Limping to the finish line

The last crawl to the finish line.

Sophie is finishing Grade 8 and Fynn Grade 5.  Somehow, we have gotten through 3 competition dance programs (in 3 cities), weeks of soccer games (several out of town), track practice for Sophie, a ballet exam, a piano exam (which was a real nail bitter, and thankfully she did pass), weekly dictee tests for Fynn (thank you Carson for being such a great tutor), and finally me advocating for Sophie to re-write an important year end math final. She needed to get a better mark and with a bit of pushing and support it happened (she got an A!).

Seriously, parents need an award of sorts for surviving the year.

Back to School

The summer has been a great one!  We had an amazing trip to France, Fynn took a two night back country camping trip with Wild Wonders, Sophie went to Winnipeg for two great weeks at RWB and we capped it off with a long weekend in Osoyoos at Walnut Beach.  I truly think it was one of the best summers we have had as a family.

This week we get back into our routines.  Sophie is in Grade 8 and Fynn is in Grade 5.

Here they are for that obligatory back to school photo.

That last crawl to the finish line

June can be the nicest month but it can also be one of the most exhausting, especially if you are a mom to school age kids.  This past month we have wrapped up dance, piano exams, soccer and school.  I found preparing the kids for their Royal Conservatory Piano exams likely the most exhausting.  I was wondering if Fynn was going to make it, as was his teacher.  He surprised me to be honest and came out with a 73, and Sophie a 70.  I'm very proud of both of them.  Fynn also had a number of small projects that seemed to be due at school in the same week:  a speech, a comic book assignment, and another assignment that escapes me right now.  I feel like I really had to push him along so he understood how to make things a bit better than just dialling

it in.

The other big wrap up this month was an Advanced HR Certificate program I had been taking for the past 9 months or so through UCLA.  It was a good program but I'm certainly glad to have that bit of extra time back again.

We are in the final preparations of our trip to France.  I find it hard to believe the date is almost here.  I'm excited about the flight, seeing Paris for the first time, and the beautiful river cruise. Can't wait.

Back to School. My wishes for these two.

Today marked Sophie going into Grade 7 and Fynn into Grade 4.

It was a fairly smooth morning.  I was up early.  About 6am as I was having trouble staying asleep.  I went into the living room, ate my cereal and watched a bit of morning news.  Sophie came down soon after, fully dressed.  Not too long after, I woke Fynn up.  Around 7:25am or so we left for school.   Earlier than our usual departure time from the previous school year but I think we were all anxious and ready to just get to school.  Fynn was dropped off first...quite possibly one of the first kids at his school.  Sophie was next.  No issues or problems.

I headed down to work, grabbing a coffee and settling into my office before most of the others.

Here is a photo I snapped this morning before we got into the car.  I hope all mornings go as smoothly.

My wishes for you two (in no specific order):
- that you will eat the lunch we pack for you
- that you will reconnect with old friends and smile and be kind to kids you do not know (everyone is new at some point)
- that you will engage (say hi, speak up in class, ask questions) with your teacher
- that your teacher will love teaching
- that you enjoy wearing your new clothes but you will not judge others by what they wear or are not wearing
- that you will work hard, manage your time, and not see me as the demon at home when I ask you to do your homework and Kumon math
- that you will have fun!

Happy September

The kids go back to school tomorrow.  Sophie in Grade 7 and Fynn in Grade 4.  Part of me is filled with a bit of dread as it means my summer of not being a taxi will be officially over.  The kids have been mostly independent all summer....walking or using public transportation except for when they needed to be dropped off/picked up at summer camps.

Sophie is starting competition dance classes this fall so that means more taxi cab work for me.  I suppose Vic and I will survive with the "divide and conquer" approach that seems to serve us well.  He primarily ensures Fynn is at his hockey practices and I look after Sophie and her dance commitments.

