A day out with Calla

Calla and I went to the Creativ Festival in Toronto on Sunday.  My sister Amy was part of the Project Creativ Catwalk team from Georgian College and we went to watch her finale. 

Our day started out with Church, followed by an errand, then a quick lunch and we caught the 11:47 train from Whitby.  A peaceful ride on the GO took us into Union Station.  There's a lovely indoor connection called the SkyWalk from Union to the Convention Centre.  This path took us through the historic section of Union Station.  We stopped to admire the grand architecture of this old building.    We continued on to the MTCC and our destination: the Creativ Festival! 

Calla and I went straight to the Georgian College workspace, where we surprised Amy:

 

 I think we did.

We left her soon after, as they had a tight deadline to meet.  Calla and I browsed the booths, but kept returning to the glass bead demo.  She really enjoyed watching the process the artists were using to make the glass beads and pendants.   We also stopped at the Swarovski Crystal booth.  They had a make-and-take project for a fee.  Calla made a pretty ring out of clay and crystals.  

At 3pm we wandered past Amy's booth.  They were nearly done, but Amy was no where to be seen!  Calla needed the washroom, so off we went.  To our amusement, there was Amy, having her hot rollers put in by a kind stranger that came to her aid!  Apparently calling out "Who can help me with these" in a crowded washroom will get you help!! :)

A final moment of preparation:

 Patiently waiting for the fashion show to begin:

Wow! What a gorgeous model:

After the show, Calla got to try on the hat:

Shortly after the finale we had to leave as the Festival was over and they were tearing the show down.  No kids allowed in the deconstruction zone!  Calla and I returned to Union Stn, grabbed dinner chez McDs and waited for our train home.  Too bad our train was delayed once we were near Ajax and we were routed back to Pickering for a bus ride to Whitby Station.

A fabulous day trip we'll remember for a long time.

New stuff and why I hate change.

I'm trying to figure out why I get so angry and agitate before something new.  It's like my excitement gets channelled into angry agitation that I can help but what to drag everyone around me down with it.  I am miserable to be around and pace like a caged dog.
I'm like this before many camping trips, and before any new activity, program or place I have to go. Like Sparks tonight.  I have our first Spark unit meeting tonight.  Perhaps it's the lack of support.  I have been asking for months for help, without getting anything I need.  I hopefully have a second leader coming tonight, but I'm not certain.  There should be at least 4 girls. How many might show up that haven't registered yet? I don't know.  No one can tell me, either.  I don't know what the minimum number of girls are needed for a unit.
I can see why many people enjoy their routine and fall into a rut. 

It probably doesn't help that the house is a disaster. Toys are absolutely everywhere, and before you go and give me the GOOD advice to have the kids clean it up...fuck off. Do you not thiink I've tried that?  HOW THE HELL DO some parents get their kids happily onboard to do chores?  I'm sitting here after a 20 min fight with C about helping instead of just doing what she wants to do all the time and I'm pissed off.  I feel like the most incompetent parent ever.  I can't even get one child to clean up one fucking mess before taking another activity out.  Now I have a very angry 9 year old up in her room, who unfortunately inherited my damned stubbornness.  Yes, I do realise that consistency when they were younger would have helped.  I have realised that there should be a pre-childbearing aptitude test.  I would have failed miserably.  One question: Do you have pets and do they piss you off ?  If you answer YES to that question before having children... DON'T HAVE KIDS. 

I long for the days when the kids are out of the house.  I'm moving far away at that point.  Perhaps in another country for a year.  Solitude.  A complete disconnect.

Then, while I'm feeling this way, I don't call my parents.  That's just another depressing part of my life I don't really feel like dealing with right now.

And the schoolwork.  Why am I homeschooling? I am a completely lazy person who doesn't have the internal strength to get her kids to do anything I ask, let along ensure that their educational needs are met.  I have no backbone and am afraid of what others might say if I enroll my kids in the public school and they realise that my almost 8 year old reads at a grade 1 level.  My 9 year old refuses to do any written work, (creative writing, longer answers, etc)

Sorry for my rant. I'm feeling very agitated and angry today. That will pass around 6pm when I get to Sparks.

