proudly.

Thinking out loud...

2010-01-22T09:26:00.000-05:00

I'll admit I started blogging because I wanted to do more with my kids and by blogging about it, I would have something to reflect upon. Taking pictures of an activity in progress and the completed result was like memory keeping but lately I've realized that it was something completely different.

I've always thrived on praise. As a Nanny and early childhood educator, I put lots of thought into the craft and activities I did with the children but it was the compliments from parents that gave me the best feeling - rather than the shared enjoyment with the children. I wanted to impress. I know the interests of the children were very important to me but when a child might have been happy to randomly glue paper on paper or do a regular painting with paint and brushes - I wanted to achieve something bigger and better.

As a parent, there is of course no employer giving back pats and compliments. This is something I have found hard in my 10 years of parenting. I now see that by blogging crafts and activities, I was needing something to show me that I am a good Mom and that I do fun things with my kids. Does a 30 minute glue/paint extravaganza make me a better Mom than the little to no arts and craft Mom who snuggles and reads endlessly or includes her child in every day chores by her side? Absolutely not.

I see now that the moments I need to cherish are the moments in between the day to day activities. A trip to the zoo is awesome but a quiet stroll along the local trail enjoying the peace and chit chatting with no distractions is far more intimate. The crafting might give a cool result but the snuggle on the couch watching the snow fall outside shows a child you have no place you'd rather be at that minute.

Blogging is about sharing thoughts and ideas and sharing moments with people, not wanting the follower count to go up to feel successful or obsessing when the follower count goes down, wondering what I did to lose their interest.

I really want to get blogging again but I want my reasons to be more true. If we do an activity - it will be because the moment was there and not manufactured. I ceased blogging in part, because I was trying so hard to think of new ideas that I couldn't think of anything at all. T1 is in school full time and enjoys spending time alone when he comes home, or is doing homework.T2 is in school too and as an independent four and a half year old, wants to craft and create in her own way, not Mom's.

More Mom Time is going somewhere, which direction that is...... well let's leave that to those who earned me the title of Mom!!

New Year improvements

2010-01-01T20:18:00.000-05:00

I'm not necessarily resolving to do anything in 2010 but I am going to try to make improvements....

Procrastinate less
Mommy more (too often things get in the way of being the Mom I truly want to be)
Complain less
Appreciate more
Eat less
Exercise more
Talk less
Listen more
Buy less
make more
Judge less
blog more

2009 was a pretty awesome year around here. All of us are healthy and were for the most part, we moved to an awesome house in a great town with a nice school and a fabulous grade 4 teacher (and a great Junior Kindergarten teacher also). We spent some fun times with friends and family, we made good use of living by a beach. The year for me was still chaos but with an underlying sense of calm. 2008 was a tough year filled with anxiety and agoraphobia for me and that was behind me in 2009. I am looking forward to all that 2010 holds for us = mostly good things I hope : )

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T18:48:00.000-05:00

May 2010 be a wonderful year for you xoxo

New Addition

2009-12-30T15:23:00.000-05:00

We are adopting an 8 month old Golden Doodle called Luka. We love him already but we cannot bring him home yet as he has not been neutered. His surgery is scheduled for Jan 12 so he should join us at home on January 13. He is such a bundle of fun and fuzz!

2009-12-27T19:52:00.000-05:00

Season's Greetings!

Tonight I broke off a piece of my favourite treat and gave it to T1.
G said "remember to thank Mommy for sharing her most precious English chocolate with you"
T1 replied "but isn't the sharing part what's the most precious?"

Usually I'd be thinking 'yes yes yes' but on this occasion I am really torn........

Come back and visit in January

2009-12-14T12:04:00.000-05:00

After many weeks of computer problems and of course the craziness of life blogging has been pushed to the back burner but I fully plan to be back after the holidays with VIDEOS wahooooooo.

Happy Holidays and best wishes for 2010!!!!

It found us...

2009-11-06T10:04:00.000-05:00

Apparently T1 has H1N1. G is off to the Dr now - pretty sure he has it too. T2 and I are fine so far. I am nervous because T1 has a history of lung problems and G and I both have asthma (T1 does too). Mine is only triggered by illness but when it does - boy is it ever bad : (

Hoping we can all get through this relatively unscathed.

*update* G called - he does have it too

Finding a tiny piece of peace.....

