Here for a millisecond!

Hi!  How embarrassing that I haven't been lurking around blogland for a while.  Working full-time and having older tween and almost tween daughters have really cut into my blogging and crafting time!

Even though it seems like eons ago, I've had some great travel experiences over the last 12 months.  We stayed in a yurt at Flora Bora near Emma Lake, SK in August 2013.  A yurt is a really interesting method of "camping".  (I don't really consider having a yurt as a camping experience considering we had a private bath/shower and indoor kitchen facilities).  I loved having our own "sky light" through the yurt's roof.  The mosquitoes were awful at Flora Bora but the landscape made up for all the bites.

Flora Bora

We took K & N to London (UK) and Paris for 3 weeks in April/May 2014.  I did a lot of prep work with the girls to prepare for the trip.  We I borrowed kids' library books on French and English history, culture and travel for the girls to study read.  We read as many British children's books as possible.  We watched British and French children's movies.  It was a lot of work to get ready but worth it.

K adores London.  K was hooked the minute she stepped onto the Tube at Heathrow Airport.  K & N toted the Tube map everywhere.  K carefully marked each Tube Station we entered/exited.  We did all the typical tourist sites and K & N were a bit disappointed that they didn't encounter any royalty.  (Kate & Will were in New Zealand at the time & likely sent their regrets but we didn't get the message in time).

Altho I had lived in London for 8 months in the early 1990s, London had changed substantially in my absence.  It was as if I had never lived there.  Everything was foreign to me, even my old stomping ground of High Street Kensington.  Happily, a couple of my friends still remain in the London area & met up with me and it was so nice to see them after 20 plus years apart!  The improvements to the Tower of London tour was remarkable.  We spent the whole day at the Tower!

The one place where I did not schedule enough time was the Globe Theatre.  I found the tour fascinating and could have spent hours in the Globe Theatre Museum (which included acting lessons on how to joust with real swords and lessons on fabrics/colours in Shakespearean time).  The Globe Theatre's website didn't explain that it is feasible to move about during a Shakespearean play at the Globe (including a visit to the fast food stand outside the theatre's door).  If I had known this, I would have arranged tickets to see a theatre production.  I hope to return to London one day specifically to watch a play at the Globe!

Globe Theatre, London

We didn't really leave London except for a jaunt to Windsor.  It was my first visit to Windsor Castle & was a worthwhile venture!

Windsor

We took the Eurostar to Paris.  Our rented apartment was located adjacent to one bakery and 1.5 blocks away from another bakery.  It was bakery heaven for us!  Despite loading up on French baking multiple times a day, we walked the calories off -- no doubt that the 90 to 112 steps to our apartment helped!  N preferred Paris over London.

Travelling with kids results in different travel opportunities.  We ventured to Luxembourg Gardens. There was a little playground and we thought we'd let the kids burn off a little energy.  And they did as we watched them and shivered for about 2.5 hours!  Our children had never experienced a merry-go-round!  The playground had a zip-line -- I've never seen a zip-line in a public park!

Luxembourg Gardens

Paris turned into a history lesson on the French revolution (before and after).  We went to Versailles and I worried that N would be trampled in the crowds visiting the State Rooms.  We wandered within and outside the immense Versailles park.  Despite the crowds, the park was exquisite.

Place de la Concorde where Marie Antoinette was beheaded.

Versailles

Provins

We travelled to a little medieval town, Provins.  It was so refreshing to leave Paris' crowds and tourists. Provins is about 1.5 hours outside of Paris and is frequented by French school-aged children who come to learn about Medieval France.

We are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel internationally with our children.  We learned so much!

Spring-time dreamin'

It's been a long winter.  We've had record snowfall.  We've run out of space in the backyard to place the snow!  We are preparing for flooding if and when it melts.

I'd rather be spring-time dreamin'.  So instead, I'll take you on a little cruise, a Disney Cruise on the Fantasy:

We enjoyed our W Caribbean cruise!  The kids were delighted by the Aquaduck (altho they weren't heavy enough to go on the Aquaduck on their own so one of us parents had to accompany each rider -- brrr, it was cold!).  They also enjoyed the Midship Detective Agency.  The food was fabulous!

Our ports of call were St Thomas, San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Disney's Castaway Cay (Bahamas).

St Thomas harbour

St. Thomas was beautiful from a distance but quite impoverished up close.

biking on Castaway Cay

It was quite cool the day that we were at Castaway Cay so it was a great morning to go for a bike ride.

Snorkelling on Castaway Cay

K, N & my dh went snorkelling for the first time. The water was cold.  N announced that she can strike snorkelling off her bucket list now!

San Juan was our favorite destination.  All four of us enjoyed a tour of the Fortress of San Cristobal & the Disney cast entertained K & N while my dh and I ventured out to explore San Juan for an hour (aka shop)!

Fortress of San Castillo

I feel much better now!  Although I am looking forward to warmer climates, I am ready to don the winter boots & jackets tomorrow!

Poppin' in

As I crunch on some Kernels popcorn, I decided it was time to pop in. It seemed only appropriate.

So much has happened since April 2012 when I last posted.  In late May, I landed a fabulous job providing legal advice to School Boards ( ~ yes, multiple Boards) starting in early July.  Each work day flashes by with the variety of issues that most of the public don't know even affects School Boards.  Human rights issues, privacy and access to information issues, labour and employment issues, criminal and family law issues, construction and tendering issues are just some of the matters that I am presented with regularly.  And I looooove the work.  I love stretching intellectually and being prodded to look at an issue from yet another perspective.  Happily, my hours aren't as full-time as many in the profession and we work shorter hours in the summer (when schools are closed).  The clients are excellent to work with as well.

