Stormy skies on the way home tonight...

Game time..

Even though we haven't been able to stick to the screen-free week (because I ended up having to be online for legal reasons, support, and a few things that happened yesterday etc) we have been doing a lot of other things apart from just being on the computer/ watching tv etc...

We've definitely been making the most of the new board games!!!  So much fun!!!  :)

Sam has a new BIG selection of K'nex which he LOVES.

I've been art journaling and doing mixed media on canvas.  I stopped in at the scrapbook store and Michaels yesterday for a couple of bits and pieces for the class I'm taking but can't find the main thing I need ANYWHERE..punchinella (sp???) or 'sequin waste'....you used to be able to find it everywhere but these days they don't seem to sell it.  I've tried dollar stores, dollarama, Michaels, scrapbook stores...

Sewing for Abigail, reading, decluttering.  We have Christophers play to attend on Thursday.  Today we went downtown.  Laurence and I went out to supper and had fun chatting.  Tomorrow the dog park.  

My Learner driver :)

Laurence passed his learner drivers test today and can now drive on the roads as long as I am with him :)  Yay!!  :)  He didn't want to drive home, but instead of going to his dads for the evening, he took me for a drive - he drove to the Esso and filled the truck up with gas, then drove us in to town for supper - going up Hwy 21, along Baseline, around by the vets, down by Millennium Place...then home via Hwy 14 :)  

He did really great and I'm very proud :)  

While we were at the registry office I took the opportunity to change the last of my id into my name of choice and I now have NOTHING left in my married name WOOHOO :)  The girl who served me understood completely as she is also about to serve papers on her husband who is also a complete jerk :)  

We shared stories and empathised with each other and she was soooo nice :)  She was really nice anyway but when we started chatting about our divorce and marriage stories she seemed even nicer lmao!!  

There was also a guy in the line up who was chatting with Laurence and I - he started by chatting about Abby and Sam and then moved on to talking about England because of our accents - he then said he was last there in 1967 and I laughed and said that that was before I was born - he told me off for being cheeky!!  Hahahaha  :)  He was really funny :)  

Today was a good day.  Third time lucky for Laurence - sooo happy for him :)  He will make a good driver - he is cautious and sensible!  

YUM!!

A new canvas...

'This is my path - towards the Truth'

Screen Free Week!!! 18th - 24th April!!

As of tomorrow we are taking part in Screen-free week.  You can read about it HERE

We will be switching off our laptops, computers, ipads, facebook, tv's etc etc and going a whole week without them!!  I won't be using Email or checking my facebook messages, but will be contactable via my cell phone and plan to still use texting as a means to contact people.  So if you need to get hold of me you can find my contact # on my info page under my facebook profile :)  

Today we added a few new board games to our collection to keep us entertained at home instead of watching movies...I played a few rounds of Mastermind with laurence tonight and he wasn't too thrilled that he couldn't figure out my code of colours but I managed to figure out his in 4 tries :)  He's sooo obvious hahahaha :)  Of course he then assumed I was telepathic hahaha  The pics above show my poor loser of a Son ;)  

We have plenty of plans and activities to keep us busy this week....I don't watch any tv so I won't miss that - but I WILL miss not being able to add my photos to the computer, not being able to get Emails regularly from Mr TDH (lol that nickname is going to stick with him forever I think haha) and not being able to plan things with friends on FB....

Have a great week and I will be back to update next week :) 

xxx

My latest little girl :)

Choose Happiness :)

Getting to know you Sunday :)

1. what's something you've eaten and liked, but didn't think you would?  Eggs Benedict.I really wasn't sure if I would like the texture or taste of eggs with a creamy sauce over them...and I didn't know what to expect, but the mushroom eggs benedict in Canmore is HEAVENLY!!!  :)  Also, medium to rare cooked steak - I wasn't sure I'd ever try meat that bloody...but it wasn't as bad as I thought - but I still prefer well done ;)  

2. plastic surgery..yay or nay?  Hell yeah!!  I'd like my tummy done and my boobs put back where they belong and made smaller ;)

3. 2 things you love about spring are.....?  Not having to dress up in layers and remember coats.  Hearing the geese fly overhead as they arrive back from their Winter down south.

