Family Quote of the Day

"I can't hear what you're saying with all the noise happening in my brain."
- LK to EK after a very, very long day.

(Christmas holidays are only 17 days away! YAAY!)

Mushy Monday

Today was one of those days when many little things went wrong no matter how hard you tried to make them right. Days like today make my head hurt. My brains feel like mush. I have lots of work and lesson planning yet to do, but can't seem to find the energy to do it. So, to make myself feel better, it's time for the Muppets! Take it away, Beaker!

Family Quote of the Day

"No, you may not have perogies for breakfast." - Papa to JK

My Kindle Girls

My spouse and I recently received an early Christmas gift - a Kindle.  You can read more about my spouse's love for the Kindle ereader here.  I'm not surprised at how quickly my spouse took to her Kindle (actually, it was for both of us, but it is already literally named on the ereader as "Emily's Kindle").  She loves books of all kinds, and this love of reading has been passed to our children, the oldest sprout especially.  FK loves, loves, loves to read!  I think she loves reading more than my spouse, which says a lot.  FK was promised a turn at trying out the Kindle, and after reminding her parents numerous times a free version of "Alice in Wonderland" was downloaded for her reading pleasure.  She curled up downstairs for awhile in a chair, reader in hand, clicking pages faster than I typed this sentence.  Because her little brother was bothersome, she left the chair, climbed the stairs and went to her room for "privacy", all the while reading (just so we are clear, she would have done this with an open book as well).  An hour later she finished the book and wondered if another could be downloaded soon.  So, we have another Kindle user in the house.  I wonder how many seven year olds have a Kindle on their Christmas list?  So the boys in the family don't feel left out, I also wonder if I can ask Santa for a 32" Sony Bravia EX500 flat screen that I can "share" with the other sprout?

Snowy Afternoon

The first major snow storm of the season started very early this morning and continues even as I blog.  The wind gusts blow the snow every which way and at times reduce visibility out the window.  School was let out at noon because ice was forming on the roads, with the concern that the bus wouldn't be able to deliver students home at the usual dismissal time.  So we came home early, full of excitement, as the "waiting" for winter weather is now over.  Shovels were dug out of the shed (catch the pun?), as were the sleds.  The tent trailer was moved from the driveway to behind the house (and that's all we will blog about that frustrating experience, although my spouse sees it in a much more humourous light.  Lesson learned.).  After the "work" was done, the family enjoyed some outdoor time playing in the snow with shovels and sleds.  I, being anxious lately about not taking pictures, quickly grabbed my camera and started shooting.  I felt rusty, but used the time outside to practice.  I'm sure that I will have more opportunities this snowy weekend for photography.  I do love watching the Sprouts try to pull each other on the sled, and their giggles, laughter and antics make up for a lackluster day at work.

I Am Thankful For...

... a high school teacher who went out of his way, unasked and to no benefit of his own, to create a fish "fossil" for a pre-reading activity for a novel study.

... an elementary school teacher who went out of her way, and to no benefit of her own, to buy sunflower seeds for the same pre-reading activity.

It is people like the above who inspire me to strive to be a better teacher.

Art

The video below is for all my family, friends and colleagues who are artists in some way: musicians, painters, writers, storytellers, teachers, singers, photographers, videographers, sculptors, graphic designers, interior decorators, animaters, authors, fashion designers, pastors, scrapbookers (did I miss any?), ...

Continue to inspire.  Continue to be inspired.  Your voice matters.