Julia

Back to School...kinda

This week marks our first official week back to school.  We encourage the kids to continue their studies over the summer break, but seriously? with all their friends running amok what do I expect from my kids? Saintdom? Nope, most of the summer was spent back and forth between our house and our neighbour's place.   I considered the neighbour's kids part of my count when planning anything, and likewise did she.  The 5 were a pack, quite often increasing in number to 7 or even 11 on occassion.  What a joyful sight to see all these kids playing on our court.

Unfortunately back to school means back to the fight.  Rowan and I have a difficult time agreeing upon the amount of school work he must do in a day.  He wants nothing to do with any of it. I want him at 'grade level', thinking that if he had to go to a traditional school, he could integrate with little academic struggle.  Today was the worst day yet for us.  At one point I had the phone in my hand, the number for the local school on a piece of paper in front of me, tears streaming down my face.  This was rock bottom.  My cry for help on G+ was answered by a good friend who talk me off the ledge, so to speak. We discussed pros and cons, ways to help R understand the importance of education.  In the end, Rowan and I had a conversation about Education laws in Ontario and how it states that all school-age (6yr+) children must have adequate instruction either at a school or at home by their parent.  We talked about school, why it's ok to go and it's ok to be home.  We talked about that if he went to school right now, he'd be very behind, a full grade behind in reading and writing, but fine with math and the other subjects.  By the end, he sat down and did his math lesson, declaring how much he enjoys math but doesn't like reading.  He also joined Eliana while she did her Explode the Code workbook.  He worked from a Kumon writing words book, a grade 1or2 level book.  Hopefully Rowan will continue this better attitude tomorrow.  We shall see.

Busy week indeed!

And it's only Thursday.

Gord went to Nashville on Monday morning, returned Tuesday night.  Wednesday I dropped his grumpy car off at the dealership for some much needed TLC.  Thankfully I have an awesome friend who picked me up from there.  Wed night Gord had a work dinner, so was home around 10:30. Kids and I entertained Gord's parents.

Today:
Scrambled to see if we had transpo to a birthday party, since the car was still at the dealership and Gord had the van.  Car was ready by 9:30 so the above mentioned awesome friend dropped us off at the dealership to retrieve the Acura.  I crammed 3 kids into the Acura (think Civic), picked up the gifts for the birthday party we were headed to (along with gifts for Eliana!) and headed to the party. All this before 10:30am.  The birthday party was for 2 kids, ages 6 & 9.  30 kids.  Holy freakin' crap I am never EVER inviting that many kids to a party.  Survived that thanks to nasty storm clouds telling me that swimming wasn't in the plan. ;) Headed home, stopped for Birthday supplies at No Frills. Cake making supplies (which isn't made yet).  Then home.  5:30 we went to the church for Family Fun night...Bouncy castle, pizza... good times!! After this, 5 kids, and again, the above mentioned awesome friend and I made a road trip in to Gord's work to retrieve my Van.  Gord's out tonight at a work team building event and we decided it would be better for him to take the offered taxi ride home.  As I need the van to shuttle kids to a party tomorrow, we opted to get the van tonight.

Tomorrow is Eliana's 5th birthday.  I am taking Eliana and 3 friends to Airzone for an hour or two of bouncy castle fun, followed by lunch and a craft back at home.  It should be a fun day for her.  She's excited.

I am looking forward to tomorrow. Eliana's a sweet child, full of creativity and impishness.  She's caring and loving and I love how she shares without reserve.  Hard to believe she's already 5.

kids and Dad

Gord's going away tomorrow morning for one night on a business trip.  Rowan's having a hard time, knowing he's leaving before they get up.  Calla's now down here claiming she's having problems sleeping.  Eliana just paraded through, saying "Why are these kids not in bed? I have to come down because Calla's down here, and we should be in bed" in a very sing-song voice.   She's quite the little comic some days.

Eliana will turn 5 on Friday.  5.  Wow. That seems like a big age.  No longer a preschooler, not quite a big kid.  She's artistic, creative and knows how to make you do things you'd never have done for the other two at this age.  Perhaps that because she's a little pixy girl, or just because she's our youngest, the baby.

Singing in the Public Restroom?

My sweet son sings while in the comfort station doing his business.
But only when he's alone.

Julia

Sent from my iPhone

Hey wait...

