Advent Calendars

This year, for the first time ever, I bought the kids chocolate advent calendars. I left them on the table, and I was not home when the kids came home from school. When I got home later that evening it was supper time, so we sat down to eat.

"What happened to the advent calendars that were on the table?" I asked.

Asher answered, "I put them here on the chair because I had to set the table. Who are they for?"

 Me: "I bought one for you, and one for Chancery, but you need to share 5 of your chocolates with your dad and I."

 The kids were very surprised to have chocolate advent calendars. It was as if an alien had replaced their mother and brought this special gift for them. After a few moments Asher inquired... 

"Wait, I have to give you 5 chocolates, and dad 5 chocolates?"

 Me: "no, you share with dad, Chancery shares with me."

 All was well for a few days until I went shopping again.  I told Chad I bought our own kind of advent calendar, but now the kids are jealous! 

Staying Home, Week 44

I've got a "counter" on my phone that has been counting the days since we first entered any kind of lockdown for Covid.  Today is day 310.  We have had many varieties of lockdown...

-Stay in if you can, kids doing home learning, working from home

-Small gatherings permitted inside, with distancing

-Only outdoor gatherings allowed, with masks

-Kids back to school, with masks

-Kids grade 7 & up stay home & do Zoom classes

-No indoor or outdoor gatherings

Now we are in the weirdest one for me.  The kids are back at school, but no indoor or outdoor gatherings have been permitted for the past week.  So I have lots of time to myself, which is really quite nice after 5 weeks of the kids being home from school, but I'm not supposed to go anywhere.  I've been shopping about once a week, which is my only outing.  Wearing a mask is almost second nature now, but with the weather being cold I've been wearing a toque when I go to town, so all that shows is my eyes.  I call it my "incognito" look.

Thankfully, we are still encouraged to go outside & exercise, and I've got a local friend who I've been going Cross-Country Skiing with.  We have lots of trails just past our backyard that go through the campground, so it's been fun being able to ski so close to home. Chancery comes with us sometimes, & she really enjoys it too.  I declined an invitation to go xc skiing this weekend, & Chancery was quite upset that she didn't get to go, thankfully we were asked again for Sunday afternoon, so it wasn't a total bust!

I've watched lots TV, read quite a few books, sent out Christmas cards, drank gallons of coffee, moved to a new house, unpacked (still haven't hung our pictures yet!)...  It hasn't been all bad, but I'm eager to see people again! And DO things together!

Halloween 2020

Are the children getting too old to Trick-or-Treat?  Not according to them!

We had a pair of Hot Dogs

And a pair of Black Cats (but the kitten stayed home)

We stayed in our little neighbourhood, and there were 7 houses handing out treats.  One neighbour told us we were the first trick-or-treaters they had had in 15 years!  When we got back the kids were looking through their loot, and did quite well despite the low number of houses we had gone to.  They were also excited that for the first time ever they got to keep all the candy they had gotten!  In the past we had let them keep a certain number of treats, and whatever they didn't keep we handed out to the kids who came by our place.  However, we had ZERO trick-or-treaters, and thankfully I hadn't bought very much candy.

We were even home in time to watch some TV before bedtime!

 

Home Schooling Week 5

This homeschooling thing is no joke, but we're doing it.  We just made it through the first 2 weeks of real school work (we did 3 weeks on our own before that) I am very thankful my kids are not in the French school anymore though, I wouldn't be able to read their textbooks or anything. They are pretty self sufficient, but I wouldn't be able to help them at all.

It makes me think of other families where the kids go to school, but the parents don't speak the language very well. We were very fortunate when we lived in PEI that I had quite a few friends who were French speaking and could help translate the school newsletters for me and tell me what I needed to do.  Even not understanding one subject can be difficult for a parent thrown into this, but to not be able to understand any of the school work would be overwhelming!

I want to encourage you if you know anyone who may be struggling with the language barrier to check in on them, ask if there's any way you can help. FaceTime their kid and ask if they need anything explained.  While you're at it, tell them something you've struggled with during this time. We're all failing at something, but there's also something we can give to others. Maybe it's homework help, maybe it's encouragement, or a laugh!

Easter Egg Hunt

This year the kids really wanted to do an Easter Egg hunt.  There were a few factors that were going to make this difficult:

1. Chad gave away our Easter Eggs at the children's message last year

2. There is still about a foot of snow on the ground

3. We don't let the kids have much candy,  so I didn't want to fill a bunch of eggs with things they can't have.

So I decided instead to order some eggs from Amazon, & make a treasure hunt instead with a small prize at the end.  The eggs were all filled with the location of the next egg, but the kids had to take turns giving clues, and finding the egg.  The twist was that they were not allowed to say any of the words on the paper.  I had ordered a pack of 100 eggs, and ended up using about 75 of them.

