A Day in My Life

I decided to take a photo walk through my day in order to figure out just what it is that takes up all my time. On Thursdays I have lots of admin time and just teach three French classes. I began school at 8 am with a meeting about next week's grade three lessons, then herding children before the bell rang. I forgot to take pictures, though. I'm sure you can imagine...
9 am - Trevor led the whole school in physical activity over the PA system, jumping on one foot in the office as he gave instructions. The music blared through the entire building as kids and teachers everywhere participated. Except me. Tee hee!
10:35 am - I took a walk at recess with little Jonah, practicing obedience. I'm not sure that 15 minutes will do it for him...
10:45 am - I taught my grade two French classes; they're very sweet and are excited to learn French!
12:05 pm - I reviewed some grade three French work. Not terribly impressed.
1:15 pm - after a lunch time meeting, I spent some time at my desk reviewing some professional development goals and planning the next meeting. Do you see the pretty jar of jam a parent gave me yesterday?
2:20 pm - administration meeting with Ellen and Val. It sounds very serious, but we seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time laughing about silly things. And no, that's not red wine in my glass.
4:00 pm - a few of us, including a teacher from another school, gathered for a worship practice. We are leading devotions for the big 2-day convention coming up in early October.
5:35 pm - Awwww, it's Molly! Just as I was getting ready to leave, Loree's sweet puppy came trotting into the office to play!
5:45 pm - This was a lovely moment. As I was getting into my car, I noticed a lot of birdsong coming from the bushes. They were full of tiny little birds playing and singing together.
6:10 pm - Hanging out on the freeway... I couldn't drive in the HOV lane, as I didn't have any passengers.
6:40 pm - After my chiropractor's appointment, I crossed the road to get sushi for dinner. Yum!
7:10 pm - Dinner at last! Big Bear and Little Joe were very pleased to see me come home laden with food. Joe is missing his big brother, but at moments like this, he might be happier to have less competition at the dinner table! Look at that salmon sashimi - my favorite!
I'm still not sure what I did all day...

Spring wellbeing

Last day of school.

And what a glorious, glorious Spring day it is.

The air is heavily laced with the scent of spring blossom everywhere.


The sun is hot, my huge pile of washing is drying beautifully in the fresh air.

Someone is mowing their lawn in the neighbourhood (presumably as lush as ours is presently!)

A big fat bumblebee has just lazily cruised past, enjoying the wonderful colours in our garden

I have Jesse Cook’s harmonies gently flirting with the breeze out through our wide open French doors.

Boys’ gear is ready by the front door for their full afternoon & evening ahead.

Chocolate Caramel slice is baking in the oven, ready for our girls’ night out tonight

I have 1001 things to do today, and the crazy, crazy afternoon and weekend is about to begin.

But first, I just wanted to share my day with you and bring some Spring colour and warmth into your day, Ange of the North.

Band pract

We have just returned from a long day, capped off by Kids Band Practice. As I sat in the auditorium and listened to the kid (E!), teenagers, and young adults practising, I drifted back to thoughts from the dim dark ages. I remembered the sense of sheer satisfaction from playing music and especially from playing music in a team. Kinda like a team sport I guess. So here, I'm going to put my 2 cents' worth in. I think music is one of the most wonderful ways to touch a teenager's heart. Anybody's heart really, but particularly for those teen years - to be able to be a part of a band, an orchestra, a group, whatever - something they can put their heart and soul into. Just awesome. And if the music is passable, that is a bonus!

Tonight, these guys were simply amazing. I was humbled by the talent that is out there. My son was thrilled with all the technological toys that they had to work with....particularly with the Avion-thingy. No more horrible foldback speakers! You now all play with funky earpieces and you can control the sound you want to hear.....and even the youngest drummers can stay in beat with a special drumming metronome that is linked in with all the other new, delicious music-aids. So much fun!

Lament

Just as you enter spring Down Under, we have officially welcomed fall to the Great White North! Autumn began on September 21 (I know they have certain moments in the day for these kinds of things, but I don't know when, exactly...). I displayed my defiance by wearing open toed sandals - I like to hang on for as long as I can. It was okay, but I secretly wore fuzzy warm socks on the way to school in the chilly morning. (Don't tell.)
Yesterday I noticed the beginnings of the real thing - red leaves on the maple tree. Just a few, but they're definitely there.
And then, today, it happened. The rain. Real, miserable, chilly, grey rain.
Fall has arrived.

