Day 146 Meets

We started the morning today with a swim meet. In the afternoon, Jill had a track meet. 

It is so inspiring to watch these kids run! 

Jill ran the 4x400.

Day 145 Grad 2016!

 4,643 days ago (Tuesday, September 9, 2003) Jill started school. It ended kind of the way it began: with Jill thrilled to spend time celebrating with her friends.

They said it would fly by and to enjoy every minute. It sure did. And we sure have enjoyed her.

Day 144 Great Day

So many great things to write about today. I could write about how excited my students were to get their caterpillars that we will watch turn into butterflies. Or how fun it was to discuss The Lightning Thief. Or about the hilarious kid who wants me to make a summer reading list for him...but he really wants adult books...preferably a series. Or the great book club meeting I went to tonight with my SIL. I learn so much hanging out with her! Or I could write about how we got our oven fixed. My husband looks after stuff!!

But let me tell yu about the dinner I made. I thought it was so fun. It totally seemed like something my Nana  Hyde would have made: 

Bacon, fried potatoes eggs and fried bread.....so delicious! Totally comfort food!!

Day 143 Grad Dress...check!

I have been working on Jill's grad dress. I figured I really needed to be finished today. I had hoped it wouldn't take as long as it did, but I had some problems along the way with zippers! I have never taken a zipper out so many times! In the end, it worked out quite well.

She looks beautiful in it. 

This is my favourite part....the beads in the waist of the skirt.

The light is bad in this photo. I will post better pictures later this week!

Day 142 Patriarchal Blessing

The long awaited day arrived. Jill has had a number of recommends to get her patriarchal blessing but just couldn't get herself to make the appointment. This week, she finally did it and today we met with Patriarch Smith and his wife. It was wonderful to see how prepared she was. The patriarch talked to her about the blessings the 12 sons of Jacb received in the Old Testament...she said she had just been reading that that morning and had comments about it. Her blessing was lovely and it was wonderful to see her clearly value it. 

Then there was Allen. Poor guy was so tired. The appointment was at 4:00....right during his Sunday nap time, which he clearly needed. I hadn't noticed him having trouble staying awake while we were initially visiting. I noticed during the blessing though....as soon as his eyes were closed the snoring started.  I tried to hold his hand and nudge him....but it was no use. My only consolation was I am pretty sure the patriarch and his wife's hearing may not be good enough to have heard him. Allen is a really poor sleeper...but when he's really tired, there's no stopping the nodding off. 

Day 141 Family Visit

We had a bunch of family over today.Ou favorites are Hanna (who I I go go picture of) and these two! Graham and Gil have our hearts!

Day 140 Project Baby Blanket

All of the sewing I have been doing lately for Jill for grad has renewed a spark. I have decided that I should spend more time sewing.

This is my next project....a baby blanket.

Day 139 School Holiday

We have had a fun day. Today everyone had a day off school. After swim practice, we spent a bunch of time at Fabricland (gee, I love that store!)

Best new of all: we found a zipper that will probably work!

We went out to lunch and then sewed and sewed.

Isn't she beautiful?! I am so glad she likes it. It is a labor of love.

Tonight I had a friend invite me to go to a movie too! So I invited Jill too.  The theatre has lazy boy chairs. Now that is how I like to watch a movie!!

Peirce babysat, Bobby played basketball and Allen went to the gym. Great night!

Day 138 Hills and Life's Trials

Lately, I have been walking this long steep hill every day. Sometimes I stop at the bottom and think, "I really don't want to do it today." But it is the only way to get home. Sometimes I take it slowly. Sometimes up plow through it. One thing is for sure, it is getting easier, the more I do it.

Life is like that. We all have hills we have to climb. Sometimes we have to climb them again and again. We can take it slowly, hardly losing our breath. We can push ourselves up and get it overwith quicker. Both are ok. Fact is, life is full of hills like this.

Day 137 Life's Mysteries

One of my students (well, truthfully, slowly, every kid in my class) has been reading Babymouse Goes for the Gold. One of life's greatest mysteries gets solved in that book: where do all those goggles go? (It's kind of like how socks lose their mate.....swimmers lose their googles!) 

We figured it out....there is an octopus on the bottom of every pool hoarding all the lost goggles.....true story!!

Day 136 KSI Invitational

We don't usually participate in meets with Killarney Swim Club. I really enjoyed it today because I got to visit with Michelle and Ian Fox. We used to car pool with them and so we interacted a lot. I have always enjoyed visiting with them. It was great to catch up with them today.

Jill felt like she did the worst job she ever has in a 200 fly. Still doing her worst, she was in the A final. She is amazing.

Day 135 Swim Meet

Not so many of these left! Some have said I will really miss it. I scoffed at the idea.  They may be right though.

Day 134 Fan Girl

I'm not sure my students were as enthralled as I was....I was so excited today to listen to Kate DiCamillo and John Schumaker.

Kate DiCamillo is a brilliant children's author. John Schumaket is a teacher who loves reading. I follow his blog. I would LOVE to hang out with both of them!

Day 133 Pedicures

Tonight mom's were invited to YW. The girls gave us pedicures. It was delightful!!

Day 132 Grad Dress Work

I took a personal day today to work on Jill's grad dress all day. I love flat felled seams!

