school's (almost) out for the summer!

That's it. These are the last lunches I'll pack for this school year. I am relieved and excited, yet also sad and feeling almost unready to say goodbye to teachers and friends!

This year has been incredible.  We have been so fortunate to have had the teachers my kids ended up with. I can not express my gratitude properly.

Mrs. N taught the kids how to pray in grade 3 and affirmed each child with special words regularly.

Miss S showed such love and care to my boy by teaching him responsibility; she worked hard with him especially when he struggled with health.

Mr W was so relaxed with his grade 8 class; he has a love of teaching and an enthusiasm that brought happiness and laughter into his classroom.

Mrs. E had the kindergarten class look deeper into things, to stop and think of solutions, and to work together.

What a blessing it has been for my kids this year.  All month, I was gearing up with end-of-year projects and trips and parties, and just couldn't wait for it all to be over. And now that it's almost here, I am feeling unprepared.  How is it possible that the school year is done?  I may get a bit teary at the good byes this week! (I always do!)

Pond trip

For the first time in a long time, I actually got to go on a field trip with Bryn and his class!  Typically, all of the Olders go on trips that don't accommodate younger siblings, so I miss out. That's the hard part of having other children, so see, sometimes the benefits of being a stay-at-home mom doesn't qualify for school. Next year will open up a few more things, maybe. And then definitely the year after that, when Eden joins school full time! Woohoo!  (I'm hoping that there will still be fun school events that I can be a part of then)

The grade three classes were finishing up their unit on pond life, and lucky for us, a family in the school had a farm with a huge pond on it that we could all explore tucked away in Fort Langley.  Once I managed to detour around the construction (I sat in non-moving traffic for 10 minutes first, found the road closed and had to turn around.  I had missed the part of the announcement that we needed to take a different route while I was toileting a child.), and waited patiently for a long train, the kids and I arrived just fine!  The three classes were split up and circled around three different events for the afternoon: a craft project with plastercene, a scavenger hunt/hike around the trails, and searching for life in the pond.

 Even Eden got to check things out by borrowing a net and bucket!  She was nervous about getting too close to the edge, but was more upset about not being able to catching anything!

I was impressed that Bryn didn't end up all soaked.  He and water are magnets that attract eachother! I know to always pack extra clothes for him if we ever end up near anything wet!  Or at least a towel! He's a very active and adventurous boy!

 {Some boys managed to catch a frog. If you look closely, you may be able to see him in this picture. There were lots of tadpoles and small fish to collect. }

 After our excursion at the pond, we all headed over to Williams Park for a BBQ lunch and play at the playground. Hunny volunteered his huge BBQ to do up all of the hotdogs, which made it all go much more smoothly. (it was better than asking parents to bring in individual ones and having to cook up 8 dozen weiners!)  It was nice having both of us on this trip!  I know that Bryn appreciated it and thought it was cool...even though he spent the whole time running around and climbing on things instead of staying with us!

It was a perfect day to spend outside, exploring God's creation in plants and in a pond, and enjoying the sunshine at a playground!

the diagnosis we already knew about.

Just an update on Abi and her health:

Abi had been diagnosed with asthma!

I know!  Crazy isn't it?  

I got a phone call from the doctor saying that she wanted to see her to go over test results, so we booked her in on a Friday morning, letting her miss some school. I couldn't remember any recent tests that she had done. Except there was that Respiratory one, but that was over a month ago! When we got in, the doctor had the results on the breathing test: she wanted to let us know that her asthma has been confirmed!

Abi and I were quite bewildered:  we didn't realize that her having asthma was under question!

Apparently before it was only "borderline".  Curious.  After the asthma attack that almost killed her, and the small attacks she gets even after we've eliminated her typical allergens, we had just assumed.  Silly us.

Well now we know.

Phew. I'm so glad that she skipped her morning classes for that bombshell!

Foggy Moments

Please excuse the absense, it's been a bit of a crazy busy June so far. It usually is, but this one seems to be more so. There's been a lot of end-of-unit field trips, birthday parties, and bbqs, and not many quiet evenings, lazy weekends or early nights. Then you add into it a wonky thyroid and medicine doseage changes and you've got a mixed up me.

I've had a few "brain fog" moments this week. Remember me talking about that last summer? It's used to describe symptoms such as forgetfulness and inability to focus. I just can't seem to think straight lately! 

