Chasing an Eclipse

When exactly planning for the eclipse began, I'm not sure. The path of totality included Niagara Falls, Kingston, Montreal. Ajax and Stouffville were both just outside of totality. A couple of months ago it seems the talk about the eclipse seemed to be coming up more and more and school boards starting moving P.A. Days around, cancelling school, making half days - all because in our area the eclipse would coincide with the end of the school day and people, lots of people were worried about little kids looking up at the sun.

Today there was a large area around us that would experience totality. In 2017 the path of totality went through South Carolina. Today the Niagara area had three and a half minutes of totality. Forty minutes to the east of us in Port Hope there was going to be 55 seconds of totality. After visiting the science centre and talking to an astronomy expert we ordered eclipse glasses. I hoped that I would be allowed to leave school and since the girls had the day off, we started talking about where we would go to watch the eclipse. 

It turned out that I wouldn't be getting to leave early, and would have meetings all afternoon. I told Ken that he needed to take the girls and go find totality. And the easiest place would be Port Hope. So that's what they did. They only thing that none of us counted on today, clouds.

After my staff meeting was over I went outside and caught glimpses of the crescent sun as the clouds passed by. It was neat. I felt sad that I wasn't with Ken and the girls and I felt sad that there was so much cloud cover. It was really neat when it got dark - even if it wasn't completely dark. At recess this morning I took pictures of the sun shining through hole punched cardstock. I was hoping to recreate the cool pictures that I took in 2017 of the eclipse through the colander. But after school it was just too cloudy.

Tonight I asked everyone there thoughts. I know today didn't turn out they way we wanted, but it was still a cool day. One that I hope the girls remember. 

Ken - It's hard not to be disappointed about the clouds, but it was still a cool experience to see the darkness of the eclipse. Also, Port Hope doesn't seem to care too much about people having fires on the beach because there were about 20 fires along the beach. 

Kate - It was pretty cool, but I wish I saw the sun. People were lighting their fires from other people's fires, and some guy asked us for the stick Fiona was dragging along the beach for us to sit on.

Alice - 5/10 might recommend. 

Fiona - It was a real disappointment. 

My pics

Hayley's eclipse pic

Two hours later - beautiful outside!

Ken's pics

My Birthday Weekend

I feel like I need to start with last year... 

Realization... worried about getting old

What did I want?!

Pre-birthday shopping trip

A quiet work day, Choko Moko - apple cake, dosa, cards from Ken and the girls

Original plan - walk, buddha belly, aga khan, riz

What happened - walk by our house, no buddha belly because of surprise visit from Romeila on Friday night with so many treats from bunners, aga khan, riz

Quiet happiness with my favourite people

I still can't say my age out loud so there's still some work to be done, but birthdays aren't the absolute worst...  

Alice's Birthday Party

Alice wanted to do the same thing she did last year. Invite some friends over, hang out in the basement, eat stuff and hit a pinata. So that's what we/she did. The had pizza, they smacked the pinata, Alice received lovely gifts, they had an ice cream sundae bar and fun was had by all!

Paige

Heather

Leila

Caden

Ade

Noraa