I did have about 8 small items that I put into a few of the eggs, but as the kids found them, they'd say, "Here, mom, I don't want this." So I was glad I didn't fill every egg!  The kids really enjoyed it, and it was fun to see their wheels turning trying to think of ways to give the clue without saying the words.  I also noticed a few times they would look right at the spot as they were thinking of it.

It took about an hour for them to do the egg hunt, and since they enjoy making treasure hunts for each other I'm sure we'll get lots of use out of our new eggs.

Not Social Distancing

It's crazy times.  Who would have thought that we'd all be hunkering down at home not from a

natural disaster or some freak weather storm, but from an illness that came out of the blue.  I know

there are lots of people who are frightened about what the future holds, not just for during this time in

Quarantine, but after we come out of it. How many businesses will have to close?  How many jobs

won't exist anymore? How many of our loved ones will have become ill, or even died from the virus?

There's a lot of talk about physical health, but we need to also remember that our health is not just

based on if we have a fever or not. Health is a multi-faceted part of us.  We have to find a balance of

mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

I don't like the "Social Distancing" line that has been thrown around, because that makes it sound

like we should be antisocial. We should be Physically Distant, but now is the time to be there for

each other.  This is an unprecedented time, and everyone is struggling with it in some way or

another. There are lots of extroverts who may get depressed if they can't socialize with others,

which can also lead to health problems. There are many who are anxious with what the future will

hold, which leads to sleeplessness and burnout.  Hopefully this will lead to a new normal where

people are more in tune with their mental health and it won't be such a stigma to say "I'm struggling.

I need help.".

I have hope that this will lead to some positive changes in many ways. This could change the way

we interact in our communities. Maybe instead of driving into our garages and not talking to our

neighbours, we'll start to really care about one another and look after the needs around us.

I've seen on FaceBook quite a few homeschooling parents telling all the parents who have suddenly

been thrown into quarantine schooling, that this isn't even normal for homeschoolers.  It's new

territory for everyone (pulling together, reassuring). They have said not to expect 6 hours of work

from your kids, most students do between 2-3 depending on what they are working on. That's

COMMUNITY!

It's important to remember these guidelines for adults working from home as well.  There are many

parts of your normal workday that help break up the stress, that you are missing right now. It's

important to take into account the coffee breaks, drive time, etc. Locking yourself off from the world

to work for 8 hours isn't healthy in a stressful time like this. It's really important to take care of your

body and mind (emotional, physical, mental,& spiritual health). Maybe it means working until

lunchtime, eating with the family, playing some board games, and going for a walk in the afternoon.

I'm sure you know that you can't do your best work if you're stressed.  Two hours of good work is

better than 6 hours of stress an anxiety riddled work. Work yourself into more hours as you get used

to this new normal. Take care of yourself, take care of your family, take care of your friends.

Remember, don't cut yourself off from everyone.  Social Distancing doesn't mean Social Isolation!

Call your friends, Play virtual poker, FaceTime that friend you haven't had time to connect with, Send

a message to say, "I was thinking about you... Remember when we went on that epic adventure?"

Ask how they are REALLY doing.  Let them know they are not alone. We're all in this together.

Overgebleven

I've got a small whiteboard on the fridge where I put my dinner ideas for the week.  I don't usually assign the meals to days, but kind of play it by ear depending on how my day is going & how long some meals will take to prepare.

A few weeks ago I did a bit of research, and put my list on the board

- Hot Dogs, & Mac & Cheese 

- Make Your Own Pizza 

- Overgebleven

The kids were excited, Chancery loves Mac & Cheese, Asher loves Pizza, and what was the mysterious "Overgebleven"?

I told them, "You'll have to wait to find out, but it's Dutch, and I think you'll like it!

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The day came when the only thing left on the board was "Overgebleven".

"Tonight's the night!" they said to each other excitedly.

I called them to the kitchen at 5pm, and handed them each an empty plate.

"Where is it? What is Overgebleven?" they asked.

I pulled the leftover Mac & Cheese, Hot Dog, & Pizza out of the fridge and told them to load up their plates.

Kids: "What do you mean?  We're supposed to have Overgebleven!"

Me: "This is overgebleven. it's 'Leftover' in Dutch!"

And that was the night the children ate through tears, and I learned (once again) not to get the children's expectations too high, because apparently even though they liked the original food, having it again as a leftover when it was masquerading as something new and fun is MEAN!

Moving Onwards and Upwards (North)

Time for another update!  It seems like my posts are getting fewer & farther between, but I think I have a solution to that problem.  It must be time to move!