My not-so-steller moments include getting ready for school one morning and not being able to find my glasses. I thought I had put them on top of my dresser, but the pair on there did not look familiar. They were the same purple-red colour, but I didn't think the design on the arms or the thickness was correct; this was an old pair.  So I looked out on the kitchen counter, another favourite place to leave them, but no luck either. So back to my room: I thought for sure that's where I put them the night before!  Seeing as it was getting later, I needed to just grab a pair and go. To my surprise, when I put on the old pair on the dresser, I could see perfectly fine! There were indeed my current pair! I felt a bit silly. How could I forget what my glasses looked like?

My next incident happened yesterday when I went to swith the clothes from the washer to the dryer. I walked into the basement and opened the washer, which is the lower machine in the stack. When I reached in and touched the wet clothes, I sighed in annoyance.  Why were they wet? Did I not turn on the dryer? Argh!
....and then I remembered they were supposed to be wet: this was the wash machine! I came down to put the clothes into the dryer!  Sheesh!

And then tonight, I found my thyroid pill on the counter. And now I'm wondering if I remembered to take it this morning!  Oh great!

Silliness.

I need sleep!  And some quiet nights!  
Just a few more days left of this school year....

No longer a Threenager

How can it be?  Miss Eden Shae is no longer a Threenager! She turned four years old today and spent most of the day in excitement, asking if it was still her birthday and when her party was!

She is our last baby. That is, no other babies are on our minds, or in the back of our thoughts, or wished for or desired of! It is not in Our Plans to have another. *

 

She really is everything all put together in this little package. 

She is fiesty and knows what she wants (and it's not THAT!)

She is sweetness and hugs. 

She is giggles and smiles.

She is strong and fierce.

 She is dance and song. 

She is Princess and Knight.

She has definitely kept us on our toes!  I couldn't imagine our family without our little girl.  She is the second girl I wished, prayed, cried, and begged for 8 years. I wanted a little sister for Abi. They would be best friends, just like my sister and I. Well, we got her, and the relationship will not exactly be like what I was expecting or hoping for, but she is the perfect end to our family!

Happy birthday, Miss E!  You are a blessing addition and we are so thankful for the joy you have brought us!



*I'd be lying if I didn't say that seeing newborn tiny humans didn't make me all mushy and want to hold one! I am eagerly waiting to arrival of my newest nephew this Fall!  I am also recognizing that My Plan is not nearly as big or as wonderful as God's Plan. So if there is another baby in our future, it would be all His doing, and who am I to stand in the way of the One who created the universe and knows everything???

Thankful Thursday

Welcome back to Thankful Thursday, a feature started by Louise at Talk Nerdy to Me, where we look back over our week and remember our blessings.  It is so good to see all that has happened, especially if you have had a particularly tough week. Being grateful is good for the soul. Here are just a few things that I am thankful for...

1. Talent and Bravery

This past week was the LCS Middle School Got Talent show. Last year, Abi and a friend made up their own dance to a song and performed it. This year, she and a few of her friends sang the song "Hey Soul Sister" by Train.  They did good, despite a few hiccups (such as some of the mics not working) and I was impressed!  

I love watching some of these students go up in front of their peers and show off a talent or interest. There were some solo acts and group acts in dance, song, instruments, and even comedy acts!  I love the confidence some of them have...and absolutely love the bravery it takes for some to go through with it!

2. Bowling Party

I was dropping Abi off at a birthday party at the bowling alley with R and E and they were so upset and angry with me that they didn't get to stay! I told that them "maybe one day" we will go bowling, since they had never gone. When we get home, there was an emailed invitation for Rhys to go to a bowling birthday party! Haha! Perfect timing! He was so excited!

3. sidewalk chalk

 I am so thankful for neighbours that play!  

4. Surprise gifts

I was surprised to find a gift for me from a teacher friend after school, and then I LOL'd to find it was black jellybeans! Haha. She gave me a box of black jellybeans for Valentine's after she posted on FB the gifts she was making for her students and I commented how I loved the black ones. She just throws them away! Now she shares them!

It was a nice surprise and I got to share them with a few others at the playground too. It really made my Monday better!

5.  Teddy Bear Picnic

Rhys and his kindergarten class had a Teddy Bear picnic this week to end their unit on Bees. (bees..honey...bears...see the connection?)  It was a fun, but very humid, afternoon!

6. new living room

I mentioned before that I have a friend who is moving soon so she is selling and giving away a lot of stuff that has been piling up in her home for the past 7 years. She already gave my kids a bunch of toys already (things that her kids had outgrown, now that they are teenagers) but this week we picked up the big items: a whole new living room set!  We have a new couch/love seat, end tables, coffee table and area rug! WOW!!! And she just gave them to us!!!!  How awesome is that?  I am so thankful for new (to us) furniture. Our living room looks so nice.  Well, actually it looks really crowded since we have to get rid of the old couches still. But that aside, it looks so nice with new stuff in it! What a blessing!  We got a needed face-lift for the house, and she got rid of a lot of furniture that she didn't want/need anymore. (she is downsizing and plans on getting something new) Win-Win all around!

