An update on the last week

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

The last couple of weeks have had there ups and downs. I don't want to sound like I am complaining because I am not, I know that life could be much more difficult than it is now and I am thankful for my blessings. The car did turn out to be a right off, which was to be expected but we thought that just maybe they would fix it. A girl from Michael's office called a dealership about an hour away from us and they just 'happened' to have an '04 Subaru Forester which is the same car as we had. It was a step down from our car, nothing major was different, and it only had 32 000 km ( 20,000 miles) compared to ours which had 140 000 km (87 000 miles) so this was a blessing. It cost us $1700 out of pocket which due to following Dave Ramsey's principles for the last 2 years we had in the bank, another huge blessing. We are truly thankful for this blessing as we were so undeserving of it.

I took John out to the tree to have a look at it, he was a little apprehensive but the holding of the breath as we drive by has almost stopped. When we brought the new one in the driveway Michael stopped and 'introduced' the tree to the car. He said, "Tree, car, car, tree, now that you have met you don't need to get any closer." The boys got a good chuckle over that and now John wants Michael to do it every time we drive in the driveway.

I have a physiotherapy appointment next Monday to have my shoulder looked at, I think by that time I will be completely better although I think my range of motion is still somewhat diminished. I have been have a great deal of pain in my lower back with a sciatic nerve flare up. I don't really think this is as a result of the accident just a longer than normal interval between chiropractor appointments. That is where I was going when the accident occurred and now he is away on 3 weeks of vacation. I went an had a therapeutic massage yesterday and will go again on Thursday to see if it will give me some relief. I know that if I lost some weight it would be better but for some reason I can seem to move that knowledge into action. You'd think the pain would be a good motivator.

So that is life as it happens.

One of the reasons I've been AWOL

I've had a lot going on in my life this last little while and haven't been in the frame of mind to blog but I will get back to it, hopefully this week. This is the latest reason that my mind is elsewhere. We are all OK although I am a little sore and won't be able to show my face at the office anytime soon due to embarrassment. My sons now know what their arguing in the back seat can lead too. Wallace feels it sharply, John on the other hand seems to be oblivious except to tell everyone we meet that mommy smashed the car along with some really good sound effects.

BTW these were taken by Michael's colleague when he came to fill out the accident report. Michael was there too, but he didn't fill out the paper work, thought it might me a conflict of interest. Notice I hit the only tree around!!!!

Annie, I will answer your e-mail shortly thank you for being patient.

My week in review

Week's Weather: Cool and bright for the most part, leaves are beautiful

Sunday Sermon: Being Thankful- a testimony service

Life Lessons: there is no sense in worry, it doesn't help

Favorite Meal: lunch at the Schweld House (a local family owned German restaurant)

Treasured Moment: watching John working neatly at his newly acquired desk (I'll have to post a picture, my batteries were dead when I tried the other day)

Budget Saver: found a beautiful flannel bedding set at the thrift store for under $10

Budget Buster: lunch at the Schweld House

Impacting News : friends announced they are coming to visit


Things I read: stuff for homeschool

Places we went: the apple orchard

Accomplishments: finished a pair of socks

Family Happenings: friends announced they are coming visit.

Challenges: getting bed by 10pm and get up by 6am

Blessings: friends announced they are coming to visit



Can you tell I'm excited about my friends coming to visit.

Field Trip- the apple orchard

On Monday we took a field trip, where else would you go in early October but to the apple orchard. I remember Wallace took a field trip to the orchard when he was in Kindergarten. I didn't get to go because all the chaperon spots were full, well for John's first trip I did get to go ;). We go to the same farm each year, they have very good apples and quite a bit of variety. They even have honeycrip which are Michael's favourite.
Here Wallace and John are in the orchard, these are little Gala trees, which appeared to be done for the season which is too bad because Wallace really likes them. By the way did I forgot to mention that Wallace's favourite food is an apple so needless to say he was in his glory. We usually have to limit him to an apple or two a day and for the past month I've been refusing to buy them because they were just gross, all dry and pulpy. For the next little while he'll be allowed to have more if he so desires.....along as his tummy can handle it.

Daddy and John picking Cortland's out of the bin, we picked 40lbs off the trees but when we got back to the entrance we realized that we need some more we were lucky that they already had some picked that we could choose from. I like Cortland's because they are yummy to eat and good to cook with too. MMMM apple crisp here we come.




