Tuesday 30 October 2012

Why I Love Walking

This month I have walked over 60 km. This astounds me!! I have been able to continue through the start of winter and hope to continue all winter long. By Spring I'd like to be doing some running.

Why do I love it? Solitude! I love being along for a time. An hour is about perfect. Sometimes I'm alone at home. Sometimes I'm alone at school. But there are always things to do there. I get very caught up in to do lists. I need that time where I have to abandon being productive and just move.

Left. Right. Left Right.

When I'm walking there's comfort in the repetitiveness of it all. Just me. Just my thoughts. There is nothing like it and I'm starting to realize how much I need this time.

I think of how my day was.
I think of ideas for tomorrow
I think of ways to help kids.
I think of the people I work with.
And I'm so grateful.

I think of my family.
I think of things they want to happen.
I pray for them.

I think of scriptures I have memorized.
I think of scriptures I should memorize.
I think of my upcoming Sunday School lesson.
I pause on the blessings of the gospel.

I think of books I've read.
I think of books I want to read.

I feel so richly blessed
And so grateful.

Sometimes it brings me to tears.

And by the time I arrive at home
I'm ready for life again.

I never ever fathomed it could be so great. It really is.

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Class President


Jill's school has been having student council elections. She ran for Gr. 9 class president. She always amazes me. I was too intimidated to do things like that when I was in High School. Not Jill. She takes it all in stride. We heard a fair bit about it leading up to the election. Her big promise: abolish passé composé! LOL

The election was on Monday. I asked Monday how it went. She said she thought it went well but they wouldn't know the results until Tuesday. On Tuesday I forgot to ask and she didn't say anything until late at night. I was working in the kitchen and she was sitting at the table doing some homework.

"Oh mom, by the way, I won the election."

That was it. You'd think it would be the first thing she said when she got home! Nope. Just a casual, 'yup. I won'.

Now she gets to go to some leadership conference in Edmonton in the Spring.

What a kid!

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Teaching: Not For the Faint of Heart

One of my not so smart moves: Today we had The Reptile Guy visit our classroom. He came to drop off his bins in his classroom before lunch and then left for lunch. I decided to peek in one and was met with a snake that was about a foot in diameter!!! OH MY HELL!!! I will never ever not ever look in The Reptile Guy's bins again. No siree.

Hanging With My Boy


Photo: Reading together

I don't do this often enough with Peirce. Tonight we sat and read together for an hour. It was clear that it was a great thing for him. He was all snuggly, and very animated and talkative. Just like when he was little, now and then he has to stand up and act out something from the story. And just like when he was little, he's really into repetition. We read The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl, which we have probably read 3 or 4 times. He has also listened to it on CD a number of times. Since he's listened to it so much he can't help but read it with an English accent. It's really quite funny. He has parts that he loves to read himself, especially the songs. So funny!


We read while sitting under his loft bed (I'm a little afraid I'll crash his loft bed!). I am always amazed at the weird stuff in his room. This is a big bag of elastics, and a suitcase full of cardboard circles (from the flyers for the food drive, paper clips, and big metal clips (binder clips??). Where does he get this stuff??!

Photo: Weird things in my son's room. A huge bag of elastics and a suitcase full of cardboard circles, paper clips and big clips. Where does he get these things?!