A Party in Barrie

Kate had a friend party at a play place in Barrie - Smart Moves.  Once it was established that Greyson was in fact a "very" good friend of Kate's, we decided we would all go.  Some play places shut down so that it is just the party people in the place, and others have party rooms.  This was a party room type operation, so while Kate could play with the party friends, she could also come back and forth to us.  Fiona, Alice, Kate - they had such a great time.  I did too.  (Ken went shopping at No Frills and did not have any fun.  Sorry Ken, thanks for taking one for the team!)

The place is STEM themed - science, technology, engineering and math.  It was a really fun place.  I hope we'll go there again some time.  It was fun!

The Closet

If you come home from a really nice double date - awesome restaurant in Orangeville - Forage, with my sweet friend Kim and her hubby, and you can't find Alice, because she isn't in her bed, and you panic a little, but you calmly look a few places, but she isn't anywhere, but then you remember seeing a pillow in the closet earlier in the day, you think, hey maybe she's in the closet??????

And she was.

200

After Kate finished her 100 book challenge, she wanted to do a 200 book challenge.  So she did!  She started October 2nd, and she finished today, January 29th.  She's very excited to pick out her prize/reward.  I love that she loves to read.  I love that she's learning about goal setting, and goal completion.  Kate is a good kid, and I'm lucky to be her Mom!

Kindergarten Registration

Someone got registered for Junior Kindergarten today!  (And someone is also now confused about the fact that she has to go to preschool until June, and then wait until September...) YAY ALICE!

A Temple Date

Today was just so lovely.  Going to the temple with my eternal companion... we've been to a few weddings together recently, but we haven't been to an endowment session together since before Fiona was born.  It was so lovely to be in the temple with my husband. 

After our session was over we hopped in the van expecting to return right away to pick up the girls from Grandma.  But what did Grandma say?  She said, go out for lunch, the girls are fine, enjoy yourselves!  And so we did.  Yummy Indian food in our tummies and a calm that is not of this world in our spirits, such a perfect day.

Ken is 36.

I keep having to think about it.  Thirty-six.  Really, thirty-six?  That seems too old?  Ken can't be that old.  That is what keeps going around my head.  But yes 2015-1979 = 36, so it must be true! 

My sweet Ken!  Ken desperately wanted to go to the MexiCanada for dinner.  We weren't sure how it would go over with the girls, but Kate agreed to be brave and so we went.  It was so good.  The food there is so good!  I was shamed for trying to order chips and salsa - that's tex mex, and then I was shamed again when I asked if they had ketchup... ah well. (The things you do for your children!)  Who cares about the shaming, the food is so good!  Ken and I had a dinner for two - so an assortment of different things.  For the girls we got a quesadilla and chicken and rice.  The girls ate.  Kate was brave and tried things.  She said she didn't like any of it, but she tried it!  And of course, there were sombreros!

After dinner we hurried back to Tottenham to take the girls to ballet.  It was the first class that Kate and Alice had together.  I moved Alice up to the 4-6 class.  The 4-6 class is to be unchaperoned, but the first class and the last class of the session are open to parents.  Kate was so sweet with Alice, and Fiona got to participate a little.

After that it was home for dessert.  I made Ken blueberry cheesecake bars this afternoon.  They were quite good.  If I ever make them again, I'll have to remember to believe the recipe and not over cook it.  It was a little dry, but still good.

Yesterday I took pictures of the girls to make a card for Ken.  We had fun being silly!

I didn't actually remember to make a card from me, but he doesn't even like cards, so I figure it doesn't matter!  At least that's what I tell myself.  I love, love, love my sweet Ken.  I am thankful for him and who he is every day.  It wasn't a huge celebration, but Ken felt loved, and we had family fun together.  Life is great!  Happy Birthday my sweet Ken!  Thirty-six looks good on you!

Return to Work

I received the email today from Human Resources, the Return to Work package of forms.  Now it begins.  For real.  My head is spinning. 

Looking at my resume, the piece of paper that is supposed to define me to a principal, so that they'll want me on their staff... so much of it came to a full stop after 2008, I feel woefully inadequate.  Kate was born in January 2009, and although I participated on a number of projects in my school, I didn't have that much to do with things on a board level, or on a professional development level.  I don't know how much this matters, but I feel like it does.  I feel more like a liability than an asset.  Why would someone want to hire me, someone so out of the loop? 

But then I think about who I am as a person, how I've grown as a human being over the past six years as a mother, and I think that anyone would be lucky to have me.  I do great things in my school and in my classroom.  I believe that.  I know that.  I don't always love the day to day crazy of being a teacher, but I love being a teacher, I do, I have come to realize how much I love it and I don't want to do anything else.

I have a job at Blue Willow PS, full time, 45-50 minutes away from home.  I don't want to work full time, and I don't want to work 45-50 minutes away.  (Forget the fact that I'm supposed to go back May 19th, but I want to go back in September.)  So begins the process of getting permission to reduce my teaching load, and obtaining a transfer to a school closer to home.  So begins the daily checking of the vacancy list to see if there is anything there.  So begins sending out resumes to principals, and going for interviews. 

