Since moving to a school where the arts are not really big I have been trying my hand at a variety of different extra-curricular activities. For the first ten years of my career it was all arts all the time. That was my strength. In the past four years I have had to try other avenues to support students outside thenc classroom. From these I learned that cross country skiing is fun with all ages. I am not any kind of soccer coach even though I love to play with kids. And I love to encourage and support colleagues through mentoring new teachers.
A new year means new opportunities for challenge and growth. So I am trying yet another way to meet my required hours for extra-curricular activities.
This year I am participating in Pow-Wow Club. The goal is to support student in learning about traditional cultural celebrations of the pow-wow through designing and creating regalia, learning traditional dancing, drumming, and beading. Now I don't have any of the traditional knowledge, but I can operate a sewing machine, and understanding clothing design and construction well.
Fi is also participating.
Tonight was our first gathering. We had a cafeteria full of girls (and one brave young man) sketching and measuring and giggling over shared ideas. It was absolutely lovely.
It was also lovely to stretch a little more in seeing students through fresh eyes.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Can I read now?
LK and I take turns doing tuck-in with the kids. One night I read to Jo and he tucks Fi in, and the next night we switch. Tonight was my turn to read to Jo.
After the requisite teeth brushing and face washing Jo was snug in his bed with me curled up beside him. We opened the chosen story for tonight, which happened to be from a silly series of Lego books. These are full of silly puns that LK and Jo find great humour in. Jo loves to discuss the story lines and how they relate to the "real" adventures of his own Lego characters.
After I read the first page Jo turned and said, "Can I read the words now?"
Be still my beating heart! My boy wants to read to me. Happy Mama!
And he did.
I bit my tongue instead of jumping in to give him words when he got stuck. It was quite wonderful to see him look at pictures and think about what was happening and use letters and sounds he knows to figure out words that make sense in the story. I was amazed at the way he used so many clues to solve the riddles of reading. If I had jumped in when I wanted to he would have been able to accomplish so much less.
I need to remember to sit back and let my kids do more. They don't need nearly as much help as I think they do.
And this miracle that is a child learning to read never fails to astound me.
After the requisite teeth brushing and face washing Jo was snug in his bed with me curled up beside him. We opened the chosen story for tonight, which happened to be from a silly series of Lego books. These are full of silly puns that LK and Jo find great humour in. Jo loves to discuss the story lines and how they relate to the "real" adventures of his own Lego characters.
After I read the first page Jo turned and said, "Can I read the words now?"
Be still my beating heart! My boy wants to read to me. Happy Mama!
And he did.
I bit my tongue instead of jumping in to give him words when he got stuck. It was quite wonderful to see him look at pictures and think about what was happening and use letters and sounds he knows to figure out words that make sense in the story. I was amazed at the way he used so many clues to solve the riddles of reading. If I had jumped in when I wanted to he would have been able to accomplish so much less.
I need to remember to sit back and let my kids do more. They don't need nearly as much help as I think they do.
And this miracle that is a child learning to read never fails to astound me.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Car Troubles
Since we are about to reach 160 000 km on our dear Subaru it was time for some major work. Fi and I combined this with a shopping trip to stock up on clothes for her for the next six months. We had it all planned out. The car would spend a day at the "spa", we would spend the day thrifting, and have a girls' sleepover in the city. It was a much anticipated treat.
Then Thursday there was this freak storm right between home and Winnipeg. Several people discouraged us from going, worried about the highway being closed and the conditions. We went anyway. On the way we passed twelve cars in the ditch and one 18-wheeler jack-knifed. We soldiered on, albeit at 50km/hour. After a five hour drive we arrived.
To allow enough time for all the work on the car we dropped it off at 8 am. Subaru treats us well and usually there is a courtesy car for us to motor about the city while they tune our baby up. The previous customer hadn't returned it yet (they must have been stuck in the snow) and so we were treated to a rental. All good until 5pm when we went to pick up our car. It wasn't done!
Moment of panic. I had family at home expecting to celebrate Thanksgiving together.
I think Subaru felt bad about it not being ready and so when I said, with a lot of reluctance in my voice, "Well, I guess I could take the day off work on Tuesday or Wednesday..." they offered for us to take the courtesy car home for the week. And our car was promised to be done by then.
So we drove a lovely white 2013 Forrester for the week. It was lovely. And big. And drank gobs of gas. But it was quiet. And had mp3 capability, which I like. But I worried all week about scratches, and crashes, and all the things that could go wrong with someone else's car.
When I finally got our car back this weekend I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Even though it is a bit noisier, and older, and dirtier it is ours. And it runs beautifully now that it had two days of tune-up.
Then Thursday there was this freak storm right between home and Winnipeg. Several people discouraged us from going, worried about the highway being closed and the conditions. We went anyway. On the way we passed twelve cars in the ditch and one 18-wheeler jack-knifed. We soldiered on, albeit at 50km/hour. After a five hour drive we arrived.
To allow enough time for all the work on the car we dropped it off at 8 am. Subaru treats us well and usually there is a courtesy car for us to motor about the city while they tune our baby up. The previous customer hadn't returned it yet (they must have been stuck in the snow) and so we were treated to a rental. All good until 5pm when we went to pick up our car. It wasn't done!
Moment of panic. I had family at home expecting to celebrate Thanksgiving together.
I think Subaru felt bad about it not being ready and so when I said, with a lot of reluctance in my voice, "Well, I guess I could take the day off work on Tuesday or Wednesday..." they offered for us to take the courtesy car home for the week. And our car was promised to be done by then.
So we drove a lovely white 2013 Forrester for the week. It was lovely. And big. And drank gobs of gas. But it was quiet. And had mp3 capability, which I like. But I worried all week about scratches, and crashes, and all the things that could go wrong with someone else's car.
When I finally got our car back this weekend I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Even though it is a bit noisier, and older, and dirtier it is ours. And it runs beautifully now that it had two days of tune-up.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Sewing Frenzy
It started when I was little with a love of Little House on the Prairie. There was a scene where Ma made Mary a new stylish dress to go off to college and the dress was described in such specific detail. I retread that description hundreds of times imagining the dress in my head. It was fed by Jane Austen and far too much historical fiction with detailed description of gowns.
College didn't help with a four year stint as the Costume Room Coordinator and unhindered access to the entire costume department. I used to go to class in jeans and tails or jeans and a French Revolution era bodice. Once I even tried the full Victorian garb to see what it was really like to wear a corset for a day. Uncomfortable, if you want to know. But also elegant in a curious way.
I have a passion for historical fashion (as well as contemporary fashion).
For the years I taught in Christian schools it was fed in little drips and drabs with book character dress up days. And now, it has been plumped into what some may see as obsession with the gleeful celebration of Halloween at my current school.
My kids may be happiest with store bought costumes, but not me. This year I am revelling in creativity and personal expression. I am indulging my inner historical diva. I am creating the most awesome steam punk princess ever. And I am having so much fun doing it.
I have had an entire education thanks to YouTube and Pinterest and google. My sewing machine has been very busy on weekends. I have learned through trial and error and many fittings with the Sprouts giving their two cents. Last night I experimented with historical hairstyles and tomorrow night its make up time.
I wonder what I can sew from my living room curtains?
College didn't help with a four year stint as the Costume Room Coordinator and unhindered access to the entire costume department. I used to go to class in jeans and tails or jeans and a French Revolution era bodice. Once I even tried the full Victorian garb to see what it was really like to wear a corset for a day. Uncomfortable, if you want to know. But also elegant in a curious way.
I have a passion for historical fashion (as well as contemporary fashion).
For the years I taught in Christian schools it was fed in little drips and drabs with book character dress up days. And now, it has been plumped into what some may see as obsession with the gleeful celebration of Halloween at my current school.
My kids may be happiest with store bought costumes, but not me. This year I am revelling in creativity and personal expression. I am indulging my inner historical diva. I am creating the most awesome steam punk princess ever. And I am having so much fun doing it.
I have had an entire education thanks to YouTube and Pinterest and google. My sewing machine has been very busy on weekends. I have learned through trial and error and many fittings with the Sprouts giving their two cents. Last night I experimented with historical hairstyles and tomorrow night its make up time.
I wonder what I can sew from my living room curtains?
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