We had a great time as a family, its amazing how a little trip to the orchard can consume a whole day. This orchard also had pumpkins and honey, we bought 2 pumpkins and 35lbs of honey. A successful field trip.

playing catch up

I really hate it when I don't get a good start to my day, I feel like I'm running to catch up all day long.

Last night Michael, a young lady that is staying with us, and I watched the movie Troy. Actually they watched and I listened to it while playing a game on the computer. I wanted to watch the movie but I did not want to 'see' the movie, if you know what I mean. It was very good, the story at least. I was torn though because after all of our study of Ancient Greece and playing of the game Age of Mythology I felt I ought to be cheering for the Greeks but I felt torn, the movie portrayed the Trojans with a warmth and personable nature that it made it hard to choose, of course Orlando Bloom was a Trojan and that puts them at an advantage before the movie even started. I cannot make a recommendation because I did not watch it, I do kind of wish I could edit out the messy stuff so Wallace could enjoy it.

The movie didn't end till just after 11pm and that is a late bed time for me. I have been trying to get up and get my day started at 6am and I find it near impossible to get up that early if I get to bed any later than 10pm. This morning I got up with the boys and so have been playing catch up all day. We were supposed to go to the library today but that will just have to wait till tomorrow. My shower did not happen until much later, only to be interrupter by a telemarketer. A telemarketer that had been asked to call back sometime during the work week and after 1:30pm. I had been considering the service they are selling but now I am not sure, if they would not honour my request to call me back during the specified time I am not sure I need their service. If I really wanted it probably would not have made a difference but the incessant calls really bug me, especially when I am trying to teach school. I had also volunteered to take dinner to a family in our church, the mom just had her gallbladder our and the dad is a fisherman who is out to sea right now, so although it was a joy to do this my disorganization made it tough to get accomplished in a timely manner. Now I am preparing to go out for a leaders of Olympians meeting at our church and I still feel behind. At least tomorrow is a clean slate, as long as I get to bed on time. I must get to bed on time.

This week at the (our last name) Acedmy of Leaning

We have just finished off our first week of school this year and since I am a hyper scheduler/perfectionist I have it all outlined (so that when it falls apart we can tell exactly how much it fell apart by) and can tell you that we have completed 5 days and have 173 left to go, or 1 week down and 35 left to go.

This year John has been added to the mix and it is very interesting. Planning for him was a bit more of a challenge because I had no concrete idea of what he understood or how fast he would progress. I can already tell you that I have over estimated his attention span so we are lighting up on that expectation.

Wallace was quite reluctant to head back to studies at all, he enjoyed his freedom a lot and I have to admit that the style of school last year wasn't that enjoyable for either of us. I think my expectation of note taking was a bit beyond him. I think it diminished his retention rather than enhancing it. This year I have several new programmes and am trying to implement the 'extra' despite the added work and mess for me. If he enjoys what he is learning and is participating fully I probably won't notice the extra work, although the shelves and walls may become littered with these projects and to a minimalist like me that could be more of the challenge.

This is what we are doing in school this year.
John's schedule.
9:10 Piano (first year for this and is very excited)
9:20 Math
9:30 BREAK (he really likes these but wishes his brother could join him)
9:55 Printing
10:05 Phonics (this we will grow into, his isn't focusing this long yet)
10:15 BREAK
10:35 Art (as above)
10:45 Read-a-loud (with Wallace)
11:05 Lunch
12:00 Subject of the day (with Wallace, found is a bit much so he usually goes off and plays but likes to help with the crafts and experiments)

Wallace's Schedule. 8:00 Piano (found this is the best spot, has the most focus and energy)
8:30 Math
9:30 BREAK
9:45 Spelling
9:55 Cursive
10:05 Language Arts
10:25 Silent Reading (his choice of book and almost like break)
10:45 Read-a-loud
11:05 LUNCH
12:00 Subject of the day
1:15 Homework (only left over math or because of dawdling in Lang. Arts.)

