Transfers?

The transfer list finally opened up on Tuesday. So far there isn't much of anything available. The only full time music jobs are in the west - so no point, the only reason I want to transfer away from Blue Willow is to get closer to home.

There was a job in Stouffville at Harry Bowes P.S. that piqued my interest. It was a .74, so it would be a reduction in pay, in hours I work, and a reduction in travel about 35 minutes or so to work. I messaged my principal Brian to ask, and he said, go for it, he thought of it as no big deal that I wasn't yet approved for a reduction in time - something that I should have done in January. It's really just a formality so apply. He knew the principal and said he was a nice guy.

I emailed the principal on Tuesday and heard back from him on Tuesday. He said if I was truly interested in the reduction in time, because the position probably wouldn't be full time, then let's keep talking. And the back and forth led to a "chat" for Thursday. I was nervous and excited.

Thursday morning I got myself set up, locked myself in my bedroom and had a very pleasant (so pleasant!!) conversation with the principal and vice-principal. It was so lovely. I said I really needed to think about the reduction and talk to my husband and make sure that budget wise we were okay. (They're not called job interviews because you've already been hired by the board. They call them chats - to see if you fit what they're looking for at their school.)

Ken and I chatted, we looked at numbers and we thought let's do this. It is honestly what I've wanted for so long. So I didn't wait until Monday like he told me I could. I emailed him back that afternoon and said I would take the position if they wanted me. He wrote back that he and the VP would be talking the next day and he'd let me know in the afternoon.

This morning I got this email:

It was very nice to meet you and speak with you about our Instrumental Music vacancy yesterday.  We did tell you that we were going to make a decision today but we found out this morning (from our Area Staffing Committee) that we are unable to offer the position if it involves a requested decrease in time, unless it is to someone on the surplus list.  We now have to wait until all of the surplus teachers have been placed, which I believe is June 2.  As of now we have not had any interest in the position from surplus teachers but we will have to wait and see if any surplus teachers are placed in the position. 

So our sincere apologies if we gave you incorrect information yesterday.

Please stay in touch if you continue to have interest in the position and we can let you know if it is still going to be available in June.

Take care and stay safe.

I was very sad after I read the email. It is very hopeful, but June is over a month away. I feel like I'm supposed to keep pursuing a transfer, that it's the right thing for me and my family, but the way isn't opening up. I felt so good about this job, and who knows, it might still be there in June. But I was so so sad. So sad. I felt like an end, another dead end. 

After a long chat with a friend, I felt cheered up. There is hope. Today and yesterday thinking about this position, that if this is what I have been waiting for, then this is so amazing. So if this is it, or something more, there will be something, sometime. Waiting is the name of the game right now!

Quarantine Week 5 - April 12 - April 18

Sunday April 12
My birthday!! I did a whole separate post.

Monday April 13
Today is a holiday for the girls and I which meant we all did a whole bunch of nothing! Ken worked. I read, I finished the book Lila that Zorana recommended. Movies were watched, food was eaten. It was overcast today, and it had rained in the morning. The afternoon was really windy, and consequently no one left the house! As I'm writing this it's after 10 p.m. and Ken is in the basement with the girls watching a Harry Potter movie and I'm doing some school work. Tomorrow it will be back to work - answering questions, coming up with content for me, and doing assignments for the girls.  AND!! It's back to Spirit Week fun. Heidi posted another week with a bit of prodding.

And for some reason I felt it was really important to take a pic of Fiona's new bunny Blueberry. This was the bunny given to her by Sis. Yates. I'm not sure if Blueberry is a boy or a girl, but Fiona sure loves Blueberry a lot! (I asked, Blueberry is a girl.)

Tuesday April 14th
I am not being a go-getter. I am feeling pretty unmotivated. I'm getting the things done that I need to, but that's about it, and I'm enjoying sleeping in. I've been waking up anywhere from 7:30 - 8:30, but I don't usually come downstairs until 9. I'm not sure how long I will keep doing this, but it's what I'm doing for now. I feel like pushing myself to do more, and then I don't. Conference was amazing, and I felt so excited for life on Sunday night, but now, the weirdness and dysfunction are back and I like hiding in my bed in the morning.