No one told me turning 35 would bring increased PMS symptoms. Sore
breasts, miserable mood swings (can I really cry at kittens?) and now
my hips ache. Really ache. As in no jogging after the kids ache. All
increased after my 35th birthday last Feb. Ugh

Julia

Sent from my iPhone

Cedar / Juniper

Things I've learned today:
1. Cedar and Juniper are from the Cypress family
2. If I get a rash from Cedar, the same happens from the Juniper.
3. Always wear long sleeves and gloves when weeding and generally dealing with these bushes.

Co-op Playday

Similar to public school, our homeschooling co-op has an end of year playday.  Three-leg races, obstacle course, and relays make for a fun afternoon. That is, when you're ok with being in a group setting with kids and adults you might have met only once.  I'm learning that these types of activities are great for my older two, but still really scare my youngest.  She puts on her brave act but she's 4. I'm sure the bustling people all around her make her uneasy, and when on a team without either sibling and me on photographer duty, she felt a little lost.  At bedtime, after a full day of friends and playing, she suddenly burst into sobbing tear, and with a big sob said "I really don't like co-op"  We talked about what she did like, and what she didn't like, and we talked about ways we can make it better.  I think she just didn't like the chaos of the playday and the small crowded room we met in for our pot-luck lunch. 

 I've realised all year that we have only been going to co-op for Calla's sake.  She enjoys the activities and is always excited to learn something new.  Thankfully a friend has taken Calla for me on days when Rowan and Eliana are just not cooperating.

typical...

me: Do you have Show and Tell today at gym?
Calla: Um.. no? I don't know... do we?
Rowan: (Loud and excited) Oh yeah! I forgot! We do!
Eliana: (softly) Yes. (She's been dragging her stuffed dog around since last night)
and this folks, is the typical response to most things a our house.

Camping Season 2011 has begun!

Our first weekend trip of 2011.  We had beautiful weather, despite the forecast of rain and thunderstorms.  The spring has been very rainy so far, so our campsite was extremely muddy.

Kids at the beach!

 

 Our muddy campsite.  Our van became stuck in the mud after parking the trailer.  Thanks to our helpful neighbours who were able to tow our van out of the mud.

Ruts in the mud from our van's attempt to retrieve the trailer.

Watching the Park Staff tow our trailer out of the mud

Tractor came with a load of sandy gravel.

Park Staff brought his 4x4 truck to tow us out.

Can I rant???

Feel free to not read this, I just need to rant

Rowan. My freaking motormouth over hyper crazy boy is going to drive
me craaaaaazy. He is just so wound up right now. He hasn't stopped
talking since we arrived at camp. He has managed to work Eliana into
the same tizzy. He talked through dinner. I haven't had a moment of
silence since 6:30. At home there are separate areas, different
floors. Here: one room.

Our campsite is a mud pit. We will be lucky if we can get the trailer
out on Monday. We are hoping our friend's 4x4 truck will be able to
tow us out. We have already sunk 1".

The Mosquitos are awful.

We do this for fun?

Julia

Sent from my iPhone

Doctor Checkup Day

Today the kids have a checkup with our family doctor.  They haven't been in a few years, so it's about time they had one.  Rowan is already acting out.  Some friends think I shouldn't tell him until we arrive somewhere about what we're doing, to cut down on the anxiety.  I think that would only make every trip in the van an ordeal. (oh wait, every trip IS an ordeal)  I sometimes wonder if I'm just expecting too much from him.  I hear stories from friends about their kids, who have so many more problems than mine, and I think "I can't complain. He's not where they're at"

I'll update after.

Sometime I miss having a job.

I miss having a job.  I miss being a manager of people, checking on their work, and them knowing what was expected.  I miss talking and having people listen to me, respecting my opinions and being one of a team that worked together.

There are days I don't want to be here anymore.
No one listens to me.
Sometime no one acknowledges that I'm even speaking.
They leave the room while I'm talking to them.
They start talking to others while I'm talking to them.
They look at me like "oh great, she's talking again" then run off.
They have each other, and apparently don't need me.
They don't follow any rules or routines I've set out.
I end up angry, upset and bitter.  Bitter.  Really Bitter.

This has been a hard week for me.

Rough Road to Reading

Rowan and I did an online reading assessment.  He flew through the easy words, but stumbled on 'here' and 'you'.  He scored at a pre-K reading level.  He showed no interest in that fact either. He should be in Grade 2.

