Todays message from Brave Girls xxx

'Little Birdie' Featured Artist of the Day: Crystal Manning Carl Junction, Missouri, USA crystalmanning.blogspot.com

Friday Fill-ins....

1. When I was 10 years old I got my first Sindy Doll - she was a ballerina with brown hair and a beautiful pink tutu.  I loved her :)  

2. brussel sprouts are my favorite vegetable because they are yummy with a roast dinner and remind me of Christmas. 

3. My dream pet is a pet rock, because they don't pee or poop or shed hair or have vets bills. 

4. inspiration and creativity surrounds you. 

5. If I could live anywhere in the world I'd live in Canmore or Nantucket. 

6.  Love and strength please keep on shinin' on me. 

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a quiet night at home, tomorrow my plans include getting that bin filled and then depending on the weather maybe the movie on the square downtown and Sunday, I want to head to the Cornfest at the Prairie Gardens to make the most of the Annual Pass I got for half price with Groupon!! Then on Monday (as it's a three day weekend, I want to...double check everything is in the bin, then take Rosie for a walk somewhere different - maybe Whitemud Ravine, maybe the Wilderness Centre...maybe Elk Island

That Friday feelin'.....

It's a three day weekend :)  Love it!!!  And after a gorgeous cool and rainy Fall day today, the weekend is supposed to be lovely and the start of a GORGEOUSLY HOT week :)  27c by the end of the week :)  

We seem to be falling in to a nice school day routine already, which I am really happy about.  Awake at 6am.  Susannah and Laurence are having no problems getting up for school this year at all :)  Abigail wakes up not long after Susannah leaves, and Sam sleeps normally until about 9am - although this morning he slept until almost 10am!!  I just leave him to sleep when I can because he is such a bundle of energy all day that I am sure he needs all the sleep he can get!!  Yesterday he was at the park climbing trees and racing about all day and I'm sure it tuckered him out :)  

Plus, he looks so beautiful asleep that I can't keep from watching him.  

Abigail worked on her science book today which she says is her favourite book so far this year.  it is split in to weeks with one topic a week and one page per day - but she just does as much as she likes.  Today she finished off week one, which was all about plants, flowers and the way they adapt to survive.  Next week is all about Dolphins and starts with how they manage to sleep under water without drowning :)  

We headed into town to run some errands, including to the pharmacy for Abigails meds.  We also got her referral for the Tourettes clinic, which is wonderful news, so I can call them on Tuesday and get an appointment set up.  So pleased that has come through!  Although I must say she has been a lot easier since our routine has calmed down and the weather has been cooler - not sure which it is or weather it's a combination - but more sleep, more routine, slower days, quieter days...it all seems to be helping her - and of course she is on meds which could be slowly starting to kick in too.  Although they said it would take up to six months for that!  

We weren't in town for long - came home and put dinner in the crockpot.  Sam and I started to fill the big bin that we have rented for the long weekend.  We are clearing out the garage ready for Winter and also getting rid of some old broken furniture and bits and pieces.  Sam loves helping.  I'm so sad for him that Winter is almost here as he so loves to be outside.  He likes that the mosquitoes have all gone now and he is outside so much - on his bike or his skateboard.  Playing with Rosie...he is making plans for the treehouse and how to finish it.  It seems to really be on his mind at the moment.  Such a shame he doesn't have a man around the place to help him with it.  As much as I want to stay single it makes me wonder if I should - for them....especially for Sam.  Maybe he needs a guy around the place more.  A guys guy - that would go outside and kick a ball with him....go build the treehouse with him....go catch bugs with him (lol)  - today he came inside with a  big fuzzy caterpillar on his leg - just crawling around on his pants!!  He thought it was fantastic!  I thought it was creepy lol!!  :)  

So what else did we do??  Oh I know - it started to rain so we gave up on filling the bin for today and I came in and worked on a class I'm taking.  Sam sat by me and watched 'Word World' on Netflix.  The two of them played The Game of Life.  

Abby had some computer time.  She's trying to arrange a sleepover at my friend Trish's house.  It's funny watching the conversation.  

Susannah and Laurence got home from school and it was the normal after school type stuff until dinner.  Sam played outside for a while.  Everyone pottered about.  Quiet evening.  Three days of school has left everyone tired and quiet and ready for the long weekend I think :)  

Lobster we were watching at Sobeys today:

Crab we were watching at Sobeys today:

Dark skies behind our house today:

NOT-BACK-TO-SCHOOL Picnic :)

Yesterday we went to the HLSA NOT back to school picnic - a celebration for homeschoolers in Edmonton, for the start of the new homeschool year.  

The weather was perfect - 18c, not too hot, sunny...just gorgeous...and the park was Emily Murphy...a lovely treed park in the river valley.  

There was a wonderful turnout as you can see - although it was difficult to take pictures without identifying too many people as I didn't want to put pictures online without permission of close ups...and also people were soooo spread out in the park.  I also took these mainly just before we left and many had already gone home - earlier in the day there were many more people there.  I was so surprised by how many were there - especially how many older teens were there!  

I thought I knew a LOT of the homeschoolers in the area yet I didn't recognise too many there - a few faces from various classes we go to - park days we've been to.  French class etc.  I saw a few friends and of course the children are better at recognising their friends and vanished as soon as we arrived.  Abigail was thrilled that her new BFF was there.  (best friend forever lol) and Sam was soon off with his friends from French club and a big group of boys who were playing in the trees...all the Moms were saying it looked like a re-enactment of Lord of the Flies :)  So true!!  

I spent most of the afternoon with my friend Lorraine and her Daughter Alora and met their friend Nikki - who is a member of the Sherwood Park Homeschoolers - soooo nice and I'm looking forward to seeing them again at coffee night next week :)  

It was a great start to the homeschool year :)