In late May, my dh made the fatal mistake of phoning home to admit that the one thing his supervisor regretted was not getting a dog for his children.  I asked him, "Does this mean you are ready for a dog?" (as K & N had been begging for one for years).  When he acknowledged he was (on multiple conditions), I went to the local equivalent to Craigslist and scrolled down.  There was a new entry on the first page describing a 8 month old bichon-shih tzu mix named Gracie.  K, N & I met Gracie that evening.  It was obvious that her first home wasn't a good fit for either the dog or the family because the family was too occupied with work, young children and other pets.  In questioning the first family, I discovered that Gracie wasn't being cared for as she should be and it was important to remove her from the home.  Although I hesitated adopting Gracie (because she was so excited that she ran the livingroom in loops), K & N were determined to take her home.  I crossed my fingers and purchased Gracie because I knew the breeder/kennel from which Gracie came.  The breeder offered amazing support for both Gracie & me.

As Gracie had been enrolled in dog training classes, I attended with her immediately to discover that the reason why her first owners rid of her was because she soiled in the house (which wasn't a surprise considering she had already soiled in our house).  As the dog trainer was willing to permit me to return with Gracie later in a new session, I then focused on indoor training.  I had to wear her leash from a belt on my waist or, if she wasn't able to be supervised directly by me, she was placed in her kennel to ensure she didn't sneak off to relieve herself (most frequently on carpet).  We had to earn each other's trust.  Initially, she didn't want to go into the basement (& I suspect this was because she was left unattended in the previous owners' basement for hours).  We took her on her first walk and she didn't even stop to sniff scents but she figured that out quickly!

In July and August, we did obedience training and I worked her through her paces.  I was walking Gracie approximately 2 hours per day.  When we took possession of her, I had to purchase a collar and her leash; she didn't have a local dog license because she never left the first owner's house. 

It has been delightful watching Gracie explore the seasons.  She has absolutely loved winter so far!

Without a doubt, Gracie was the 3rd child that filled a void in our household.  Yes, she is extra work but she has fit in so well!

Martin Luther King Jr

Yesterday was an interesting albeit unusual day for me.  It all started with an innocent question from the girls of whether the American slaves had a "Moses" which led me to discover that it was exactly the 44th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's assassination.  I watched portions of vintage speeches and then got inspired to scrapbook a layout on King which I felt really needed to be wrapped up on the same day of April 4.  It dawned on me that I was precisely 4 months old when he was assassinated so I rummaged through the few photos I had from childhood ( ~ I was daughter #4 so photos are few for me!) and, lo and behold, I had photos from April 1968.  I found King's famous "I had a dream" and "I have been to the mountaintop" speeches in written format and photos of him in US national archives online which I printed out along with the headlines from the New York Times for April 5, 1968 announcing his death online.

Isn't it interesting how something or someone can provoke a reaction?  And how this can unexpectedly affect a day or a lifetime?

when do I stop getting homework?

The kids have another day off school.  Do you know what that means?  Homework for parents.

Each day, including weekends, I work with 6-year old N through her LaRoue reading and this long weekend we have an assigned book for her to read as well.

Eight-year old K?  She has a science project on "l'ours polaire" that she needs to type up for school.  (She's already had to do a PowerPoint presentation earlier this year).  This project seems a little advanced for her considering she doesn't know how to type.  In addition, we work on her dictée (aka spelling) and she reads aloud to me in English or French during the work-week.

Needless to say, my first knitted scarf is advancing rapidly as I am soon to complete its second (and final) skein.  I think I'm experienced enough that, on my next scarf, I will incorporate purls and not just knitting.  Yes, there will be a second scarf as I'm only 2/3rds through the school year and I started on my current one at the end of January!  Knit away, I will, as I've got many more days of homework ahead!

I can only imagine the homework that awaits me during the upcoming Easter break!

a change in season

This past weekend I drove the girls to their last cross-country ski lessons for this winter and donned my new skis to venture out on my own.  I have only cross-country skied twice this year (three times in my life) and the first time this year was a miserable experience as I wiped out 4 times within 45 minutes.    That was hard on the ole ego!

I hesitated on venturing out on my own but was positively delighted that I didn't wipe out once on Sunday!  I went down two hills ~ the first one was a little scary as I almost wiped out and almost wiped out a mother skiing and pulling her sleeping son on a sled as well!  Ah-ahahaha!  It was a great day for skiing with the weather being mild (& hovering around 0 degrees C).

As the week has progressed, we've been having a battle of the boots.  We are slowly shifting from winter boots to rubber boots intermingled with regular shoes as the weather shifts.

It is a cold splashing season!  The girls haven't outgrown heading out into the alley and curbs to splash and then they venture indoors cold and wet.  I know too soon that this will pass too!

Happy spring!

je ne sais pas!

K (8 years old) and N (6 years old) are determined to teach my unilingual English-speaking dh to speak French.  They have been working with him utilizing N's Grade 1 LaRoue book.  (LaRoue is effective in that it teaches French in a phonetics format but it is a painful way to have to practice reading in a new language for both the reader and the listener).

While my dh was in the car with the girls yesterday, my dh asked N a question to which N replied, "Je ne sais pas".  Dh asked, "What does that mean, N?"  N replied, "I don't know."

My dh asked K, "What does that mean?"  K replied, "I don't know."  My dh was becoming frustrated and said, "K, you've been in French immersion for 3 to 4 years and you don't know what that means?"  K replied, "It means: I don't know."

My dh's reply?  "Oh."

(PS: If you were wondering what the "Mar" bingo card is about, the bingo cards are part of the Big Picture Class' "Twelve" that is ongoing for 2012.  Each month, I fill in the card as I read the email prompts.)