4. when's the last time you went on a picnic?  Last Summer...

5. what's your favorite app?  Apart from the Facebook app, it would have to be the Tarot app on my iphone because it's really accurate and really interesting to use.  

6. who does the grocery shopping in your house?  Me - there is no one else to do it.  Laurence normally comes with me to help with the cart.  

7. would you rather take a spin class or zumba?  spin.  

8. how often do you go out to dinner?  A few times a week - maybe once or twice with the children depending on the week/ reason/ celebration....and maybe once a week or every other week with a friend.  

The Truthteller....

I bought this at Dollarama, and when I bought it, she was covered in a fake 'moss'...but sadly it looked more like green underarm or pubic hair :(  It was REALLY nasty :(

I did love the statue though and knew that I wanted her because she is holding a bird (my Truthteller) as if she is listening carefully to him... I knew it would be perfect for a piece of Brave Girl art!!!

I soaked her in nail polish remover to get rid of the 'hair' and then once that was off I started to collage her dress using napkins :)  I then painted her...gave her a coat of glossy modpodge and added some text and sparkly wings :)  

Today in Dollarama I found a 'sister' for her - the same series of statues - just another pose!!  So I intend to create another girl using a different brave phrase :)  

Unschooling.....our day....

Today was a fairly typical day, so I thought I'd make a note of all we did..and snap a few pictures...to give you an idea of what unschooling is all about.

Laurence left for school at the usual time.  Susannah's bus was late, so she came back for a few minutes before heading back down the driveway to wait again.  We've had more snow/ bad weather and the bus had run into a few problems.

Sam was still sleeping, but Abigail was awake and came into my room and sat on the bed with her French book from the library.  She chose one with a cd and has been teaching herself French this week.  So far she has learned counting as well as basic phrases such as hello, how are you?  How old are you?  etc etc...She's doing really well :)

Sam woke up and we looked on Netflix for a show for him to watch - we picked 'How Yellow Buses Are Made'....Abby joined him and watched it.  Can you guess how long it takes to make ONE school bus???

While they watched their video, I listened and worked on my Truthteller statue of a little girl holding a bird - part of my class I'm taking.

Then Abigail searched Netflix for Madeline shows and sat and watched one of those - her and Sam chatted about paris for a little while (Sam wants to live there when he is older) and then Sam went off to his room to empty out his white drawers so we can move them to the workshop and he can have his new little table in there instead.

After Abigail was done with the laptop/ show, I used it to book some field trips for June.  I then organized the cheques for those and got them ready to mail off.  While I did that, and finished off my statue, Sam and Abby worked together on an electronic book we have called ' Kwik-Kindy Launch'.  It's an educational program where you work through the questions and answer them by pressing the buttons and if you get the green light you know you're correct and can move on to the next question.  Some of the questions are REALLY hard considering they are for kindergarten kids - but then it says they are for 'Really Smart 5 and 6 year olds'.....

Breakfast, coffee, showers and dressed....Sam and Abigail sat and did some finger knitting together.  Abigail used her new really thick and fluffy wool!!  Sam also did his tractor jigsaw again today.

Sam had $10. in his wallet and asked if we could go out so he could spend it.  He asked to go to Walmart or Dollarama.  I asked if they'd like to go to Millwoods Mall so they could go to the Edmonton Public Library there too and also the Dollarama there.  They could burn off some energy in the little playground too.  They agreed, so we headed out.

Abigail posted the field trip fees for me and checked the mail box - they take it in turns now.

We stopped off at Tim Hortons for lunch.  My friend Shawna came over to say hello which was a lovely surprise although I was stuffing my face with a donut at the time hahaha!  Sigh.....

