You know you are a knitter when.....your five year old looks over at the desk and says, "What is it that you are making with that yellow yarn over there, mom." "Mittens for Sarah, why?" "Oh, I thought it was something else." What that something else was he never said.

Read this on Ann Voskamp's blog, Holy Experience

Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and a antiseptic.

~John Henry Jowett~

Love her blog, always find food for thought and encouragement.

The Royal Winter Fair

Sorry No pictures.....I took my camera and it stayed in my bag the whole day....not sure why because there was plenty to take pictures of.

We had a great day.

We saw the Superdogs. They were great but both my sister and I cried. I never thought of it before we went in and sat down but some of the best (fastest) Superdogs are Border Collies and our beloved Baillie was a Border Collie

Remberance Day Servies

John and his dad at the Remembrance Day services. John doesn't remember seeing his dad in his 'monkey suit' as we like to call it. Michael only wears it a few times a year and I guess in the last year or so not much at all. John really liked it that it was his dad that every one wanted their picture take with.

Michael and his colleague laying the wreath for the RCMP in remembrance.

The boys in red lining up in the distance....they led the colour guard on....not a task they were told about before hand but they didn't seem to mind.

Well we are off to the Royal Winter Fair today with my sister....got the Garmin, got the car seat, got the sunglasses....not I just need to pack our lunch and get the kids up so we are ready when she gets here.

Tuesday on Wednesday.....

We had our life group (small group Bible study) last night so I didn't take the time to write when we got home. It is a new life group with only two families right now, but even with just the 2 families there are 7 boys 12 and under. Wallace falls right between the 2 oldest and John is just older than the younger 3, they really seem to be enjoying themselves and is a great way for them to make friends while mom and dad are studying the Bible.

Yesterday wasn't much better as far as getting things done. I have trouble getting my head around the chaos, today will be better as I am turning this machine off after this entry and starting to work.

Yesterday's list was:
1. unpack Wallace's room
2. unpack John's room
3. unpack our room
4. unpack family room
5. make cookies (for small group)
6. unpack linen closet

Today's list is:
1. unpack John's room
2. unpack our room
3. unpack family room
4. clean master bathroom
5.
6.

Added to that list but not really apart of it is keeping up with laundry and meals, which seem to be taking up a lot more time in my new kitchen. I'd also like to get some schooling done, although I am going to concentrate on helping the boys catch up on their Olympians work for their meeting tonight.

I have to mention that unpacking is more than just pulling things out of boxes and putting them in drawers or on shelves. I have about 1/10 of the storage space that I had in our previous house so I am pulling things out of boxes, deciding if we need it and if not deciding if it goes to the second hand shop or garbage. Another challenge is that I am finding many things in the house broken and in need of repair before we put our stuff away.....of course the mice infestation is taking a lot of our time and focus away form getting the task at hand done. We haven't caught any for 2 days but we still see clues that they are still around. Mice are cute when they are in a cage or in the wide but I do not like them in my house.....especially my kitchen.

Monday

Today I felt as if I was spinning my wheels. I had set out to get things accomplished and at every turn my efforts were thwarted. I need to learn to work around interruptions and the chores of a normal day. I also need to remember that every little bit helps like the sayings go; Rome wasn't built in a day or How do you eat an elephant....one bite at a time. So what was on my list of things to do for today was.....

1. clean the powder room

2. change the bedding on all the bed and put the heated mattress pad on our bed

3. unpack our room

4. unpack Wallace's room

5. unpack John's room

6. unpack the family room

What actually got done to completion?

1. clean the powder room

2. change the bedding and put the heated mattress pad on

and I also did 2 other loads of laundry and some school with Wallace.

Michael on the other had...he had the day off....got done.

1. put up the new closet system in our closet. (it looks great and is far more functional than the decrepit (non repairable, he tried) one that was there.

2. did errands...butcher, mouse poison pellets, furnace filter

3. started organizing the garage.

My dad even came over and raked the back yard and the side yard...it looks great.

Wallace, did a little school, he is still not feeling well. He is on day 5 of what looks like H1N1, so he is on the recovery mode.

John, did nothing but whine and mope. He is on day 3 of the same. We get his fever down just to have it go back up when the medicine wears off. Poor little guy, he wanted to to a lot of snuggling.