Fiona was devastated this morning when Blueberry lost an eye. She came crying, and I thought we should pray to know where to look, but then I felt that she needed to look by the couch downstairs - where she and her sisters were. She came back crying a few minutes later because her sisters wouldn't help her look. I went downstairs and found the eye. In the time it took me to get my sewing stuff organized, Fiona had lost the eye for good.

It was animal day today - spirit week. Fiona and Kate wore pandas on their clothing. Alice wore a narwhal shirt, dog socks, unicorn pants and a cat sweatshirt - and held all of the stuffies to go with her menagerie. 

At some point in the afternoon Fiona and I set out to find a replacement eye for Blueberry. I was pretty sure I had beads in a box somewhere. After finding the beads we took a walk down memory lane. I dug out the band shirt - well no band here - that was the acapella group that some of my guy friends created in high school.

I found a cute note in a walnut from Nicole. She wrote me so many cute notes!

Fiona wanted doll clothes! I dug out my old dresses and dolly dresses for her to have.

 I got a birthday card in the mail from Wendy Moorin! I love getting cards from my Auntie Wendy!!

We hadn't left the house all day, and I asked Fiona to go on a bike ride with me - but we left at like 7 at night. We rode all the way over to the "small" rock concert because I was so upset about not taking a pic last time. However, when we got there, my dumb phone wouldn't cooperate and I still don't have a pic!! ARGH! These pics are from the on the way back part, after I restarted my phone and found a warmer place to keep it... Fiona really is an excellent cycling companion. She was a little tired, and the ride home was a little fraught, but she did it!

Wednesday, April 15
It was master chef day today. I thought we should bake something, but I didn't want to bake anything, I wanted Ken to bake something with the girls... go figure that didn't happen. What did happen was lots of school work. Sharing devices, some kids needing help, the constant notifications... it fills the day and before you know it, the day is done!

I've been following Hello Kitty Chia pet - the fiance of one of my first cousins once removed on my dad's side - she's been posting Kitty on Instagram in her stories - and it makes me happy! I grabbed a screen shot to share.

No one left the house at all today, so we went for a short walk around the block at 7. I found it amusing that the girls were all wearing winter coats and Ken was wearing shorts.

We live on Hewitt, which is off Rollo drive. Ajax - the town is named after a battle ship from WWII. Many of the streets around the town are named after men who served on the HMS Ajax. I had never noticed this plaque by a tree on Rollo before and so I took a pic.

 One piece of Fiona's work from today.

Thursday, April 16th
When I came downstairs this morning this was the scene. There's been a lot of screen time in our house. I go back and forth and back and forth. Alice and Fiona take lots of breaks, and there are screen free activities, but Kate. She is sinking further and further. She is angry all the time and we don't know how to talk her down. She has moments of happy, but they are the exception, not the rule.

Today was throw-back Thursday. I thought it would be funny/cute if the girls wore some of my old shirts. Alice was not happy about the options. I should have had her wear the shirt I gave Kate, but I didn't... hindsight!

Fiona was cute with Coral today. She really wanted Coral to see the snow and it's been snowing off and on. Fiona got Coral all dressed up in winter clothes to go outside, but then it stopped snowing. Fiona was yelling at the sky, she was very upset.  I can't remember how long it took, but it started snowing again and Fiona joyfully took Coral outside to see the snow!

I was chatting with Suzanne today, and she was disappointed that I hadn't sent her proof about our Highland Dancing. So I dug my bronze medal out and took a pic and sent it. She was telling Matthew and the boys about the sword dance and the highland fling and they didn't believe her! I kind of wish we still had the wooden swords that our teacher made for us. They were awesome!

Friday, April 17th
Today was supposed to be Kindness day. It was not kindness day. I did manage to take these pics, but today was the end of a long week, made longer by a certain someone that was really grumpy. It was rough. Alice and Fiona made cute dresses for their dolls. Fiona got upset that Alice wanted her doll in the pic, so then Fiona wouldn't put her doll in the pic. Alice based her dress for her doll on Cinderella's dress in the live action movie.

Ken and I chatted last night about buying a trampoline. The smallest one - an eight foot trampoline, was on sale at Canadian Tire, and Ken was worried they would sell out. I did an online order at Canadian tire and when we got the call, Alice and Ken drove to Oshawa to buy a trampoline! It took them a really long time. Phone orders are not very well organized.