What John will be using for curriculum this year? Let's just say the boy loves work sheets, not sure why but if I had to guess I would say it is because he has seen his brother doing work and he thinks that worksheets equals work. I bought quite a lot of stuff for him to use not really sure when he'd be ready for it if at all but thought I'd be ready.
1) math and reading readiness-4 work books that we are working through now.
2) Phonics-Explode the Code books 1 and 2 (he's already done the get ready for the code)
3) Printing-ABeka manuscript (their material, my pace)
4) Art-left over ABeka (when used up, I'll search the Internet)
5) Math-Singapore 1A/1B

What will Wallace be using for curriculum this year?
1) Royal Conservatory Music Grade 2- will be taking the exam in June.
2) Saxon Math 6/5- did well last year and can already tell it is a good fit again (Thank goodness)
3)ABeka Spelling and Poetry 3 (their materials, my pace and style ie. no weekly written tests)
4)ABeka Penmanship Mastery (their materials, my pace)
5)ABeka God's Gift of Language A/B - have to finish A first (their materials, my pace)
6)Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures
7) The Story of the World- Volume 1: Ancient Times
8) A Child's Geography-Explore His Earth

We will be having a 3 day cycle, spending one day each on Science, History and Geography, that way we won't be short changed on one subject if we happen to miss a lot of one day, like a Monday or Friday. Every Day 1 will be science, day 2 History and Day 3 Geography.

So this is what our school plan is for this year.

It is too hot to work

so I'm taking a break and feeding my family ice cream cones. We are melting around here today. I'm not going to complain summer is all too short in these parts, and I hate the cold.

Michael shined a new pair of boots this morning, they look beautiful, you can even see your face in them. I had to ask him why. It not like its his high browns, which he only wears in Red Surge duty. These are his every day duty boots, you never know what you may be called on to do in these boot, stand in the rain, chase a bad guy through a bush or better yet a bog, or just every day wear and tear. Oh well for now you can see yourself in the toes. I also think he was trying to avoid cleaning out his work room.

Last night I watched Chocolat. What a really good movie. I love chocolate but wasn't really sure what to expect but it really was good.

Have a great day, and try to stay cool.

John Boxing

Yes I know the bedroom is a mess, but he was too cute to show off.

Week in Review

Week's Weather: Hot and we had quite a bite of rain due to tropical storm Chistobal, we needed the rain so it was a blessing

Sunday Sermon: We were visiting an inner city church and the point I took from it was .... confession is not the same as repentance. The pastor gave the example that he had been talking to a junkie that was crying and confessing his sin, saying that he needed Jesus but in the end didn't change his ways. I thought how we do that, confess "Lord, I'm sorry." and then find ourselves continually repeating it, and confessing it over again.

Life Lessons: when you do it in your own strength, you just stress yourself out, lean on Jesus do it in his strength.

Favorite Meal: BBQ ribs and trimmings

Treasured Moment: seeing John swim in a pool with a life jacket on by himself. He is usually attached to me and screeching.

Budget Saver: Michael being on duty during several dinner meals. The force pays when he is out of his home base. This saves on groceries.

Budget Buster: Going out for dinner after the church service in the city.

Things I read: Hurlbut's Story of the Bible. Amazingly good and very old.

Places we went: to the city for Church, friend Lorna's to swim, VBS

Accomplishments: starting to get my homeshooling in order.

Family Happenings:

Challenges: keeping the boys busy with out watching too much TV

Blessings: keeping Michael safe

My week in review

I came across this and thought if I did it each week you'd know a little more that is going on in my life.

Week's weather: Hot and muggy during the day and then cooling off in the evening
Sunday Sermon topic: Our pastor is doing a series on Marriage, it is wonderful.
Favorite Meal this week: Beer can chicken (we now use pop and it turned out just as good), roasted vegs and boiled potatoes cooled and dresses with a buttermilk dill dressing.
Things I read: A very hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (John's fav right now)
Place we went: Shakespeare by the Sea to see Cinderelly-A western
Budget Savers: Doubling up on trip/errands
Budget Busters: New Tires for the car
Blessings: A friend got the tires for us at a really good price and then put them on for free after the shop he works in closed for the day, saved us several hundred dollars
Challenges/prayer requests: Stressing over VBS next Monday-Wednesday
Accomplishments: Did a couple of errands for Michael that were out of my comfort zone.
Family Happenings: Getting ready and making plans for our trip home for my sister's wedding Aug. 23

Tuesday

It is another hot and humid day, but I'm not complaining because I hate the cold much more than I dislike the heat. Wallace and John are under the apple tree trying to beat the heat by reading in the shade.

We had a rather busy weekend, Michael worked Friday night which was not a normally scheduled shift. The guys on his unit had switched the day for another, they had all played in a Memorial Golf Tournament in memory of a local officer that was killed in the line of duty about 11 years ago. They have a trust fund for a scholarship for officer's kids who go on to university to study some form of law. You never know maybe one of boys would benefit from it some day. Although I'd never encourage a career in Policing for so many reasons.

