13 Hours of Rain

I know that my readership has dwindled down to practically nil and I sit here typing thoughts to a devoid audience (anyone out there???). Yet, I wish to document this moment of struggle. My teaching contract with the local school board ended in June. There isn't a place for me in the fall. In a need to reduce operating costs to address government cutbacks in education, the fat was trimmed. Extra teachers are a financial drain on the system. Payroll is a huge cost. Thus my exit. I am processing this change with much less grace than I anticipated. Some days I am incredibly sad and end up blubbering through an entire church service, scared that my mascara is creating raccoon eyes on my face. Other days I am filled with anger and regret, screaming all the "why?" questions in my head while plastering on "It is well with my soul" serenity on my exterior. But things are not well. I could swear a blue streak. I understand that I am grieving. I am grievin...

"Laggard: In the diffusion of innovation theory, the minority group (roughly 16 percent) of population, which is the last group to try or adopt a new project. It consists largely of seniors, and those with low socioeconomic status. Laggards use friends and neighbors as information sources, dislike change, and accept new things only when forced to." (Source: BusinessDictionary.com) "As technology has played a bigger role in our lives, our skills in critical thinking and analysis have declined, while our visual skills have improved... Learners have changed as a result of their exposure to technology... Reading for pleasure, which has declined among young people in recent decades, enhances thinking and engages the imagination in a way that visual media such as video games and television do not..." (Source: Is technology producing a decline in critical thinking and analysis? ) "The real world of technology seems to involve an inherent trust in machines and devi...

I do not open up my blog for comments. I desire to write for me and my kids, instead of being fixated on how many comments I receive (or do not receive). However, I welcome e-mail comments from those who know me personally. Thanks to a friend's perspective on the " Clipped Down to Yellow " post, I write this postscript: While the Color Behaviour Chart works well for my daughter, as a way to motivate her to monitor her own behaviour, it may not work with every child. It may communicate inaccurate views of self worth. In addition, it may not be beneficial for children with behavioural needs, such as those who struggle with ADD, ADHD, Autism spectrum disorder, etc. In the end, I do trust my daughter's teacher -- as she is an exceptional teacher -- that she is using it appropriately.

Whatever happened to saying "I'm sorry" and really meaning it? Now, I'm not talking about the Canadian style of apologizing, the one we are internationally know for, where we apologize for bumping into someone at the check-out line. Or the type of sorry that we say to empathize with another person's problem. I'm talking about a truly authentic sorry, the one that admits, "I screwed up. I was wrong. I need to change." A couple of weeks ago, you, my daughter, clipped down to yellow. Your teacher has a behaviour chart in her room, where every child's name is written on a clothes pin and clipped to a range of colors. Everyone starts at green at the beginning of the day, meaning each kid is "ready to learn". As the day progresses, a clip can be moved up or down, depending on what a child does. If a child does something exceptional, he can be clipped up to blue, purple or pink. If a child does something inappropriate, her clip moves down to...

  Click here for the link.

Yesterday, I found myself in the stationary store, filling my cart with school supplies while methodically checking items off a list. You two kids were exploring the surrounding treasures or accompanying your Dad as he picked up items from obscure aisles. Part of me was giddy, as I soaked in the aroma of new wax crayons and the sight of fan-dangled binders. I loved school as a kid and purchasing school supplies brought back happy memories of learning. The other part of me was sad at the end of two very quick months of random schedules and flexible timelines. I have enjoyed viewing more cork board than paper on our family's bulletin board. I have thrived in a more relaxed environment, where we awoke when we wanted to (well, you kids anyway) and enjoyed quieter weekdays. Plus, it was been great to have your Daddy home. Soon, the schedules will begin, the alarms will sound, the school newsletters will arrive. And we will rush off to catch the big yellowish-orange bus for another 1...

I am thankful for the education offered in our local public school system. While the system isn't perfect, our daughter's kindergarten teacher is providing a nurturing environment for learning and exploration. Our dear daughter, we are proud of your accomplishments. Miss R., you are a phenomenal teacher. Thank you.

