Breakfast and Afternoon Tea ... A New Routine

 

The kids have just this past week gone back to school after their summer holidays.
At the end of last year, I was feeling like I was chasing my tail with the

kids school stuff.  I felt like we needed a new routine ... so, this

year we have started off right ... with a great routine. It's

not anything complicated or fancy but it has made

such a difference already.  The biggest 

thing I felt was lacking was 

constant and regular

communication

with the 

kids

mostly

where their

school stuff was

concerned.  They'd say

"Mom, you didn't sign that note."

and quite frankly, I couldn't even remember

SEEING 'that note' let alone remember signing it! I 

felt like I was putting things off ... and then not getting to them

and I just didn't want to do that again this year!  Also, our church started

a new Bible reading plan together this year and I felt determined to participate and

not get behind, because that's when I get discouraged and quit.  Also, it's not a 

lot of reading and I really wanted to do it with the kids.  So, first thing I 

instituted was 7:00 breakfast time during the week.  The kids and I 

sit down together.  We eat and we read out loud.  And we chat.
And it's good.  I feel like it starts our day out right.  It 

is double good because it means none of us 

leave the house without eating brekky.
The second thing I decided was

that I'd take the time to

make afternoon 

tea for the

kids 

and

sit down

and share it with

them after school.  As

well, while we are all sitting

at the table, the kids give me their notes,

I fill them in and send them back straight away!
Also, next week when homework starts, we will sit together

and do homework.  They don't usually need much help so I will have 

a book or do menu planning or something non computer related while sitting

at the table with them. I feel great about it and I think these two little changes will make

the world of difference to the school year running smoothly and me staying informed 

and connected.

I am excited!!

**

PS ... the photo
above was our afternoon

tea the other day.  The passion 

fruit is from the vine in our garden!

day 90 {flower girl} 365

we had some time to kill at the school today

my girl spent part of it sketching flowers out of this garden

in other news:

i had a beautiful butterfly lined up in my camera lens

i pushed the button but it wouldn't take

NO MEMORY STICK !!

grrrrrr

i was at work, the memory stick was at home

so ...

it's an iPhone photo today !

day 23 {school} 365

tomorrow is the first day of school ...

{park water}

*

We had a 'severe weather warning' in our neck of the woods the other day.
Places nearby flooded.
The police ordered all of the schools to close.
I had to get the kids early.
I picked Alia up at about 11:00 but had to come back for Jono.
He had been on an excursion (field trip) that day.
They had to come home early.
Total bummer.
But better safe than sorry.
There were kids not far from us that spent the night in their school
because the flood waters had them trapped.

We didn't get flooded ... although, this park might lead you to believe otherwise.



The kids had a blast and told Rory later that
playing at the park was like being in a swimming pool !



For me, these are the memories that childhoods are made of.
I remember as a kid, being able to go to end of the street, to the 'playpen'.
It was a big concreted area that was fenced in.
Don't know what it was for.
We rode out bikes in it.
When it rained,
it would fill up with water
and we loved to splash around in it !!
I love that my parents let us do that kind of stuff !
The kind of stuff kids love !!
I also loved it when my Dad would hydroplane the car !!



The kids kept asking me when the storm was coming.
Beats me !!
I kept watching for it but this was all that I saw ...

apparently i'm cute

Alia's prep class hosted a Mother's Day 'spa' for us this afternoon.
For one hour we moms were pampered by our children.
I had a neck and head massage,
then lotion lovingly rubbed into my hands.
She painted my nails,
(see thumb in photo above!!)
while I sipped champagne (pineapple punch in a champagne glass)
and enjoyed a muffin she had baked and decorated herself !
I was given beautiful jewelry, which I'm modeling in the photo above.
Photography compliments of my little professional.
There were cards, a photo and a gift too !

On one of the cards, Alia answered these questions the following way :

My Mum's Name is Bonnie

What is her favorite food ?
Sushi

What does she like to drink ?
Water

Why do you love your mum ?
Because she's cute.

She knows me well, my girl.
Here's hoping she always thinks I'm cute ...

Sharing Perspective - Estes Park

~

I just love this shot that Jono (my seven year old genius photographer) took. He took it of the mountains, through a glass window and a screen. This boy sees neat things through the lens of his camera !!