I did use the oven for the first time since we moved in....did Crusty Mexican Bean Bake out of the More with Less cookbook. It was quick and tasty. I am still adjusting to my new kitchen so it probably took me longer than it should have. Mom came over to pick up Dad on her way home from work so they stayed for supper. Then I had a chiropractor appointment. All in all a busy day....I just didn't seem to get the things done that I wanted.

We are in but not settled

We took possession of the house a week ago Friday. We got all of our worldly possessions a week ago tomorrow. We are not settled. I never really paid much attention to Murphy as in Murphy's Law but he has definitely had his hand in this move. NOTHING, yes I know I am shouting and it isn't very polite but its true, NOTHING has gone right. We've cleaned, repaired and replaced way more than thought we would have to. The roof has been replaced, thankfully not by us, the kitchen and bathrooms cleaned, the walls washed, the carpets shampooed, the washing machine replaced, with a front loader, and Micheal is working on replacing the closet rod and shelf in our master closet. The house was lived in for 20 years and little if any up keep was done, some of the things we knew about, like the roof but others were carefully hidden by the previous owners and since we didn't feel like we should move every cloth or nick-knack we didn't see it. I guess this is legally allowable if not morally right. So we move on, each day will get better as I get my life out of boxes and things put away into its new home. The second hand store is going to be very blessed in the next couple of weeks with all the donations that I have for them.
It is great to be living back in my hometown. I haven't lived here for 20 years and in some ways it has changed a great deal but in others not much at all. I love being close to my mom and dad and my sister. I have much to be thankful for and must keep my eyes on that and not on the things that are going wrong. God is good and I will praise him. I will praise Him in the good times and in the bad times.

Well we are here, and it has been an interesting week. Michael has started his new job. I don't know anything and I won't be talking about it on here. It is his commute that isn't much fun....especially on a Friday afternoon.

We are still running....

Michael and I are still running around, well more Michael than I. It seems that it will never be done, but we know that this too shall pass. This morning we had to drive to the next town and sigh the documents at the lawyers which interrupted my day but it really interrupted Michael's day. He is trying really hard to get all the lose ends tied up at work and it doesn't help that he has court cases both this morning and tomorrow morning. Oh, yeah, I just found out that he will be back here for a court case on the day that the new house closes....oy!

Who would have thought....I knew that there would be a lot to do when you sell but I never thought we would be running around like chickens with our heads cut off. Michael and I generally pride ourselves on being organized and this process has thrown every curve ball imaginable at us, we been put in our place, it has been a humbling experience.

The boys and I are trying to get school done, thank goodness for lists and school planners, we will try our best but there is no promises.....well off to the library, we still need good books to keep our minds busy.

The new house......

as long as nothing goes wrong, we will move in on October 23.....unfortunately we have to live in a hotel for a month.

Yep, its done. We are on the move and very busy.....so much to do so little time.

the computer died

We have been with out a computer for almost a week, but we are back up and running now. It has been a busy week.

Michael and Wallace went away to church camp this week, Michael as a counsellor and Wallace as a camper. That left me and John home alone, John didn't miss Micheal much, I guess because he is used to Micheal going to work and even travelling for work but on the other hand he is not used to being away from Wallace and there were quite a few tears shed at that separation. It got so bad that we went up to the camp on Wednesday and John wandered around behind Wallace like a little lost puppy. It was actually a good day to go because it was so hot and humid that a dip in the lake felt soooooo good, even if the lake did feel like soup.

Wallace got heat stroke while he was at camp, he was blessed that his dad was there, it would be awful to get sick at camp and want your mom or dad and not be able to have them. Nobody comforts you quite like a parent. Micheal threw him in the shower and cooled him off slowly, he said that he could feel a noticable difference in his body temperature. When I saw him the next day he still didn't look totally well but said he was feeling better, he was also caring a bottle of water around, a lesson learned.

Last night Wallace was in bed at 7 and Michael by 10. It was a great week for them and they are both looking forward to next year.

A Quote

"God always gives his best to those that leave the choice with him."
Jim Elliot

Found this quote this morning and it defines the struggle that I have been going through the last few month. Good advice from a man who knew what it was to leave everything, even his life, in God's hands.

Pictures of the House

I just love the lush green. It is an upside of all the rain.

