Shadow puppets - very cute :)

This was on tonight's Graham Norton show :)

Teacher thank you cards for Pre-K

Last night I made these cards to say thank you to Sams Pre-K teachers. His Pre-K class finishes on Thursday and I didn't just want to give them Christmas cards when he leaves, but wanted to give them thank you cards too along with their gifts. The cards are very different styles because the teachers are very different in personality ;)

I want to see this!!!

Anyone seen it? It looks so good - I've never seen it before but it was recommended it on a blog today....I think I'm gonna pick it up tomorrow....

Good luck in your new home...

Thought I'd share this fun new picture of my Nan (she's still as funny as ever!!) that I got from my dad this afternoon! It came with the news that my Nan has FINALLY left the hospital after more than SIX MONTHS of being stuck in hospital with a broken arm!!! Yes, a broken arm!!! Unfortunately she wasn't able to go home to her own home as she isn't able to care completely for herself any more. She's now 97 I think and has Osteoporosis and poor eyesight, so it has taken a long time for the bone in her arm to heal and for them to find somewhere suitable for her (and nice enough) for her to move to.

But luckily now my Mom and Dad have found her a lovely place in the town of Dorchester. So my Nan moved to her new home TODAY! I hope she settles in fast and feels at home very soon! And best of all I have an Email address for them!!!! Thats wonderful!!!

Sams new pet.....

Sam has been growing this little guy in our bathroom since Monday night....it started off teeny tiny and you fill the egg with water and then over the course of a couple of days you add more water, and the panda magically 'grows'.....it's literally called 'grow your own panda'.

tacky yes :) expensive no :)

And it makes Sam happy :) he swears the bear is STILL growing!

It reminds me of when I was still in Scotland and Lloyd would make trips over to Edmonton for various things - meetings with Intuit, to set up bank accounts and various other business issues...he would ask me if there was ever anything I would like brought back. I always said the same thing - a polar bear - I said we could keep it in the garage and it could occasionally come in and lie by my feet while we watch tv. In the end he bought me a hot water bottle from Marks and Spencers that came in a fluffy cover that was shaped like a polar bear :)

Swap-bot Blog link swapping..

I'm taking part in a blog link swap on swap-bot - we get to swap our blog link with three Swap-bot members. Check out their blogs for w while and get to know each other via our blogs! I think it;s such a great idea and I've already come across a few new blogs that I love!! I've signed up for two of these swaps to begin with and will see how they go! And small world - one of the swappers I was matched with is from Alberta and last year she took part in that Christmas journaling workshop that I'm considering THIS year!!! How neat is THAT?????? Small world for sure!!!

Anyway if you see some new faces commenting around here over the next few weeks, you know why ;)

And if you're here visiting because you've received my link through swap-bot - WELCOME!! Make yourself at home, please feel free to leave comments, which I LOVE.....and have a good look through the archives...I've kept this blog since 2006 and it holds many wonderful memories...Summers full of hummingbirds, frogs, days at the lake, splash parks, Canada Day Celebrations, visitors from England, Fall pictures, Halloween fun, our dogs, getting our pet pig, Christmas, snow pictures, sledding, campfires, Disney World, my wedding in Florida, birthday celebrations, my Sons graduation from Jr High, homeschooling pictures, school pictures.....family, friends, animals, natures, the Rocky Mountains, Vancouver, Whistler, Scotland.......scrapbooking, artist trading cards, recipes......

Enjoy!

Homeschooling Blog

I've made my homeschooling blog private - if you are interested in reading it, please leave me a comment here with your email address and I will send you an invitation! I won't add your comment I will just delete it :) Thanks! It seems very possible that Abigail will be returning to homeschooling after Christmas. Not definite as yet but it is looking very likely.

A return to homeschooling?

Well, after 3 months in school, it looks as though Abigail may be returning to homeschooling after all. We've had a couple of meetings with her teacher and with the counselor and we've talked to Abigail about whether she would be happier in a different class after Christmas, whether she would be bored at home or miss her friends, but she is fairly insistent that she WANTS to stay at home and go back to her drama classes, maybe ice skating...the homeschool group at the library...back to her friends from homeschooling and her laid back lifestyle.

Abigail is very bright, doing great in math and science and her reading is well ahead and all that jazz....but her OCD's from her tourettes are holding her back. She can't get her writing finished as fast as the other children, she's easily distracted, she's almost 2 years younger than some in her class....she tends to leave things at school so half the time she doesn't bring her homework home or she won't write down what it is or she won't remember things so doesn't get assignments done....

So what to do - put her in grade one? Is that the answer? So we had her tested by the school counselor and she said no she's in the right grade for her work.....Abigail says she would prefer to homeschool than go into grade one. This surprised me. Although I do wonder how she would have faired in grade one.

She has been home for most of the last week....she had a cold and cough but really just needed some tlc. She went back yesterday but came home and STILL did not like school....came home and asked AGAIN to homeschool. But we have said that she can not keep coming in and out of school that she has to stay out if she comes out - at least for a few years. We suggested she try until Christmas and decide but she said she just wants to leave now.