I have no idea what to think about any of this.  The one good thing is that I really do like the school that I've been teaching at since 2004.  I really do.  Going back there wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, not even close... but.  But it isn't what I want.

Ultimately, and one way or another, things will work out.  Time will tell what the future holds.  Here's to a leap into the darkness!

Duty Mom

I wish I had a picture to go with this post.  Alice really enjoys going to preschool.  I'm glad Ken felt so strongly about it.  Even though Mondays and Fridays are a little weird to be her days of school, it really has worked out well.  Today I was the Duty Mom again.  When I'm the duty mom I get to clean, prepare snack, help, and play with Alice.  When I'm the duty mom, Alice gets to turn the lights on and off, she is the leader of the line, and she gets to count all the kids after they go to the bathroom. 

I had fun today.  I even got to play with Alice a little, and sit in circle time with her.  Alice is such a sweet monkey.  I'm so glad I get to share these experiences with her.

Bath time

French Immersion

Kate.  I can't remember when I first started seriously considering putting Kate in French Immersion.  It might have been this past summer? I know I started thinking about it in the fall.  Kate started off in an SK/1 split, and when I was talking to her teacher about reorganization, she suggested I ask to move Kate up to grade 1.  I told her I was most likely going to put her in French Immersion and she earnestly supported the idea.

Tonight was the information meeting.  Kate and I drove up to Alliston Union Public School.  It is so cold tonight, but the school, the atmosphere, the principal and teachers, it was all warm.  I felt good in the meeting.  I felt good in the building.  I feel good when I think about Kate being in the program.  I feel nervous about her having to ride a bus up to Alliston, about how much longer her day will be, but I'm not sure if that is reason enough to not put her in.  I don't know how it will all work out with me going back to work either...

Every time I've thought about the Immersion program prayerfully I feel very much that it is right.  We will then see how it all works itself out then won't we?!  Oh and on a fun note, they were having a French Language book fair at the school.  We picked up a book - Bonjour Canada.  Now to practice and learn to read it properly!

A Pony Party

We started the party off with a group picture.  I always forget until the end, and then some kids have left, so as soon as everyone had arrived, SNAP!

From left to right Ava, Ciaran, Alice, Fiona, Marisol, Kate, Madison, Matthew, Cooper, Abby, Amelie.

The start time was 11:00.  Friends trickled in starting at 11:00, and by 11:30, everyone had arrived.  The kids played in the basement for a bit, and then we took the picture and started the planned stuff.

First - pin the cutie mark on Pinkie Pie.

Then it was the presentation of the cutie marks.  I thought it would be cute for each of the friends to earn their cutie mark, but I couldn't think of what to do for it to make sense, and then I just ran out of time.  So instead, the cutie marks were presented.  (*At some point in every pony's life, they receive their cutie mark.  It mysteriously appears on their bum one day.  It is a symbol of their talent.)
Cooper - a magnifying glass for being curious.

 Amelie - a heart for being kind.

 Marisol - light bulb brain for having good ideas.

 Matthew - jumping heart for being loving and kind.

 Ciaran - hands holding a heart for being generous.

 Ava - a cupcake palette for being a sweet artist.

Abby - a jack 'n' the box for being silly-fun.

 Madison - a sun for being cheerful

 All the kids holding their cutie marks!  Alice wouldn't come up to receive her rainbow - for being cheerful and kind - she was having some sad times.  Kate received a cutie mark of a book with rainbow notes coming out of it for loving music, art and reading.  Fiona wouldn't go up either - she got bubbles for being fun.  It was sweet, Kate presenting everyone with their cutie mark!

Then it was pinata time!  I made a jewel - to represent the Elements of Harmony.  There was this episode where the ponies had to work together to defeat this bad guy who had stolen all the magic out of the land.  There was some jewel that he had stored it in, and then they found it and released the magic.  Anyway, that was what I was thinking about when I made it.  Ken had some ideas, I had some and well... it was a little wonky, but I think it turned out all right.

I didn't take one of the finished product, but there are of course a number of action shots! We went from youngest to oldest.  I'm a little sad that I sat on the back side... I didn't get the cool shots of kids faces that I usually do.  Something to keep in mind for Alice's party!

Fiona

Amelie

Matthew

Madison

Abby

Ciaran

Kate

Marisol - with the winning hit!

Cooper

Ava

And then Kate finished it off.  And we should of course credit Jason the brave, for holding the pinata and getting so close to the whacking stick!

Feeding frenzy!

Kate and I had put all the bags together.  Fiona was very happy to have her candy bag.  Oh and you may have noticed that Alice didn't have a turn.  Poor Alice, she was really out of sorts.

She finally took a turn with the game, and then she seemed to perk up.  It is so sad when she gets sad.

Then it was time for lunch.  Pizza, juice, apples, veggies, popcorn and sun chips.

Then birthday cupcake time!

Then presents!  Her school friends had left by this point, but she got to open her presents with some of her friends right there, and it was really cute.

Kate had a great party, and of course, she's already starting to think about next year's bash!  Happy Pony Party Kate!