Then the mall and Sam had fun choosing what to buy with his money - I decided to let him choose exactly what he wanted with it - he had been asking for a LONG time for a mini skateboard, and he picked that - as well as some gum for both him and Abigail.  I think that was all he got - he saved the rest.  He was also very firm about the fact that Abigail and I had to go outside while he paid!!  He is so independent :)  Yay for him :)

At the library Abigail used the computers to find more French programs....obviously her latest obsession!!  Sam got chatting to a girl in the kids section and I could hear him asking her if she lived in the town or the country...and if she could count backwards...  :)

We stopped at the playground for a few minutes and then headed home.  I took migraine meds before I left the mall, and by the time I got home I was yawning constantly....I had to go straight to bed when I got home...and I fell asleep and spent pretty much the whole evening asleep.  These meds just knock me out!  They stop the migraines but make me sleep :(

Abigail read several of the library books to Sam on the way home...

Abigail used the sewing machine and made herself a bag and then she ironed on a pretty 'iron on embroidered dragonfly and butterfly on each side....I will photograph it tomorrow!  She did a great job for a first try at sewing something with no help!  Considering I was upstairs asleep!!!  :)

Abby and Susie made baked potatoes for supper - they are still loving them....they brought me some up which was lovely of them.

I think the rest of the evening was spent playing, chatting, on the computer and watching tv, relaxing - from listening to the giggles coming from downstairs etc when I was awake.  They were all asleep before 10pm or so....or at least it was very quiet in there so maybe they were reading in bed....

Anyway....that was our day...I guess I didn't include things like picking up clothes, making beds, filling the dishwasher, feeding Rosie and taking her out etc...but those are every day things that get done in between the other stuff...kind of like the dusting, laundry, tidying.....

So, we don't do 'school'....I don't make them sit down and do formal work...but a lot of learning takes place anyway.....through THEIR choice....things they CHOOSE to learn...and they retain that knowledge much more because it is what they are interested in and are choosing to learn themselves!!  They are also going at their own pace...

I LOVE unschooling :)

I also love that Abigail turned to me as they were finger knitting this morning and said to me "I love mornings like this, when we can relax and just do stuff"......

:)

Friday Fill-ins

And...here we go! 

1. For me, it was a long day of waiting for nothing.

2. I am thrilled they now sell Cadburys Buttons at my local supermarket.

3. Behind the sound of the wind in the trees, I heard geese flying through the darkness, nearing the end of their long journey North.

4. Going skinny dipping is something I always wanted to do. 

5. When it was over, I remember feeling a whole mix of emotions. Mainly though I just feel relief because I know it was wrong.  He was right for the moment but soooo wrong.  Such a sweet guy but not for me.  

6. When I first thought about the children going away for the weekends with their Dad, I dreaded it...but I never felt alone. I missed them of course, but I didn't mind being here alone at all - I actually appreciated that time to myself :)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to - well, I ended up sleeping the whole evening away as my meds knocked me out completely :(  , tomorrow my plans include Going to H&R Block to see Sandy and get that all sorted out again, take Susie to her sleepover party and work on some of my classes and Sunday, I want to either go to Katies Crossing or bowling or do something else with the children!

Trust....

I've had this papier mache body for a long while, and decided to use it tonight.  I was going to add wings and a lot more embellishments to it, but in the end I decided to keep it simple and just added a brooch.  Finished off with a 'truth' from my Truth Teller, this lady now sits on the shelf in my bedroom to remind me daily of the truth that I WILL be able to trust again :)  

Learning to sew by machine:

A quiet day at home.....

....pottering about and catching up on reading and writing :)  

Oh and breakfast out with friends this morning, despite the yucky weather!! :)

We woke up to Winter again....

Susannah walking down the driveway for the school bus this morning:

Bertha sat in the snow:

When we woke up this morning the pond was full but not overflowing, but by the time we got home at lunchtime the pond up the hill had obviously burst it's banks and run down to here, because the pond was completely overflowing with water spilling into the woods on both sides.  It is going to be the highest it has been since we've lived here this year I think, because we are still getting more snow and there is so much still to melt: