Happy Halloween: Pumpkin Carving 2017

Like every other year since I joined James' family, we carved pumpkins.  We take our pumpkin carving very seriously.    First you must choose a variety of pumpkin sizes to match all the patterns.

Next, you must gut the pumpkin and save the seeds to make pumpkin seeds.  This is Marla's job.  This year she helped my gut the pumpkins since I am usually responsible for 4 pumpkins, mine, the 2 kids, and the spare that I usually buy just in case one rots before we carve it.

Each year the kids do more and more of the pumpkin them selves.  This year, Grady chose his own pattern and poked the whole thing on his own. He even carved the bigger parts of the pattern while I did the smaller part.  He is embracing the tradition which makes me happy.

Cooper was at a birthday party while we gutted so his pumpkin was clean and his pattern was chosen when he got home.  He poked half of his pumpkin and tried to carve but wasn't all that good at it... yet.

James was the last man carving this year.  He was busy ordering the food and setting up light in the media room that goes off when the flames score!  Cooper and I happened to downstairs later that night when it went off for the first time.  It works!

At the end, we had 7 pumpkins ready for Halloween!

In the lineup: Mine, Bo, Mine, Grady, Cooper, Dave.  James did the Raiders one.

Happy Halloween!

Brotherly Love

With James away his past weekend, I was left on full hockey parent duty. This particular weekend proved to be a busy one with hockey pictures for both kids and Cooper dressing as goalie for a practice and game both before 7:30 am.  Oy.

Grady was so excited for Cooper to play net.  In Novice they rotate the goalie every game to give all the players a chance to try it out and decide if this is a position that they want to play.  In the end, most of them don't love it and often never want to do it again. Ever.  Unfortunately for us, Grady loves it.  In Atom, they no longer rotate the goalie, your team gets one or two full time goalie with a separate set of evaluations.  We told Grady that he had to be player for at least a year before he switched to goalie.  We were hoping he would forget about, but he hasn't.

Back to Cooper....

With Cooper wearing the #3 jersey this year, he was up for goalie quite early in the season and Grady couldn't wait to be there to cheer him on.  The morning Cooper practiced as goalie Grady had his own practice and couldn't be there, so the next day when Cooper had a game there was no way Grady was going to miss it, even it was at 7 am.

As a Mom, I couldn't have enjoyed this moment more.  The way that Grady congratulated him after their first win of the season.  How he helped him take off his pads.  He even untied his skates and helped him pack up his gear.

He watched part of the game and sat close to the net where Cooper was playing.  Like most siblings, he got bored after a while and asked for my phone.  But he wanted to be there.

There is just something about watching them interact this way.  I never dreamt that I would have 2 boys, or 2 boys that played hockey, and I just can't imagine it any other way.  I love that they have a mutual interest and that every once in a while they have moments that reaffirm that do actually like each other.

From the time Cooper was born, I always hoped they'd be friends and not just brothers.  You are brothers because you have to be and friends because you want to be.  When I see these moments pass between the boys I can't help imagine them and how they will interact in 10, or even 20 years.

Every night before I go to bed I go into their rooms and give each of their sleeping faces a kiss and feel so lucky to call each of them my son.  I couldn't be prouder to be their mom.

School Update

This year Grady started a new school.  He has been at it for over 2 months and I am happy to report that things are going better than we ever expected.  It actually makes me wonder why we stressed so much about the decision in the first place.  Our kids are more resilient than we give them credit for.

Grady stepped into his new school which houses grades 4-9 and knew exactly 3 people out of more than 100 starting grade 4 with him.  As we arrived on the first morning of school there were a few familiar faces that we didn't expect which was a welcome surprise.  While his 2 friends did end up in his pod, they are not in his homeroom class, and he was okay with that.  Over the course of the next several weeks Grady has met 50 new kids between the 2 classes and seems to know each of their names.

Grady is a kid of few words and in this case I have chosen to accept that no news is good news.  He has nothing bad to say.  What he does say is positive. Whether it be about the field trips, the kids in his class, or the teachers, it is all good.  When asked, he tells me that he likes his new school better.  That speaks volumes to how well the transition has gone.

What is unique to his new school is how they learn.  Compared to tradition learning, they really focus on inquiry based learning.  They learn by doing, buy asking questions, and learning is self led.  There is a lot of independence that goes into it and also a lot of group work.  They are encouraged to discuss their ideas and some up with solutions as a team.  In grade 4 they are changing the way they learn from the more traditional lecture style to this new collaborative approach.

If I were being completely honest, I am still learning myself what this inquiry based approach means.  While I know that Grady loves the way he is learning which includes more field trips trips in these past 2 months than his whole 4 years at his other school, it is important that he continues to develp the skill set that any typical grade 4 student needs.

I googled the definition of inquiry based learning to see if they could explain it better than me, wikipedia is the best I could find:

Inquiry-based learning (also enquiry-based learning in British English)[1] is a form of active learning that starts by posing questions, problems or scenarios—rather than simply presenting established facts or portraying a smooth path to knowledge. The process is often assisted by a facilitator. Inquirers will identify and research issues and questions to develop their knowledge or solutions. Inquiry-based learning includes problem-based learning, and is generally used in small scale investigations and projects, as well as research.[2] The inquiry-based instruction is principally very closely related to the development and practice of thinking skills.[3]

Sadly, I don't think it is very clear, they need to dumb it down a bit for those of us that struggle with the concept, myself included.

Next I turned to the school website to see if that described it any better:

Specific learning processes that people engage in during inquiry-learning include:

• Creating questions of their own

• Obtaining supporting evidence to answer the question(s)

• Explaining the evidence collected

• Connecting the explanation to the knowledge obtained from the investigative process

• Creating an argument and justification for the explanation

Inquiry learning involves developing questions, making observations, doing research to find out what information is already recorded, developing methods for experiments, developing instruments for data collection, collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data, outlining possible explanations and creating predictions for future study

My simple way of explaining it is that the kids are learning by doing.  They talk about where food comes from then they visit a place like Calgary Grows or Tim Horton's Children Ranch to see it in action. They visit the Weaselhead multiple times a year to watch how it changes over the seasons.  They incorporate writing into each of the trips when they find their 'magic spot' to write about their observations.  They always have a book in their back packs to read when there is a spare moment.  They are taught how to pack a sleeping bag and wash dishes on the camping trips.  Life skills that us parents have the tendency do for their kids.

I am still wrapping my head around how they get all the learning they need to do done when they are off campus so much but the more I understand of the field trips, the more I realize that they are incorporating learning into every thing they do, on and off campus.

Even riding the bus is a skill that Grady has learned this year.  I am the first to admit that I've sheltered my kids.  I tend to be over protective and do many things for them that they could easily do for themselves. This is forcing me to give up a little control.  He is out in the city doing things without me.  He is taking the bus to school and making sure he doesn't miss his stop.  He is taking care of the Nintendo DS that he brings to and from school every day and making sure that it is charged each day is another task that Grady has taken responsibility for.  After all, I don't care if his DS isn't charged for the bus....  He is keeping track of his belongings when he is off campus and on the bus.  I am happy to report that there have been no lost items.... yet.

I am just so proud of Grady.  He is my child with an anxious personality that he gets from me.  So I understand how he feels, I get it.  One motto that I try to live by is that I don't want my anxiety to stop me from doing something that I may enjoy.  Try it once and if you don't like it don't do it again. That is how I presented this whole new school thing to him in the first place and even how I convinced myself that it was okay to make a change for him.  Try it for a year and if you don't like it you can go back to the old school.  Just like we hoped, he tried it, he likes it, and I think we are going to stay.  While it is early to tell, we all like what we see.

Grady is in the red jacket.

Here's to hoping the rest of the school year continues down the same track and that I continue to manage 2 school calendars somewhat successfully!

five on friday

James is out of town this weekend and while we always miss him dearly there are some things that I look forward to when it is just me and the kids at home.

{one} Quiet Evenings.  I am the first to admit that we fill our calendar to the max.  Generally we have plans both Friday and Saturday nights plus our standing Sunday dinner at Marla's.  Since most of our plans involve family 'dates' as we call them, we just don't plan them when we are missing a family member.  The boys and I will stay close to home, eat easy meals, and they get to bed at a decent time.

{two} Late nights.  Me on the other hand.... I like to stay up late.  There is no one to tell me it is time to bed.  James is what I refer to as a 'princess sleeper' and doesn't like it when I go to bed after him.  He claims I am loud and wake him up.  I whole heartily disagree.  So, when he is away I stay up as late as I want catching up on my shows and reading my book.  And by late I mean midnight instead of 10, it all relative!

{three} Family Room.  James has dibs on the family room after the kids go to bed.  Grady still calls out for me to check on him often so it makes sense that I watch TV in the castle (aka the 4th bedroom) upstairs.  When he is away I get to go down to the family room once the kids are sleeping.  Or not.  I've actually become quite fond of the castle and find it quite cozy.

{four} Wine.  When James is away there is always a glass of wine while I watch my trashy shows and read.  Not only is it relaxing but it also helps me sleep.  Truthfully I don't love staying home by myself but thanks to our alarm system it is bearable.

{five} Smaller Sleeping Companion.  When James is away, Grady usually sleeps with me.  I love going to bed with him beside me.  Cooper likes the idea of sleeping with me but he wants to fall asleep in his room and then wants me to wake him up when I go to bed, which I refuse to do.  I just love watching the kids sleep.  I know that some day Grady isn't going to want to sleep with his Mama so I'm enjoying every second.

Here's to a quiet weekend full of early morning hockey and birthday parties by day and wine and trashy TV by night!

What I've been Reading

I am on a reading role right now.  I am picking up a book before I turn on the TV and reading in bed right until James makes me turn the light out.  I've read 19 books of my 25 book goal for 2017 so I am feeling pretty confident that I'll make it!  This is my review of the last 5 books I read.


Fierce Kingdom - Gin Phillips




The zoo is nearly empty as Joan and her four-year-old son soak up the last few moments of playtime. They are happy, and the day has been close to perfect. But what Joan sees as she hustles her son toward the exit gate minutes before closing time sends her sprinting back into the zoo, her child in her arms. And for the next three hours—the entire scope of the novel—she keeps on running.

I found this book in the new and notable section of the library after we had discussed it at book club.  It had so much potential but it was just okay.  It was kind of creepy just given it takes place at a zoo, somewhere the kids and I used to go often, but the story lacked a lot of key plot elements.  Like the why?  When the book was over I had many unanswered questions which left me kind of feeling like I wasted all those hours reading the book.  I guess I just expected more.

My rating:  2 stars
Good reads rating: 3.57


The Sleeping Beauty Killer - Mary Higgins Clark

Casey Carter was convicted of murdering her fiancé—famed philanthropist Hunter Raleigh III—fifteen years ago. And Casey claims—has always claimed—she’s innocent. Although she was charged and served out her sentence in prison, she is still living “under suspicion.” She hears whispers at the grocery store. She can’t get a job. Even her own mother treats her like she’s guilty. Her story attracts the attention of Laurie Moran and the Under Suspicion news team—it’s Casey’s last chance to finally clear her name, and Laurie pledges to exonerate her.

I found this book on the new and notable book shelf at the library as well.  I'll tell you a little secret, Mary Higgins Clark is my guilty pleasure.  Most would say they aren't the best books, but when I grab a MHC book I know that I am going to love it.  There is a good murder mystery that is exciting and a fast read.  Those are my favorite ones!  I actually figured this one out on my own which rarely happens so if you don't like an ending that is easy to see this one may not be for you.

My rating: 5 stars
Good reads rating: 3.91

I Found You - Lisa Jewel

In a windswept British seaside town, single mom Alice Lake finds a man sitting on the beach outside her house. He has no name, no jacket, and no idea how he got there. Against her better judgment, she invites him inside.

Meanwhile, in a suburb of London, twenty-one-year-old Lily Monrose has only been married for three weeks. When her new husband fails to come home from work one night she is left stranded in a new country where she knows no one. Then the police tell her that her husband never existed.

Two decades of secrets, a missing husband, and a man with no memory are at the heart of this brilliant new novel, filled with the “beautiful writing, believable characters, pacey narrative, and dark secrets” (London Daily Mail) that make Lisa Jewell so beloved by audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.

We read this one for book club and I loved it. While some parts were less than believable, i.e. letting a stranger come into live with your family, there were so many twists that I didn't see come. I thought I had it figured out and I was 100% wrong.  I'm sure that this book has been compared to Girl on the Train and Gone Girl and I may just agree on this one!

My rating: 5 stars
Good reads rating: 4.02

A House in the Sky, Amanda Lindhout

As a child, Amanda Lindhout escaped a violent household by paging through issues of National Geographic and imagining herself in its exotic locales. At the age of nineteen, working as a cocktail waitress in Calgary, Alberta, she began saving her tips so she could travel the globe. Aspiring to understand the world and live a significant life, she backpacked through Latin America, Laos, Bangladesh, and India, and emboldened by each adventure, went on to Sudan, Syria, and Pakistan. In war-ridden Afghanistan and Iraq she carved out a fledgling career as a television reporter. And then, in August 2008, she traveled to Somalia—“the most dangerous place on earth.” On her fourth day, she was abducted by a group of masked men along a dusty road.

Held hostage for 460 days, Amanda converts to Islam as a survival tactic, receives “wife lessons” from one of her captors, and risks a daring escape. Moved between a series of abandoned houses in the desert, she survives on memory—every lush detail of the world she experienced in her life before captivity—and on strategy, fortitude, and hope. When she is most desperate, she visits a house in the sky, high above the woman kept in chains, in the dark, being tortured.

This has been my favorite book of the year.  By far.  I just loved it.  I'm not sure if it is because the woman abducted was from Alberta and actually worked in some locations right in my city.  It could be that it is a true story.  Or maybe it's just because of how she describes her experience in words.  I was hooked from the first page and couldn't put it down.  When I was done reading it I kept googling it and reading every article I could get my hands on.  Amanda is back in the news right now as she takes the stand to testify against one of her captors.  This is a must read.

My rating: 5 stars
Good reads rating: 4.20

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical—most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.

Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent—and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.

I really expected to like this book. I just didn't.  Every one else seems to have enjoyed it but it just wasn't my jam.  I did read the whole thing and if you are in my book club you know that if I don't like a book I have no problem just putting it down and never picking it back up.  So the fact that I finished this book says something.

My rating: 3 stars
Good reads rating: 4.01

Do you have any good book recommendations for me?

Random Thoughts

Here we are, another Friday.  Another week where I did not meet my blogging goal.  Did you even know I had a blogging goal of 3 times a week?  Probably not, since I haven't been meeting it at all these days.

Time is getting away from me.

This month I've realized that it was a really good thing we moved during non-hockey season.  I didn't realize how much time I was spending looking up house things and running house related errands, ie returning things that didn't pass the husband test.  I also forgot how busy the first month of hockey is.

Managing a team is a time drain.

I decided to manage Cooper's team and be the treasurer on Grady's team.  This is my first time ever organizing a tournament and it has added to the time required in setting up the team.  Do my kids even realize how much time I put into their sports?  I think it's save to say they don't.  Maybe they will when their own boys sign up to play hockey.  Because you know that on James' side of the family they only makes boys....

Almost done.

Its a good thing that I am almost ready to take a break from house apparel.  I have a few pictures to hang in the family room and a side board to purchase for our dining room.  I have one picked out from Revolve but when I showed James the picture all he said was that it was too expensive.  I disagreed considering we will have it for the next 20 years.  Then I can unpack my last 2 boxes.  Over thanksgiving we dug through those last 2 boxes for 3 items we needed for dinner. My Tupperware chopper, the cord for the turkey carver, and my charger plates.

Hosting makes me happy.

I was thrilled to have a houseful of people for the first time in our new home.  There were 10 of us total.  Wait, we've had 12 before but when half of them are kids it doesn't feel as full.  I love prepping food, pouring wine, and standing around in the kitchen visiting with the ladies while the men somehow always end up on the couch watching some sporting events.  Little boys included. 

Almost didn't happen.

I was driving home the other day and randomly thought about how I am in disbelief that we actually moved.  We talked about it for close to 5 years and looked for exactly 2 years.  We were so picky.  It had to be walking distance to the school, have a three car garage, be bigger, but not too big, have no oak cabinets, and a nice closet.  While these may not seem like hard criteria in our neighborhood it is given the age of the houses.

Home.

After almost 5 months in the new house, it is finally feeling like home.  I don't think about our old house and I have no emotion when we drive to our old neighbors across the street.  I'd be lying if I said I didn't look over to see if I see anything different but it is out of curiosity, not sadness.  I do miss our friends on the street but we are slowly making new ones on our new street.  The kids adjusted seamlessly and never refer to the old house at all.  I'm really looking forward to our first Christmas in this house. If only I could decide where to put the tree.....

Have a great weekend!

Things I am Thankful for

This weekend we celebrated Thanksgiving with a table full of family, a fat turkey and full bellies.  We have so much to be thankful for.

I am so thankful to live in such a beautiful country.  We spent Friday, the day that was supposed to be the nicest of the 3 day long weekend, walking around the reservoir.  By walking I mean walking to the nearest park and watching the kids play.

I am thankful for my goofy dad that gave Grady bunny ears in the photo and Grady didn't even notice.  Do kids even do bunny ears anymore?

I am thankful that our family loves our kids so much that they didn't mind rink hopping while we watched 3 hockey games over 24 hours.  Some arenas were colder than others...

I am thankful for Sheila's baking that she brings each year.  This year we decorated cake pops instead of cookies and there were enjoyed just as much.  Don't worry, she still brought cookies that we didn't have to decorate.  I kept the cookies and gave her back the containers because I was taught to always give the containers back if you want the to come back filled again.  Ha!

I am thankful for my siblings. My boys are so lucky to have such great aunts (and uncles too!).  Not many other aunts I know would play mini sticks because that's what the boys wanted to do.