2009-10-18T20:31:00.000-04:00

I wanted a Dyson vacuum for a long time before I got one. There was nothing wrong with my Hoover so I couldn't justify buying one but boy was I tempted. I would drool over the majestic Dyson standing on display in stores and wonder when I could bring one home. A couple of years ago I got one and I swear it more than lived up to my expectations. I vacuumed my clean floor and area rugs and watched with both alarm and satisfaction as I saw the canister filling with dirt that my old vac had over looked. Upstairs on the carpet was even more horrifying and I thought it was clean already - it looked clean and still had the stripes my old vacuum had left hours earlier. OK enough about it's awesomeness

Fast forward to last week when my Dyson let me down. Something is stuck in there somewhere and even though G took it apart, he was unable to reach the offending piece that caused Dyson to be so sick. The hose part was still working so I continued to do the best job I could lugging the upright vacuum along while trying to suck up every fleck of glitter, dog hair and crumb. Walking around barefoot today I discovered that I was being unsuccessful as I could feel gritty dust underfoot. Reluctantly I grabbed my broom from the laundry room and swept through the house. Our new house has only hard floors thankfully.

As I was sweeping and marveling at the growing pile of dust and doggy hair I noticed how peaceful it was - no roaring vacuum motor, no sound of things clunking into the plastic canister. I could hear my laundry swishing, the dog snoring, the sound of T1 turning the pages of his book from the warmth of his bed prior to going to sleep, the rhythmic breathing of T2in dreamland. I was thrilled with the pile my trusty broom gathered, I felt a strange connection to a time before vacuums and other noisy gadgets - the simplicity of a wooden stick and a bunch of bristles with no parts to get clogged or malfunction - how could a broom let me down?

My Dyson will eventually be fixed and I am sure I will continue to use it but I must remember once in a while to pull out that broom and enjoy some peace while cleaning up the remnants of our day that have fallen to the floor.

The things kids say...

2009-10-17T20:59:00.000-04:00

T2 asked me this week...

"Mommy when it's winter, can I have some snow headphones to keep my ears warm?"

She was thrilled when I found an old pair of ear muffs in with the hats and mitts and has worn them each day since!

Random interview with 4 year old

2009-10-15T11:21:00.001-04:00

I decided to ask T2 a bunch of random questions....

What is your favourite colour? Pink and Purple
What is your favourite animal? Pigmy Marmoset
What is your favourite food? Pizza
What colour are your eyes? Greeny blue
What colour is your hair? Brown
What do you like to play with? my pony and stuffed animals
Who is your best friend? Kaitlyn Morgado
What does a donkey say? heeee honk
What does a cow eat? hay and so does a horse
Where do bananas come from? sometimes from the store and sometimes from trees I think
How do you make a sandwich? All you have to do is put something on the bread and then I put another piece of bread on top - that's how I make a sandwich
Where do worms live? Holes and in apples
How many feet do you have? 2
What letter does your name start with? tuh Teee
What does Mommy like to eat? salad
What does Mommy like to drink? club soda
Where does coffee come from? coffee stores like Tim Hortons
What do you want to be when you grow up? A fireman girl
How do you feel today? Good and I don't think I sneezed anymore

Getting there

2009-10-14T11:06:00.000-04:00

After way more computer problems than I ever thought possible - it seems we are on our way to have both computers healthy once more. G still has to reinstall a bunch of things and locate files but everything seems to be working so far yayyyyyyyyyy

We've been busy around here settling into school - grade 4 for T1 and K for T2. Both seem very happy with their new school and teachers. Of course back to school has meant all kinds of things coming home with the kids - field trip forms, library books, mail, mail and more mail and of course germs and it has been snot central around here for a month but thankfully nothing serious.

Today we awoke to the first frost of the season - it looked so pretty outside with the grass glistening. I am excited to see what it's like in our new surroundings when we get snow - a pretty sight I am sure.

I've been batch cooking and stocking up the freezer, planning for upcoming festivities - Halloween and of course December celebrations. We just enjoyed Thanksgiving weekend here with a trip to a conservation area Thanksgiving festival which was so much fun - pics to follow.

Today after I had completed some of the chores on my never ending list, I wrapped up warm and sat out on the deck. It was so nice out there - bright and sunny, cool and crisp - soon it will be too cold to be outside more than is necessary so I need to remind myself to make the most of it while it's pleasant outside.

As soon as my photo software is reinstalled I will add some pictures of what we have been up to lately.

Where am I today?

2009-09-30T10:12:00.000-04:00

I posted over at Mom's Marbles today. I hope to be back here next week : )

grrrrrr

2009-09-30T07:44:00.001-04:00

I have one computer in the shop and another that will only work on safe mode. I can't upload pictures or access my stored pictures and it is driving me crazy. I haven't been able to share anything because of this. I believe my sickest computer will be discharged from the 'puter hospital in the next day or two - yayyyyy then I can show you our fun day at the apple farm : ) and a few other things we have done recently.

Happy Fall

Where am I today?