On the personal side, I am looking forward to a senior level HR program that I am starting through UCLA distance this fall.  It's been awhile since I did a more formal program for work, so it will feel good to get back into something structured.  We also have a trip to Disneyland coming up.  Not ideal to take the kids out of school 2 weeks into the school year, but this is a "redo" of the trip we messed up last May due to Fynn's expired passport.  Eek.  Just thinking about that fills me back with dread.

Sophie's Grade 5 Graduation

Grade 5 graduation at Bastion Elementary today.

Sophie transitions to Shuswap Middle School in the fall.

Talk about a range of emotions. So proud. So thankful for her teachers, her awesome principal and the support staff. So happy she has such sweet friends. So excited for what's next for her.

The first day...

Finally!  The first day of school for kids in British Columbia.  The teachers' strike was settled last week with a negotiated settlement and the kids were back to school today.

Sophie is in Grade 5 and Fynn in Grade 2.  So far, so good.  They each seemed to be happy with their teachers.

Here is a photo that a friend took of Sophie and some of her friends.  They are now the top of the pack at Bastion, as they are the highest grade there.  Leading by example (I hope). 

Sophie and back to school

She loves her teacher Madame Weir.
She is happy Hunter is in her class.
She got a Slurpee from mom after school.
She played with Maggie tonight.

It's all good. Thank you back to school fairies.

The last day of school

Today was a bittersweet day. It was Sophie's last day of Grade 2. I came into her classroom about 15 minutes before the day ended and her teacher was handing out little bags for each child with a book and their report card. She was saying something nice about each child (in French) and while I couldn't make out all of the words, I knew it was something special. A few kids were crying, saying they were going to miss Grade 2, their friends and their teacher Madame Dollack. She was a gem.

Sophie also had her last day of swimming Level 5 today. Her instructor again was Teresa the Turtle (Sophie loves her). Her dives have improved so much and she has a great back crawl. She still needs more work on her front crawl -- big arms and rolling her head out and in to breathe. She isn't quite ready to move on to Level 6, so I will be re-registering her in Level 5 but likely not until the fall. I'd like to give her a good solid break from lessons and instruction for awhile.

Numbers matter

Vic and I like to keep track:

The number of times we have been skiing this year to ensure our ski pass is paid for (we have gone 7 times as of today -- I took a day off from work) and we had the best day of skiing ever. Thanks to our friends Bryan and Patti for playing hookey with us.

We are also tracking our expenses. I insert our receipts into an Excel spreadsheet so we can see what we are spending money on each month. It is an enlightening exercise!

We are also finding it interesting to read the Fraser Institute "report card" on BC Elementary School. The fact that Sophie's school has slipped in reading and numeracy prompted me to write a letter tonight to her principal and the School Superintendant. I know there is more to a quality education than numbers, and I believe she goes to a very good school and has a great teacher. The FSA scores for Grade 4s at her school show some declines in two areas and as a parent I think it is important to ask the school administration what action plans they will be developing to address the trends. I will be interested to see what they say.

And Sophie lost her 5th tooth today. So that means $1 tonight from the Tooth Fairy. Here she is all dressed up for her Brownies "dress up" night. Her beautiful braids are by her daycare leader Becky.

Art Gallery Field Trip

On Monday, I booked a few hours off of work to help out in Sophie's class and accompany the kids to a field trip down to the Art Gallery. I got to spend about 30 minutes in the class before we headed out. It is a lovely class. The kids come in without being rushed, find their reading or workbooks and start to work, often pairing up with a friend. It is such a change from Sophie's class last year. It felt much more inviting and enjoyable.

The trip down to the gallery was easy. It was all downhill. The trip back up to the school on the return walk home was a bit of a struggle as it is pretty much all up hill. Hungry, tired Grade 2s. However, everyone persevered and seemed to have a good time.

We saw this exhibit.

The first day

Sophie had a great day and loves her new teacher, Mdm Dollack.

We got the bus organized, I enrolled her in ballet which starts next week, and finalized a change to her piano lessons.