This next one is my parents.
Nanny and Sabba to Jono.
I love how he doesn't just take photos straight up and down.

Two of my favorite people in the whole world ...
My brother Jimmy and my sister Ellie.

And another on the favorite list ...
My sister Hannah.
Always looking for a kiss from one of us.

Don't you just love the light on this last one ?
Amazing.
Did I mention he is seven ?

This week, I had a chance to speak to his new teacher.
She said he's a great friend to his classmates.
Eager to help other kids when they need it.
He's a hard worker, always well behaved and keeps a good attitude.
She said she never has any trouble with him !

This Mommy's heart is smiling !!!

Sharing Lots

The Frangipani tree is blooming at Rory's parents house ! This is one of my favorite flowers ! Could even rank in the top three !! I think it is stunning to look at ... and the smell !! Mmmm !

I didn't have a chance to post yesterday. I've been so busy lately that I haven't been able to post the organizing blogs that I have pictures sitting, just waiting to be blogged, yet !! Soon, very soon !!

We spent most of yesterday traveling to/from and spending time at Grandma and Grandad's house. The whole family was together for the first time in many many years !! We celebrated our FIFTH Christmas for this year. Finally, we are finished with Christmas for 2008 !!

It was so neat to watch the cousins play happily together yesterday ! There are five of them and they range in age from eight to one. Can't wait for cousin number six to make his/her appearance in a few months !

Abrupt change of subject.

Happening ...

Now.

Remember my piles ? Today, I spent some time working on the big one in the garage.

I have transformed THIS ...

into THIS ...

Not bad for a couple of hours work, eh ? I am going to show you how I did it ... soon, very soon !

You must be getting hungry ... how about some tapenade ? Sorry, none left at my house, except what's packed in the lunch boxes for tomorrow ... but you can pop over to The Beans Blog and get the recipe and make it yourself. It only takes a couple minutes to make and it's delicious !!

Back to school tomorrow ! Alia is settling in to her class. She only cried the first two mornings. I think she has resigned herself to going for now. I'll be glad when she makes some friends and gets comfortable enough to let people know who she really is. When she's able to dance.

Tonight as I was putting her to bed, she said "Mom, do I HAVE to go to school ?"

"yep."

"I wish we were still in America."

"you know you'd still have to go to school in America, right ?"

"Well ... then I'll go live in San Francisco."

she thinks about it for a minute as I chuckle

"They don't have school there !!" "Do they ??"

"yep."

"Well, then I'm moving to Africa ... I KNOW they don't have school there."

"Alia ... lots of kids in Africa don't go to school, you are right. But if you moved there, you'd go to school !"

Obviously realizing that she'd never win this argument no matter where she lived, she gave up !

And with that little story, I'll say good night. I still have a bit more time before Rory get's home and need to start cooking dinner, might see if I can crank out a organizing post for tomorrow ...

PS ... I was able to fix my scarf and I'm busily knitting away on it again !!

Sharing A Scarf

The kids started school today !
(Well, it will actually be yesterday since I'm not posting this 'til midnight !)

For Alia, it was the first day of Prep. (Kindergarten in the States) She was alright getting ready, dropping Jono off and even getting her photo taken by her new teacher. But, as all the parents were standing around and the time was drawing nearer, she finally lost it. She started crying and we weren't able to console her. In the end, when it was time for all the parents to leave, she was still crying (very loudly !) and we just had to peel her off my arm and leave her with the teachers aide. She did settle down and had a good day in the end. I asked her if she's going to be able to start the day without crying ... the verdict is still out on that one !

I went into work to discover that my computer was not working .... about an hour later, the IT guy had it up and running and my day progressed nicely from there.

After school, I sent the kids into the back yard pool to run off their excess energy ! I sat in the family room, where I could see them, watched a cooking show then some of the Australian open tennis while I worked on the scarf that I am knitting.

I am a beginner. My Mom taught me to knit two years ago when she was visiting me here but then I put it down and forgot how. A quick refresher course while we were just there and I'm back on track. Today, I had a look at a few video tutorials on line and I now know how to cast on and cast off !

I found a really neat site too that I think you should all go visit ... it's called The Purl Bee ... loved it !!

Well, Rory just called out and said there is a NCIS on that we haven't seen so I'm going to go watch with him and work some more on my knitting !!