I have always said I would NEVER force a child of mine to go to school unhappily because I can't think of anything worse than being force to go like that. And as much as I am enjoying my quiet days at home during the week, Abigail has to come first. At least while Sam is in pre-K we can go swimming and do things together which will be nice to do with her - maybe Kidz Quarterz etc. And I had already planned out a grade 2 curriculum for her so I guess we will deschool until Christmas and then start grade 2 after Christmas.

So yes, it looks as though we are starting homeschooling again!

The squirrels stash!!!

The workmen pulled down a lot of the front porch today, including the ceiling of the porch! Unfortunately our little squirrel friend 'Frank' has been stashing his winter hoard up there...I can't believe he manages to carry up those entire corn cobs all the way up into the porch roof!

I feel really guilty that we've knocked down his winter hoard but we'll be feeding him all winter so he won't go hungry. The new ceiling product is 'critter proof' so he won't be able to get into it at all. Neither will the wasps to make their nests.

Finally...someone feels the same as us!!!

elizabethkartchner.blogspot.com/2008/11/can-i-get-my-8-bucks-back.html

Someone feels the same as Lloyd and I about the movie ;) FINALLY!!!!

Randoms..........

Outside my window...

The dogs are barking...chasing each other during tonights walk with Chris....


I am thinking...

I wish I had opened the peaches instead of the fruit cocktail...I like fruit cocktail but really I was in the mood for JUST peaches. I don't like fresh peaches but I love, love, LOVE tinned peaches...sooooo juicy!!!


I am thankful for...

Today being almost done - its been a long day and I'm glad it's almost done!


From the learning rooms...

We've done pottery today and learned about pinch pots. I'm still undecided about whether to take the journaling class in December...but I AM leaning towards signing up......


From the kitchen...

I think I'm going to go downstairs and make a big bowl of popcorn. We don't own a microwave - and no there will NOT be one in our new kitchen (we will however have a speed oven in the kitchen which is kind of similar) so I will be making popcorn in a pan with a lid and the kids love to watch....


I am wearing...

Jeans, t-shirt, black socks and a grey fleecy jacket that my Mom and Dad sent me from Marks and Spencers :)


I am creating...

ATC's for swaps, Christmas cards, Christmas tree ornaments, clay pinch pots and ornaments with the children, cookies :) various other things......mini albums, scrapbook layouts, felt things, water colour paintings, gifts.......


I am going...

....to have a lovely big party as soon as my kitchen is finished!!! :)


I am reading...

this months O magazine, this months WW magazine and this months Running Room magazine...


I am hoping...

That 2009 is a better year for EVERYONE :)
.

I am hearing...

Sam play with his bricks beside......Lloyd sleeping gently in bed beside me too (he isn't well) and the kids bumping about downstairs....


Around the house...

We have a LOT of work taking place but my house is going to look soooooo pretty when its all finished and its going to be sooo worth it :)


One of my favorite things...

is seeing Lloyds car drive up the driveway as he gets home from work each day....


A few plans for the rest of the week:

Parent/ teacher interviews tomorrow night. Pre-K on Thursday. Christopher's dentist appt on Thursday. The children have a day off of school on Friday. Festival of Trees this weekend....Christmas shopping....a date night....going to my friends house on Friday as she is having a sale to raise funds for an Orphanage in Ethiopia!

If you read this you are TAGGED!!!!

All the stores but just one cart!!!!

ca.shop.com/

Saw this on 'Life as Lou' and thought it was a great idea and was then THRILLED to see they have a Canadian version...the only time of year I shop online is Christmas...and I don't like to surf endless sites or use my credit card very often, so this site seems ideal as I can use my card once and get everything in one purchase.

Life as Lou does a MUCH better review...but then she gets paid for hers I think ;)

The masked devil revealed ;)

Yes Dad you were right, it was Laurie in the zipped hoody!!

Clay hut day....

Abigail is not at school today....so she has missed out on a field trip with the lady from the 'clay hut' in Sherwood Park - who taught my pottery class. I'm really sad she missed out, so I thought I would teach her myself! We've played with clay a lot in the past, so I know Abigail loves it, but we haven't made the pinch pots that I was taught by the clay hut! I am thinking that if they were going to be taught a real 'technique' today, then probably THIS is what they will be taught. And if not, then at least Abigail can take her pinch pot in to school tomorrow with pride and show her class what she made at home with some information on pinch pots to show they are real and have history!

We massaged the clay until it was nice and soft and then rolled it into balls before using our thumbs to create the pinch pots.

Sam had fun making one too and then had fun squishing it - but then he made a snowman too! I enjoyed showing them the technique of connecting clay together using vinegar and rough edges and then sealing the joins with extra clay and smooting it over the join. Abigail made a bear using this method and sam is waiting for his snowman to dry and then we are going to paint it and glue on buttons! I'll photograph them when we are finished!

Oh so tempted.......

www.shimelle.com/classes/

This new writing class looks wonderful......but I'm wondering if it would be a little over-commitment with the holiday season upon us....or would it be a little wonderful step back and some relaxation and a little just-what-I-need????

hhhmmmm $30 US too????? thats pricey for an online workshop when you don't know the quality but once you sign up you can rejoin every year.....