Eliana has spent the past hour working in her Explode the Code 1 phonics book.  She loves it.  We initially bought it for Rowan, when he was in JK/SK. We even have the 2nd and 3rd books in the series.  He did about 1/3rd of the book.  She has flown through the rest of the book, and knows the next two books are waiting for her.  She is excited to read, can't wait to read with us and loves doing her schoolwork.  When she starts book 2 tomorrow, it's rated at a Grade 1 reading level.


I love reading. I have always loved reading.  It makes me sad when I think that Rowan isn't enjoying reading as much as he should be.  He loves being read to.  He even enjoys copying books passages at times.  But to actually read something?   I hope that this will soon be behind us.

Time to care for Me.

Sometimes in life we must take care of ourselves.  That time is now. I have a Dr's appointment at noon today to start the ball rolling for treating my vascular malformation.  I'm terrified.

Today I have a ton of questions, most of which I doubt my family doctor will be able to answer. 
Some of the questions will sound really silly, questions I really should already know the answers to, but don't.

I hope that I don't come out feeling like I wasted my time.

Is it normal to feel so anxious about going to the Dr?

Day 5

Gord called today. The kids spoke with him briefly. He's enjoying his trip, the accommodations are excellent, the golf is fine.

Another rotten bedtime ruined the evening.  One might think that since they go to bed every freakin' day, that bedtime would be pretty routine. Brush teeth, jammies on, calmly sit and listen to the story.  Nope.  Brush teeth...spit on counter...sister squeals and slams door on brother...more sibling antics...10 mins later...Mom's frustration is through the roof and the kids have lost their story.

We had a fun evening playing Mario Cart in their jammies.

Rowan had another maxed day.  There were high points and low points.  Breakfast with him screaming for the TV remote (as he couldn't just leave the thing alone) for 10 mins, goofing off at the chiropractor's office (again, letting a scream loose)  finishing with losing the bedtime story.

Unfortunately Rowan's energy levels are reflected in Eliana.  She's as spunky as he is hyper.

They are all asleep now.  I shall be heading to bed shortly, too. 

Day 4 part 2

I have a cat guardian. She has been sleeping in my room since Thurs
night. Guess she realizes that something is different.

The kids are all in their own beds tonight. Eliana will probably show
up around 3am as usual.

Julia

Day 4 - part1

I HATE PUTTING KIDS TO BED. That's usually Gord's job.  Rowan's beyond hyper and I'd about to cry.

Calla returned from Brighton in a weepy mood.  Sad, forlorn, down. 
Rowan went to play at a neighbour friend's house while the girls and I went sledding with a friend from church. Eliana lasted 3 times down the hill then I dropped her off at Rowan's friend's place.  I had a lovely time chatting over coffee with my church friend, Emily while her daughter and Calla played together.

Then the other two came home.

Rowan has been over-hyper since about 6:30, after dinner.
Out-of-control chasing after me saying I'm going to bite you while laughing maniacally.

Not good.

I must now go try again to put them to bed.

Day.3

Posting from my iPhone as all the computers spent yesterday OFF and
we'll see if we can repeat again today, at least for mine. The kids
will need to do their schoolwork even though it's Family Day.

We got to church at our usual time, which is always nearly late. :) R,
E and I went to the mall after lunch but it didn't last long. Chapters
was extremely busy, Christmas busy! Kids got one little thing each, I
got my Starbucks and we left.

Little areas of the house are becoming less cluttered and more tidy.
The bar fridge is finally being defrosted. The air bed is packed
up.(after being up for three weeks). Laundry is caught up. Hopefully
this will continue once Calla is back.

It was great to hear how Gord's trip is. He saw 5 alligators on the
golf course and lots of turtles. Not like golfing up here!

Julia

Day 2

Today started off with my sister and her kids taking Calla with them to Brighton.  They unexpectedly spent the night as the weather was getting bad.  After they left, Rowan and Eli has their friends over. By 3:30 all was quiet. Kids were playing nicely, so I sorted out the outgrown clothing pile (some to Eliana's bins, others to Goodwill bags) I also added some 'new' clothing to Eliana's dresser.  Dinner of sausages, raw veggies and pasta was spent with a movie. Eliana didn't like the movie, so she went to watch Wonder Pets on Netflix.  Sometime after the movie while I was cleaning the kitchen, Rowan and Eliana started to get wild. :(  I don't handle wild Rowan well.  Asking him to help put the stuffed animals back on Eliana's bed meant throwing them at me wildly, then trying to pass me the doll stroller, while giggling.  Ellie got the lecture about when others try to make messes in your room, please tell them to stop. Then get Mommy. 