On Saturday afternoon we went into the city with a couple of families form our church to go to a Mexican Restaurant and see a play called Cinderellie- A western take on the classic Cinderella. We had so much fun, the restaurant gave us a room off to the side which was probably a good thing as with 20 people, 7 adults and 13 children we made a lot of noise. The play was part of a festival called Shakespeare by the Sea, it was in a park right on the coast, it was a beautiful place for it. The actors were great and interacted with the kids who were all sitting on blankets at the front. All the kids except one, who is too little for school anyway, are homeschooled kids so we were joking that this was a class in art appreciation at summer school.

On Sunday we had church as usually and then I had a leaders meeting for VBS after the morning service, which went longer than I thought it would. VBS is next week and we are coming down to the crunch. We raced home so we could grab a bite to eat and then Michael and Wallace had to go to Wallace's golfing lesson. On the first day of golf Wallace met a little girl who when she discovered that we went to church, (It came up because Wallace said that he couldn't play a whole round after the lesson because he had to go to church.) she promptly invited herself by saying, "I've always wanted to go to church can I go with you?". She is going to come with us to VBS but on Sunday afternoon she showed up at our door ready to go with us. I wonder what God has in store for that little life, we sure are praying for her. We took her to church, and then afterward our pastor's family had a wiener roast at their home, so we didn't get home until after 10pm which is very late for my 4 year old.

Yesterday, we had to get up early and drive into the city by 8 a.m. to get the oil changed at the dealership . Originally Michael was going to go by himself and come home afterward but with the price of gas I didn't want to have to make any unnecessary trips, so the boys and I went with him. I am the craft leader for VBS this year, which I took on instead of teaching, I don't know what I was thinking, crafting is so not my strong suit. Thankfully the teachers book has all the ideas, I just had to find the materials needed. I had 6 or 7 ideas and so we went to 3 different stores twice first to see which crafts I could get everything I needed and then to go back an purchase the 3 that we would be doing. It was quite the chore and I am so thankful that Michael was with me. He kept my very distractable mind on track and kept the boys in line, although it was probably as much fun for them as it was for us.

Today I have to catch up on house work and laundry and do a sample of each of the crafts, wish me luck. I pray they all come together as I envision. Wallace also has a soccer game but thankfully it is right here in the village so we don't have to travel very far.

What little boys do with their spare time.

Three days of Soccer

Wallace is playing tier 2 soccer again this year. We are really impressed with his improvement this year. The weekly soccer clinics all winter really helped, that and all the hot shots on his team moved up a level, so someone has to step up to the plate. I know that is a baseball analogy but it seemed to fit. This week we have 3 nights of soccer, Monday was practice, last night a game and tonight another game. Michael was able to get off early last night, which is a good thing because the game was in a community about a hour away and I had no idea where I was going. I know I could have found my way but it was nicer having Michael with me. The big news from last night was that Wallace scored his first goal.....ever. He was so excited but that excitement was a bit mitigated by the fact that the goalie got hurt in the process. We've been telling Wallace to keep going to the net until the goalie has the ball in his hands and then to stand down (to use a work term from Michael). That was exactly what he did, the first shot was deflected and there was Wallace and he kicked the ball just as the goalie hit his head off of Wallace's leg. Micheal called it a 'junk' goal (he picked up the junk and put it in the net) but it still counted and it really boosted Wallace's confidence he has a tendency to be mostly heart . It makes all this travelling around the country-side worth it.

And just so John doesn't feel left out here is his goal scoring pose.

update....

Micheal is away working for the weekend so we have had kind of a lazy couple of days as school is mostly finished and the weather has been so nice I've let the boys enjoy the extra time out side. I've been looking for a 'natural' sunscreen but haven't been able to find anything. Do any of you know of something? The boys are both fair just like their mom and so I know that they would burn easily, I've been able to prevent it so far but John is getting older and wanting to be out more and more and he is definitely the fairest (blond hair/grey eyes). I don't let them out between 11am and 4pm if at all possible and they always wear hats and often long sleeves and pants but that can be extremely hot when the weather is already warm.
This afternoon is our Sunday School Picnic and they will be out in the sun, so I think I will just have to lather them in Sunscreen. They are really looking forward to the picnic, we have a beautiful day for it. Last Sunday was the last day for Sunday School for the summer and it is always nice to have the break, although we never seem to get to the service on time even with the later start. I make excuses for myself, we live so far away, I'm often by myself, etc but it really is just a matter of time management that I need to improve in, so I will endevour to do better.
Both of the boys have colds, Wallace's is pretty well done but John's is raging on. The boy still hasn't learned to blow his nose, which is so frustrating, it just runs and runs. I keep trying to tell him to close his mouth and let the the air come out his nose, but to no avail it always makes it way out between the tightly pursed lips.
There a couple of forest fires in the area, the closest on being 40 km form here. There have been a couple of homes burned and many people have been evacuated from their homes. Pray for them if you think of it, our home is surrounded by bush and I think it would be very scary if there were a fire close to our home. It can be so destructive and so unpredictable, must be very scary for those that live close to them

We are done Math!!!!!!

Wallace taking a bite of his victory lunch. His treat (and mom's too) for all his hard work.

I can hardly believe it. Wallace is done math for this year and we are very proud of him. I can remember looking it over when we recieved it last summer, I didn't think we would ever complete it let alone think that he would be competent in the concepts. I know I already said it but I am so proud of him!!!! Way to go Wallace.

apple blossom

Tis the season for apple blossom, they are absolutely beautiful and very abundant. They seem to grow wild everywhere, I think we have 5 or 6 in our backyard. It was a festival dedicated to this delicate flower that kept Michael and his unit hopping last weekend. I think he worked 5-12 hour shifts, he was very tired by Sunday night. I wonder when people will realize that drinking and driving is a very dangerous activity. Well until they do my hubby will be very busy.

John admiring daddy's handy work.....who doesn't love a neatly mowed lawn.
(edit: Michael made me delete the pic of him drinking his iced tea)
Michael enjoying a well earned mug of iced tea.

For Grandma

Wallace's recital isn't until Sunday but with golf lessons right before we thought we might be in a tizzy on Sunday so we took this video at Margo's during yesterday's lesson.

Weekend update

Time for my afternoon cup of tea so I thought I would sit down and let you all know what was going on. We had a very busy weekend as we usually do when Michael has it off. On Friday Michael marched in a Red Rally with a bunch of other Mounties, a Red Rally for you non-Canadians is a rally in support of our troops in Afghanistan. He always looks so handsome in the red surge, though because he doesn’t wear it very often he did noticed that is a little tight. They are very unforgiving, when they fit you for them you are probably at the peak of fitness and then they tell you to take a breath in before they take your chest and waist measurement. He says he wants to lose ten pounds, which if you knew him you would laugh, I think he is finally filling out and looking good. He used to be so skinny.
On Saturday night we went to a very nice German restaurant with two other couples from our church, it was amazing authentic food. I had Vienna Schnitzel and speatzle, oh so good! One of the couples came back for dessert, Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake, and to look at our hot water system, we have solar hot water and he is a mini expert so Michael was full of questions for him.
On Sunday afternoon, we had one of Michael's co-workers and his family over for a BBQ. It is always fun to get together with them, our kids play very well together even though their girls are about 2 years older than Wallace and John.
I was almost happy to be back to normal on Monday but then Wallace's soccer season has started and it is going to be a busy one especially while we still have piano, and swimming lessons. Thankfully it doesn’t conflict with golf, which is always on Sunday and Michael always takes him. I never did understand the idea of hitting a little white ball around and then trying to find it so you can hit it again. Oh well it is a daddy and Wallace thing. So now we are into the swing of our week and chugging along quite nicely.

Prayers for the Chapman Family

Let's remember the family of Steven Curtis Chapman, they lost thier little girl in a tragic accident. Read the article here. Sure makes you want to give the kids and extra hug tonight.

Here is a song he wrote about his daughters and his motivation behind it.

Things that a 4 year old says

"Mom can you be quiet I'm trying to concentrate, this is work you know."

While I'm gardening yesterday and he is playing quietly.
"ALERT, ALERT, a poopie is coming!!!" As he takes off to the house.

Rainy Saturday in May

Today was a very quiet Saturday, it is the long weekend and its raining and so the activities had to be indoor. The boys get to watch TV on Saturdays and mommy and daddy get to sleep in, its a very good routine. I love Saturday mornings!!!! After Michael and I had breakfast Micheal and John played two games of Junior Monopoly, much to John's satisfaction he won both games. Then there was a rousing game of "Get Daddy", which is both boys favourite activity. It is a combination of play fighting and police defensive tactics. Lets just say Mommy doesn't play at all. Then it was Wallace turn and he and Micheal played 'Star Wars' Monopoly and Micheal made amends and won. Wallace was a good loser though, all part of growing up. It ended off with a snuggle on the couch watching the movie 'Underdog'. I must say it is a very funny movie and would recommend it.
And what did I do all day.....knit.
A very good day, even if it was raining.

Does any one else.....

like routines. I love routines, I actually typed live and I guess that applies too. I love to know what is coming next and not to be rushed for time. I also have to admit I don't like schedules, especially tight ones, I have found they don't work well with my perfectionist personality. I'm really a defeated perfectionist because if I let my guard down I don't do anything because I can't do it perfectly and a schedule brings out the worst in me.

I've been developing a simple morning routine, starting small and adding to it as I become comfortable with the changes so as not to overwhelmed myself. When I know what is coming next it removes the stress and what I like best about it is that it doesn't matter what time I start we can always follow the routine and get things accomplish. Recently I've added doing a load of laundry and baking a loaf of bread in the bread maker each morning, that way we always have clean clothes for the many changes of John and fresh bread for his continual need for PB and honey sandwiches.

We also have a routine for schoolwork and for the days of the week, the boys seem to like routines too.

Butternut Squash Soup

Tonight I made a yummy butternut squash, it was plain and simple and very good. Last night I roasted a medium, quartered and seeded butternut squash at 350F for about 1 hour. Let it cool and then peeled it. Then tonight I sauteed some onions and garlic in a little oil, added some homemade turkey broth that I had in the freezer, the butternut squash and about an inch of thinly sliced fresh ginger. I brought all that to the boil and then simmered for about 30 min and then pureed it with a stick blender and seasoned with a little salt. It was a delight to eat. Which was very nice after our hectic day.

A garden?

The boys and I are busy planting a garden today. It was supposed to be rainy and yucky for the rest of the week but we are pleasantly surprised by the lovely day we have out side. I even have a couple of loads of bedding out hanging in the breeze.

We aren`t really gardeners, I thought studying botany this year might help, but the verdict isn`t in yet. Today we planted a row of beans and a row of peas. Later we will be planting lettuce, Swiss chard and basil in some big planters on the deck. My back is tender and I have to stop for a while so I don`t end up in agony and being yelled at by Michael and my chiropractor for over doing it. In the non food department we planted 4 silver lace vines to climb our arbour. They are supposed to grow any where from 20-40 feet in a season so with our northern exposure we will hope for 20 feet. Here are a couple of pictures of what is may look like, if we had green thumbs.

Wednesday.....

is over and I think I am glad. I'm tired and ready for bed, although we both know that I will finish this post and snuggle up on the chesterfield with Micheal and watch "Raiders of the Lost Ark" on tv.

We didn't do school today, it was much to nice a day, but we did practice piano. Wallace has a recital to practice for and has been asked to play the offertory at church in the near future. The recital piece that he chose is called "Big Teddy, Little Teddy" and it is the cutest waltz around, we all hum it for several hours after practice is over. The offertory piece that he has picked in "Here I am to Worship" it is a relatively easy arrangement so we will probably be ready in a few weeks.

This afternoon we went into town to do our shopping and go to swimming lessons. John has come a long way this session. His teacher has confidence and that has made all the difference, he will attempt most of what she asks and is so proud of himself when he actually does it. Last week he went into the deep end, of course he had a life jacket on but up until last week it didn't matter, life jacket or in someones arms he steadfastly refused to go past the buoy line. This week he plugged his nose and valiantly tried to put his face into the water. This is his third session in this level so I'm wondering if he will finally achieve it this time. I don't really care how many times it takes I just want him to get comfortable in the water.

Tomorrow is a home day, I love a home day.....a nice quiet day!

Awards at Olympians

Tonight we had our finally evening at Olympians. Wallace and John have worked very had this year and were rewarded tonight with gold medals. I am very proud of them and yes, I did a lot of reminding and helping but they were cooperative and willing to work. Above is a picture of 2 tired boys with their prized possessions.

Here is John with his group. He was the youngest and yet only he and another girl earned the gold medal. They used puppets and recited a couple of thier verses.

