Quarantine Week 15 - June 21 - 28

Sunday, June 21
Father's Day. I should do a separate post...  mostly because if I post it here, I'll never find it again! This is the pic of the girls giving Ken their cards and note. I love the laughter and love being shared in this moment.

Emily Wing, a friend and an amazing artist, was featured on a show on BYUtv today about her art. It was a great program. There were two 15 minute segments and they were both really fascinating. Emily's art lately is maps, and I love them. I would love to commission her to do a piece one day.

Monday, June 22

The last theme week! The last week of school! The last time I would go to Blue Willow as a member of the staff... OY!

  

I can't remember exactly what time I left in the morning. It was weird. I felt emotional. I didn't want to go, I kept thinking I would put it off until another day - Brian was there Monday to Wednesday, but then I decided I just wanted to go and get it done. I'd gotten close the other day but I needed more boxes and more room in the fit! I'm glad I got so much done the last time, because there wasn't too to much to do but it still took my hours!

It was pretty quiet in the building and I didn't have too many interruptions so that was good. I thought I would cry a lot. I thought it would be like when we moved away from Tottenham and I left the house and bawled, but it wasn't like that. I was ready, I felt sad but good. So weird that it's done. So weird to be leaving the midst of a global pandemic, but it feels right.

My stuff in a corner of the basement.

We made it Craft Day today. Alice and Fiona made crafts out of some of the things I brought home with me. I taught Kindergarten art a few years ago and I had accumulated a few different fun things. They were in heaven!

After dinner we went for a walk. There was a crazy skeleton behind the Burnett's house.

Reno day five. Grout done, vanity in.

Tuesday, June 23

Love Day! Look at how cute they are! I love it when they love each other. Today the girls wrote letters to their teachers to express their love and gratitude. I'm glad I was able to email everyone. For presents I had asked teachers ahead of time what their favourite charity was. We then sent the letter by email and we were able to send a digital card through most of the charities we donated to.

Fiona had her last Google Meet with Mme DiClemente. I was sad. I love Mme DiClemente, so does Fiona, so does Kate.

Reno day six, honestly, I'm not sure - more stuff done...?

Wednesday, June 24th

I had Ken take a pic of me working on the yearbook. We couldn't do a group photo of the yearbook staff, so we had the kids all take pictures of themselves working on the yearbook. The pics are really cute. I'm really proud of the yearbook this year. I'm always in charge of the kids who take pictures. I had kids taking pics all throughout the strike. It was awesome, because the spirit committee set everything up so that we had spirit days all set up to continue during the strike action and we had taken quite a few pics before everything shut down. I just wish I'd taken pics of clubs and teams, but we didn't. I asked and some teachers also submitted things that they did during the shut down. At  first we weren't even sure whether or not we'd be able to have a yearbook, but after a survey there was enough interest, and the students got it done - well almost! Lol, even though school officially ends on Friday, we'll be finishing up the yearbook next week and then Kathryn and I will finish editing and have it in by the end of the first week of July.

Crazy hat day! Fiona has wanted bunny to join in on all the theme days, and some days Bunny's costumes work out really well!

Bathroom reno day seven - DONE!!! Angelo and Brad were great, really easy to work with, did great work. I'm so so so so so happy with the bathroom!

Thursday, June 25th

The last few days have been filled with wrapping things up, yearbook and google meets. It's been fun to go online and visit with different classes. I'm sad I waited this long to ask to be invited to google meets. It's been fun!

Today was Blanket/Blanket Fort Day.

Grandma came over and they hung out in the backyard for a little bit, and there was a bunny! A sweet little baby. The girls had fun watching it and following it around.

Friday, June 26th

All ready for my last staff meeting as a member of Blue Willow Staff, and all ready for my first staff meeting as a member of Harry Bowes P.S. Staff. Our Blue Willow meeting was just goodbyes. I was left until last. It was weird, and I got choked up, I can't remember what I said exactly, but I hope it was okay! The staff meeting with Harry Bowes was really short. I was introduced but thankfully I didn't have to say anything. At this point there's not much to say or do to plan for next year because no one knows what it's going to look like.

