on the subject....

...of homeschooling....Chris has been looking at his choices post-high school and he is thinking ahead to next year and High School choices. He is thinking of homeschooling grades 10 - 12.

He's mentioned it a few times.....I said its his choice and we'll support whatever he chooses.

A return to homeschooling??

Lloyd left for the airport at the same time as the children left for the bus this morning...he said that at the end of the drive Abigail told him she didn't want to go to school....he figured it was because he was leaving...but she told him that she is bored at school and that they won't let her do any math.

I told him she was fine and she was happy when she got home - so then I asked her a little later what she liked about school. She said she HATES school (this she emphasised by holding my face) and that its boring and she wants to do math but the teacher 'won't let her'.....

She is coming home with pages of a single letter that she has had to trace and she has to learn a song about each letter to help her learn the letter.

Abigail was doing this over two or three years ago....no wonder she's bored.

She doesn't need to learn a stupid song to remember her letters or their sounds...

I was hoping the teacher would be better able to handle a class of mixed abilities but it doesn't seem to matter if some children are reading and others aren't....she makes them all do the same thing. Its not a huge class - less than twenty...she has a helper EVERY day...

If we talk to the school they will probably act like we don't know what we are talking about - we are obviously parents who are pushy and want their child fast-tracked...which couldn't be further from the truth - we just want Abigail to continue to LOVE learning - at HER pace....

Anyway, I always thought this would be a problem. I don't want her put into grade 1 because I know that by grade 3 I will regret having her in a class with girls so much older.....we went through that with Susie.

So maybe we homeschool for a few years and then try school again....

We've said we will give it until November and go to parents evening and see what she says....if the teacher cant say anything positive about Abigail then we will remove her from class...I don't thinka teacher who can't say anything positive about a child is any good at all - no matter how long they've been teaching! I don't want to hear that 'Abigail counts to fast'....she could say 'Wow Abby you're a great counter - can you try that a little more slowly for me?'

Abigail loves to learn - she loves worksheets and doing 'work'...always has...and I want her to be able to continue to learn in the way that suits her...in the way she loves....

I thought two days a week wouldn't make much difference but it does :(

unbelievable

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7014750.stm

These pictures of German soldiers relaxing during their time off from Auschwitz turn my stomach :(

love...

Sam has been busy playing with playdough since we got home and he brought me a heart he had made for me :)

Far away...

So, Lloyd is two time zones away.....that means he's very VERY far away :( He landed safely though and is now at the hotel waiting for his colleagues to arrive.

I was sat in Mcdonalds today skimming the papers for childcare ads (no luck) and I recognised the lady that walked in and sat at the table beside me. Her Son was in preschool with Abigail last year! We sat and chatted for ages and I ended up being in there for two hours! The children were happily playing with their preschool friend so it worked out great. It was a really interesting conversation and has left me with a lot of food for thought!

Talking of food - it's date night tonight! Lloyd needs a few things to take to Toronto with him, so we are planning to have an early dinner and then do some shopping at SEC. I want to pop into the Running Room too as I have a few questions.

I'm glad we went out today - although it means I STILL haven't made my pumpkin loaf!

Learn stamping techniques online!

mycreativeclassroom.blogspot.com/

Donna from Scrappers Haven has started an online tutorial blog for stamping techniques..... What a great idea!


It's so nice to put a voice to the name and face too lol!

What on earth happened to the weather forecast for this week???? So Friday is going to be horrible - tomorrow is going to be lovely...today is supposed to 'nice' (and as I look out the window I see blue skies a-comin'!!!!!

So it doesn't look as though we will go to the zoo on Friday after all - maybe next week.

Job wise - I have told Lori that I would like to work Wednesdays and Fridays and alternate Saturdays. That I am away for a week in October and that all this is dependent on childcare (which is not proving easy to find. Basically all that I earn will go towards childcare lol! So now I am on the hunt for part time childcare - Wednesdays and Fridays - but flexible so that if I need to change my days or work an extra day then that would be ok.

There was a lady advertising on our mail box.....but the sign has gone so maybe they will have it at the store on the board...and the local paper comes out today so I will look in there too....