Alice and Fiona and I went for a short ride down to the beach.

Saturday, April 18th
Demolition day! Ken was committed!

I mostly stayed inside, and cleaned up my desk, and was kind of poking around not doing too much. After a busy week, it was nice!

Fiona was outside for most of the day with Ken, Alice too. Kate came and went a few times. And it was shortly after this pic that I made my way outside to do some helping. When we finally called it a night, the only thing left to do was finish attaching the net to the bottom of the springs. All the girls had a little bounce tonight. They are all so excited, and I'm so excited for them to have fun right in their backyard! Go Ken for making this happen for your girls, you are awesome and we are blessed to have you!

My Pandemic Birthday

My birthday and Easter Sunday. Usually I love it when my birthday falls on or near Easter because it means more outings and celebrating. We used to go to the Distillery District every year for my birthday, but we haven't done that in ages. We've been to the zoo several times on or around my birthday and today I was a little sad seeing zoo memory pics come up on Facebook. But, because today is Sunday, my birthday felt pretty normal which is good. AND I'm just so thankful that Kate and Alice weren't hit with a pandemic birthday. Fiona has already started worrying a little that we'll still be in quarantine when her birthday comes on June 6th, and we might be, but who knows.

Today we had Zoom church. This is our second "episode" of zoom church. We had two weeks of home church at first, and I've got to say, I'd much rather that than online church. I'm trying to get something out of it, and I have felt the spirit, but the girls, they hate it! Primary was good today, so that's something. They're still trying to sing together which doesn't work because of the lag... but the messages were sweet. Dawn asked Alice and Kate to help answer some questions, and they both did a great job talking about the pains of the atonement that are real to them.

So after sacrament meeting we dismissed the girls and then Ken and I tried to watch Sunday School. The girls wouldn't stop interrupting us, and I was having a really hard time focusing.

When we were finished with online church we had another short family service, in which we sang a couple songs, and Ken blessed and passed the sacrament. That was my favourite part.

After that we had lunch and then we played a family game called Drawful. But before that we cut Kate's hair. Kate's hair has been getting longer and longer and harder and harder to brush. She'd actually asked a couple times last week for a haircut, but I was chicken. Today we took the plunge! I know it isn't even - at all - but I think it looks pretty cute.

After Drawful I blogged. I'm really determined to document this experience. I really love blogging. I love keeping this record. I love looking back on this record!

For dinner Ken made Pad Thai and Pumpkin Curry Soup. It was so good. And for dessert he made Chocolate Mousse, which is my favourite. It was all so good. (He he, I already said that!) The girls made me cute cards, that were on the table when I came downstairs this morning. That made me happy. I love cards!

After dinner we took a short walk around the block.

 

Then we had dessert, and Ken and the girls sang happy birthday.

After we had dessert we watched the live action Cinderella which I don't think we'd watched since I took Kate and Alice to see it in the theatre. It was beautiful and I loved it, but five years ago Kate and Alice were little, and they were not into it. Tonight, everyone really enjoyed the movie. I love the message in the movie of Courage and Kindness. (Bedtime and Alice did not go well again tonight...)

Today really was a lovely day. I had texts, messages, Facebook posts, phone calls with Zorana, my Mom and my sister, and it was all just lovely. I'm thankful for birthdays, I'm thankful for being loved and I am so thankful for all the many blessings I have in my life.

Quarantine Week 4 - April 5 - April 11

Sunday April 5th
Yesterday President Nelson announced that we would have a Hosanna shout. Gerrit W. Gong spoke about this in his talk last night. We read about it with the girls in the morning before Conference. I cut up a white pillow case so everyone would have a white handkerchief to wave.

Elder Gong said: On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem in ways the faithful recognized as fulfillment of prophecy. As Zechariah and the Psalmist prophetically foretold, our Lord entered Jerusalem riding a colt as multitudes knowingly cried, “Hosanna in the highest." Hosanna means “save now.” Then, as now, we rejoice, “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

It hit me when he said this, how much we need to be saved - we continually need to be saved from this mortal existence. I want to be saved. I am so grateful for a living prophet.