I know many people who claim they love fall; it's their favorite season. I can understand why they might say that. The colours that decorate the season can be truly beautiful, especially in the sun. But do not be deceived! Those vibrant colours and the crisp, woodsmokey smell in the air just serve to disguise what is really coming: driving to and from work in the rainy dark for far too many months.

Can't stop the seasons. Might as well embrace 'em all.

Percival

When I was at school, I don’t remember having a lot of ‘hands on’ learning experiences….at least, not till the latter years. Haven’t times changed for the better!

Dr Bob has been somewhat in demand to go and talk to the kids at school about their topic for the term – the respiratory system. Unfortunately, his time being what it is, he couldn’t fit in all the classes and preferential treatment had to be given to certain boys’ classes.

Tonight, he brought home some manekins and pull apart models, in preparation for his presentation. The boys were fascinated! I was fascinated! To think that all those ‘bits’ fit into my body just like that?! And just where do all my cups of tea go??! Surely not into that little pouch…..and as for that wee thing called a stomach…..(it’s obviously very stretchy!).

The boys have named the resuscitation manekin, “Percival”! Percival is supposed to be the size of a 6-7 year old. It’s pretty realistic in size, and a very cool gizmo….if a little macabre. L was a little uncertain about it to begin with! Tomorrow, I’m supposed to rush into the classes, panic-stricken that “Percival is not breathing”! The Dr is then supposed to simulate a mock emergency resuscitation.

I hope we don’t freak too many kids out. I can just hear dinner conversation that night –
Parents: So what did you do at school today?
Student: E and L’s daddy brought in some bodies that weren’t breathing...

Time Waster

The new camera is ultra COOL ! (You may well be hearing about this for quite some time to come! Bear with me. :-) )

Unfortunately, I have not had sufficient time to play with it yet. However, the 'men of the house' have had a little more spare time with which to indulge in techno "oohing and aahing" for me. It seems my new toy can do just about anything (except possibly my next assignment!), and is loaded with a truckload of 'intelligent' modes (perfect for those of us who need a bit more of that!). And it even takes BEAUTIFUL photos! Bonus.

I like this photo taken of our dinner last night. See the steam rising? After taking this shot, the cameraMAN discovered that there was an intelligent mode especially for cuisine! No wonder I'm in love with this camera!

Dinner was great too.

And this shot of a dandelion, was taken at maximum zoom from adult standing height. No tripod. Amazing. The mega Optical Image Stabilising feature is soooooo good.

And finally for today, I love the lighting on this one. Spring blossoms taken straight up with the blue sky as a backdrop. No trick photography. Real flowers. Real sky.

So far, I've heard that the facial and scene recognition features are amazing; you can 'text stamp' your pictures; you can programme in birthdates etc for a certain number of people, and when the camera takes the photo it automatically works out how old you are at the date of the photo; you can have special settings when taking baby photos - the flash unit and various other features combine to give the baby subjects a softer complexion(!); there's a setting for taking photos through aeroplane windows; you can simulate a pin hole camera amongst other things; you can take up to 13 pictures per second in some settings; and there is even a high definition setting for video recording that is better than our present video camera! And so on.

What a pity our diary is so full for the next 2 months.

Ocean spray

How funny that you were walking by the ocean today, as we were Down Under! It has been a beautiful day here and there were even some brave souls swimming in the sea already! You might recall, that you won't see me in the water till the temps hit the 30's!

And what a wise man Mr Buchanan is...I hope you take good heed of the Sabbath advice! Hmmm...after the Leadership Conference, of course!

Sea Air

We spent today sitting in the leadership conference listening to amazing speakers and connecting with other school principals and vice principals. Now that the day is over, after a wonderful long walk beside the ocean and a yummy dinner and glass of merlot, Ellen and I are both so tired. My mind is spinning with lots of thoughts, but the one that stays with me comes from Mark Buchanan. He spoke about sabbath rest, a very pertinent topic for a group of driven people who spend their lives running non-stop. If we really believe that God is sovereign, he pointed out, then we can walk away from work for a day of rest, without things falling apart!

One of the best things about this conference, in my opinion, is the location. It is so good to be by the ocean, and our hotel is half a block from the pier. The smell of the sea makes me feel happy and calm; I wish I could smell it all the time!

We have more sessions tomorrow morning (they're really packing it in!), then at noon it will be all over. I wouldn't mind staying in this beautiful hotel for another day. Just one more! Please!

This is the Life for Me!

The rewards of teaching are generally intangible. It is a profession that brings the knowledge of having touched lives and changed the course of history in small ways, and is peppered with hugs, smiles, and warm fuzzy moments. Oh, and the funny moments (such as the Fact or Fantasy post from last week) are pretty good, too.

