so true xx

Earth Day....

The weather today was just gorgeous! I slept with my window open all night so I could fall asleep listening to the frogs.  Bliss.

Today Susannah and I went to see a movie at lunch time - The Lucky One - and then after picking Laurence up from his friends house, we were home by late afternoon and still had several hours of sunshine and several hours before Sam and Abby were due back.  

Susannah and I did some yard work - cutting grass, tidying up the fire pit, demolishing the sandpit/ box,  sweeping up, picking up garbage....

Then we took Rosie for a walk all round the acreage and played fetch with her in the pond so she got tired out from swimming.  

I picked some Pussy Willow to go in a big jug in the hallway.  It looks so lovely - couldn't believe the prices at the farmers market yesterday!  People pay crazy amounts for some cuttings of Pussy Willow!  We have it growing everywhere!  

All in all, it was a fabulous day - still lots to do around the acreage, but we made a good start and it felt good to spend a few hours outside enjoying this little piece of Planet Earth that I am so lucky to have!!

Our Saturday....

Susannah and I had to head to Whyte Ave to pick up the Roller Derby tickets

so we called in at the farmers market.  We treated ourselves to a bag each of the amazing almonds

that they sell there - raspberry flavoured :)  

While we were there, we got to see a flashmob take place outside!!  Turns out, it was the Edmonton location for the Body by Vi Challenge 'Worlds largest flash mob' and these were taking place all over the world in all different cities!!

The tv cameras were there, so no doubt it was on the news last night!!

I expected to wake up and see Kony 2012 posters everywhere, but we didn't see many at all...a few had already been covered over by other posters on Whyte Ave, but we did spot this ONE on a store window:

Saturday evening, we headed over to the Roller Derby to watch the game.  It was a REALLY good game - soooo violent and crazy!  Bet those girls are bruised today!  They were pushing each other like crazy and going flying off the rink and so many fell over.  Great game - so much better than last time!  

The weather was so nice yesterday and today that out came my capri's and sandals :)  

Bliss!!

After the roller derby we grabbed some supper together:

Susannah was busy chatting with her new beau 'Jon'....they text constantly....but thankfully he is three provinces away :)  

It was a good day....started with me going in to town to see Sandy and get my taxes done - yay glad that is done for another year!  Thank you soooo much Sandy!  

Laurence worked last night and spent the weekend at his friends house...he looks exhausted not just from working but all the walking it means too - but it's good for him I think :)  

So my weekend was spent with Susannah - art journaling, Whyte Ave, Roller Derby, supper, lots of chat, lots of laughing...I feel so lucky to have such a great relationship with my Daughter!  

I missed Sam and Abby but knew they were happy and these weekends without them are a great time to spend with Susannah and Laurence.  

Such a shame I didn't have that chance with Chris.

x

I am LOVING the new art sticks that I got for the classroom - for the Tuesday evening art journaling class.  They are soooooo amazing to use!   Love, love, LOVE!!!!  What I love even more is that I got them for 50% off!!!!  :)  

Tonight I worked on an art journaling page about betrayal - this has been a big issue in my life in the last couple of weeks.  I was betrayed very badly by someone I trusted.  I wanted to create a page and get my feelings out about why I am reacting the way I am reacting.  I am not reacting in the way I would normally - in fact I am not reacting to anything in the normal way right now - I think I am just too tired of fighting and arguing and I just needed to move beyond that with everything - even this NEW betrayal.  I am so glad I have remained calm about it.  I wasn't sure what to do about my future...so many people have been asking me about things...and so many have been just soooo encouraging and supportive.  They understand exactly how I feel though.

I think what I am going to do is just give it a little while and see how things go and see how I feel....maybe this time next week I will be more sure of what I want to do.  

My finished art journal page from this evening:  

Our Friday!

Today has been a real mixed bag where weather is concerned.

It snowed a little this morning and then got really sunny and has also rained a bit

too with dark clouds coming over each time....then clearing to blue skies again.

When the skies are blue the temperature is LOVELY!!

We sat outside at the table on the deck and had a 'poetry tea' with drinks and cookies.

We took it in turns to read poetry to each other.  This book of poems was also about sea life or creatures from 'Tide Pools'.  

Today we also did a lot of science.  One of the experiments was filling a bottle with oil and water and a little food colouring.  Of course the oil would not mix with the water - even when we shook it really hard it would still separate:

We eventually went inside and I read several chapters of our story book to them.

Then we used the geometric shapes to try and memorize them.  I think we all did really well - I will test them after the weekend and see if they remembered them :)  

Another science experiment we did was to create gases using baking soda and vinegar, to inflate balloons:

They really liked this experiment and did it over and over and over again!!

All in all it's been a great day of learning together!  Now the little ones are off to their dads for the weekend.  Laurence is working and Susannah and I are going to art journal.  

xxx

Thursday afternoon

Yesterday we had to take Laurence to get his hair cut, so while he was with Amber, I took Sam and Abby over to the mall near the hair salon.  We had a look around the pet store there and I couldn't BELIEVE these cookies there - which look soooo yummy, but are for DOGS!!!!

Abby and Sam enjoyed looking at the rabbits, Chinchillas and other pets that they had there - oh ferrets - they had quite a few and Abigail thought that was WONDERFUL!!

We also went upstairs and had a snack while we waited.  I had a coffee and a scone which was really yummy:

We watched the fountains in the centre of the mall for a while as they shoot up really high every few minutes.  We also had a look through the book store there.

Our Thursday evening....

