Tag time

fighting  -  a cold I think.  I've been so exhausted the last week - and Sam has a bad cold and cough....I am taking lots of supplements to fight it, and think it is working except I feel like my energy is being zapped.

Feeling - impatient and excited

Reading - 'Not My daughter' by Barbara Delinsky.

Wearing - nighty and undies as it's late and I'm in bed.

Struggling - with

Learning - how amazing my kids are and what great young adults/ people they are becoming :)

Savouring - the beautiful coloured leaves everywhere!

Watching - the weather forecast closely.

Anticipating - the first snowfall of the year.

Thinking - how strong some people are and how fortunate I am not to have had to deal with some situations that others have to.

What is happening currently in your world?

Finalizing plans for a busy October - exchange student arriving, Thanksgiving, Laurences birthday, a long list of field trips and classes.  So much to organize and remember!!

Todays art journal page...

Raindrops and Hexaflexagons.....

We went to the mall after gymnastics - Abigail needed to go to the postoffice to send a letter to her penpal.  She wrote it yesterday.  I didn't read it, but she did tell me that she has suggested they do a book club type thing by mail - where they both read the same book and then discuss it in their letters.  I think thats a fabulous idea!  While she was getting a stamp for her letter, I looked around the Halloween things in the store - and then Abby found this:

And I found these:

Still raining and grey and COLD!!  I snapped this shot for todays 

Instagramyeg hashtag which is #puddlegram:

Now we are home and Sam is feeling exhausted as he is still sick with his cold - so he and I are cuddling on the bed and watching The Avengers again.  Abigail is starting to get sick and I am feeling drained too.  

Oh - forgot to mention that this morning we learned about Hexaflexagons - they are soooo NEAT and so Abby is trying to make them :)  A great math/ science project :)  

Beautiful Fall Flowers...

Our morning....

It was COLD this morning!!  And grey with drizzly rain.  A yucky October day....but we had to head out early...

We had homeschool gymnastics this morning and met our friends there...each time we go more friends come and join us and it is always fun :)  

Banana decided it was funny to cover herself in the chalk dust:

And then leave handprints on my...er....boobs lol!  Typical - of course my friends 

thought this was hilarious!!

It's so lovely seeing all the children of different ages playing together and helping each other:

Outside My Window... It is dark, rainy and windy.....a typical Fall storm blew in this afternoon with strong wind gusts and miserable drizzly rain...I was loving all the sunshine and I'm sad to have this weather - I don't mind the cold but the rain can go away for a while please!

I am thinking...about how much I'm looking forward to seeing friends tomorrow :)  And also how much I'm looking forward to my evening off tomorrow - love love LOVE my kids soooooo much but am kind of excited to have a few hours to myself - or with my older two :)

I am thankful for...the love and laughter that fills this home :)  the peace in my heart after sooooo long and for friends who constantly make me smile and laugh - and yet are there with a shoulder when needed :)

From the kitchen...still making the most of the bbq as often as possible - and especially grilled vegetables.  Although yesterday we had fish chips and peas - with some carrots and broccoli thrown in for Abby :)   She lOVES cooked broccoli :)

I am wearing...a t-shirt.  I'm in bed.  I couldn't find a night to wear so I grabbed a t-shirt.

I am creating...a mini album for Fall...I started this evening and will add to it tomorrow.  So far it is blank pages ready for me to add embellishments and Instax pictures :)  Probably some Instagram pics too.  I LOVED my simple LSNED album, and decided I wanted to keep doing a mini album :)  

I am going...to gymnastics tomorrow morning - and then to the library.  I am also going to the last Farmers Market this Wednesday.  I was going to go to the Instameet in Edmonton, but Susannah is determined to go to the farmers market - I think A is coming too - which is why I suggested the Instameet as we are all on IG...

I am reading...'Not My Daughter' by Barbara Delinsky:

When Susan Tate’s 17-year-old daughter, Lily, announces she is pregnant, Susan is stunned.  A single mother, she has struggled to do everything right.  She sees the pregnancy as an unimaginable tragedy both for Lily and herself.

Then comes word of two more pregnancies among high school seniors who happen to be Lily’s best friends – and the town turns to talk of a pact.  But criticism of the girls quickly becomes criticism of their mothers, especially of Susan, who holds a visible position in town.  As principal of the high school, she is considered a role model of hard work and core values.  Now her detractors accuse her of being a lax mother, perhaps not worthy of the job of shepherding impressionable students.  Susan is still struggling with the personal implications of her daughter’s pregnancy, when she hears calls for her resignation.