I am thankful for men that help out in the kitchen.  My Dad is particular about his potatoes and took on that task 100% this year while James makes the stuffing and always carves the turkey.  Bo saved the day when she found the cord for the turkey carver in the last of 2 boxes to be unpacked in our dining room.  I was ready to replace the old yellow one we inherited from James' parents.  It appears the carver will live on!

I am thankful that Cooper took over the seating arrangements this year with a little help from Aunty Bo.  He of course was at the head of the table and I had the pleasure of sitting right beside him.

I am thankful that our nephew dog was found quickly after he got off his leash while chasing a rabbit.  After that sprint he needed a nap.

I am thankful for a working oven and a turkey done on time.  This was our first time making a turkey in the new house and the oven would shut off when the timer went off.  Who knew?  While only Sheila is seen checking out the meat thermometer, you can see the reflection of Marla and Bo in the oven.  We thought we were going to have a repeat of the year we ate dinner at 8pm. Oy.

I am thankful for Cooper's growing love of reading.  He is working so hard to learn and I love hearing him read to me and to see him reading to others.

I am thankful to be making memories in our new home.  It has been a struggle to find that warm fuzzy feeling in a house that has mostly new things and very few memories.  We are finally changing that with weekend visitors and hosting dinners.

I am thankful for a full table of family sitting around our new table that almost didn't arrive in time.  We've been celebrating with this same group for 7 years and I love that it has become an annual tradition.

From our table to yours, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

five on friday

{one} Busy.  Blogging took a back seat this week to deal with my busies week of the quarter at work and also the busiest month of hockey managing.  You guessed it, I ended up managing Coopers novice team which includes hosting a tournament which is something I've never done.  Grady's team I am the treasurer which is really up my alley being an accountant and all.  If I can get through the next week with out losing my mind things should get better.

{two} House in the Sky.  I can't say enough about this book. I loved it.  It is written by an Alberta woman that was abducted in Somalia.  It is told from her point of view and it just left me googling her story and reading every article I could get my hands on.  If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.

{three}Amazon Prime.  I just signed up for Amazon Prime. I've been humming and hawing for months and I finally just broke down and did it.  I prefer to buy everything online.  I often throw extra things in my cart just to get free shipping. No I don't have to!  See below of my first prime purchase.

{four} Chair cups.  I bought these chair cups for all my chairs.  This is my first time with hard wood floor and those stupid felt circles just fall off.  I'm hoping that these things do the trick.

{five} Wayfair.  I love Wayfair.  Let me say again, I love Wayfair.  If you haven't used it you should.   They ship fast, returns are free, returns are easy, prices are great!  Currently I am waiting for this rug for my living room.

Have a great long weekend!  I know I will!

A Month in Numbers: September 2017

September was the month that we started back to the rink.  And trust me there was no easing in!  But there was a little time for other fun.

1: Concert attended. Garth Brooks brought it.  It was my first concert in years!
4: crazy girls headed to dinner per concert
7: double vodkas = bad idea
2: hours napped the next day due to severe hangover

 

1: nephew dog
3: hours spent visiting at our house
45: minute walk that we took around the neighborhood
0: times he pooped
0: bags I had on hand so good thing!

2: the number of times that we went down the luge at COP
2: rode solo
1: rode with a parent (cooper)

17: gems fell out of my earrings
6: weeks over the warranty
7: emails and a phone call later they agreed to look at them anyway
10: days it took to arrive due to lack of postage on my part
1: pair of new earrings on their way back to me!

9: items purchased from Homesence
8: returned because they didn't pass the husband test
1: item in this photo ordered and kept (the chair)
12: hours waisted looking online for housewares
37: pictures of random items on my photo strip

6: times this kid asked me to teach him to tie his shoes
15: minutes it took for him to learn
1: new pair of shoes which laces purchased

1: successful camping trip
2: nights away from home
12: hours of rain while camping
many: wet items in the bag when he got home
0: complaints.

11: evaluation skates between the 2 kids
7: skates this past weekend
2: happy kids
2: tired parents

1: surprise book in the mail with no note or sender
2: texts it took to find the sender (my mom, then Dee).  It was Deena.
18: laughs while reading!

1st: Fall wreath ever

15: percent off at my new favorite store lowes
30: degrees the day before I hung it.  

1: new bike purchased
1: happy younger brother who finally gets a gear bike with hand brakes
4: gear bike riders in our family which is important when you live in a hilly neighborhood

2: haircuts in preparation for family pictures

All in all September is always busy with back to school and the kick off of hockey season. It is amazing how quickly the month went.  Yes, I say that every month....