2009-09-23T00:54:00.000-04:00

I'm over at Mom's Marbles. It's great place for tips, ideas, sanity savers and more - stop by and say hi : )

9/11

2009-09-11T19:35:00.000-04:00

I'm holding my family a little closer and thinking of all those who lost family 8 years ago today.

It's a day we'll never forget. On that fateful day we were living in a hotel in NY awaiting the completion of our house build. We were about 30 miles from NYC. G and I happened to be in the hotel that morning and for some strange reason turned on the TV which we never did at that time of day. We were watching the footage and trying to figure out what was going on and saw the second plane hit live. I knew several people in NYC that day and not being able to make contact was agonizing.

The days that followed provided endless reminders of the horror of that day. We had no way of communicating via phone/email. The hotel filled with bewildered people denied access to their NYC apartments. The constant news and updates on TV. The silent sky.The fear.The endless stream of emergency and construction site vehicles heading towards NYC. Road blocks everywhere. The shocked and despairing look on every face around us. The need for everyone to talk to anyone about it just to work through it.

The sight of so many stars and stripes in the weeks that followed was so utterly moving. To feel and see so many people pulling together offering help in all ways possible. The combined hope that maybe a pocket of survivors would be found even though it slowly dwindled to the hope of even a single survivor. A miracle.

We paid our respects at Ground Zero while it was still burning (and several times since). The silence was erie. The magnitude more real when there in person and seeing the aftermath.

We were lucky that we didn't lose any loved ones but like so many others I lost a little piece of myself that day and will never forget.

I totally forgot to mention.....

2009-09-04T20:20:00.000-04:00

Huds the dog, who left a few weeks ago for phase two of his dog guide training, was released from the program and into our home forever. During a routine eye exam it was discovered that Huds has cataracts in one eye and therefore could not continue with the program. It's a shame for the organization but we were so happy to officially adopt him and bring him home to stay. He was so excited to see us again and went absolutely crazy, squealing and loving on us. He's been back for a while now and it's like he never left, other than the shedding which I didn't miss! So we are officially a family of five with the fifth being the hairy one!

Welcome home Hudsy (who only gets called Hudson when he does something naughty - which is almost never)

T2 quote

2009-08-17T19:00:00.000-04:00

"this is the most ruinous day ever.....can we still go in the hot tub?"

It's all about girl drama around here!

More MOM Time

2009-08-13T08:22:00.000-04:00

More Mom time doesn't only apply to being a Mom. Although I am trying to give more of myself to my kids, I am also trying to give more of myself to myself and have been working on some projects. One - a skirt for T2 is complete but the quilt for my itty bitty Niece still needs some work. I've never made a quilt before but I'm pretty pleased with it so far.

Another reason why I love Summer

2009-08-13T08:21:00.001-04:00

Locally grown produce at the Farmer's Market

Face paints - not just for faces!

2009-08-13T08:16:00.000-04:00

Last week the kids and I had fun with some face paints that T2 received as a Birthday gift. T2 wanted her face painted but then we moved on from faces to...

Face painting - not just for kids!

BOO!

Birthday reflections

2009-08-13T08:01:00.001-04:00

T2 had a great Birthday, spending the day at the beach, Birthday cards in the mail and packages to open at dinner time. As with Tobin's Birthday, I wrapped her gifts in plain paper and wrote words describing her on each one.

She also enjoyed a party with her friends at our place with pizza and cupcakes.

loot 'bags'

Welcome new followers

2009-08-08T12:03:00.000-04:00

I'd love to get to know you : )

Quoting T1

2009-08-07T19:53:00.000-04:00

"I don't know if I even know the words to describe how much I love living here".

Ditto kiddo. There's nothing quite like validation from a very happy kid. Moving away from familiarity was a gamble. T1 doesn't handle change well (all part of Asperger Syndrome) we knew this could be really tough on him even though we knew in the long run it could be great for our family. To hear him spontaneously share that he's happy here is more than I could ever have wished for. I told him that I thought it was the best thing we ever did, moving here. He agreed - he actually agreed with me lol!!!

: )