Our church has been going through some restructuring over the past year, & as part of that process, decided to reduce to one full-time pastor.  So, Chad has received a job offer at a church in Lacombe, Alberta, & we decided it sounded like a pretty good move for our family.  We are ready to give up the city life & try our hand at country living for awhile!

The kids are really excited to have more room to explore, & trees to climb. They are already trying to talk us into buying ATVs for them. We're moving farther away from my parents again, but they had 4 years, & they like to travel, so we're just giving them the opportunity to explore a new area!  We'll be about 4 hours from Chad's family, so it'll be nice for the kids to be closer to their cousins too.

Now comes the stressful part.  Getting the house ready to sell, going to look for a new house, getting the kids registered at the new school, getting moving quotes (I'll tell you what company we're NOT using!), & figuring out all the logistics!  Our goal is to be there by Christmas, but how we'll manage that is yet to be seen.  I foresee a busy few months ahead, but it will be worth it!  I really enjoy setting up our home when we move, it's just getting to that point that isn't always fun.  Especially once the house is for sale & you have to keep cleaning all the things!

After School Schedule

As we gear up for the beginning of school, I thought I'd share our after school schedule that I keep on
the fridge. It started as a note for babysitters, so they would not be fooled by our innocent childrens'
penchant for bending the rules, but it has proved beneficial for the kids to also know the daily routine.
Feel free to copy, & let me know if you have any additions or other helpful tips!

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When the kids get home from school:

-Empty lunch bags

-Have snack

-Practice Piano -20 min

-Read for 20 min

5:00 they may play video games or watch TV

Dinner around 5:30/6:00

After Dinner make lunches, if they can’t cooperate in the kitchen, only 1 at a time.

7:00 Reading Time:  (Shower if needed)

-Toilet

-Teeth

-PJs

-Book

8:00 Lights Out!

If the kids can’t agree on something, use common sense, & don’t be afraid to say NO!

The kids also have ‘days’, odd=Asher’s choice, even=Chancery’s

There’s a paper by the TV which tells you what channel the TV needs to be on
to watch TV/play video games

If you have any questions, Sherilyn’s cell 604-xxx-xxxx, Chad's cell 778-xxx-xxxx,

Home phone 778-xxx-xxxx

Wifi: "WiFi Name"

Password: "CleverPassword"

Church Challenges!

Last Sunday morning after church I picked up a cup of coffee, added my cream & sugar, & walked over to "my spot".  (Yes, I have a certain spot where I stand, it's just off to the side, people know where to find me, & I find it easier to hear what people are saying to me)

I lifted my little mug to take my first sip & noticed there was a bit of lipstick on the cup (which couldn't have been mine!), so I decided to wipe it off, & turn the cup to drink from the other side.  I turned it around to discover MORE lipstick!  At that point I couldn't handle it anymore, I don't even WEAR lipstick 90% of the time! So I returned the full cup of coffee to the kitchen & sought out a new cup of coffee & started the whole process over with less lipstick!

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During offering time I handed each of the kids a quarter.  Asher handed his back to me & whispered, "I can't put this one in, it's a special one!"

I took the quarter back & sorted through my wallet for a 'regular' coin for him to donate instead.  I was about to put the fancy quarter in my pocket to take home & add to my special coin jar.

Chancery then leaned over & said, "I want to see it!"

I handed the special quarter to Chancery, & just then the offering basket came by & Chancery put the special quarter in!

....so, I reached in & grabbed it back out!

I thought I was in the clear until a man sitting behind me leaned forward & said, "If you're that hard up for cash I could loan you some!"

Halloween 2017

Our church had its annual neighbourhood fun night with games, candy & prizes.

Chad was running one of the games, & the dress code was COSTUME!

So, Bowser gathered his minion, & off they went!

Then the kids got dressed & off we went for a bit of trick-or-treating around the cul-de-sac,

& then the fun night at church!

It was a pretty successful haul for the Ninja & Masquerade guest!

Some people gave them each 3 handfuls of candy!

We had way too much candy, so I told the kids they could keep all their chips & prizes they had gotten, then choose 25 pieces of candy.  After that, they switched places & chose 5 from the other person's pile.  The rest went to trick-or-treaters who came to our house, or to Chad's & my stash!  We're set for the next year!

I figured I couldn't be the only family member at the church party without a

costume, so I dressed up too!

Any guesses as to who I am?

Just a Trim

Chancery was in dire need of a haircut.  Her split ends had split ends, & now that school is out we had time to go to the salon.  She was called back to sit in the chair, & started to explain to the hairdresser what she'd like done.  Chancery turned to me & said, "I got this, Mom, you just go & sit down."

So off I went to sit & read my book while she chatted away with the hairdresser, & communicated how she wanted her haircut.  Perhaps some layers?  Just a little off the bottom?

