quick post - it's getting COLD!

an organized pile of books at the head of H's bed 

How many times has it just so happened that you've been reading a book, and the author of that book walks into the room? This actually happened to Hendrik last week at school. He was reading an And Then It Happened book in the office.... and then it happened! Michael Wade, one of the authors, walked in. Apparently they had a brief conversation, and then Michael asked Hendrik if he wanted to help him play a joke on a teacher during the assembly - something to do with naming a teacher with hairy armpits (Hendrik's teacher) - and of course it was a go. He was smiling ear to ear while he told us the story, but we did have to pry it out of him (like all things school). He's been home sick with a nasty cough, and we have all fingers crossed that it doesn't spread to the other little chickens. It sounds like the boys have been enjoying some time at home, playing Spot It, reading books together, drawing and just hanging out.

Remembrance Day morse code 

And I made it through my first week (plus 2 days) of placement number one! I'm in a grade four class at a French Immersion school, and I'm enjoying it. I am planning and teaching the geometry unit, so I've had lots to do between the planning and prep and marking - and that's just one subject (bah!). It's all good. We're on countdown mode until Hendrik's birthday, and will celebrate with a par-tay this weekend at an indoor baseball place in town. I KNOW there's more I could write about but I feel like my brain is fried... early mornings, full days, up in the night - the days are flying (and cold - winter is here).

reading fancy nancy on the potty

the first snowman of the season...  

...complete with cheeks

halloween post - short and sweet!

It's November - eek! And we are in the full swing of candy consumption. Hendrik went out trick-or-treating with Edward (accompanied by Steve), and I took Alana and Jordan to a friend's house for a pizza party before Alana went out with her friends (and their parents). Jordan and I trick-or-treated our way to Liz's house where he helped hand out candy and I had a glass of wine (my treat). The kids came home with a bigger load than last year, and we've kind of let them have at it with the hopes that they'll maybe get sick of it and/or it will deplete more rapidly. Hendrik and Alana did the whole sorting and trading thing, and they've been great at sharing with mom and dad and Jordan (his haul was small).

Christmas has hit the stores, but we're waiting until after Hendrik's birthday - at the end of the month (he'll be 8 - !!). We're trying to plan a little party and a sleepover, but there is such little time left at the end of the day to do the thinking and planning... bah! I start practicum on Monday which means that classes are over as of Thursday at 2:20 (yay!), so I have a few assignments to get to this week before I can get myself ready for the real world. I've been placed in a grade 4 classroom at a French immersion school not too far from our house, so I'm happy that the commute won't be long. School does start a bit earlier (8:15) so that will be a bit of a change, and we'll all have to get into a bit of a different routine for the next month or so. This will make fitting in the coaching a bit more challenging, but it's worth it. We won our first home game this weekend against Brock, and despite a shaky start, the team looked pretty good. Steve was on the road with McMaster this weekend, and they also won - against Windsor. We're still on the house hunt, but haven't found what we're looking for... yet. We'll keep looking! Oh, and lastly... we watched Honey I Shrunk the Kids with the kids on Friday night and it was quite entertaining. Sometimes it's hard to find a (new) movie that everyone is interested in; here's another thing to look up!

annual pumpkin face(s)

 turning on the lights - !!!