Halloween...

Susannah and I went in to town last night and had a wander around one of the temporary Halloween stores....we're doing the other one today!  They are so fun to walk around and see everything :)  We ended up only buying some paper Thanksgiving plates, but we enjoyed looking at all they had!

My kids have already decided what they want to be - Susannah is dressing up with her friends and they are all characters from The Wizard of Oz.  Abby has two costumes to choose from, Sam is being a Lego Man and Laurence is being Woody.  

Friday at Katies Crossing....

Today was a PD Day for Susannah, which left the whole day feeling like a Saturday.  We pottered about this morning doing various things...then this afternoon we headed to Katies Crossing to meet up with homeschool friends for ice cream and a walk.  Oh...and some photo taking ;)  

We watched a few trains go by, and then J decide that squashing some pennies on the track would be a good idea!  

It was amazing being sooooo close to the tracks as the train went by.  The ground under our feet SHOOK and you could feel the breeze from it - which J renames 'Train farts' for the kids :)  

We ended up with quite a few flattened pennies and dimes etc...

This train wasn't moving and was just sat there on the bridge, which was a great opportunity to get up close with a train:

Abby hanging out while S and J looked for the flattened pennies and at various rocks lying around:

There was some standing water by the train, that had frozen!  Yikes..Winter is on it's way!

This is one of the unusual rocks we found by the tracks:

My view as I made coffee this morning :)

spelling practice in bed :)

Sam cozied up in bed this morning playing his new spelling game 'Word Whiz' :)  

He's doing good :)  

Snapshots from my week....

There was a mist hanging over the water on the lake this morning.  

It was very frosty out.

The kids chose old fashioned bottles of coke with their lunch at the library.

They brought the bottles home :)

Yesterday Susannah's class went to the Mis Hospital to take part in their 'PARTY' program.  This program is Canada-wide and teaches teens about the dangers of drinking and driving.  4 people spent who had been involved in drunk driving accidents went in to talk to them - including a young man who had killed his best friend.  He was crying while he talked.  A paraplegic spoke with them and went in to great details about things like using the bathroom.  

They had to take a bagged lunch that was taped or stapled shut - and foods that would be difficult to eat - and they each were given different disabilities.  They then had to try and eat their lunches with their disabilities.  As fun and as funny as that was - the lesson certainly hit home.  I think they all found it very emotional and eye opening!  

I know Laurence really learned a lot when he took the class too - if your children have the chance to go on this program then do it!  This is the kind of thing that teens need.  It should be compulsory for all drivers really.  I know a few people who could do with attending a program like this - not just for drinking and driving, but texting and driving!!

Fall is so beautiful:

After our group tonight, we stopped off to fill up with gas, and 

also picked up hot chocolates and a steeped tea for me.  I drank mine while soaking in the bath:

My pretty girl.  She is still loving her earrings - and is taking really good care of them

 - cleaning them several times a day:

It was the last farmers market of the year yesterday.  We met up with our crazy friends, but some of our favourite stalls were not there :(  We went for our usual walk around the lake and all took instagram pictures :)  

First meeting of our group!!

Tonight we went to the very first meeting for the new homeschool group!

It is an evening group so that hopefully a few more Dads may be able to join in - which is a great idea EXCEPT no Dads went!  Apart from the guy who is running it!

It was a lot of run - and the time flew by!  Tonight they just tie-dyed tshirts with a koolaid mixture and these will become their weekly uniform :) 

Next week we are making scarecrows :) 

Window Displays...

We walked by the local art gallery today and found they have decorated their windows ready for Halloween!  Wow they are amazing!  A little TOO gory perhaps for little ones - but very clever!!

Friday Fill-ins

And...here we go!

1. I said I'd like most of the house packed before the student arrives on Wednesday. 

2. more tea is what I'm craving right now. 

3. I was thinking about having an early night but yet again I didn't. 

4. I'll be eating pumpkin pie this weekend, will you? 

5. We should have a fairly quiet Thanksgiving weekend. 

6. I will have to go shopping for boots whether I want to or not!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a quiet evening at home hopefully, tomorrow my plans include waking up and seeing what we feel like doing and Sunday, I want to take Rosie for a lovely long walk! 

the rest of our day....

Chilling out at home for a few hours before we head out again for our new group!!!

Played Go Fish with Sam....

After the wilderness centre we headed into town to the library for a couple of hours.  I wrote on a post-it note and added it to the mural they are creating.  You had to finish the sentence 'I think my library is...'

We saw Val and her crew in the library and I chatted with K and J for a while...Sam played on the wii and Abby searched  up books and dvd's.  After that we went to Education Station to look for a compass (they didn't have one but we found one in Walmart) and I bought a spelling game for Sam - it is an electronic game and focuses on blends.  It gives you two letters and you have to figure out the first two letters.  There are three levels.  He seems to enjoy playing it.  Wish it had a volume button though!

Just having fish, fries and vegetables, and then we are off in to town to start our new evening homeschool group!!  Tie dying our uniform tshirts tonight!!  :)  

Frosty morning...

We woke up to a frosty scene this morning.  It was very beautiful though!  

We had to head out early and it was pretty dismal looking at the temperature:

It ended up being a lovely crisp Fall morning though!!  Abigail had an orienteering class at the Wilderness Centre.  While she was there for two hours, Sam and I met up with friends and headed for a walk around the trails.  T brought me coffee and and brought L a chai tea...so we all had our hot drinks to warm us up!!  And chocolate dipped strawberries!!  I swear I have the BEST friends :)  

The orienteering class was HUGE - the classroom was packed full of older kids/ teens which is so great to see!  So many people are homeschooling now :)  

T can pick Sam up and swing him around like a sack of potatoes, which is hilarious :)  

Little W came along with us and is just soooo cute and fun to photograph:

Poor W though - Sam would NOT hold her hand ;)  

Abigails class was split in to groups and they went off to go orienteering - trying to be faster than the other groups!

Cuteness:

Beautiful scenery even without it's colour!!

Adorable:

The trails at the wilderness centre are soooo pretty.  Can't wait to go there cross country skiing again!!

Scavenger Hunt fun!!!

Yesterday we met our homeschool group at Elk Island Park for a fun afternoon by the lake.  We used the picnic shelter up on the hill, and had two fires going to keep us all warm and toasty!  Lorraine had planned a fabulous scavenger hunt and the children split in to groups and headed off to find everything - trying to be the first team back!  

We had smores and snakes over the fire and then went on a walk around the boardwalk before heading home via the Bison Trail.  

The picnic shelter on the hill:

Lovely fire to keep us snug:

My crazy friends:

Beautiful Fall colours:

Strange creature of Elk Island:

On the drive home:

Astotin Lake surrounded by Fall colour:

The bison were rutting and it was fun to watch and listen to them battle it out from so close!  

Some just lazily watched the fights: