Izzy's First Trip to the Symphony

That is Roy Thompson Hall in behind Miss Iz. The concert was called Paddywak. It featured more modern music, which isn't my favourite but any live orchestra is pretty fabulous sounding to me. She enjoyed herself but preferred the more traditional music the concert started with.

Alex and I have had season tickets to the Toronto Symphony Kid's Concert Series in the past. Most of the kids at the concert were school groups (we went with a group of homeschoolers) and there was one moment I will remember forever. As soon as the lights dimmed, the audience quieted right down and then orchestra started to play. The audience of mostly children let out a soft gasp. Izzy was among them. It really does take your breath away. Nothing beats a live concert hall with a full orchestra. Absolutely nothing.

The "Mensa" Co-op

Apparently, this is the nickname given to us by the husband of one of our members. Funny and probably a little true. We aim for the brass ring.

Today's co-op was awesome! It was the one I have wanted to do ever since I heard about a group in Mississauga doing it. A couple of moms made a comet out of dry ice, ammonia, sand and corn syrup. Then it was put in a display where the sun (with holes poked through and a blow dryer attached) slowly melts it. As it melts and the gases are expelled it forms a tail. Though the tail wasn't as big as we would have liked, it was still very cool.



One of the other projects was to create craters. We took containers with flour and a little hot chocolate sprinkled on top and dropped different size marbles from different heights and angles creating the crater, rim and ejecta blanket surrounding them. The kids learned why we can see so many craters on the moon (negligent atmosphere doesn't break them up or slow them down upon entry) but they are hidden on Earth (due to our weather, the shifting plates and a large surface area of water).



Other activities were using ball bearings and magnets to see what forces cause objects to hit one planet and not others.

I just love this co-op. I especially love the days we do science stuff!!

Update...

You know, several times a week I think to myself that I need to get X written on my blog but time and inclination have been getting away from me.

We started back on the kitchen. The kitchen we have not touched since, oh, late last February? What can I say, it was functional and we had other priorities such as the children and down time. I am halfway finished painting the room. No small feat with all the stuff on the go and two children under foot. We started on the weekend when the kids were away at their aunt's house.

The kids are doing really well right now. Alex has hit his stride in piano. He is playing with two hands now and not really shuffling back and forth when he had to switch hands. He is reading the notes really well and best of all, he now plays for himself! I no longer have to prod him to sit at the piano each day.

Izzy is a little worker bee. She always has a pen in hand and is writing letters, numbers, words...and pictures, lots and lots of pictures! She is really getting into art class now and the teacher sees a real difference in ability since the last session. Reading is coming along very slowly but she is interested and we aren't pushing it. She asks how to spell things and what words say. I think it will just come one day when she finds the material that motivates her. With Alex it was Calvin and Hobbes.

I have new science books that came in last week but we haven't touched them yet. I'll post about those when I have something to review. It is the R.E.A.L. Science books and there are 3 subjects - Earth and Space, Life and Chemistry. It is set up to do 2 days worth of material for each week. I am looking forward to it. Quite a bit will be review for Alex (my science buff) but new for Izzy. The material ranges from grades 1 - 3, I think and I hope to cover any gaps I may be missing right now.

The really big deal lately is all this planning going on for some exciting new homeschool ventures. The co-op is going well but we are still trying to cement a core group of families that will actively participate in the club. We need a certain number for the library to keep giving us free space.

It looks like we have scored big with a french teacher for the kids too! One of the mom's started looking into a french tutor to hang out with our kids (about 9-11 of them) and teach them a little french. The search took us on an unexpected path and we discovered a real french teacher with a Montessori bent that is going to come up with a full curriculum and lesson for our kids once a week. The only problem is that this will not be a cheap venture. For at least $30/week for both kids it will certainly put a dent in the pocketbook but I think she is worth it. I hope so!

I am so excited about french. A little sad that I know a few families that were interested won't be able to afford this class but I think it will be amazing for my kids. Here, the kids don't start french until grade 4 unless you are in immersion and it sounds pretty half-assed, if you ask me. Growing up in Northern Ontario, I have higher standards for the kids and their french lessons. This will be a very small class, with 5 or 6 kids, and we should be able to do quite a lot pretty fast.