What we've been up to

1. VBS Good news Clues, boys had fun, I wasn't too stressed as all I did was help with the crafts.

2. Family Camp at Cape Blomidon. Beautiful weather, wonderful fellowship. Primative bathroom facilities. An AWEFUL scare when John wandered off with the 'big boys' to go on a hike up the mountian....at dusk. Thank God for his Grace and Mercy.

3. Lot's of rain.

4. Trying to keep the house clean in case by some miracle someone wants to look at it.

5. A great day with friends, went swimming, out for dinner and to Shakespeare By The Sea's production of Jack and the Beanstock.

It is only a little more than a week before we head back to school.....shh.....don't tell Wallace he'll throw a fit. I keep reminding him that if and when we move he will get a week off for the house hunting trip and 3 weeks when we actually move but when you're 10 it doesn't make much sense.

Viral Advertising......

This is good! They are a local band so I have heard of them before but I wouldn't be surprise if they get a lot more popular soon. Even Michael likes it and he isn't a fan of country music to say the least.

If you look on my sidebar you will find two new verses:

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

"that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you" 1 Thessalonians 4:11

These particular verses have been speaking to me lately so I thought I'd put them up to remind myself.

VBS

This week is our VBS at church, we are doing something about Good News Clues. I am not teaching, just helping with crafts so I am not entirely sure, I think they are following the colours in the wordless book, Monday was Black, Tuesday was red, today was white. The boys are having fun although Wallace wouldn't formally admit it. Some of the other older boys are really standoffish and not wanting to participate in any of the activities. Wallace isn't sure what to do, he wants to participate and have fun, although I can see he sometimes thinks it is little kiddish, but when the others are acting the way they are I can see him wondering if he is missing something. I won't push the issue too much, as long as he participate he doesn't have to think it is the world greatest thing, we can all learn to do things and enjoy them even if they aren't what we would consider the most fun.

Today John brought the neighbour boy, and he had fun. He said he is coming back tomorrow and the little girl that we brought all year to our Olympian programme just called and asked if she could come tomorrow too, so now my car is all filled up. Yay!!! It is good to see kids coming and hearing about God. You never know just what might happen.

A favourite of mine

Cleaning out and organizing and a walk down memory lane

It seems that although we have the next month off it is going to be a busy one for us. Next week we have our churches VBS, the week following we have Family Camp, then Michael is going to PEI for a golf weekend with the boys from work, then we have overnight company from Quebec. We are looking forward to all of it. I also have many tasks that are too big to do during the school year that need to get done, so on the days when nothing else is going on these tasks will be put on the list of things to do.

Last week I managed to get all of John's clothes gone through, put all the too small stuff in a bag, it actually end up being a garbage bag and a half, for our pastor's son. He is just a year behind him in size and the season match pretty well and since he is the only boys with 3 sister he is in general need of clothing. Most of it to be honest are just play clothes by the time they get to him but he loves them especially any of the ones with Spiderman, Batman or other super heroes. Then I pulled out the next season of clothes, which come from Wallace and his friend 'new Jacob'. It is always a fun time to see what treasures are hidden in those bins, John always finds one or two things that are his new favourites. You know the things that barely make it back into the dresser before they are worn again. I am so grateful for hand me downs it save money, the environment and my sanity. (If you have ever tried shopping with a 5 year old, you'll know what I mean.)

Yesterday, Micheal cleaned out the cubby under the stairs, it was a job that has been needing to be done for....years (if I am honest) and it finally got done yesterday. The thing that made it such a chore was that is was the storage place for all of our photos. I have no idea how many but there is a lot. We separated them into years for the past 13 years that we have been together and then another section for what Michael called 'pre-me'. Now that they are divided into sections I can take a year out at a time and further organize them. It sure was a walk down memory lane. We looked at ones of the boys when they were babies and sat and thought "Where has the time gone?". We looked at ones of friends and relative who are no longer with us and thought "Am I ever glad I have these.", as the memories came flooding back.

Last night I was talking to my mom and I was telling about what we had done, which brought us to reminiscing about the stories we've heard and we discussed the need to write them down so that they can be passed on to the next generation. Maybe we can write them down and pass them around the family so that others can add details that they remember from the stories. It looks like I may have just created a project for myself. I think it would be wonderful to pass on their family Legacy to my boys.

I'll leave you with a photograph that we came across yesterday. We know when and where this photo was taken, we aren't sure by who or what the joke was but it sure looks like Micheal (in the chair), my sister, my brother-in-law and myself think it is really funny.