I should see more often. It is good for my soul. 

Allen even cleaned up the basement for me so I wouldn't be spending the day in a mess. It was so wonderful! 

Day 131 Procrastinated Projects

It is finally finished! This is my friend, Tara's quilt. It was hers when she was a baby. She has been using it with her babies, but her dogs chewed off a section of ruffle. I took the ruffle off and redistributed it around the edges and sewed it back on. Took a long time....a little work with a bunch of breaks in between. 

I should quit being a procrastinator.

Day 130 I'll Love You Forever I'll Like You For Always

Funny thing is, I had the same thoughts about Jill a few years ago.

 Even when you listen to weird music and dress crazy....orange shirt, red shorts, yellow socks?!!!

 Sometimes he won't let me take a picture of him....especially when we are making fun of him. It's hard being a teenager!

He's too big to wrestle with his dad.....and he mumbles and grunts a lot....

He sure is a good kid though....we love him!!

Day 129 Mother's Day

I am richly blessed. Mother's Day is a great reminder of the wonderful blessings I enjoy.

I woke up to breakfast in bed, made by Peirce. He is becoming quite the cook! He made eggs on toast, heart shaped pancakes, cut up some apples and added some yogurt on the side. Quite the breakfast!! He is becoming really good at cleaning up too. 

I love a clean and empty sink!

Allen got dinner ready (potatoes and carrots and onions and one big roasted chicken!). I didn't even have to do any dishes. Instead, I called my mom and wished her a wonderful Mother's Day. 

Yes. I am richly blessed. My children are good people. I love them. My husband is kind and caring. I have a wonderful extended family. Life is good. 

Sandra Boynton is one of my favourite children's authors. She is brilliant. My sister-in-law, Christine, introduced her to me.

Day 128 Pre Mothers Day Celebrating

Jill took me to the best ice cream place: Villag Ice Cream! The line goes far out the door, but the wait isn't too long. They make waffle cones as they go and they're amazing! I had a double scoop of salted caramel and maple walnut. It is always fun to spend time with Jill. She is one of my favorite people. 

She's a messy eater still though. :) Funny girl. She attacks life (and food!) with with vengeance!

Day 127 Beautiful Books

Today one of my students gave me a beautiful gift. It is the U of C's 50th anniv book by Aritha Van Herk. It was even signed by the author with a note written to me! 

Allen and I went and listened to her speak last weekend. I am also reading her book, Mavericks An Incorrigible History of Alberta right now. 

Am so thrilled with this gift! What a great surprise.

Day 126 Track and Field

Both Jill and Peirce had track meets today. Peirce was throwing and Jill was running. I am so proud of both of them!

Day 125 Quiet Spaces

This is my favourite little corner in my house. I love to get up early (or stay up late) and sit in that chair with the lamp on and read.

...and as you can see by the pile of books, others enjoy that spot too. :)

Day 124 Reading

This year I resolved that we would read a picture book every day in our classroom. It has been such a great experience. I am amazed at the wonderful discussions we have had about personal experiences that relate to the stories, at the vocabulary we have learned, at the connections we have made between texts, and how the children have taken these stories and read them to others. Today we read Monsters. When I pre-read it it seemed to me it might be a little young for my class. Not so though. They loved it. After we read it, they wanted to write their own monster stories.  We will start n them tomorrow! The interesting thing to me is that if I had suggested we write monster stories, there would have been groaning and, "Do we have to?!" ....instead an idea gets in their heads from a story we read, and we are off and running on a week long writing project! There isn't anyone who hasn't bought in. I love it!!

Day 123 An Old Friend

Some people in our family are sensitive to milk products. Years ago I came across this cool machine and bought it. It became my best friend!! Every day made soy milk. Soy beans are cheap cheap and cheap and making soy milk in this machine is so easy! Then, Allen developed an allergy to soy milk and I quit using it. Tonight I was making something that needed milk. We usually have rice milk or almond milk, but we were out and I really didn't want to run to the store. I decide to pull out my old friend and try my hand at some rice milk.

It was a beautiful reunion! It turned out fantastic. And it was so easy. Pennies worth of rice makes a litre of rice milk.

I am a happy cook.

Day 122 Wonderful Sunday

My day started off wonderfully with an outdoor walk. I really prefer to walk outside, but in the winter the sun just doesn't come up early enough. Today was really the first of my outdoor walks this year and it did my soul good! There are many reasons I love this little route.

Riding on the back of the saddle with Nana Hyde at the ranch, I was always amazed at how she could see flowers in bloom. I spy them now. Maybe it happens as you get older. Maybe I'm just more sensitive than I used to be. I don't know.

This route has special meaning for me as well because it is the birth forest from the year that Destiny was born. How amazing is it that it is so close to home?!

Some think you shouldn't exercise on Sundays. I have realized, though, that a little exercise on Sunday morning makes sitting for pretty much three hours much easier to bear. Frankly, it makes me feel more alert and get much more out of the meetings.

Today was an extra special day because Peirce was ordained a teacher. My mom came and my brother even surprised us by showing up! That was a big surprise!

I sure love Peirce. He is such a nice boy. He is kind and sensitive and has many interesting talents. He takes his responsibilities seriously. I'm really proud of him.