However, teachers rarely get to see any of those more tangible rewards that other people get. You know the ones I mean: Christmas bonuses, profit sharing, staff cruises, and the perks you hear about from dental assistants, painters, and electricians (although we sometimes get pretty spectacular presents from our students...).

So when I heard that I could go to a leadership conference on Vancouver Island this week, I was more than happy to partake in an almost-holiday!

Ellen and I met at 6 this morning near the ferry terminal and joined the long lineup of cars, having been informed that we may not get onto the 7:00 sailing. As the ship filled up, they kept letting just a few more vehicles board, then just a few more, until we were at the front of the line. The man directing let us sit there wondering -- would we get on, or would we be left sitting there for two more hours? Finally, we heard his radio crackle: "One more car!" Woo hoo! We cheered as he let us board - we were the very last car to get on!

Sidney-by-the-Sea is a very sweet town; this is where the Christian Schools Canada conference is being held, and we opted to pay a little extra to stay at the Sidney Pier Hotel. I highly recommend it! From my bed - the one closest to the window - I can see the ocean and the long pier. I love the decor, and the bedding is so soft and cozy!

I'm starting to be more comfortable hanging out with all these principals. It was more than a little intimidating when I first started going to this kind of event, but people are pretty friendly and there is lots of good learning happening. I went to a fascinating session on assessment - I'm sure that you're salivating at the thought of it! I'm especially looking forward to hearing Mark Buchanan speak. He's a wonderful writer who uses words like artists use paint. I have two of his books - The Holy Wild and The Rest of God.

It's quite wonderful to be away and to enjoy such a lovely hotel. You know that I'm generally a camping sort of girl, but I must say that this is the life for me!

The new arrival

I’ve got a new baby!
The baby’s all mine…
I love my new baby!
My baby’s divine!

It’s kept me so busy…
I’ve got much to learn!
Done oh, so much reading…
Got pictures to burn.

I’ve read through the manuals;
I’ve played with the knobs;
I’ve pressed all the buttons,
The bits, and the bobs.

I love the new noises;
The shape and the touch,
The colour, the angles,
I like it so much!

My babe’s a time-waster;
I just have to play...
It calls me, it woos me,
It takes up my day.

My view is all different.
I’ve now seen the light.
It’s how you portray things -
Give beauty its might.

I muse and I ponder.
I hope you become…
A vessel of good,
Not a vessel of harm.

A spring in my step

Sept is nearly halfway gone, and I’m not in the mindset yet! I woke at 2.45am with my brain ready to 'partay' through my huge list of ‘to do’ stuff! Fortunately, things always seem so much better when the sun is up, even with the sleep deprivation! And I believe I heard the first 2 birds Down Under, wake up this morning – they sounded rather sleepy at just after 3am and it took them quite some time to really get those chirrupy noises working well…glad it’s not just me that has problems with coherent conversation before the morning coffee!

And as has become our wont, today was another full day. Both E&L delivered their speeches, passed some exams, and took their full Tuesday in their stride. K made himself useful by saving some lives. And I finally managed to grab a moment (& some motivation!) to get myself back into the books…..

But it was such a stunning Spring Day that everything was sweet. Have to say it again – I LOVE SPRING! I love the transformation from dark mornings and early evenings, to the light, fresh, sunny mornings and longer evenings. I love the promise of summer; the heady scent of blossom, the perfusion of colour everywhere, the lush green-ness of the fields, the warmth with the cool, and the cool with warmth. I love the foretaste of early summer fruits, and the expectation of BBQ’s and time at the beach. And I love the new life! So here are some Spring photos of the lambs enjoying their first season of life. (And I'm still on my old camera...expecting the newbie any day now!)

A family of shutterbugs

Well, it would seem, we are having a rash of ‘new camera syndrome’ in our family! Today, E is SO excited. Why, you may ask?

- It could have been that he got a placing in a significant ‘invitation only’ music scholarship competition yesterday. He played 3 pieces in his piano recital and got a huge applause from the appreciative audience. The standard of this particular competition is so high, that to expect a placing/ranking would be downright presumptuous!
- Or, it could have been that not only did E get a placing, but he actually got 2nd place! The adjudicator emphasised that he had difficulty deciding between the 1st and 2nd placegetters, and eventually decided on the basis that the 1st placegetter had slightly more difficult pieces. Since E would’ve probably been the youngest competitor there, it wasn’t too surprising. We were all just so thrilled anyway – E played beautifully. Unfortunately, no recordings allowed.
- Or maybe, it was very generous prize money that got awarded with the scholarship…

- Or the satisfaction of having achieved one's best...
- Or even, the celebration of a day out with the grandies to recognise both our boys’ hard work and achievements this year…

The truth is, that E is so excited because today, he is the proud owner of a new camera – his VERY FIRST CAMERA - researched, considered, waited for (the right bargains), and bought with his prize winnings and some saved pocket money! Everything else has paled by comparison. He keeps saying that he can’t believe he now owns his OWN camera! L even suggested that E might well be in heaven! (A definite encouragement not to give kids everything they ask for, but to allow them to work hard and save for things they would like – they value things so much more!).