School

We are done school!!!!!!!
Who's more excited me or the boys, it is really heard to tell.

Days of the Weeks Book

I read an idea somewhere that kids like to create books, that they enjoy the process and it helps in recollection of the information that they put in the book. John and I were studying the days of the week at the time so we made a days of the week book, here it is. The original is going to his baby sitter, whom he adores. Enjoy!

Hair cuts

Today after school Michael, Wallace and John went and got their haircut. They really needed it, especially John as you can see the hair was hanging in their eyes.

Now they look nice and neat and ready for summer. In either picture I think you can tell that John just loves his big brother.

At the dinner table

Tonight while we were eating dinner it hit me how much of our meals are homemade. We tend to eat homemade of the regular things like bread, cookies, muffins, tomato sauce etc. but what hit me tonight was how many of the condiments were also homemade. I don't really know if making them myself saves any money but let me tell you the taste sure is an improvement over store bought, plus I know exactly what goes into each of them. I was also surprised at just how long they last, I haven't had any problems with them going bad. They haven't been left for months in the fridge but they have been in there for several weeks. Pictured above is ketchup, sour cream, salad dressing and "Miracle Whip". These all easy to make with the exception of the "Miracle Whip" and I wouldn't recommend it to a novice at preparing home cooked meals, it takes forever to make and if you don't do exactly right it will separate quicker than you can wink. However, Michael really likes it, so much so that he was willing to stand in front of the mixer and add the oil drop by drop last time. It does taste as good if not better than the name brand stuff, but I don't think I am saving any money on this one, at least not if time is money and you take into account the electricity, but there are no stabilizers or preservative in that jar.

What do you like to make from scratch?

Not so good

Wallace and I have caught whatever it is that John had over the weekend. Today has been unproductive, a total write off. John was feeling better with in 2 days so hopefully that will hold true for Wallace and I too. Oh, well, the TV, Wii and the computer have been well used today and I got a nap in too. Praying for a better tomorrow.

Monday and Tuesday

We are doing the count down to finish school. We have been faithfully following a routine for the last 7 weeks and have gotten so much accomplished. Wallace likes it, John likes and best of all I like it. We will tweak in just a tad when we start the new year, only because we will be changing the curriculum at little bit.

At the beginning of the week or the end of the one we've just done I write out a daily to do list of sorts of all the required work for each day for each of the boys. I only do a week at a time in case there is an interruption or something doesn't get done for one reason or another so I will only have to make changes to a maximum of 4 days. I used to get very discouraged if I had done a whole lot of planning and then to miss a day due to sickness or some other unforeseen circumstance and it would just mess things up. Wallace loves being able to tick off each thing that he does, it gives him a real sense of accomplishment and he knows when it is all done the rest of the day is his to enjoy. John loves it too, he runs to his list, which for the most part he can't read and tries to figure out what is next.

I don't let them work ahead though because I don't want them overwhelmed by the work and just rush through it just to get it done. I find that they don't retain much if they do it that way, and what is the point of doing school work if you aren't going to remember what you've learned.

We will be taking the month of July off, and will be heading back to school the first of August. This is unusual around here as the school are off for both July and August and head back to class the day after Labour Day, but with our move (prayerfully hopeful) and not knowing when it will be, I would like to work ahead so that we can take up to 3 weeks off at that time.

I can hardly believe that we are completing our 4th year of homeschooling. We had planned on taking it one year at a time but last year I had ordered the books before I had really thought about it and this year we have pre-planned on homeshooling, with moving it just seemed best not to change too much at one time. The future of homeschooling as with all things is in the Lord's hands which gives me great comfort.

and to end the day....

We didn't get to the picnic today. On my way to bed last night I stop and kissed the boys good night and when I bent down to kiss John he sat right up and started talking to me, very unusual, and then I kissed his head, he was burning up. I got him some medicine and moved him into my bed, seeing as daddy is away. We didn't get a very good nights sleep, but his fever did break around 4 am. Today we were kind of on a roller coaster both with the fever and the emotions.

I had him running around in shorts and nothing else, to let that fever out. Tonight when he was feeling "better", he was running outside on the driveway in his crocs and tripped. This is the resulting mess. Poor little guy are those just the saddest little eyes. We gave him a cool bath and applied some polysporin to the really bad ones, thankfully no rocks in the cuts. Now he is watching a DVD and will be heading to bed early tonight. He just wants to snuggle with his mommy.