By their bedtime I was exhausted.  They were in bed, asleep by 8:30.  Rowan and I had a chat about good choices, that doing things because they are fun isn't always the best choice.  Jumping on the airbed, tossing stuffed animals all over, and being goofy when Mommy's getting angry aren't good choices.

We have Church tomorrow morning. After that, Rowan gets to choose what we're going to do.

I must admit the house is quite a bit cleaner than usual.  I can only guess it's because I know it's just me maintaining it.  No "Why should I clean it up when he's sitting there playing video games/watching tv"

I also don't watch TV when I'm alone. When Gord's home, I watch TV with him for the company, our together time, so to speak.

My week of Single Parenting - Day 1

My dear Gord left for a week of golfing with my sister's spouse, Peter, early this morning. Technically he left for work yesterday and we won't see him again until next Saturday, as he spent the night in Burlington as they left at 5am today. 

This is the first time since the kids were born that he's been away while we are at home.  We camp without him during the summer for 3-5 days, but nothing this long at home.  This is also the longest time that Gord and I will be apart since we met, 16 years ago.

Day 1: (Friday) Rowan bear hugs his Daddy's legs as he leaves for work.  After he's gone, Rowan insists upon using the same plate and glass as his Daddy used for breakfast.  Our day was full of friends visiting and the rats (our 5 week guests) returning to their home.  Amy stopped by around 8:30pm to pick up Calla and ended up staying the night due to the strong winds.  Rowan and Eliana slept with me.  So far the house is neater, I'm finding more of an "Well, if I don't pick it up/clean it/do it, it won't get done" attitude. 

Time4Learning Review

We are a homeschooling family with 3 kids, ages 8,7 & 4.  Until this year, I have struggled to keep a schedule, often missing the a math or language lesson as we had too many outside activities going on, forgetting where we left off, or even where I put the books.  This past September I decided to try Time4Learning (T4L) with my 8 year old daughter, as she's now in Grade 3.  She has always been drawn to the computer so I felt this would work for her.  It also looked like it would help keep us on track with what she needs to learn this year.  I sometimes feared that if she had to go to school that she would be behind her peers.

What a difference this year has been!  She's is about to start her grade 4 level language lessons as she's nearly complete the entire grade 3 language component. Mostly on her own, with little nagging from me.  Yes. No nagging.  I am no longer worried of the 'what ifs' of her entering school.  She easily completes all her work and knows what she has to do each day.  

This week my 7 year old son started T4L on Grade 2 Math and Grade 1 Language.  He is a reluctant reader.  I was unsure if this would work for him as he's not a big computer kid like his sister.  He has really enjoyed it.  I like that the math is read to him, which was a major problem with our other math programs. The lessons are interactive and capture is attention.  He is excelling at his work and most of all, enjoying it! 

The parent reports provide me with an easy-to-read list of what they have finished, how long it took them and what they scored on the quiz or test.  I can choose to save it or print it for our records.  In Ontario, Canada, we are not required to keep any records, reports or portfolios for the local school boards.  


Time4Learning is an online education program that can be used as a homeschooling curriculum, an afterschool tutorial or for summer learning. As a member, I've been given the opportunity to share my experiences. The content in this review was not written by Time4Learning. While I was compensated, the opinion is entirely my own.

Early Morning

My dear son doesn't like being the first person up in the morning. Not a big deal, right? Too bad he's the first one up most days.  This isn't a problem Monday through Friday, but on Saturday morning, he gets bored.  He's up at 7. Door closed, lights on, starts rummaging through his LEGO a bit louder than necessary. Then, since that doesn't work, he lightly knocks on his bedroom door or the laminate floor. I know if that hadn't dragged me out of bed his next step would be whistling quietly.  Now I will give him credit for keeping his wake-up-the-others methods rather subliminal, but IT'S 7AM ON SATURDAY. The only day of the week we can sleep in without worry.  Yep. I'm bitter.