2009-07-28T07:10:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet and special girl. I can't believe this time 4 years ago, I had no idea today would be the day I would finally meet her scrunched up red little face and my life would be changed forever just as it was over 9 years ago when T1 arrived. She was so eager to embrace the world that I didn't even need to push her out, one grunt and there she was (if only the rest of the labour had been that easy lol!). In the early weeks she cried and cried, if only I had known she was simply hungry even though all I seemed to do was feed her. It took a while and what felt like constant nursing to get her back to her birth weight but eventually we made it. before long we were rewarded with smiles meant only for us - a reminder that all the tears of the early weeks - both hers and mine were worth it.
Now, she is readying for Kindergarten in just a few short weeks, her back pack and lunch bag already purchased. She's ready. I am not. She's funny, cheeky, full of drama and has fully mastered the art of whining and sulking, she loves my company and wants us to chat all the time. She has created 2 new words "Betwards" and "Benext", both seem to mean in close proximity to but are clearly to be used in different situations. She loves pink and purple, friends, animals both real and the toy kind, she misses Huds the dog a lot. She seems to worry a lot that she doesn't yet know what she wants to be when she grows up.
T1 has a lisp. When we named her, my Mum loved the name but voiced that she hoped she disn't have a lisp as there's an s in it. Sure enough this wriggly red faced baby was a tongue thruster and continues to be. Nearly every picture of her as a baby has her little tongue poking out at the top of her mouth. This will be addressed when school starts - in some ways if it stops, I will miss it - it is part of her.
Long gone are the days of nursing (she quit of her own accord the week she turned one - when offered one day, she looked at me as if to say "what are you doing, put it away" and that was that), diapers, nap time diapers, naps, crib, stroller, soothers, crawling, baby steps, pureed food (that at all times had to contain sweet potatoes, even though she was turning orange), highchair, baby swing, infant car seat, chubby thighs and wrists, red teething cheeks, drool and on the shoulder burps. One thing still remains and that is her pink blankie, bought by Grandma when we went to Disneyworld when she was 4 months old - a pack of pretty receiving blankets but she only ever wanted the pink one. It's still intact and 'she' (apparently!) sleeps with T2 every night.
The pink blankie has been joined by long complicated conversations,imaginary games, chosen friends, a love of chili (but not many other foods and she wouldn't even taste sweet potato now), terms of endearment towards her (she 'owns' the name sweet pea - my fave flower- and doesn't like anyone else to be called it), terms of endearment from her - she has taken to calling me things like "my sweet lov-e-lyyyy", "sweet heart" and "my special girl". She's both highly independent and needy. When she wants something, she wants it that second. She doesn't want to be grow up fast or be taller and wants to stay little. If only it were possible to slow down time but all there is to do is savour these moments while she is little and to try and remember them when she's a challenging teenager!

I knew my life would be changed when she arrived - I just didn't realize how much.

Happy 4th Birthday Sweet Pea. xoxox

Super easy beach game for 2 or more people

2009-07-24T10:10:00.000-04:00

Build a sandcastle or sand mound, Place a shell or rock on the top in the middle, take turn slicing the sand vertically with a small shovel or stick - can be a thin slice but must go all the way through the castle/mound - try not to be the one to make the rock/shell tumble down. Can also be done at home in a sand box or indoors using a glass of flour, and a button slicing with a blunt knife.

UH OH!

Grandma 1 - T1 nil

Oh, how I love summer

2009-07-24T09:29:00.000-04:00

Small town livin'

Introducing Huds the puppy to the lake

So much rain

2009-07-24T09:05:00.000-04:00

We've had a lot of rain here lately, heavy, noisy powerful rain with thunder - so cool. It does rather limit our outdoor fun but the best part is when it finally stops and the sun pops out....

Unfortunately our street just got resurfaced and we no longer have deep puddles : (

Easiest mess free sunny activity ever

2009-07-05T15:54:00.000-04:00

All you need are: construction paper
few interestingly shaped items
sunshine
Possibly rocks to stop the paper blowing away.

Gather supplies, head outside, arrange items on paper, place rocks in each corner to hold it steady. Forget about it for an hour while the sun kisses the paper. Remove items, oooh and ahh. Can be used as a matching game afterwards

Happy Canada Day!

2009-07-01T22:31:00.000-04:00

Project patio hole...

2009-06-26T21:22:00.000-04:00

The people who lived here before us had a very odd looking water feature in their backyard. It was an ugly head spouting water from his mouth, set in the stone work patio. they took the feature with them (thankfully) but that left a hole with a piece of wood over it. When we lifted the wood we found stagnant water and hundreds of dead worms

Step 1 - shop-vac the water out

Step 2 - fill with dirt

Step 3 - with Grandad's help, position plant (Clematis brought from old house)

Step 4 - sweep up dirt

Step 5 - add obelisk,water plants

Step 6 - water dog also

Return of the Huds

2009-06-26T21:17:00.000-04:00

We were so sorry to say goodbye to Hudson when he left us recently to be assessed for his potential to be a seizure response dog. We were very excited when the organization called and asked if we would like him to come and stay for 3 weeks. He was not selected for seizure response but is now being considered for the seeing eye dog program but the trainer is not available for 3 weeks. G drove the 4 hour round trip to collect him shortly after the surprise phone call. He was so pleased to see us that he was squealing and making Scooby-Doo sounds.

We're so happy to have him home with us again

I think he's pretty happy too