But what of her close friendship with the two other moms?  Are they any less at fault than she is?  The friendships suffer – but shouldn’t loyalty trump community pressure?  And what of a fourth friend, who has power enough to minimize the fallout but whose own daughter has a murky tie to the pact?

Set in a small Maine town that cherishes responsibility, Not My Daughter raises many issues, not the least of which is the age-old question:  What does it take to be a good mother?

I am hoping...it stays dry on Wednesday so we can fully enjoy the field trip we are going on as well as the last farmers market of the year.  Cold is fine, but please be dry.

I am hearing... Rosie licking her lips/ nose....she sounds thirsty but won't go and drink.

One of my favorite things...Walmarts own brand Graham Crackers....I don't normally like Graham crackers, but these are sooooooo good!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Gymnastics class tomorrow.  Wednesday is our scavenger hunt/ hiking field trip....Thursday we have orienteering class.  Friday is free right now but we need to go and get our pictures done for our Millennium cards so we may do that and go swimming too.  Or maybe the museum...not sure yet -we will see what happens before then...

A new week - and new month :)

This morning Sam and I watched this dvd which discussed all kinds of things about the planets and fossil fuels, different types of rocks and new ways to create electricity:

Today we also looked at parts of the body and where they are - as well as which body parts we can live without - which can be made smaller and which we can give to others while still alive...we used this really basic puzzle to get us started.  Susannah is also studying genetics and we talked about that too:

Abigail had French class today - she really enjoyed it again.  After her class finished, the wind suddenly picked up and the weather went downhill quickly - it had been 20c but the temp dropped fast.  The wind was crazy and our trampoline took a bashing:

Sam was playing in these glasses for a while and kept making us laugh:

I got this book today and it is fabulous - filled with all kinds of fun family activities.  Tonight we did the spelling bee with Susannah and Abby - Abigails spelling is as good as (if not better than) Susannahs!!  It was fun.  They are both good spellers though - comes from their love of reading, I'm sure:

Tonight we watched Abduction - a movie Susannah borrowed from the library.  It was really good!  Scary how fast a life can change - wow!!

Sam has been playing with the Lego he got today - two big sets for $5 at Goodwill so he was thrilled :)  

Abby practiced her ballet today using a dvd and book.  She just read Noel Streatfelds 'Ballet Shoes' and is totally obsessed with ballet and dance right now...she has several books and dvd's out of the library at the moment :)  

Laurence just got home from work...I'm sitting watching 'How Things Work' on dvd with Sam :)  

Tourettes

This diagram shows my Daughters TS perfectly - such a great representation!

A few more Fall pictures from yesterday

A Walk in the Wilderness

A lovely afternoon at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre.

Today was their Open House - we go every year, and it is always a nice chance to get some fun Fall pictures of everyone :)  

Sunday news....

We had a lovely lazy morning today - the kids all had pancakes or waffles...Susannahs friend M had slept over, so they were pottering about...I watched some art videos online and did some art journaling and Sam watched The Nightmare Before Christmas...

Then we headed to the library to check out a few things.  Abigail wanted ballet books and dvd's, and I wanted to pick up a couple of dvd's related to things we've been talking about - including Germany, in prep for our German exchange student who arrives next week.

Project 365 - September

100 things

1. How old will you be in five years? 45

2. Who did you spend at least two hours with today?  Susannah, Maddie, Sam, Abby.

3. How tall are you? 4'  11"

4. What do you look forward to most in the next six months? Filling up my Project 365 app with endless memories :)

5. What's the last movie you saw?  Tangled - or at least half of it :)

6. Who was the last person you called?  I don't remember...I tend not to call anyone - I text and people call me...

7. Who was the last person to call you?  Gary tried....my phone is having issues with people calling me.  I can call out but their calls don't come through.

8. What was the last text message you received? One from Sandy, and one from Laurence telling me he probably wasn't coming home last night - but then 30 minutes later he shows up lol!

9. Who was the last person to leave you a voice mail? The library.

10. Do you prefer to call or text?   text.

11. What were you doing at 12 am last night? Watching youtube videos about art techniques :)

12. Are your parents married/separated/divorced? married (to each other for 53 years)

13. When is the last time you saw your mom? 3 years ago

14. What color are your eyes? grey

15. What time did you wake up today? 7:30 - my little boy is sick - his coughing woke me.

16. What are you wearing right now?  Nighty and a sweater...it's cold this morning!

17. What is your favourite Christmas song? Last Christmas...or the John Lennon one...

18. Where is your favourite place to be?   camping - and either near lakes, mountains or ocean :)

19. Where is your least favourite place to be? right now - home.

20. Where would you go if you could go anywhere?  Waterton for the afternoon so Sam could play on the beach.

21. Where do you think you'll be in 10 years? No clue - and I like it that way.  I have learned to LOVE the adventure of not thinking about the future :)

