Byte Size Blog #1

Access to the PC continues to be an issue. I suspect that it is a direct result of me being 'too nice' since my kidlets are (usually) kind, considerate folk who don't mind letting their mother have a turn with the Internet.

Also inhibiting my blogging mojo is my new best friend, iPad, his evil cousin Internet and the well-known super hero, Ravelry.

To prove that I have not fallen off the face of the blogosphere, I bring you Byte Size Blog #1 aka What's Been Going On With Me, sponsored by Point Form.

• It's bloody windy. I was in Kingston this morning (the eastern most point of Lake Ontario) and small people under 100lbs needed to be firmly secured and towed to cover. Seriously.
• No significant knitting progress has occurred in a month. This is disturbing as I have Rams & Yowes waiting in the wings, 2 babies in holding patterns ready to be called to the landing stip at any time, mittens on my needles and a year of stash to get through.
• I donned my Confident Mother guise and told The Girl Child's fencing coach that even though she may be talented and full of potential, this was not the year for her to be involved in every tournament and training camp within a 7hr drive from our home just so she can experience the 'cultural opportunity' of competing in the Summer Games. Although Coach is the epitome of understanding and support, there is another fencing mother who is quite upset that my very grown up, personal, none-of-her-business decision means that her daughter may have to compete in the 'individual' category rather than as a 'team' entry. Really? High school histrionics now? In my 30s? I wasn't good at them as a teenager and I certainly haven't gained an aptitude for them since.
• My mom is out of town taking care of her mom, my grandmother, as she recuperates from a car accident. This is fairly significant as Mom pretty much quit her job and left her 4 (almost 5) grandchildren do so. The simple act of my mother going away for the weekend usually sends my dad into a tail spin and this time is no different. Add the extended time he is expected to be a bachelor for and his impending knee replacement to a super high blood sugar situation and we have a tail spin in a basket case on my doorstep. And my phone. Two or three times a day. I'm counting the hours until my mom arrives for dad's procedure on Tuesday. Because although I try, I just don't have all the superpowers my mother possesses.
• After adding a DVR to our collection of household electronics, I have been continually amused by the convenience of my favourite shows. On the other hand, I have forgotten to keep up with the changing seasons and have no clue about any of the 'new' shows. I am wondering how I should file this one - under 'B' for blessing or 'C' for complaint.
• If I had told my 20 year old self that I would immensely enjoy buying a stuffed squirrel at Winners and then giving it to my lawfully wedded husband to fling about the living room for the entertainment of the dog on a Friday night I probably would have had my 20 year old head examined. The 37 year old homeschooling housewife totally gets it.

This concludes the inaugural edition of Clip Blog, brought to you with the help of my new bf, iPad.

(pretend there's a little heart here: x)
Mrs. A.

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Happy Birthday To Me!

There was quite a ramp-up to my birthday this year. Shortly after Christmas, Mr. A. decided that I needed to have a birthday party. He also decided to plan it - all by himself.

The actual party was to be modelled after a birthday party which we had recently attended. My niece turned 2 and the theme for the adults in attendance was 'pizza and beer'. (The kids who were there didn't notice as they were distracted by the fancy Dora cake and the Toys R Us explosion that they call their 'living room'.)

I found it all quite amusing. In the month leading up to my big day, Mr. A. took every opportunity to sneak in a secret whisper about some aspect of my birthday whenever my back was slightly turned. He dropped hints and made me guess and even roped the kids into his shenanigans over the gift I was to receive.

He took a half day off work while the kids were at a drama workshop the day before my birthday. We spent that afternoon going all over town picking up food and drink and party things. Not only was there going to be pizza and beer at my party - we were going to surprise everyone with a loot bag.

The morning of my birthday, I had been instructed to stay in bed. So I did. In my mind I was thinking that perhaps coffee would be delivered. That would be a nice birthday wake up. Not so. I needed to stay in bed so that I could be invited down to the living room once 'things were ready'.

Things were ready at the bright hour of 7:30, thanks to the dogs and much to the distress of The Girl Child. Mr. A. had prepared a treasure hunt for my birthday. There were rhyming clues - wrapped in birthday paper - and I had to go about the house searching for the next one until finally I found the 'treasure' in the potato bin.

My family had worked extra hard to drop hints in such a way that I was to think, perhaps, that I might have a lovely new Kobo to call my very own on my birthday. Sure enough, I unwrapped my treasure to find a nice white box with a picture of a Kobo and all the other appropriate labelling on board. Imagine my surprise when I uncovered a fancy iPad under all the packaging!

So much excitement and all before 8 in the morning...on a still-dark, pajama clad Saturday morning. I know, you're welcome for the photos!

Later on, when it was dark again (love me these Canadian winters...) my extended family arrived for pizza and beer and celebrating. There were even balloons and streamers. I tell you, Mr. A. pulled out all the stops for my party. He even managed to get 37 candles on a cake.

Missing from the celebrations were my two brothers who considered an overnight in Algonquin Park courting moose and barely-hibernating bears a priority. That's ok. They're jealous because they didn't get a loot bag.

So that's the short and sweet story of my birthday last weekend. There were some other lovely gifts and cards that really made my day. I don't usually enjoy this time of year as it's always so weary and dreary and dirty and gritty and cold and icy and everyone's so tired of winter and cooped up and miserable. This year was surprisingly refreshing. Not only due to the very strange, seasonaly surprising, mild winter weather we've been having but because of so much silliness and carrying-on as my birthday approached. Mr. A did a super good job keeping everything light and fun and stress-free. And surprisingly, I didn't really mind all the extra attention after all was said and done.



Here's to another trip around the Sun,

♥Mrs. A.

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Free Prime Ministers of Canada Unit Study

Every now and then I come across something to order on a federal or provincial government website. Honestly, I don't specifically go cruising their websites. But sometimes I'll come across the mention of a resource or someone who says they found a useful tidbit...for FREE! It's the 'for FREE' part that most people get worked up about.

This time I found a Canadian Prime Ministers package. A coil bound volume contains a complete unit study with handouts and activities designed for high school student to 'explore the role, responsibilities and lives of Canadian prime ministers'. A CD ROM of 'archival documents' is included. I expect this is where the handouts are hiding, too.

A folder in the back of the book contains a poster and a 3-page biographical pamphlet for each of Canada's 22 prime minsters. It's a very current resource with the current idiot prime minister in office included.

Before we get into this unit, I'm going to take it to book club. A funny thing to do, perhaps. One of the ladies who comes has a wonderful knack for picking out bias and it's something I'm dismal at. So I love putting things in front of her and then, after a bit of discussion, understanding how the author is trying to brainwash me. Not that the Canadian government is awfully biased, but there is a marked conservative bent to everything.

I like finding resources that are aimed at older students. Our local  area is having a surge of new homeschoolers with younger children, so that is where the conversation has been lately. This resource will be interesting to get into on a couple of different levels. It may count toward The Girl Child's 9th grade history credit or I will save it for the 10th grade civics credit. The kids are so excited. (←sarcasm)

In case anyone pops by and in interested in which government website I ordered this from, it's published by the Library and Archives of Canada (http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/). However, I can't find a link to the material there. It's at the Government of Canada Publications website here. Check it out. Order something. Your kids will be reaaallllyy impressed (←also sarcasm).

♥Mrs. A.

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