It feels good to have someone else take the reigns a bit, educationally speaking, and I hope this works well for us. I can't bring the enthusiasm and freshness the kids need to get jazzed about a subject like french. Rob and I talked about what was important to us, what was important for the children to learn (from good teachers and resources) and we know that when it comes to the arts, music and foreign languages we have to fork out the dough to give them the excellent education we are striving for. Between the two of us, we can easily handle the rest.

I have to say that overall I am very happy with how homeschooling is turning out. It is pretty close to what I imagined in my head. Over the weekend Rob and I were out snooping in new home developments and drooling over some pretty (large) homes. Wondering what we could afford in two or three years. Daring to dream big. A few days have passed though and while we will definitely want to upgrade houses in a few years, I think we should do what we did when we bought this house. Figure out what we can afford and spend a lot less. We aren't exactly where we want to be, financially, but I like being able to give the kids what they need without worrying about the bills.

Bowling Party!

We met up with 3 other families this morning at a local bowling alley. Something fun for the kids to do, where we could all socialize and have a little fun. I think it went over pretty well.

There were 4 boys and 4 girls. The boys team were a sight to see. They would walk up the lane together, encourage each other, console each other. Real team spirit! The girls spent more time wondering when they were up again. They were the younger set though, with two 3 year olds, a 4 year old and a 6 year old.

Moms played one lane at the very end. I was horrible. Bowled a 55. I think I should just stick to Wii Bowling instead.

Sometimes life just gets too hectic!

I haven't been blogging nearly as much as I have meant to. The time changed and now it is dark by 5pm. Rob has been putting in a ton of over-time to help finish the new release. There was Izzy's birthday. And Halloween. Some other responsibilities started taking over too. I feel tired. Then there is Izzy. My darling girl who knows all the right(?) buttons to push. The meltdowns have been epic. One resulted in a bloody lip - my bloody lip. They have been a major contribution to the lackluster energy and motivation that has taken over.

Lots of good things are happening though. Alex is reading real novels. Big novels. All on his own. He polished off Charlotte's Web in just over an hour. Crazy, huh?! He is coming along with his writing and math too.

It has been a really good few months for meeting and connecting with more homeschoolers too. I have had a core group of friends that has sustained us but now it seems the entire Durham region is coming out of the woodwork. It is nice to connect. Meet more moms like me. Have more friends that the kids can rely on while our neighbours are all at school. Girls are really good at making friends but as women we sometimes let life swallow us up and it takes a while to put ourselves back on the front burners. This week I am going for coffee with a couple of moms. To talk and laugh. It got me thinking about all the other friendships that have been put aside for too long so I have started emailing those gals and insisting we write each other in our calendars soon.

On another positive note, there is my pride and joy, our homeschooling co-op. Started with those three other moms and our nine children, it looks like it is going to be very successful! I'll have to post about it in greater detail when I have more time - soon.

For now I will get myself off the computer and clean up the kitchen. We'll be away this weekend for our first holiday function - too soon! - and as always, I have a lot to do.

Our life in Photos

Played baseball with plastic animals.



Took a tour on a Naval Ship.



Made some (very messy) gooey gunk.



Played with it for a while.



Alex and I made, then ate insane quantities of sushi. Izzy just licked wasabi off her chopsticks.



Izzy wrote a list of all the things she can do now that she isn't in school all morning. I helped with spelling...and wrote 'China Town' at the top.



The kids played hairdresser. The name of the salon was the boy's idea.



Did school work. That is my nephew L who stayed with us for three days.

Regaining Normalcy

This was Izzy a few hours after her last day at school, last week. I felt just as tired.

Life got a little bit more normal this week, save a three day visit from my 6 year old nephew who threw our routine into a bit of a tumble. I can happily let everyone know that the surly, stressed out former JK'er is nearly back to her old self. It has been a week now and there are no more nightmares and sleepless nights. No more angry temper tantrums. No aggression or fatigue induced meltdowns.

I am, however, dealing with a whole whack of residual separation anxiety, the likes of which I have never experienced with either child. She wouldn't stay in dance class when she realized Rob was dropping her off. She refused to go to her friend's house without mommy. The same friend she has played with (without mommy) all summer. I tried to beg, bribe and cajole her into getting in the pool at swim class. She had the same teacher and took the same class every week for the entire summer. In fact, in early July, she went in on her own without issue for the very first time to a swim class that was her first without daddy in the pool.

It always ends the same - with tears in her eyes. She pleads to stay with me or Rob. She says she doesn't want to do any of the activities and turns herself into lead weight. Never moving from her spot. Friends, neighbours and the teachers of these activities are quite shocked to see how clingy and fearful she has gotten. Especially from our normally extroverted, independent child.

I sincerely hope this passes quickly. I will give her more support right now as she needs it and try to help her feel more secure again. Life is slowly feeling like it did before last May when we signed up for all this. My fingers are crossed that this anxiety is the last, short lived hump to get over.

On a Brighter Note this Morning

Alex and I are having a good start to the day. We got back, made some hot chocolate (because it was quite chilly this morning) and sat down to some math. Right now he is doing his writing assignment, a list of 10 questions about himself. He is giggling like crazy in there, laughing because all of his answers are either "Star Wars" or "A Secret".

My favourite book is: Star Wars.
My favourite subject is: a secret.
My favourite sport is: a secret.
My favourite movie is: Star Wars.

Funny kid. Anything to make life easier.

What can I say? I'm a BLITZ blogger!

I usually have a lot to say. I don't always have the time to say it. This is why I post several blogs in one day. I like to sit at the computer for a few hours and just get it all out there. In the interest of time, I am just going to do another week in the life through photos.

We made lop-sided houses, a helicopter and marshmallow men with mini, fruity marshmallows (stale and on sale for 25 cents) and tooth picks.



We stole our friend J's cake decorating idea and made a birthday caterpillar for my niece's birthday.



Izzy rediscovered puzzles and she is really, really good at them.



I made some lemon and lemon cherry bread. Everyone *LOVES* this bread, which is actually a cake recipe that I fiddle with. Sometimes I add poppy seeds, sometimes blueberries. Really anything I just have in the kitchen. Recipe is found at Martha Stewart's site. Oh, and I've made it as the cake too, with the lemon curd and and fruit. To. Die. For.



Alex took the left over lemons and made himself some lemonaide.



Alex started his week long stint as a pioneer student at Black Creek Village.



Rob took Tuesday off to meet the teacher at Izzy's JK intake interview.



She looks so tiny at the school. Plus it is a pretty small school!



Mrs. F-T even handed out homework for the first day in. Cut out pictures of your favourite foods and glue them to a piece of paper. Check out mommy's little perfectionist! The pictures were pretty good squares and they had to be neatly arranged in rows.




She wrote her name on the back. Not bad for a kid who isn't 4 until November.



We picked some tomatoes and made more bruschetta.



Packed a special *Mommy & Izzy Day* picnic, including the cupcakes Izzy made and decorated that morning.



Took the babies for a stroll along the waterfront trail in Whitby.



Found some great stones to skip on the water.



Came back to Heydenshore Park the next night, this time with Daddy, Alex and a bucket of KFC chicken in tow. Had a nice family picnic along a pretty stretch of vacant beach. Found a table mere inches from the water on the rocky shore. The children chased the seagulls from the table and we took a walk down the pier.



Took Izzy to her first real day at school.



She lined up with all the other kids and smiled. A few seconds later she realized she was waving good-bye and would be entering the building sans parental units. There was a little panic and hesitation. I knew she would cry a bit and prayed it would be short lived. I walked back down the path and waited for a friend away from the window so we couldn't see each other. It was hard enough. Thankfully the day turned out well for her.

September 3rd...

...and I am already tired! Izzy has been a bear the last few days. First day of school jitters are wearing us all down. Iz is stressed but still wants to go. Mostly. Today we went to the school to check the class lists. Her friend (and classmate) M came with us. They wandered the halls, drank from the fountain and found their names on the Kindergarten door. Alex requested to stay home and sat and read on a neighbour's porch. Apparently he isn't even curious about school, lol. Her class is Monday through Friday from 8:30 - 11:15am. 19 kids in the class, 11 boys and 8 girls.

We've been cleaning and organizing the whole house, literally top to bottom. Plus, doing some Fall tidying and maintenance. My calendar is filling up at a break-neck speed. Aside from the whole first week of school/driving Alex to friend's for a drop-off and pick-up (so he can head into the city with them), I have meetings, interviews and lots of other stuff next week. But, this weekend I have to bake a cake for neice's birthday, attend neighbourhood Labour Day bbq, teach Alex the words to God Save The Queen, teach him to square dance, introduce him to the concept of a spelling bee, bake homemade lunches for pioneer week...and the list goes on.

Apparently the race is on. Away we go!

Chilly Victoria Day Weekend

...but oh so much fun!

It is a May-24 tradition here, in our townhouse complex, for neighbours, friends and family to have a big pot-luck BBQ and fireworks later that evening. This year my partner in crime (aka friend and fellow board member) took over hosting duty. We grilled up burgers, sausages and hotdogs. Had lots of yummy side dishes and an unholy amount of desserts and treats. There was a giant game of street hockey, complete with "Zamboni" driving toddlers who would wiggle their way between the nets and unbelievably patient players. Great food, great laughs and fantastic company. It is so nice for the kids to be growing up in a place with such a great sense of community.

When the night came, winter coats were donned thanks to the 2-3 degree low and kids were running around with sugar in their bellies and sparklers in their mittens.

I even got to help set off the fireworks.

A question answered...

Once in a while I pop by an old chat room for homeschoolers. Today a parent asked what the kids were into these days. Since I often feel like I don't record enough of the details of what our day-to-day school'ish behavior entails I thought it would be nice to look back at this snippet, just to see what floated their boats in the Spring of 2009.

What are your kids into?

Alex (6) - Computer games/internet surfing, doodle books, reading (mainly non-fiction), Lego, Swimming, The Big Bang and creation of universe/planets, magnets, electricity, Lego Star Wars/Indiana Jones for the Wii, math - specifically multiplication and place values, piano.

Izzy (3 1/2) - Number recognition, writing letters, baking with mommy, ballet, reading (not on her own), mazes, cutting and gluing collages, potty training, painting, photography, learning about the cycle of life and death, prepping for school in the Fall.

Projects!

We've had quite a few on the go these days. I have a ton of ideas for Alex but Izzy is a bit pickier in what she will and will not cooperate with. Since we are getting ready for JK her projects involve a lot of cutting and gluing. Such as the collage of favourite foods she cut from various flyers. She loves to cut up pieces of paper. Hand the girl some scissors and glue and I've got a few hours to kill on my hands.
They both are working on books, with the help of some print-outs from enchantedlearning.com. I bought a one year subscription because the site is loaded with tons of activities. Alex has been introduced to crossword puzzles and word searches through this site and now I have a ton at my disposal.

End of March Already?!

Well, over the last few weeks we...


...drew giant chalk airplanes on the sidewalk.

...cut up lots of paper with scissors.

...played road hockey.

...read together.

...had friends over for a play-date.

...took a day trip to Chinatown and ate the best Lemon Chicken ever!

...did some math.

...watched some movies.

...played at a park by the lake on a chilly day.

...bought bigger ballet slippers.

...started art classes again.

...built with lots of Lego.

...baked pies, quiche and muffins.

...cleaned up the rec room and found long-lost toys.

...experimented with magnets.

...played tag outside with friends.

...snuggled and named freckles.

...had a fitting for dance recital costumes.

...had tea with friends.

...called the school down the street and registered Izzy for Junior Kindergarten. That one was kind of a bummer but we've all made peace with it. Mostly.

Maple Syrup at Purple Woods

A beautiful sunny day with a trip out to a Maple Syrup festival. Pancakes, sausages and heavenly maple syrup. A ride on a horse driven carriage. Followed by running around outside all afternoon with friends until it was time for supper.

With smiles on their faces, noses and cheeks slightly burned by the sun, and exhaustive sighs, the kidlets were passed out in their beds by 6:30pm.

A Day in the Life

I keep meaning to do this. A photo journal of what we are up to. Each day couldn't be more different than the last but many activities overlap. This was a day last week. It makes me laugh when I think back to it.



Start with stickering Izzy. The girl is forever covering her body with marker and stickers. A tattoo junkie in the making, we suspect. Thought it would be fun to use the letter stickers to name parts of her body. When Rob tucked her in that night she still had "IZZY" stuck to her forehead, lol.


Then the kids played with Alex's box car he made for Beavers. Tonight they bring the boxes back to watch a movie at the drive-in. Very cute.


Then Alex plays Lego...


...while Izzy gets into my make-up doing a bang up impression of a garish divorcee.


And the day wouldn't be complete without a total disaster. This one being the "tent/cave" they made. This room was completely clean the day before. They even raided the dirty clothes hamper to cover up cracks where the it was being infiltrated by light. Mommy was not impressed. Such a headache for an hours worth of peace. Only when they make a mess of this magnitude are they so cooperative and quiet.

"I'm soooo lucky, Mommy!"

That was Alex in the back of the car today on our way home from gymnastics. He is feeling pretty good these days. We have had the kids in a lot of activities but lately we've been able to arrange some of these activities with other home school children we know. There are four families, with nine children between us, that have gotten pretty close. The kids get along fabulously. They range from ages 6 to 2 and there is someone for everyone. An ideal mix, actually.

So Alex is thrilled that he gets to do the activities he enjoys with the friends he loves most. As a bonus, he mentioned that he has even more friends, here in our neighbourhood, and at Beavers and swimming.

It is so nice to see the kids happy and developing great friendships. They are pretty social kids and need this outlet. The bonus is that I actually get to know the parents of the kids my children hang out with - and I really like them too.

It was fabulous!

Our local Y has a home school class. I found out about it a few weeks ago and totally flaked on it last week, forgetting its mere existence. We love our Y. I have been to a few different locations but this one is great. Every class or activity our family has been involved in has been top notch. I should have known we would love the home school class too.

I wasn't sure what to expect. We had avoided a few local groups in the past simply because my kids were young and the activities are usually geared towards 6 and up. Today there were approximately 10 kids. Ranging from a few preschoolers to teenagers. The instructor sectioned the gym off and the older kids played wheelchair basketball and the younger ones played floor hockey. Alex participated in both.

This is why I love home schooling. The kids. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Okay, not to knock the general population but we attend the Y open gym on weekends. It is utter chaos. Fun, for sure, but quite unruly. Alex had his first introduction to cliques and bullying during these open play sessions. It was a real eye opener.

Today, when I saw all these people file into the gym, my first thought was huh, I have doubts about this being a good fit. Was I wrong! The instructor (who my kids fell in love with instantly) settled them into wheel chairs and had the group play freeze tag. A few parents participated too. The older kids were so great with the younger ones. I was beaming when the teenagers would make sure Alex got his turn with the ball. Or when one of the preteens took Izzy by the hand and brought her into a game. These weren't extraordinary kids. They were just kids used to being around all different age groups. It was co-operative and fun. Everyone wanted to be there. No one felt left out or bored. Just seeing the way the adults interacted with the teens (and the reciprocal respect) moved me. There was such a great feeling among the participants.

We have a new favourite class. The kids were begging to go back as soon as we left the building.

Fevers, er...Beavers!

For some reason Izzy can't grasp that the group Alex belongs to is called Beavers. She is completely convinced it is Fevers. Also, because she got a new outfit for dance and then Alex got a special outfit for Beavers, she thinks his must involve dancing too. She really gets me laughing when she talks about Alex's dance Fevers. This is the wonderful logic of a two year old.

Alex did well in his first group meeting. Parents had to stay and be read the rules & regulations by the leaders. He had fun. I heard him laughing and running around the room next door. The only minor issues were lack of previous knowledge of ceremonies and songs. He hates not knowing what is going on and will fudge his way through it. I could see him frustrated, trying to sing along with a well known song, following a word or two behind. Fatigue was a problem partly because bedtime is usually around 7pm and Beavers run a bit later than that and, additionally, he was really excited about Beavers and worked himself up all day long. Then there was the bizarre, irrational fear that he was going to get homework, lol. We've signed up for a lot of classes this year and he thought Beavers was a class. Plus a lot of his buddies are stuck doing homework at night.

I think he is going to really enjoy it. The activities they are participating in are right up his alley. He has already bonded with a few of the boys and one his neighbourhood friends is in the group too. Should be a great year!

Money, money, money!

Funny, much to Rob's horror, one of the few things that gets the kids quiet in the car is the new Mama Mia soundtrack. You know, the one with the crappy singing by the actors in the movie. They love it! Thankfully Rob usually carries his Ipod on him so he can tune out our car karaoke.

But I digress...

I have heard it many times before, the adage that homeschooling is only as expensive as you make it. Still, I have to wonder how some people manage it. I know that the money I spent stockpiling notebooks, pencils and art supplies would have been spent on back to school supplies. Still, this venture, at least for us, isn't cheap. Dance lessons, art classes and fees for scouting, etc. all add up quickly. I haven't even mentioned the memberships to various venues, field trips and the gas to drive all around.

I guess I am just in a mood to complain. My excuse, it's payday and everyone one of the kid's activities had to be paid this week. That and I made the mistake of reading about some of the awesome funding and programs available to homeschoolers in B.C. I guess the cost of housing wouldn't be worth the relocation in the end, lol.

All done complaining now.