From my Facebook Post:

Luau Day. The last day of school! And our last theme day.

Last week we had a friend gift us a box of luau party fun. Last week we found out Alice's last google meet would be today and it would be luau themed. Serendipity? Coincidence? I believe we help each other feel God's love through the kindness we give each other. I believe we are each other's angels.

We have been so blessed the last three and a half months. Ken and I have had jobs we could do from home. The girls have been supported by amazing teachers. We have been healthy, and although there have been many ups and downs, we are happy.

We go forward from the end of this school year unsure of what the future brings, but with friends, with faith in God with my family, the future will be amazing!

Happy Summer my Ontario friends! I'm grateful for the fun these theme days have brought to me, to the girls and to you all!

Netflix made the "Floor is Lava" into a tv show?! CRAZY! Seemed fitting for Luau day!

After the online meetings - Alice had her last google meet today at her Luau table, we rode our bikes down to the lake. The girls were kind of grumpy and Fiona even took off at the end and we couldn't find her... until we found her, but they did smile nicely for a group picture which shows that even though they get mad, they're still good girls that love their Mama and they will take a picture for her!

I finally put out the bathmat, the towel and I hung up the shower curtains. The bathroom makes me so happy, it's so beautiful!

And for an end of the school year treat we went out for dinner to a patio!! We've been in stage two for a week and tonight we took the girls out to the Symposium Cafe. It was great.

After dinner we drove up to Stouffville so I could finally see my new school in person. The drive was so pretty.

It will be such a different commute up to Stouffville! It will be 35-40 minutes, and it will be mostly country. I'm so excited!

After dinner Ken and I snuck off for a walk down to the lake.

Sunday, June 28, 2020

We dragged the girls out after church to go for a walk. We parked near Lakeside Park at the bottom of Audley and walked beyond the path - a path I'd never walked on before and wanted to. I enjoyed the walk very much. I love where we live so much.

Later on Helene messaged me and asked me if I wanted to go for an evening walk. Before the walk I thought, I should put on socks and proper shoes... I ignored the prompting, and now the awful blisters on my feet are going to punish me! (We did a brisk 3 kms - Helene, her daughter Julie, Heidi and I)

At bedtime we had a fun little experience. Someone clogged the toilet, and someone flushed it again when it was full and the bowl overflowed and came streaming out the pot light in the kitchen. Good times! Thankfully Ken and I cleaned it up and there appears to be no damage to the bathroom and only minor discoloration to the kitchen ceiling.

I'm not sure how often I'll continue to post in the summer, but this is the end of the spirit weeks, this is the end of the weekly summaries, and really, we've moved well beyond any kind of quarantine. Life is not back to normal but it's getting better all the time! Here's to a happy healthy summer filled with fun and family time and rest. I'm so thankful for the summer! I'm so thankful for my family! I'm so thankful that I'm a teacher and I get my summers off!

Father's Day

Showing gratitude to Ken is something I try to do every single day, because I am so thankful for him every single day. I didn't go over the top crazy at all, not even a little, but I tried to get the girls to do a couple of cute things today.

First cute thing - yesterday when Ken went shopping I had the girls make cards and fill out these sheets about their dad. And we practiced a song for home church - or at least that was what I thought. This morning however while Ken was in the shower we made a video and we uploaded the video to youtube. Then during our zoom devotional meeting, the girls song - The Dearest Name, was the intermediate musical number! Ken was so surprised, it was so great!

After church they gave their Dad the cards and notes, and they all had a good laugh - too cute. Then we took a picture outside later on.

I made Ken breakfast, but he did the rest of the cooking. He likes to cook, and even though I feel a little dumb, it's all good!

I am so happy, beyond happy, that my girls have an amazing father. He loves them, he loves to spend time for them. Thinking about how to make their lives happy is his primary focus. I'm grateful for the last three and a half months, that even though it has been crazy, the girls have spent so much time with their Dad!

Happy Father's Day Ken, we love you so much!