Fynn really stepped up today too, and had a good bowel movement in the toilet tonight!! That makes me so happy.

I am wiped out as I woke up at 6:30am and was on the go for most of the day.Very grateful for Vic's pancake dinner tonight. The kids love it.
I am going to read a new book from the library and wath TV until it's bedtime tonight.

The last day

Such a different feeling than Sophie's first day of Grade 1 when she didn't want me to take her picture. She was certainly much happier today.

Here she is with one of her teachers, Madame Shannon. Madame is very close to being ready to have her baby!

We dropped Sophie off at Gardom Lake Camp this afternoon. She was pretty unsure about the whole thing when we got there but then when we took her to her cabin and she found out it was just Hunter, Cami, Heidi-Lee and herself and they were all waiting for her, she was very happy. Her camp counsellor is Christa who was very sweet. I am sure she will have lots of stories to tell us when we pick her up tomorrow.

homework

Not a great photo of Sophie but it captures what she is up to each evening.

She is responsible for reading her daily reader plus working on her 5 dictee (spelling words) each evening.

We have also hired a tutor, Madame Susie, to help Sophie on Tuesday and Wednesdays after school for 30 minutes. Susie is a wonderful tutor and Sophie is all smiles when she is with her. Both her teachers have remarked that they have noticed the improvement in Sophie's confidence in class since the tutoring began last month. I can't say French Immersion is "easy" and I do think both parents have to support it (which in our case we do). It does take effort, but we think it will be worth it.

Her higher scores on her dictee each Friday also support that the tutoring is working. Both Vic and I place a high value on school so we want her experience to get off to a positive start in Grade 1.

book launch

We had fun tonight at the book launch and signing of a book that Sophie's Grade 1 teacher illustrated and her librarian wrote. The gym at her school was done up with a bunch of hockey games/activities, and lots of treats to eat. Sophie had her booked signed by her teacher Mrs. Steeves.

The gym was loaded with people - great to see literacy supported so strongly.

afternoon from hell and back again

Sophie's instructions today were to take the bus (as usual). I would pick her up at her bus stop and take her over to her tap dance class. At 2:25pm I drove down to the daycare bus stop. The daycare kids were getting off the bus (along with the other elementary school kids). Her two teachers were there to meet the kids. Heather, the main teacher looked at me, and said, "Sophie was not on the bus." They double checked the bus. No Sophie. I scrambled up to the school. I raced into her classroom and asked her teacher, "where is Sophie?" Her teacher said that she had missed the bus, but the teacher could not leave the classroom, so she instructed Sophie to speak to the playground monitor and she would take her to the office. I raced into the office and there was Sophie sitting in a chair with another little girl (who was waiting for her brother who forgot to walk home with her). Her eyes were red from crying. I gave her a squeeze that probably bruised her ribs. The school had tried to phone me at work but I had already left to pick her up. I scooped her up and we drove down to tap. By this time the class had started (one of Sophie's pet peeves is arriving late to a class). I got her dressed quickly and we walked into the class. By this point, she didn't want to have anything to do with the class and just wanted to go back to daycare. We persevered and in a few minutes and much "encouragement" later, she settled down.

I called the school and spoke to the vice principal about her missing the bus. I wanted to know how it is possible for a child who has a classroom right next to the bus stop can possibly miss the bus (Sophie is not a dawdler). The vice principal said that Sophie was the 3rd child in the last two days who has missed the bus due to a turnaround that is far too quick. So, the school is going to have a meeting and either get the bus schedule changed or else work out some accommodation in the classrooms so kids that are taking the bus can have a little extra time to get their backpacks organized, coats on, etc.

It was good to get home and settle in tonight. Not a nice start to the week, but hopeful experiences like this are building up some resiliency in Sophie for the future and other things she encounters with scheduling snafus.

today you...

(post for Tuesday, September 7)

Today you started first grade.