Susannah and I headed to the farmers market - it was the last week of having it indoors before it heads out next week for the Summer season.  We didn't buy anything and weren't there for long as it really isn't as good as the one at Festival Place which we LOVE...I always find the one at Salisbury a bit 'pushy' - they pounce on you as soon as you walk near and I prefer to be left alone to stroll around.  We do LOVE the Saturday market at Old strathcona though!!!  Hmmmm maybe we will head there tomorrow after my appt with Sandy!

I've been meaning to blog one of the plastic $100 bills for AGES...but keep forgetting.  Finally remembered in the car yesterday and used Susannah as a prop lol - yes they are plasticky and part of it is transparent - can you see Susannahs glasses through it????  I find them kind of weird but I guess they are safer!

And...here we go!

1. Vegetables are best most definitely - and I love them ALL.
2. I love mason jars; there are just so many things you can do with them - I mean just look at Pinterest!!!  lol.
3. How wonderful it is to homeschool outside on the back deck in the sunshine again.
4. Before I Go To Sleep is a book I'd love to recommend.
5. Using leftovers: I like seeing the children have a hot lunch because they get to reheat leftovers.
6. Teaching art and art journaling to people and showing them how fun it can and SHOULD be makes me incredily happy!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to an evening at home art journaling, tomorrow my plans include going to see sandy to get my taxes done and also going to a Roller Derby match and Sunday, I want to do one of three things - we can't decide between Earth Day Festival, The Womens Show or going to see the new Zac Efron movie!

Wednesday Tag :)

1. Spring is in the air (at least in my neck of the woods) and the birds are singing...what's your favorite bird?

I have a lot of favourites - so many that visit our yard...the Nuthatches, the crows, the Goldfinches, the Redpolls, Little Peep and Big Peep, The Robins.....the hummingbirds...

2. Speaking of birds...do you tweet? If you do share your screen name and we'll come flocking to your twitter site. Even if you don't let's all pretend here that we do-in 140 characters or less, sum up your week so far.

No I don't tweet.  Sum up my week?  Ok:

Busy days are a sign of a life well lived.  I can't complain!

3. It's been reported recently that employers are not only viewing the facebook pages of potential hires but they're also requesting your facebook password to have a look at what you've kept from public view. What say you?

I would NOT give my password to anyone - certainly not an employer.  Oh no!  

4. It's April and you know what that means-Major League Baseball is back in action. What's your favorite baseball themed movie? If that's too hard what's your favorite sports themed movie?

No idea....

5. Something else this season brings-asparagus. Yes please or no thanks? If it's yes please what's your favorite way to have it prepared?

YUMMY!!!  Any way it comes please and thank you :)

6. What drives you? (Don't you love how I sandwiched that one in between asparagus and jugglers?)

My children, myself, a need for security in the future...a need to prove things to myself.  

7. April 18th is International Jugglers Day...can you juggle?

Yes.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

The laundry basket is right beside the shower and yet STILL Abigails clothes are on the floor of the bathroom....scattered.  Love her :)  

x

My current art journaling classes...

My new evening art journaling class started last night.  For the first class we worked on

backgrounds and layering techniques, introducing everyone to gesso, various paint techniques, glimmer mists and pastel art sticks.  I think it went well.  This is the page that I created as I went through step by step to show them....I was rushing as I wanted them to see what to do and then spend the session taking the time to create their own pages.  I still had fun doing mine though.

This morning I had my usual childrens art journaling class - this semester our topic is 'bring on the colour' - today we created a collage of houses using various coloured/ patterned cardstock and finished off with paint/ pens.  Each one was really different!  Then we spent some time trying out various art products - alcohol inks, sprays and mists, embossing powders!!

Sam was sick today and didn't take part, and a few others were missing from the class too :( 

This is the page I created to show them the idea:

As we had some spare time at the end of the session, we used the junk modelling materials to build a 3d version of our town collage.  Then we built a tower tall enough to reach the ceiling:

Then I had them create sculptures of a man, an elephant, names and 

a really REALLY long snake:

Rosie has spent much of the day today sleeping and enjoying having us at home - our first 'at home' day all week!!!

My afternoon was spent finishing my book (Before I go to Sleep) which was FANTASTIC.  I also did a ton of laundry - about 4 loads I think....Sam played Minecraft and watched movies as he is ill.  Abigail read and did sewing and asked me question after question after question!!!  OMG!!!!  My brain is going to explode!  Sam started showing me his Minecraft house.  He also started asking me math questions.  

Susannah was late home as they had bus evacuation.  She went to do her homework and Abigail found her asleep when we called her for dinner!  

Laurence is working tonight so I will drive in and get him tonight.  

And that is my Wednesday!

Oh and yesterday?  As well as my class in the evening....Laurence started his new job.  I had to get some supplies from Michaels for my class - then we went to Timmys and met a friend of Abigails and her Mom.....then we went to Homeschool Group at the library - it was science day - chatted a lot with Sharla.....also chatted afterwards with the girl who ran the science day - about getting the group more structured and organized and make it more welcoming.  Getting it more active again!  It REALLY needs it!!  It needs SOMETHING!!!  So we are going to get together or have a planning session and figure something out!  

Abigail said that she for SURE wants to keep going now that this new lady is getting involved because it was soooooo much better and she LOVED yesterdays class (and loved playing with Sharlas Daughters too).  

So anyway...that was our Tuesday too.....

I'm exhausted and it's only Wednesday!!  :)  But I love being exhausted when it is because of good things and GOOD stress and good busy :)  

x