The hosanna shout brought tears to my eyes. It felt like the warm up to the fast that the prophet announced, save us, hear us, we need Thee!

Kate and I went on a walk between sessions. No one else wanted to go. It's nice to be able to spend time one on one. The sign now says, now enforcing, no parking, no groups. There's no parking signs all down the road. No one was actually parked on Lakeview Blvd. the road that runs parallel to the lake, but the first side street - Poplar, was filled with cars! They even went so far as to close off the section of road in front of the park with a big cement barricade. It's weird to see the physical evidence of the pandemic. We are blessed to be so removed from it, so it's weird to see barricades.

 

As the last session was ending, and President Nelson announced more temples, I cried a little. I didn't want it to end. I needed conference so much this weekend. I needed these messages from my Father in Heaven. 

After the final session of conference the girls helped me make a happy birthday sign. I decided that even though the advice is not to go on drives, to just stay home, that we would go to Grandma's building tomorrow and say hi from below for her birthday. I hope the sign is big enough for her to see!

Monday April 6th
Heidi - our friend and neighbour came up with another week of spirit wear. Today was Beach Day.

It was seven degrees celcius this morning but the girls were committed! I told them to change before we went to Grandma's but only Fiona wanted to!

I don't get scared driving, and I wasn't scared driving, but I prayed the whole way there that we wouldn't break down or get in an accident, that we wouldn't be a burden to the first responders. I didn't want this act of fun to be a selfish thing! And thankfully we were safe, and there were no issues.

When we got there I phoned Mom and the first thing she said was "are you outside?" It was cute. Mom came outside and she was very happy! Gaby came out too, and snapped the pic of us. The girls were excited and we sang Happy Birthday, waved hello, talked for a few minutes and then it was over and we were on our way home.

After the Grandma fun it was school time for real! The girls all had posted work, I posted work. I helped the girls, I answered posts from students. I felt overwhelmed and a little crazy.

We had a family chat on Facebook with Mom for her birthday so that was fun. It was a busy day, but a good day. My head is still swimming, I don't feel on top of online school, I posted some things for kids, but I'm not absolutely sure what to do for all of the grades. The class rooms are filling up with kids though, and it is so nice to "hear" their voices. So much character can come through even in a written message on a screen.

Tuesday April 7th
It was Jersey Day. I'm honestly so thankful for this excuse to dress up, otherwise I fear every day would be PJ day!

Today was more school, play, work, brain on overdrive, but we're muddling through. I'm so thankful for technology, and for my girls wonderful teachers, and for my wonderful students!

Kate helped me make some videos for my grade sevens, and I felt more hopeful by the end of today about my ability to deliver some meaningful content. And I took a picture of pretty carrots. Ken bought heirloom carrots last week, and their pretty colours made me happy.

Wednesday April 8th
Today was birthday party day. Heidi posted a cute pic of her kids in homemade birthday hats, but none of the girls were even a little bit interested! They wore what they would wear to a party.

The girls and I went on a late afternoon bike ride to the beach to go get rocks. We (I) decided that in light of everything with the pandemic, I just didn't want to waste food, so instead of dying Easter eggs we would paint rocks.

I hadn't taken any pictures of caution taped playgrounds so I rode across the street and snapped a couple of pics.

Sis. Yates stopped by with an Easter treat bag for the girls. Some candy, and three tiny stuffed bunnies each in their own egg. The girls loved them!

This is often our bedtime routine, all squished on Fiona's bed. We read some scriptures, there's fighting and loving, there's silliness and reverence. I hope the girls are laying the foundations for their own testimonies. I hope they want their own testimonies. They are such good girls, and each have their own understandings, and they share such sweet things - sometimes! I'm so grateful to be quarantined with this crazy crew, like so thankful. I would be so miserable if I was alone right now. 

Thursday April 9th.
Today was mismatched costume day - my favourite so far. I present Pumpkin Pig, the Wonder Queen of Mean, and Ninja Ballerina.

 Fiona then changed into all stripes, which was its own kind of special!

Alice worked really diligently on her school work today. She's been doing lots of hands on stuff which is great.

 There were many tears today, but Fiona got her journal done!

And there was much fun playing with duplo. I love that my girls haven't outgrown duplo and they have no interest in lego. It makes me smile.