Snow! Winter!

I love winter when there's snow.  We get outside! We play! It beats the winter blahs better than anything else.  We dress for it. 

Well dressed for winter play should include the following: (note that I'm usually cold)
Snug fitting base layer.  (Undershirt & tights)
Turtleneck  & yoga pants
Thin polar fleece sweater
Warm ski socks.
Warm boots, good mittens, warm hat, scarf.
Good coat & snow pants

I can't say enough about good snow gear.  If you are warm, you can outlast your kids.  I see many parents waiting on the tobogganing hill in less than idea winter wear! They look cold and miserable and I'm sure their kids weren't out as long as they'd wanted to be. 

Veteran Homeschooler.

I realised earlier this school year that I have reached 'Veteran Homeschooler' status.  What does that mean? Well, it means that I've been doing this for long enough to know that when a product/curriculum isn't working, change it. Not to hang on too long to a bad fit because: a) others loved it. b)I paid a lot for it c)it looks great d) it worked for child A.

Now I also laugh and shake my head when I hear parents with toddlers/preschoolers say things like "I have been working with my son, who is 21 months now, on literacy and counting. I have been working from books that I picked up from a local store . I am looking for materials to continue his education at home..."  Oh you have got to be kidding me. At pre-2 years of age, shouldn't one be focusing on Play? Playing with toys, other kids? Seeing life around them.  Reading books to them, with them.  Does someone really need a curriculum for preschool?  I'm sure when I was at that stage, there were 'veteran' homeschoolering chuckling at my comments too.  

From the been-there-done-that trenches, I'll bite my tongue, keep my opinions to my blog and not reply directly to any parent without their request. :)

Calla's attitude.

How is it that one child can be so miserable, when she is given the world?

She is throwing a tantrum because her sister sat in 'her' seat at the kitchen table for breakfast.  SO FREAKING WHAT??? It's only her seat at dinner or times when Daddy is home.  Especially in the winter when the bay window seat tends to be very cold for Eliana.  I reminded her that if she had come to breakfast when I called her the 1st time (or even the 2nd or 3rd) she would have had 'her' seat.

Now she's huffing like a bull about to charge.

Can I send her from homeschool to boarding school or is that too extreme?

Changes

It's the start of a new year.  I was hoping that after a 2 week break, we would have a fresh start to our schooling. A fresh attitude. No. Apparently not.

It's like we never stopped.  Calla refuses to do her math lessons. It's not that she CAN'T do it. It's that she WON'T do it.  Unless she chooses to do something, it's like trying to move a mountain.

This is a battle we face daily.  I feel that homeschooling is becoming a lost cause, that very shortly she will be starting school.  My biggest concern as we approach traditional school is her writing skills.  She cannot (wait....will not) write. 

I guess part of my reluctance to putting her in school right now is how it will look to others.  The "OMG! This child knows nothing! Did her parent teach her anything? See...homeschooling just messes kids up."  I don't want her to feel upset that she doesn't know how to do what her classmates do because I didn't push it. 

I have set March Break as our decision point.  I want her to be able to write a paragraph by then.  Spelling and punctuation correct.  Let's see what happens.

the Trials of Barrow Court

I know, I know. If I say "What else can go wrong" I'm just jinxing us for more problems.

In December:
Our furnace died (the venting motor was failing, it was just a matter of when)
The heating element on our dryer burnt out. (nice singe mark on the back!)
The drain under the kitchen sink rusted out.
R puked in the van
To end the month, the left rear hatch door won't release in the van.  No access to the back except by crawling through.
Found out our trailer needs both bunk ends replaced due to rot.  (as I suspected)

Now, New Year, New start....right?
Our waterbed now has a 2cm tear in the mattress.  A patch for tonight, but it will need replacing soon.  Very soon. Like this week soon.

Let's hope that this is just a roll over from last year and from this point forward 2011 will improve.

Bear hugger

Eliana is our bear hugger.  She warns "I'm going to bear hug you!", then attacks! It's a vice-like hug, wrapped around her brother or sister.  They all giggle and laugh, or try to get away from her before the vice closes.  I've had the pleasure of watching Calla walk into a room with Eliana securely wrapped around her waist, with a slight grin on Calla's face while she says "Hey Mom, can you remove this?"