Friday

(9 am)
After yesterday's post and this morning's late start you might think that I am letting the boys have the day off but that won't be entirely true, some things just have to get done. I have trouble with sleeping when Michael is away. Last night I didn't go to bed til late, then couldn't sleep and when I did sleep I slept fitfully so I am anything be rested this morning. It is a late start but better late than not at all so here we go, I hope I get cooperation from the boys.

(6:30 pm)
So what did we get done today....most school- math, spelling, history and science.

A trip to the chiropractor, whose wife loves the boys. They always have a good time because she listen to whatever they want to talk about.

We received two loads of gravel for the driveway repair tomorrow.

We baked a cake, chocolate cake with mint icing.

I worked on Michael's father day gift. He has been bugging me for these for months, his last pair wore though in the middle of the winter. I happen to hate this yarn, it is rough and is really hard on my hands but since I had it on hand and he asked I'll do it but I did tell him that when these wore out his next pair would be of natural fibers.

And since Wallace modelled the slipper, John had to get in on it too. Aren't those the cutest little toes.

Now we are going to watch the original Wizard of Oz and then to bed early so we can enjoy the Sunday School picnic tomorrow.

Is it Thursday or Friday

Michael is away on business for the next 3 nights. I don't normally mind but this was sprung on me quite suddenly and I wasn't mentally prepared for it, we also had several things planned as a family which I now I have to do by myself. Oh well, I am trying to learn to roll with the punches.

If we were not trying to finish up school in the next couple of weeks I'd take tomorrow off but as it is I don't really want to miss anymore school. (Good thing Wallace doesn't read this blog, he be pestering me to have it off.) We also have kind of tradition that Wallace sleeps upstairs in Daniel's room when Michael is away over night. We pull out the camping mattress and one of the boys sleep on it. Until recently Wallace has always slept on the mattress but last time John wanted to sleep on the mattress, he started out on the mattress but by the time I went to bed he had rolled off and ended up sleeping in the closet. We'll see how it plays out this weekend.

My goal for the weekend besides all the regular things that need to be done and maybe a few tasks to prepare for the move, is to have sit down proper meals with the boys. When Michael is away the meals I prepare tend to be half hearted and usually eaten in the den in front of the TV. Not a habit I am very proud of mind you and one that I am going to endevour to change....starting tonight. Tuna casserole, veggie sticks and dip at the kitchen table. What do you cook for supper when it just you, or you and the kids? I am always looking for new ideas.

It is finally done

.... and wow does it ever look good!! Michael spent his whole day off today working on the final two tasks. We had pea gravel delivered and he spread it out underneath the arbour, no grasss would ever grow there as it is on the north side of the house. Then he re-shingled the little roof over the porch. 99% no more, it is done.....anyone want to come and have a chat and an evening cup of tea.

Still Alice

Well I finally finished it, it took me a week and not becuase of time, or that I wasn't interested but because I got to a point and I had to take an 'emotional' break. It was a well written, informative and heart wrenching story. If you have a loved one with Alzhiemer's it is a must read.

Wallace's Picture of the Sunset from his bedroom window

The joy of Read-Alouds

We have really been into Read-alouds in the last month. Over at Higher Up Further In, which is a great blog for explaining how to give a "Charlotte Mason" education to your children in practical terms, I read about taking books slowly over a extended period time. There is no need to rush, let the children absorb the material and identify with the characters over a period of time. I had heard this before but for some reason this time it made sense and we put it into practice. The idea that you could have more than one book on the go at a time was okay, for example a book for literature, a book for science/nature study and a book for history would be just fine. I thought that it would confuse them but I thought I would try it out. Wow! has it ever been successful, they are both loving it and I am getting to spend more time with them.
This is the book I chose to start with. We had read two others in the series, the book on George Mueller and the one on Gladys Alyward, both of which were awesome so I knew it would be a hit. Wallace loved it, John liked it but sometimes the chapters were too long. (If I had been reading just to him we would have significantly shortened the length of each passage.) Michael had to finish the book for me, I sat there and bawled, it was so sad. I would highly recommend this book or any others in the series.

