Summer visitors

For much of this Summer I won't get to watch the birds from the kitchen window....the diggers arrive next week to dig out the basement, and my view from this window will change for a few months. But for now the birds are still visiting. The male woodpecker was here for much of the day, but this female stopped by and looked at me as if to say 'what do you think you're looking at'?????

Thursday ramblings...

Sam is still sick, so I have spent much of my day doing laundry, pottering about in my bedroom while he lays flopped on the bed listlessly, occasionally throwing up. It's still from the cough...all phlegmy - sorry - you really wanted to know that didn't you???? Poor little guy has no energy.

I spent some time going through Abigails homeschooling paperwork.....checking what we have done this year, what, if anything we need to work on before the end of the year etc etc. I sorted out some parcels to go in the mail.

Abby worked on maps today and story starters as well. She also sat on the bed and read some stories to Sam.

Linda phoned about the camping trip next for Chris' class. It's Thursday and Friday night at the lake and I may or may not be staying Thursday night. I already said I can't make it Friday night as I have plans (lol Val - YOU know why I cant make it the Friday night!!!!It's THE Friday night of the YEAR!!!!!) But the camping trip is sounding good and I am so so pleased they are going - they're using our tent as one of the tents which is fine - in fact they may use both our tents if our old tent still works - we'll try it this weekend and maybe I will camp out with the kids. If the ground dries out.

It's STILL raining - but thats good really as it means the ground is getting SUCH a great soaking and the pond level was soooooo low this year - we didn't get the big flood we normally get this year - normally when the snow melts we get this big flood and the pond overflows but that didn't happen this year and the pond level is really low so hopefully this will help a little. The fire bans in Edmonton have been lifted already so thats good.

Tonight Chris has the dentist - some quick work before his orthodontist appointment. Lloyd is taking him so I can stay home with Sam in the warm.

Last night Lloyd and I ran into town to get some dog food and grabbed a coffee. I picked upa new book to read. 'Me to We by Karl and Marc Kielburger. You can read more about it at:

www.metowe.org/

The book that’s showing the world that one person can make a difference is now a New York Times Best Seller! Me to We is a philosophy, a manual, a manifesto and a movement. It's about finding meaning in our lives and our world by reaching out to others.

Chris has a leadership meeting at school right now so I have to go pick him up in a few minutes...he's organizing the leaving party for when they graduate Junior High in a few weeks. He was chosen to run leadership a couple of weeks ago when the teacher who was running it left to have a baby.

Laurie came home to say a boy in Chris's class was expelled from school today - so I will be interested to hear what happened and if thats true - as its not a boy who is normally in trouble! In fact this is a boy who was Chris's swap partner for Christmas gifts last year and came to our door on Christmas morning with a gift for Christopher!!!

Lloyd is on his way home from work :)

I hope Sam is better tomorrow - Abigail has requested to go somewhere specific and I am supposed to be out for dinner with Val in the evening. We were supposed to be going to Smiles10101010101010101 (lol I don't know her real name lol) party in the evening but its postponed because Tina's little guy is in hospital, so we are going to go out anyway.......after Sam being ill I am soooo looking forward to it :) Not that I wasn't anyway but...well you know what I mean :) I just hope Sam is well enough that he isn't clingy! Mind you he normally clings to Lloyd and not me anyway lol!

funfair fun

A at the fair....

Kite flying

We made the most of flying the kite this week during some VERY windy weather!

Growing

Watering the flower garden. A watering her plants - she won the little cherry trees two years ago on Earth Day. The catnip she chose at the garden centre last week. The Lupine is her Sisters and she is watering it for her.

Grade 2 workbook

Yesterday I bought a Grade 2 workbook for A. as she has finished all the grade 1 books we had bought for her and was bored with them all. Last night she did 18 pages! She loved it. Which now confuses us even more over what year to register her for next year. This year she was actually registered for kindergarten. We were officially going to register her for grade one next year. Now we are considering registering her for grade two.

What to do?

She is enjoying writing stories now - they are only a few lines long but it's a start. She is still loving to read and is now reading chapter books. She is reading a Dear Dumb Diary book right now. I have no idea what grade level that kind of book is but she picked it off the shelf herself and is reading it to herself at bedtime.

Her spelling is a little TOO good though and makes me laugh! Last week the gas company was here with their 'ditch witch' to trench a new gas line for us. and A. saw the ditch witch and said "you know, if they changed the first letter to a 'B' it would be a rude word' and I laughed out loud and said "You know, I had thought the same thing myself"!!!! This girl is six and she can think about changing spellings from witch to *itch!!!!!!! hahahahaha!!

This week S is sick and it is raining heavily outside so we are doing lots of reading, crafts, talking....and sitting out on the porch watching the chrysalises waiting for them to change (any day now!!!!)

Today A is drawing maps from places close by to our house!

I think tonight I will go through the grade 1 curriculum and check off the things we've done this year so we can see what we have and haven't done this year.....I think A has come on in leaps and bounds since September! Her reading, writing, spelling, drawing, math, science...all her basics.......

I ask her about the Fall and she says she definitely wants to do drama again with her friends. She is also hoping to do ice skating if the class runs. And I think I will put her in to Jennifers group at the library. I think that will be enough for her though. And definitely enough for me.

Abigails Story....

One day I came home from school and found an octopus in my bathtub. I ran to Mom and she said call Dad. Then he said call the Police. Then I had to call the Police and the Police said we will be there as fast as we can.

The End.

In my thoughts......

Taras Daughter Kennedy is being admitted into the Stollery childrens hospital as I write. Kennedy, who is 8, has Cystic Fibrosis. She has been having some problems with her breathing - I think related to asthma or an infection.

Anyway, Kennedy will be in hospital for two weeks which is a very long time for a little girl - and a very long time for a family! Please keep Tara and her family in your thoughts - please pop over to the 'CFMommy' blog - link to the right - and let them know that you are thinking of them!

Tara if you need anything please just call.

Another family we know have a little boy with CF who is also in hospital there this week. Please also keep Tina and her little boy Connor in your thoughts too!