Sorry, no pictures of my crowded living room. I'll have to post one after it's all neatly put back together!

7. Coffee interview

I had an interview this week. Not for a paid position anywhere, but volunteer. It's quite an exciting, yet surprising, change for me!  I will tell you more about it when it is finalized and I've actually started in September.  I am just so thankful for this opportunity to do something like this and to grow and stretch out my faith. 

8.  Chutes and Ladders

One of the toys that the kids received from my friend (refer to #6) was the game of Chutes and Ladders Dora version!  So far, every game we've had for the Youngers has ended up spread all around the house with missing pieces. It drives me nuts! It doesn't take long for me to just toss them all out into the recycling!  But so far, this one has lasted pretty good.  I make sure that it gets cleaned up when we're done and it goes back away.

Eden and Bryn had some time before we left for school to play a game. (toddler games aren't very long at least)  I am thankful for free games and for siblings that play together.

9.  Encouraging messages

A friend sent me this message this week.

It really meant a lot to me. We don't talk a lot (not nearly enough) so for her to out-of-the-blue send this to me, saying she thought of me when she saw it, really touched me. I am so thankful for friends who can encourage even in something as simple as a FB message, and for a God who prompts friends to do things like that because He knows how much I need it.

10.  Provisions

Some months we are really living just week-to-week, some are more day-by-day, in stretching out our budget. Some months are just fine (although it's been a while since it's felt like that) But right now we are in the first two. I have spent time in prayer, reminding God of what we need and asking Him for faith and patience in waiting for Him, and for wisdom in how I work with what I have. I am so thankful that He is a faithful God. He has truly never left us and He really does care. We always make it to our next pay day without any major crisis!  He has blessed us in so many ways. Sometimes it's by a friend or family member giving us stuff that we need, sometimes it's just in making days go by where we don't need to spend any money on anything, and sometimes it's in miracles by us somehow finding money in our account for the things we need!  He is good, and I am so grateful.



So that's my week in a nutshell. How has your week been?  I'd love to celebrate your Thankful list with you: share it in the comments!

Teddy Bear Picnic

Rhys and his kindergarten class has been studying bees the past few weeks, and they ended their unit with a Teddy Bear Picnic this week.  You know, bees...honey...bears...see the connection?  It is a fun event for the kindergartens. They bring in their favourite stuffies (that is, stuffed animal: That's what I grew up calling them. But now they are known as "stuffies") the day before and at the end of the class, they get tucked into "bed" in the loft playhouse and the kids all say goodnight to them.

Of course, the kids all come into class the next morning to see that their stuffed animals had a party!  There was popcorn every where and books and garbage all over the room!  Plus, the stuffies were hiding!  Oh, those naughty bears!

In the afternoon (and after the stuffies have a time out!), they all go outside for a picnic. Parents and younger siblings get to come (we got a fun invitation; Edn brought along her own Pooh Bear) and we spread out a blanket in the back field of the school and eat our lunch before playing some games.

If I had known just how much of a rainforest it is back there, I would've worn shorts! WOW!  The grass feels damp (even though it isn't) and it was so humid. It doesn't help that the back field has forest on three sides and a building on the last, so the air just gets stuck back there. It felt heavy with no breeze!  After an hour of playing (I became the Official Under-Duck Pusher to a group of girls on the swings!) I felt sweaty and gross. Ugh!

The kids threw beanbags (they were supposed to try to knock over their stuffies, but it soon became a free-for-all-throw with all of those boys in the class!) 

We pulled out the parachute. That is always the funnest part of school, isn't it?

The kids had fun tossing around those bears!

Afterwards, we came inside and they measured their bears to practice their counting and writing.

 {Cowie is 6 blocks tall}

For the rest of the afternoon, the kids played at the Centres. Which meant that Eden was in the play kitchen making drinks and snacks for me, and Rhys was in the loft playing with his LEGO.

I love fun events like this. I can't believe that Rhys' kindergarten year is almost over!  Just three and half more weeks left in this year! We have the kindergarten trip to the Zoo, and the other kids have end-of-the-year class trips and Sports Day coming up and then it will all be over!  I hate the busyness of this season, but I love all of the different things going on.