22. Do you tan or burn? tan for the most part.

23. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? spiders probably lol

24. What was the last thing that really made you laugh?  I laugh a lot - every day - but lately I have laughed so much it HURTS lol - with my crazy 'Royal Order' gals :)

25. How many TVs do you have in your house? 5 - but we don't actually have 'tv' - just dvd's and netflix

26. How big is your bed? Queen :)  I gave my king to Laurence and I love my little bed :)

27. Do you have a laptop or desktop computer? I mainly use my macbook

28. Do you sleep with or without clothes on? I wear slip style nighties that have spaghetti straps.  I can't bear sleeves or pants on in bed as I get too hot.  Plus I would feel very frumpy in anything else....

29. What colour are your sheets? a pale bluey-green colour.

30. How many pillows do you sleep with? 1  

31. What is your favourite season? Summer!!!!  But they all have good points :)

32. What do you like about fall?  colours, festivals and celebrations. Smells, sounds.....wearing boots and scarves and jackets :)

33. What do you like about winter? Cuddling up at home and watching the snow fall, photographing the snow,

34. What do you like about the summer? LONG days, heat, swimming in outdoor pools, camping, traveling, picnics, playing outside, festivals, sunbathing, being outside all the time, sitting by the firepit, trips to the lake, lots and lots of walks, not having to wear layers, hummingbirds, the feel of sunshine on my skin.

35. What do you like about spring? Easter, seeing all the geese and other birds returning, being outside more and more.

36. How many states/provinces have you lived in? 1 province - we moved here from the UK where I lived in 5 counties.

37. What cities/towns have you lived in? Yeovil, Epsom, Blackburn, Stockport, Bramhall, Edinburgh, Murieston, Sherwood Park.

38. Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet? In Summer I prefer bare feet but in Winter I prefer socks.

39. Are you a social person?  Depends on my mood.  I love spending time with friends and in groups etc - but I also love JUST being with my kids - and I also love to have lots of 'me time' and time to myself :)

40. What was the last thing you ate? Oreo's last night.

41. What is your favourite restaurant? Any restaurant is good - if it means I don't have to cook :)

42. What is your favourite ice cream? Amaretto ice cream with coconut and almond mix-ins at Marble Slab :)

43. What is your favourite dessert? It varies.  I love pie,  cake, meringue with cream and fruit....

44. What is your favourite kind of soup? Probably  potato and bacon or lentil.....but I love soup....so any :)

45. What kind of jelly do you like on your PB and J sandwich?  Don't do peanut butter and jelly - just peanut butter

46. Do you like Chinese food? Yes

47. Do you like coffee?  instant mainly......unless I'm out.

48. How many glasses of water, a day, do you drink on average?  a lot.......I drink water all day and quite a bit at night.

49. What do you drink in the morning? water and then coffee

51. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed? left side as you look at the bed.

52. Do you know how to play poker? No - I'd really like to learn!

53. Do you like to cuddle? yes :)  I'm a hugger!!!  But only on my terms or it can be suffocating...

54. Have you ever been to Australia? No but reading Libby's blog makes me want to!!

55. Do you have an addictive personality? Yep totally!  Right now I'm addicted to Instagram, art and Goodwill :)

56. Do you eat out or at home more often?  We eat out too much...

58. Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you?  The lovely L :)

59. Do you want kids? had 5 and would like another....BUT I don't want the guy that comes with them lol.  I like being single!

60. Do you speak any other languages? bad language far too often.....

61. Have you ever gotten stitches? Yes - down below when they cut me for forceps with my first...

62. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? yes when they thought I was having a heart attack because of the meds I was on (lol)

63. Do you prefer an ocean or a pool?  An outside pool but I also love the ocean :)  I just LOVE to swim :)  I would swim every day if I could!!  :)

64. Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seat? depends who has the aisle seat.  I prefer the aisle seat if it's a stranger next to me.  Or the window seat if I know the person I'm with - I hate to ask strangers to move for me so I can go by to go to the bathroom (lol)

65. Do you know how to drive stick? no.  I passed in the UK with an automatic - see, I was MEANT to live in North America where almost everyone drives automatic :)

66. What is your favourite thing to spend money on?   housey stuff at Goodwill, eating out, art journaling supplies.

67. Do you wear any jewelry 24/7?   Nope but I almost always wear a necklace or scarf of some kind when I go out.

68. What is your favourite TV show? I don't watch tv.

69. Can you roll your tongue? yes.

70. Who is the funniest person you know? My Royal Order gals :)

71. Do you sleep with stuffed animals? Yes - my Son comes in to sleep with me and he brings his teddy Keegan :)

72. What is the main ring tone on your phone? The standard iphone tone.

73. Do you still have clothes from when you were little? No

74. What red object is closest to you right now? Sam - he's asleep in a red t-shirt next to me.

75. Do you turn off the water while you brush your teeth? no

76. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? my closet doesn't have doors.

77. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees? bear

78. Do you flirt a lot? depends on my mood.

79. What do you dip a chicken nugget in? Ketchup - I only eat them at McD's.

80. What is your favourite food? I love food :)

81. Can you change the oil on a car? yep - by driving it to Park Mazda and paying them :)  lol!

82. Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket? Yes....but the lovely policeman gave me a false court date and so I got off.

83. Have you ever run out of gas? No

84. What is your usual bedtime? anytime between 10 and 11

85. What was the last book you read? The Garneau Block.  

86. Do you read the newspaper? The local paper if I get it.

87. Do you have any magazine subscriptions? Homeschool Horizons

89. Do you watch soap operas? nope - we don't ahve tv

90. Do you dance in the car?  yes!  All the time :)

91. What radio station did you last listen to?  Now Radio - it's all I ever listen to :)

92. Who is in the picture frame closest to you? My house - on the gorgeous frame Trish made me :)

93. What was the last note you scribbled on a piece of paper?  A letter for Laurences school about him being absent.

94. What is your favourite candle scent? Fall scents - pumpkin pie etc...

95. What is your favourite board game?  Not a board game but cards - 'Spot It'

97. When was the last time you attended church?  I went in the miniature church in Drumheller - does that count?

98. Who was your favourite teacher in high school? Mr Adams, my LA teacher

99. What is the longest you have ever camped out in a tent?  We camped all Summer this year - our main camping trip was 3 weeks long :)  LOVED it :)

100. Who was the last person to do something extra special for you?   I like Jasons poems he writes to me :)  

My Final Face....

Here is my last face for the 29 Faces in September challenge:

I really love these challenges.  The next one isn't until February...

End of the month tag...

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?    I have done a lot of reading but it seems to have been all online...research for field trips, for homeschool, and various other things...also reading books to Sam and Abby.

What movies, television shows, plays, etc. did I watch this month?  I haven't watched any television.  I watched half of Tangled with Sam before he switched it off.  We watched some dvd's from the library - I watched 'The Others' with Susannah.  The Help.  

What fun things did I do with my family and/or friends?  Sooooo many fun times with family and friends :)  The marshmallow battle, the turkey pot luck supper at T's house, farmers market, skateboard park....September has been a month of non stop laughter!

What gifts did I give and/ or receive?   I received some 'emergency chocolate and a chocolate face mask' from T :)  A chocolate fountain from L!!  Poems from crazy J :)  I gave two big boxes of craft supplies to S's Daughter - and have a few other things for her too...my children are always giving me little gifts...I love treating them too :)  I got Laurence a t-shirt that I knew he would love :)  Oh and he also got something else pretty special too :)  I also sent a text to Now Radio and got Rachel to give Laurence a shout out as he was driving home in his new car :)

What special or unusual purchases did I make?    I bought insurance and AMA coverage for my Son - for his first car :)    Thats pretty special!!  I also renewed my registration - not THAT special but a first for me lol!  It was always done FOR me in the past!  I don't know how I didn't suffocate!  Sigh....

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?  Horrible ear ache for a few days.  I also had a couple of inconvenient migraines AND this last week I have been completely exhausted.  Sa is now sick with a cold so I am popping all kinds of supplements to ensure I help my body fight off whatever it is fighting off ;) 

What were my accomplishments this month?  I organized some successful field trips.  I finally decided that I do NOT want to date....and switched off my online dating account.    The pressure to date from others is so high at times but the last two months has proven to me again and again that I am content and comfortable - and MUCH happier, when I am single.  

What were my disappointments this month?  Just the same old person who continues to put himself and his bitterness FIRST instead of his childrens feelings.  It's sad but it will be his loss if he doesn't get therapy or do SOMETHING....I will NOT let his behaviour effect my children.

Anything else noteworthy to include?  September was a pretty incredible month - the weather was FANTASTIC!!  The month started with a last camping trip to Drumheller.  Our homeschool year has started in an amazing way - Sam and Abby are doing so much and learning the most amazing things.  They have had some fabulous experiences in the last few weeks - and yet more are planned for the coming weeks!

I just wish this beautiful weather would hang around a little longer!!