Ken had a zoom boys night and we hadn't been out all day, so the girls and I took a twilight walk, and then came home and happily watched another episode of The Little House on the Prairie.

I'm glad that our first week of online learning was only four days! They were four long days, ups and downs, but more ups than downs. I don't know if we have a groove yet, but we made it through, and I think it felt good over all!

Friday April 10th
The first thing I thought this morning - was of Heidi and her birthday! Oof I miss her! I posted this pic on Instagram and tagged her. I'm glad we have the pics that we do, but sometimes I wish I had more pics of my youth, but I'm glad that social media didn't exist!

I feel a little bit like we spent all day doing egg rocks? We didn't, but kind of. We got the table organized - complete with protective snowman table cloth, we washed the rocks, we dried the rocks - making sure not to mix up anyone's rocks. We did the base coats.

After the base coats were done, it was time for the spirit week pic. It was Peter Rabbit day, so we accumulated our massive collection of stuffed bunnies and the girls all put on their dreamies!

The other thing that I did, well, had done... my sweet Ken put henna in my hair. YAY KEN! Before pic of me in the light of the window from the stairs.

With henna in my hair, and the base coat dry, we painted our rocks. Kate's rocks, Fiona's, mine, and Alice's. We all had such a lovely time painting today.

At some point this afternoon the Penney's dropped off a sweet little Easter present! I love tulips!

We watched Hugo as a family tonight. Ken suggested it, and I wasn't sure I wanted to watch it again. Ken and I watched it - I have no idea when, it came out in 2011, the year Alice was born. Anyway, the girls loved it, we all loved it. Having family movie nights on our sectional couch in the basement makes me very happy. (We watched Onward - a new Disney Pixar movie this week too - it was so so good!)

After the girls went to bed - well sort of, Alice had one of her bad nights tonight. I don't think she was asleep until 12:30? Maybe 1? She falls asleep, and then when Ken or I leave she wakes up, and then she spirals and can't go back to sleep. It isn't good. Anyway, Ken eventually had to sit with her, and I got the Easter Egg Hunt ready for the girls.

Saturday, April 11th
Before everyone went to sleep there was an agreement made that no one would wake anyone up! So much for that! Kate woke up her sisters at 7 a.m. Ken is a saint and got up with them to document. Needless to say, the girls LOVED their Easter Egg Hunt! Oh, and a little aside. I've probably mentioned this in years previous, but Easter, I know that Easter is Sunday, but the whole weekend is Easter. We've usually always done our egg fun on Saturday, because in our house Saturday is for the bunny, and Sunday is for Jesus.

Grandma stopped by to wave hello and drop off some Kinder Eggs for the girls. Before my Mom came Fiona asked "We can't hug Grandma right? We have to stay six feet away? I miss Grandma." Honestly, the social distancing hasn't been too difficult really, but every once in a while it hits hard - not being able to hug Grandma on Easter is not cool.

Alice was really over-tired, wouldn't come to say hi to Grandma, then had an absolute melt down after she left. I spent a long time talking to Alice in her room after she calmed down. The ups and downs of this business! And we took selfies with cute messenger filters which is of course part of the talking process?!

I took an after shot of my hair - not a huge change, but the little bits of gray are gone, and that makes me happy!

This afternoon Fiona and I went on a bike ride and it was epic. Ken teases me about how many pictures I take, and so today when we went on said bike ride my phone was charging so I didn't bring it with us, for which thing, I am SAD! Fiona and I rode over to the Alton's house because it was Dawn's birthday today and I wanted to sing her happy birthday. I just looked on maps - it was 5 kms round trip, the farthest we've gone on our bikes yet. Fiona was an awesome traveling companion, we found a second "rock concert" and the first rock concert is ENORMOUS! I am also realizing that I don't yet have a pic of me on my bike - or of my bike. I don't even know if I wrote about getting a bike? I picked it out from Canadian Tire based on online reviews, and I've been really happy with it. Ken picked it up a few Saturdays ago, once it was apparent that we are now a family of bike riding people! Fiona was super cute too, she really appreciated the fact that it was just the two of us.

Tonight the girls were all asleep by a reasonable time because of the excitement of the day. We had a busy week, but a good week. I'm so thankful for my little family!