John and I just finished reading Chatterer the Red Squirrel by Thornton W. Burgess today. It has 23 very short chapters so it was perfect for his first ever experience with narration. He did a great job, although I had to work hard at not prompting him. He loved it, and each day couldn't wait for story time. He has picked this for his next book.

I think I will be looking for Collection of Thornton Burgess work so I can have all these wonderful stories in one place.

We have Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare out of the library but have my own copy on order from my homeschooling supply. Wallace and I are reading these aloud too. I know that some his age would already be studying the actual plays having read these earlier but since we haven't I didn't want to jump right into the plays. I thought it would help to know the plot and the characters prior to trying to understand the old English.

This one was just a happy surprise, we just started it today and both the boys are totally enamoured. John has been on a Owl kick lately and so I have taken every owl book out of the library and this was in the mix, seems like a great 'living book'. I read Farley Mowat when I was in school and never enjoyed him, but I think that is because they were pulling him apart rather than just enjoying him. I must say that I don't agree with everything that he stands for but I am not one to 'throw the baby out with the bath water' and will enjoy what is good and discard what isn't.

So as you can see we've been having fun with living books, and probably for the first time all because we are taking it slow and enjoying the process.

Edit: Wallace just walked up and grabbed the Owls in the Family book and asked if he could read it.....looks like a good sign.

thought you might like these..

We are very proud of all the work the boys have put into learning the piano this year.

a rainy Wednesday

A cup of green tea, a break from school and a rainy Wednesday morning is the perfect time to update my blog. There is a lot going on and a the same time not much at all, kind of a weird feeling. We are very busy trying to get all the little jobs done to get the house on the market, the real estate agent said she could show it any time but we'd (mostly me) would like to have things in a neat orderly state....I just think better when that happens.

On Monday, Michael spent the whole day cleaning out the garage....I should have taken before and after pictures but I forgot. It really does look much better, this morning was a 'big' garbage day so we were able to put out all the unwanted things that we can't normally put out. We still have a few things that have to go to the envirodepot, left over paint, a broken VCR etc. They won't take that stuff with the normal garbage so we have to take it ourselves. There is also a slew of cardboard to be broken down and bundled. I don't know why we let it get out of hand but now it looks better and I can breathe a little easier. Next is the basement, which for some reason is always hard to manage. As Michael says 'How do you eat an elephant? One mouthful at a time.' Wallace doesn't really get that but I am sure he will as he faces challenges in life.

Yesterday Wallace played the piano in the Lunenburg Music Festival. He played Andante in G major, which is also one of his pieces for his Grade 1 Conservatory Exam in June so it was good practice. I don't think he was that nervous but it was good to have him hear others play it too, that way he gets to understand what his teacher means when she is instructing him. He tied for 3rd place. He was pleased, so was I.

The boys are back into swimming lessons, this time they are on Sunday afternoons which means for the first time in about 2 years Michael is able to come with us. Wallace is in level 7 and is doing very well, he appears to be the strongest swimmer in his class and the most willing. Michael was impressed with how much he has improved. When we move we will have to have him tested to be placed because he has done all his swimming in a pool that is only 5 ft deep and he can touch if he needs too. I am sure the next pool will be both deeper and bigger and I think that might a mental hurdle, I could be wrong....been wrong before will be wrong again.

We finally figured out how to get John into the pool and enjoy it.....are you ready for this.....goggles. Michael suggested it. He was so right. Wallace's teacher who is a good friend gave John a pair, we brought them home, practiced in the tub and when we went back on Sunday it made all the difference in the world. He put his head under the water, and didn't seem to care when the other children were splashing. Water in his face has been such a hang up for so long I can hardly believe that something so simple could make such a difference. He isn't able to do all the other things that are expected but I think that will come, now that he can relax and not worry about the water in his eyes. Micheal said that John grinned the whole time he was in the pool, he was so proud of himself.

Well that is the update for now, we have to get back to spelling and the rest of school. Anyone know of a good writing program for someone in grade six, we want to start writing papers, stories and essays. It has to be basic and have a strong teacher component because this is not this teachers strong suit.

Today's Pictures

This is the weather we had today.....the flakes were the size of loonies.....we had this for about 10 minutes, then hail for 10 minutes, then sun shine for 10 minutes and back to sleet.