Nope, she decided to donate 10 inches of her hair, & is thrilled with the results!  It's much cooler for summer, but there won't be anymore braids for awhile!

Prelude at Grandpa & Grandma's!

The kids & went to my parents' house for a week to help them prepare for the whole family being there in a few weeks.  On the way down we went through Whidby Island to visit some friends.  

We went to the beach with them to hunt for sea glass, & the kids found some cool driftwood!

Then we took some time to wander around Coupeville & had a delicious lunch as well.

Once we got to my parents house we were set to work picking raspberries, making jam & cookies, & mulching flowerbeds

In our enthusiasm we even managed to splatter raspberry juice on the ceiling!

It wasn't all work though, we stopped at a few thrift stores, & the kids found this tiny piano & insisted on posing as Lucy & Schroeder from Peanuts!

And of course we visited "The Oak" in the neighbourhood. 

 I spent a lot of time here with the neighbourhood kids growing up, & Asher & Chancery have a lot of fun playing here too!

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We also met up with my friend Theresa & her kids.  We became friends in grade 7, & hadn't seen each other in 17 years!

The kids had a blast playing together, & we decided to try to see each other  more often (which shouldn't be THAT hard, right?)

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Next was a quest to find some climbing trees in the woods by my parents' house.  Unfortunately most the trees I used to climb are now dead (I'm not THAT old!), so we didn't have any luck...

We also had to make our way through quite a bit of salal since the trails are not kept up anymore.  The kids decided they are ready to apply to be on "Alone" since they didn't find it too difficult.

Last but not least, I showed them "The Best Ditch in The Neighbourhood".  It has the perfect slope, & I read many a book in it while waiting for my friends' school bus to bring them home.

Asher Turns 11!

Asher' birthday this year was also the last day of school, so his whole class celebrated with pizza, donuts, & going bowling!  You might think that was enough, but Asher was not satisfied that that was enough of a celebration!

After school we let Asher open his presents!

 A card from Grandma & Grandpa!

A new video game (which we have all been enjoying!)

A new book by David Walliams!  The kids love these books, & Asher actually is happy about the gift, he just insisted on not smiling...

Then we headed to Montana's for dinner since Asher wanted to go somewhere that would make a big deal out of his birthday.  Seeing as they put a giant hat with moose antlers on your head while they sing to you, Montana's fit the bill!

Looking forward to a year of 11!

A few days later we had a birthday party at the splash park with some friends from church & school, but we had such a good time we didn't take any photos.  We'll just have to remember the good times instead!

News: Edition 2

The second edition of the Coffeetime News is all about summer excitement!

Fancy Clothes

Last week the kids' school had a big concert for Canada's 150th celebration.  The dress code for the event was "white & red".  Most kids at the concert wore jeans & a red or white shirt with "Canada" on it.  Chancery loves to get dressed up, & she first attempted to wear her fanciest dress, but it's more of a silver colour, so I said no; then she tried to wear another fancy dress, but it's hot pink, so I also vetoed that option & told her to wear jeans & a red or white t-shirt.

Not long afterward I was handed this paper...

Chancery was wearing a white shirt & a black puffy skirt.  I decided that was ok since it was still following the dress code.  I have a feeling this is just the beginning though!

News: Edition 1

Last Saturday saw the first edition of

The Coffeetime Saturday News

Asher is quite proud of his publication, & I hope they keep coming!

Hotel-like Service

Asher's school requires him to do some service hours each term, & he was a bit short, so this weekend he decided to help Chancery out by re-organizing her bookshelf.  It was a disaster to start with, so I figured it would take about an hour for him to get it under control.

What I didn't anticipate was that once he finished the big bookcase, he'd then move on to the small shelves, the nightstand, & even under the bed!  It took him 2 hours to get it looking like this, hopefully it stays clean for a while!

Asher told me, "I just made it look like how I'd want it if it was my room."

And when Chancery got into bed, her comment was, "I feel like I'm at a hotel!"

Ice cream truck

Sometimes a promise isn't enough. Sometimes you need to document that your kids said it...

Jump For Joy!

For the past year, Asher & Chancery had been begging for a trampoline.  Chad & I decided that they could pool their allowance & Birthday money & buy one together.  We researched online prices & found the best option was to buy from the States & have it shipped to my parents.  After a few months, the kids had saved enough money, & we ordered the trampoline in October.  We decided it didn't make sense to put it together just before winter, so we held off, & we were glad we had when we got snow in December.

In February, once it had all melted we decided it was time to assemble!

About an hour later & the kids were bouncing all around!

Now, a week later we have another foot of snow, so it's a bit too wet & chilly for bouncing, but as soon as the weather warms up the kids'll be back at it!