You were up at 7:00am and had Cheerios. It's your breakfast of choice lately.

You chose to wear your new dress from Children's Place and your grey leggings. I love this dress. You picked it yourself and I must say, you have great taste. The shoes were from Payless. They gave you blisters.

You didn’t seem nervous, but you said you weren't too happy in the morning (I can tell because you didn't want to smile).

You got a desk this year and you have two teachers: Madame Shannon is filling in for Madame Steeves until she is back to school next month after her injury. I picked you up at 11:15am and took you back to daycare. Tomorrow you'll take the bus. Some of your little buddies are in your class: Hunter, Cami, Teslyn. You seem to have also found a new friend named Piper.

Tonight we talked about your day before you went to bed. I think you will like Grade 1. It will be a bit harder to get used to, since you go to school longer than you were used to with Kindergarten and the expectations have changed a bit, but you are more mature now and I know you will do just fine.

Love mom.

sigh...it's over

Sophie wrapped up Kindergarten today.
What more can I say?

skirt #5...the go to pattern

I picked up some very cute fabric at Fabricland on Friday. I had intended to attach some grosgrain ribbon on the bottom, but forgot and finshed the hem before I could attach it. Oh well - I think Sophie will really like it.

I stitched this up to tonight after I got Sophie and Fynn tucked in. Sophie had a little French practice. Not official homework, but they are encouraged to practice their reading from these little booklets they get every 2 weeks. I think she is recognizing the words at this point (not sure if she is actually reading the words), but it's all good with us and she still seems to be happy with her class.

The Big Yellow Bus

Today was my biggest day (if you look at all the scribbles on my daytimer) of things that needed to get done. I'll just do a brain dump in point form:

8:00am take Sophie to Kindergarten. She's loving it and I'm really impressed with her school (teachers, administration, classroom, kids, parents).

8:35am do a presentation for our Commercial department on some employee data. All went well

9:00 - 10:40am work stuff

10:45 drive to Sophie's school. Advise her teacher that today would be the first day that she rode the bus. Feel a bit weird that my 5 year old is taking a school bus, but heck, necessity is the mother of invention. Teacher introduces me to vice-principal who will escort Sophie and any other Kindergarten kids who need the bus.

11:00 am go back to my car and wait for the bus (arrives a couple of minutes later) and watch Sophie climb aboard bus with her little friend Hunter and the other kids. Yippee!!

11:10 follow behind bus (another dad does the exact same thing) and park at the daycare to see that she safely gets off bus at the stop across from the daycare. Daycare teacher greets her off the bus and walks her and other kids across the street. Give her a big hug! Huge, crazy milestone.

11:30 back to work and a Webinar I'm supposed to be attending.

12:00pm lunch at my desk.

12:30pm - 2:45pm work stuff

2:45pm - pick up Sophie from daycare and take her to her first ballet class of the season. Most of her old ballet buddies are back. She is very happy and has a great time.

3:30pm take her back to daycare and go back to work

5:00pm go to the gym

6:00pm eat dinner and shower. Vic had dinner prepared - yum, yum.

7:00pm take Sophie and Fynn with me to a Canadian Parents for French meeting. I'm the secretary and take minutes.

8:00pm back home, give kids bath, bedtime stories, snack and bed

9:00pm laundry

9:15pm call my mom and confirm that her and my dad can meet us the day before our NYC trip in October to transition the kids.

9:30pm Vic and I get to relax and get ready for Leno.

Okay, that's enough brain dumping for the day.

I found these quotes that I think are nice to reflect upon (especially for crazy days like today):

We women who do too much usually don't do too much in just one area of our lives.

When we are caregivers, it often is not the physical work that is so exhausting. It is the emotional work that we do every second as we strain to be presented to another's process.

We may feel like we don't have another ounce left to give. Yet our inner process never gives us more than we can handle. We may not like handling it, and we can handle it. It is when we refuse to handle our lives that they lock up on us