The weather was crazy and my sinus' were wreaking havoc in my head.
This was Michael's job for today.....we always do this to ourselves....we think the job is small.....it is just a floating floor in an 8 by 10 foot room....how hard can it be?
Then you realize that you have remove the washer and the dryer, lift the sink (it didn't have have shut offs so we couldn't remove it), remove baseboard, and door molding and the piece of wood that joins the hard wood floor in the hall to the old vinyl floor.
Michael worked hard all day...except for going out for lunch....but now its done and the washer and dryer are back in place and all we have to do is paint the baseboard and molding.
I think it looks great. I hope Bailey won't be able to dig a through it any time soon.

A conversation about Fair Trade

We as a family usually dwell mostly on the true meaning of Easter but there is always a little bit of chocolate and usually an egg hunt in there as well. This year we had an extra conversation about where the chocolate in our chocolate bunnies and eggs came from and what the money we were spending was actually supporting. It was quite an enlightening discussion. In our research we found out about the slave labour farms in the Ivory Coast. Wallace was very upset to think that boys his age were forced into slave labour. The conclusion that we came too was that we as a family would only buy Fair Trade chocolate, cocoa and coffee. Michael made a good point about rather doing without than making a child suffer and just because we don't see that child suffering doesn't mean it isn't happening and now that we know our conscience can no longer be clear when purchasing these goods. Do these things cost a little more? Cost to who, can one really put a price on a child's life?

So this year, since our decision was so new and I haven't yet been able to find Fair Trade Easter candy, their chocolate consisted of a few large chocolate bars. They really didn't seem to mind.

On a lighter note and to illustrate John's complete lack of understanding of the aforementioned conversation, today we were at the Pastor's house for dinner and when his wife served the dessert, of ice cream cake, he said, "Miss Sharon, is this Fair Trade ice cream?" We chuckled and had to give the back ground to the question.

This is where we started our investigation, maybe you'd like to do the same.

another Dentist trip

We had a very busy day....it is only 20 to 8 and I feel done in. John had a follow up dental appointment at 9 am in the city so we left the house at 10 to 8 and for a homeschooling family who lazily starts each morning it was like trying to be out of the house by 5 am. John was called in shortly after 9 and was all happy and ready to go, we showed the dentist where his mouth was hurting and she said it was probably just a molar trying to erupt rather than an infection in one of the teeth he already has. She then prepped him for a mold....the empty hole where she extracted the tooth needs a spacer. I've had molds done, and I've been with Wallace when he has had them done, but I was not prepare for the scene John would display. We told him it would feel funny but he had to stay still. It took the dentist, the dental assistant and myself to hold him down and he still fought and screeched. Michael said that he heard it out in the waiting room and it is no small dental office. He got himself so worked up that he threw up, and his eye were covered with petechiae. They believe that they got a decent mold....we'll have to see is what the dentist said. I hope it is OK because I don't want to go through that again. It was rather embarrassing.

After we were done there and since we were in the city we went over to Home Depot to look at flooring for our laundry room. The dog has scratched a hole in the flooring and into the sub flooring....she a good dog but has this one ridiculous nervous habit. We found an industrial floating floor, called Allure tile, I just tried to find an image to show you but I couldn't fine one I'll have to take a picture after Michael get it installed. Hopefully he will be able to do that this weekend.

Then home to do some school.

Then to town, a 30 min drive, for a medical appointment, grocery shopping, the office supply shop, and the music store to pick up John's next music book which wasn't in stock so I have to go back before his lesson next Monday.

Then home to put the groceries away.....Thank you Michael!!.....and make supper, steak fajitas and salad.

Then clean up from dinner, bathe John and put him to bed and that brings me to this point....falling asleep as I type. Tomorrow is a mostly home day, just the library, a visit form a friend and Olympians. I...must....go...to....bed....early.

The house

The master bedroom, has a walk in closet.

John's room, it also has a walk in closet as well as the 'toy' closet that you see.

The up stairs bathroom.

Wallace's room. It is the smallest at 10'x 10'.

The Den.

The living room.

The kitchen.

The veiw from the back yard.

The view as you come up the driveway.

We are trying to get the house ready to sell. Today I took photo's of each of the rooms except the main floor bath and the basement. What do you think, anything need to be changed.....I'm not talking about major reno or even paint, I'm talking about furniture placement etc. The only picture of the outside that I could find were taken last spring before the greenery around the front had really bloomed and the back view has John in it....no he doesn't come with the house.