So...I might be working three days a week for minimum wage and paying more than I earn in childcare lol but I'm looking forward to it - it's a beautiful store. Lovely baby clothes, maternity bras, new baby gifts....elegant, unusual baby items....they have a play area for children, breastfeeding room....washroom...and hey - I certainly am an experienced Mom to know the products :) I haven't worked retail for YEARS but I used to really enjoy it :) Especially at Christmas! And working those two days mean s I can still do preschool after Christmas if I wnat to, can still help in Abigails class sometimes, can still (most importantly!) have breakfast with Val every Thursday morning :)

The drive home.....

Some of the Fall colours were so pretty on the way home that I stopped and snapped some pictures!

Zonked out....

After the playground, we went to Smittys for lunch - actually we had breakfast there but it was 1pm so its a little late even for brunch lol! I had a waffle and Sam had sausage and pancakes. The food was super fast and the service was GREAT!!

We went back to the car and I put my purse and keys up on the bit between the driver and passenger seats....went to grab Sam to put him in his seat and the door blew shut! I try to open the door and its locked!!! HOW?????? I must have knocked it with my elbow or something?? I don't know - I didn't think you could lock it without the key!

Anyhoo, I went back in to Smittys and borrowed their phone and called Lloyd and he gave me the code for the car. It wouldn't work!!!! He told me to press each button twice if I wanted the second number.....I couldn't believe it - my day had been going so well, but luckily I was in a good mood and felt like it was just funny more than anything!

Thankfully, my old neighbour Lori owns a baby store just around the corner from Smittys - the store only moved there a few weeks ago PHEW!!! So I walked around to Baby and Beyond and asked for Lori! We chatted and she let me borrow her phone to phone Lloyd - she didn't know what to do either lol. Anyway, we are chatting and a lady in the store says she knows how to get into my car - so she tells me how to key in the code - I try it and it works PHEW (another PHEW!!!)

So I get into the car and get my purse and keys and we head back to the store to say thank you and to say goodbye to Lori. I also took the time to choose a little something for a certain someone while I was there.....

While I was paying, Lori offers me a job! They need staff and can give me hours to suit.....they don't open evenings or Sundays or holidays. Perfect! So I need to figure out childcare for Sam and she said I can work Tuesdays and Thursdays if I want - while Abby is at school - or as often as I like! They mainly want someone over the lunchtime hours as they can't take a lunch break right now!

So now I am home and the lady isn't coming for the chickens today - they will be going Sunday or next Tuesday instead......the kids are all back from school...Lloyd is on his way home. Lasagna is in the oven and we have a lovely salad in the fridge.

Tonight we will watch 3 more episodes of Greys Anatomy. Georges Dad died last night and it was just so so sad. Lloyd asked if I needed the box of tissues - my sleeves were soggy from drying my eyes! We have to get done in time for the new series which starts on Thursday night!

Lloyd leaves for Toronto on Thursday morning - the flights are booked.

Climbing and sliding....

Sam had fun in the playground after our swim....there were only two other Moms in there so I chatted with one of them for a little while and then the staff member there came over and chatted for a while as she was bored as there was no one there. The last time we were at MP, the school holidays were still on and it was CRAZY busy!!! So this was a nice change :)

Just keep swimming......

This morning Sam and I headed to Millennium Place and went swimming. The pool has been closed for three weeks and reopened yesterday. There were 5 moms in the pool and their babies/ preschoolers and that was it - so we had lots of space and lots of fun - we were in there for 1 1/2 hours and Sam still didn't want to get out - I had to bribe him with food lol!

Fall morning.....

the apples post...

How'd you like them apples? This phrase always reminds me of Matt Damon and the bar scene from Good Will Hunting.

Great scene from a GREAT movie!

How'd you like THEM apples??

Apples are 58c in Sobeys which is a fabby price! Not sure if thats a kg or a pound...I forget what stores price it by.....but its cheap anyway - apples are quite expensive here sometimes....where as bananas are alsways soooo cheap! Anyway.....yesterday we bought a LOT of apples - and they had tiny little ones which are perfect for Abigail and Sam :) And Charlie!! Charlie loves her daily apple!