Anyway, E has really enjoyed playing around with all the different functions on his new ‘toy’! These photos were taken today off his camera. Enjoy!

Church this morning.

Fact or Fantasy?

This was my favourite moment at school today.

We were going through some work together - the whole class - when we came to this question: "Fact, or fantasy? The fairy flew through the window."

First, we needed to establish the difference between fact and fantasy.

Got it.

The next issue was whether the fairy sentence was fact or fantasy.

Fantasy. Good.

Then I asked the fateful question.

"Grade threes, what is it about this sentence that makes it fantasy?"

Sweet but bewildered boy put up his hand.

This was an event - I had to call on him.

"Sweet but bewildered boy, can you tell us? What is it about this sentence that makes it fantasy?"

SBBB answered, "Fairies can't fly through windows."

I think I managed to hide my laughter.

Southern Ange, I'm so excited for your new camera! I think you should bring it to the Great, Soon-to be White North for its christening. We need to take some photos together again.

xox

I just HAD to tell you...

I had just sat down to lunch today, whilst contemplating my study and more navel gazing,

WHEN…..
my Dearest phoned to say that he was on his way over, to whisk me out ‘somewhere’! Gobbling lunch at speed is never a pretty sight, and I was thankful for the privacy of my own home!

True to his word, within a few minutes, my Dearest arrived home on his trusty steed (mountain bike!) and off we drove (in a car, not on a bike built for two) into the wild blue yonder.

To cut a long, juicy story short, I am now the very excited, soon-to-be awaiting delivery) owner of a new camera!!! OH YES!
My trusty old Canon has been wobbling along on its last legs (exacerbated by chronic overuse and probably also from being dropped from a great height). And for the last year or so, I had been researching cameras that would suit our needs best.

Well, today, my Dearest decided that he wanted to do a spontaneous ‘Something Special'!
Flowers? Chocolates? or Camera?......Flowers? Chocolates? or Camera?.....

Hmmmm….

Leica lenses (alrighty!), 18x Optical Zoom: 27mm–486mm (mmmhmm!) , 10.1 megapixels, 2.7” LCD, mega OIS, and a ton of super intelligent techno features!

YUM, YUM, YUM !!!!

Take a moment

I relish the opportunity to sit and chat with friends over a cuppa.

It’s not necessarily always the setting, nor the length of time, nor even the quality of the brew (though all these things do help!)….but it is the grabbing of ‘a moment’ in a busy world, just to connect….however brief, whatever the mood, no matter the topic(s), regardless of who or how.

The world is a better place for these moments!

"Has she put that camera away yet?!"

Thanks Dad!

Swooshing thru Saturday

I love Saturdays. And I love Spring.
So waking up on a bright Saturday morning in Spring, is just wonderful! The birds are singing, and the flowers are all bursting forth in our garden (amongst the weeds, which are also bursting forth!). But the best Saturdays are the ones when you don’t feel pressured to have to go out ANYWHERE! These Saturdays are just the best!

This morning, we have moseyed about doing our various tasks. The washing is fresh, clean, and drying happily in the sunshine. The boys have gotten on to their chores and leftover work from the week before…..not even any grumbles….yet! In fact, E even got quite excited about a speech he is preparing for the upcoming Speech competitions! Long may the glorious, motivating weather continue!
The dishdrawers have been cleared, the shoe rack tidied, the garbage taken out and sorted, there are fresh freesias (love the scent!) in the house, and the cards have been made for Fathers Day tomorrow.

The Man about the House has been busy….oh, so busy, clearing and tidying up our horrendously cluttered spare room, ready for our next set of guests. He has vacuumed and dusted and sorted and cleaned and rearranged, filed, and tidied (and is available for hire at an exorbitant price!). The best thing, is that he discovered (and has been busily cleaning) a whole stash of shoes I’d forgotten about, including my beloved boots from the Great White North….(that's our lawn you can see sprouting madly in the background! Ahem..so the grass needs cutting...).