Here is Wallace after he received his medal. His leader was a little bit long winded but we got through it. This is his 3rd gold medal in a row, we are very proud of him.

And of course they had to do the 'taste' test.

the pirate party

We had a pirate party at church today, it was put on by CEF (Child Evengelism Fellowship). I have such fond memories of 5 day clubs and loved the stories that they told. Here are a few pictures of the boys in their costumes ready to go. Not bad for about 8 dollars at the Dollar Store, Michael did a great job on the body art don't you think?

I'll post an update later, we been so busy lately.

Menu Plan Monday

Here is my menu plan for the upcoming week. One meal is left over form last week, we had a night of leftovers pushing all meals forward one night. I think there will be plenty of leftover and if they aren't all used up during our lunches I may not use all these meals this week. If you'd like to see what others have on their menu this week have a look here.

Monday- lasagna (cheese- no meat), garlic bread, and salad

Tuesday-Ham casserole with pasta and oriental coleslaw

Wednesday-lentil patties, roasted potatoes, and roasted sweet potatoes

Thursday-Bubbly Haddock bake, rice pilaf, and frozen veg

Friday- Ham and Pea soup, salad, and fresh whole wheat bread

Saturday-hearty vegetable spaghetti sauce, pasta, and salad

Sunday-(pot luck) homemade mac and cheese and black forest trifle

Earth Hour

We as a family are participating in Earth Hour tonight, although John will be in bed and will be unaware that the lights are out. As a family we try to be conscience of our impact on the environment, I think I may be raising an environmentalist. Our plan is to play cards by candle light at the kitchen table this will thrill Wallace for two reasons, one he gets to play a game with mom and dad and two, he gets to stay up an hour past the time he usually goes to his room to read. I really like the idea of Earth Hour however, I think it is probably the easiest hour of the week to do it, no one is trying to do anything, chores are done and its time to relax anyway, we just have to find an alternative way of relaxing. Anyone else out there participating in Earth Hour, besides the environmentally friendly aspect of it its a great way to have some family time.

the same but different

The boys used to tie blankets around their necks to pretend to be superheroes, usually batman or superman. Now we tie blankets around our neck and carry a sword and pretend to be Centurions. To an outsider they wouldn't see much difference but if you listen close to the conversation between the boys you'd hear the difference.

Just so John doesn't feel left out!!!

I made a couple of 'dolls' for John, which he coloured and is now playing good guys and bad guys.

Who would have thunk?

......that a computer game could have inspired a desire to learn all about history. I knew it could happen, I'd heard all the interesting stories of how homeschooled kids take an interest and run with it but this is my first hands on experience. The game in question Age of Mythology. Wallace has taken every book on Greek, Roman and Norse Mythology out of the library along with a bunch on Roman History. The book he really likes is Magnifications -A Roman Fort by Stephen Johnson. This is a picture of his paper Auxilary Roman soldier, I made the the body out of the back of the Easter Bunny box and he did the rest, he followed the detailed picture in the book. I've said before we aren't very creative around here (something about me and messes but that is a different blog entry) but this turned out incredibly well, he still wants to make a paper Legionary soldier and now there is talk of make a model of a fort. I thought we were studying Canadian history, I guess we have interupted our regular programming for a special interest program. Hey, that is the beauty of homeschooling. BTW-Thanks are you due to my sisters fiance be was the one who gifted us with the game in the first place.

another FO

(FO stands for finished object for you non-knitters)

I am really bad at taking photographs of my work. Lately most of my work has been done in dark yarn and I am not sure if that is part of the reason. My camera is also a rather cheap on so I am wondering if the lack of focus is a problem. Anyhow (or as my friend Sue says 'Anywhooooo' ) this is my latest finished project an a pair of socks for Michael, made in SISU, not sure of the colour a navy of some sort, I used Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's sock recipe. Love this yarn, love the recipe!!
OTN (on the needles) another pair of socks for Michael, a ribbed pair in a heavier weight yarn.

Easter Dessert

Recently, I have been make one sweet treat a week, usually on Sunday. It has been something different each week. It seems that since we don't get treats all week long that we seem to truly enjoy our weekly treat. This week being Easter I wanted to make an extra special treat, and since I'd been craving Black Forest Trifle that is what I made. I need to improve my food photography but I think you get the point. It was yummy.

Layers of chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, whip cream (the real stuff), and cherry pie filling. Not the most healthy but it tasted good.