It is Halloween. You two kids have been talking about it waaaayyyyy too much, I have to say. Though, I don't blame you. After all, isn't dressing up and eating candy and chips and chocolate and running around in a sugar induced frenzy every kid's fantasy? Your Nana & Nani mildly engaged in Halloween. I think they thought it was kind of bizarre and incredulous that people in this country choose to give away free treats to anyone for just showing up at their door with an open pillow case. Regardless, I have memories of my siblings and I bundling up in our big fat snow suits (because there was usually snow on the ground) and donning on a mask of some animal creature. We'd start trucking through drifts, door to door, with our Daddy's protective presence. We eagerly gathered the chips from the local convenience store owners (they always gave the best stuff). And we said our thank-yous to the neighbor lady five doors down who gave us each an apple, much to our chag...

A New Cubbie My son, you were grinning from ear-to-ear as your got ready for your AWANA (Bible Memory Club) evening. "I am going to school today!" "AWANA is your school?" I asked. "Yes!" Lately, you have been inspired by school. Earlier in the day, you spend lunch with your sister, munching ham and pineapple pizza, with your eyes wide open, taking in all the sights and sounds of her castle-esk elementary school. I could almost read your mind, "Wow! So this is where A. goes in the morning. It's not scary at all!" "Three more minutes until my school!" you proclaimed, holding up three little fingers as I changed your clothes. The countdown began, until you announced "0 more minutes!" once we left the house. How excited you are, how different from the last two weeks when you didn't want to leave your Mommy's side. You are growing up, my little man. During the car ride after AWANA, you recalled a game you ...

Dear Kids, Last year, when we were returning from a family holiday in a neighboring province, I realized how much of an oasis our city is in this corner of our world. Just west of our dwelling is bald, rolling prairie. It's dry, dusty, blasted by sun, and whipped by wind. Thus, we welcome the rain. It's raining outside. A cool spring breeze is rustling through our chimes and willow's leaves. An occasional bird tweets a song. The parched grass, blooming shrubs, newly planted perennials and potted plants are soaking up the moisture. You can almost see them grow. We stayed inside. I kept my household tasks to a minimum. And we enjoyed a sabbath from our usual busy week. I wore my comfy cozy clothes. We played board games. You both painted pictures and worked on a puzzle (Son, your recent addiction). I made one of your favorite lunches consisting of cream of broccoli cheese soup (much to your Daddy's chagrin) and toast. Now you are both watching Veggie ...

Yummy Brotchen! Dear Kids, To make up for Mommy's-gotta-do-a-lot-of-work-today-so-PLEASE-play-nicely-with-each-other Mornings, I attempt preschool creativity at least once a week. Some days it is a simple craft that gets both of you excited. Other days we don particular colors and celebrate elements of the rainbow. Occasionally, I go all out and have a load of fun with both you. The last couple of days were the later option! Thursday and Friday marked Virtual Travel Days , where we imagined travelling to some faraway destination at very little cost to our family. To coordinate with our church's MB Missions Daily Prayer Guide , our country of choice was Germany. It was an added bonus that your Mausi & Mausa (Maternal Auntie & Uncle) are currently living and studying in Germany, so we could remember them in our prayers as well. Here is what we did: DAY 1: January 24, 2013 ~ Let's Play Together! Put together the Melissa & Doug World Map Puzzle and...

We are starting preschool in our home. No, not outside-of-our-home classes, but rather inside-our-house-with-Mommy lessons. Today we are going to make soup, lentil pea soup that is. Admittedly, my children are not extremely fond of these legumes. But in this part of the prairies, we grow lentils and peas, amongst other things. And in the county of my ethnicity, we eat a lot of this source of complex carbohydrates, folic acid, and vegetable protein (or dal ). Two good reasons to adopt more dal into my repertoire of cooking! Thus, our soup journey started with a trip to the Bulk Barn (my new favourite store). We perused the aisles, rushed past the candy (or I did), and lingered in the health food section. We collected little bags of yellow and green split peas to add to our lentils at home. Today we will attempt this recipe*: 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 large onion, diced 1 stalk of celery, sliced 1 medium carrot, diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1/2 tsp cumin p...