L astounded us by practicing his guitar and then his piano for over 3 hours, getting ready for his upcoming piano exams – not bad concentration for one so young. E also has piano exams this week, and was about midway through his turn on the piano. Violin, guitar, and maths all done! Hooray.
The boys have now gone to run some errands, and to enjoy the great outdoors on this beautiful day. The 2 smaller ones have their annual cross country meet this week, and all three have gone to “conquer the mountain” together.

I'm enjoying a piece of homemade Russian fudge and thinking it would've been so nice to have been able to pop over and share it with you. Might've gone well with that Merlot...

September

September is always a wistfully beautiful month. Although it's still officially summer until the 21st, there's something different in the air that says the end is near. As soon as school starts (and even sooner), the nights are cooler and even the hottest days feel... tangy.
When I go out in the morning to leave for school, the car is covered with condensation and as I drive down the hill, mist blankets the low ground. I stopped one morning to drink in the view and to try to capture the moment.
I think it's so odd that spring Down Under has officially begun, while we are still in summer for a couple of weeks longer. I wonder why that is?

I've been in intense school mode this first week back; it's nice to sit down and have a quiet Friday evening at home. I'm blogging tonight in order to avoid taking up a pile of school work I dragged in with me. Procrastination! The glass of merlot I had with my tomato and onion salad went down very nicely, and I'm enjoying my favorite CBC jazz program (Tonic). Life is good!

A Fun Evening

We had our school community barbeque this evening; a wonderful way to bring families together at the beginning of the year.

The police came, courtesy of Phil. (Yay, Phil!!) Kids got to sit on their motorcycles and ask all the typical questions, like, "Do you have a gun?"

And Tim Horton's Community Cruiser was there to give out free coffee and doughnuts. A Canadian institution! The police made sure they got their doughnuts.

The Checkerboard Guy showed up to entertain us with amazing antics.

A good time was had by all!

Wish you were there.

Off he Goes!

School started yesterday and the teacher is tired!
I have a lovely class this year (so far - the honeymoon period is always deceiving!!) and things are looking good.
I had my administration day today; my favorite moment was watching a tiny little kindy boy running all the way up the hall, hand stuck down in the back of his pants, shouting, "I gotta go potty!" I think he has some growing up to do...
Another boy doing some growing up - I took Little Bear out to his Bible college last night. The big moving day. He had meticulously packed all his most important belongings to take along. He had:
3 guitars (1 acoustic, 1 electric, 1 bass)
2 amps (1 electric, 1 bass - "They're not the same, Mum.")
computer
set of Midnight Special DVDs to feed his love for 70's music
some clothes
and some other stuff
All the most important things. Except for toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, school supplies... and who knows what else! It's a good thing he's coming home on the weekend.
We met one of the other new students. He had just flown in from the Netherlands that day. I bet he remembered his toothpaste.
Little Joe wrote on Facebook that he will miss his brother. And so will we!

1st of September!

It is officially the first day of SPRING! Hoooray!! My favourite season of the year. And what a beautiful day it is Down Under. Sun, blue skies, a little something in the air....blossoms, birds, freshness, greenery, new lambs (actually, I haven't seen any new lambs yet...I just happen to know that around about now, the fields will suddenly be dotted with little white dots next to the big white fluffy ones! Paddock Dandruff!)

~~+~~

The Lemon tree in our garden is still trying to get rid of its winter fruit in preparation for Spring. We have frozen lemon juice in the freezer, homemade lemon honey/curd/butter in the fridge, and a freshly baked lemon krummeltorte in the pantry.

YUM!

Someone once said that if you are hosting dessert, you only need to make 2 desserts to cover all bases

- something with chocolate in it, and something lemony!

~~+~~

I'm glad for the nice day to help the 'disposition'! Have come away from the mandatory weekend course intensive feeling shattered. Learnt lots, participated in zillions of tests and inventories, discovered lots of interesting things, enjoyed my fellow classmates, ate lots, drank lots of coffee, and am now ready for some 'space' to revitalise! That patch of warm sunlight looks just perfect in fact...

When things seem overwhelming...

“Where shall we begin?

Begin with the heart,

for the spring of life arises from the heart

and from there it runs in a circular manner.”

- Eckhart

As my boys enjoy the predicted dry, sunny, and Spring-like weather this weekend, I will spend 2 full days doing some enforced navel-gazing. Not something that I think Kiwis do very well. Still, it promises to be a very interactive time with this bunch of highly gregarious students, whom I suspect, are unafraid to share their varied collections of navel-fluff!