Sunday Smiles

Passing Grade

edited version - Fondles pointed out that the last 2 pics were the same. (thanks Fondles!)

Righty then - trying the new blogger !  Thanks to Hermoine for getting me started! 

Despite my frustrations this past week -- it was a good week.  I shared with her teacher on Friday what had been happening ..... and she reminded me (how quickly we forget) how kids tend to check out come June - especially if the weather is nice!! The teacher told me she was ahead of most of the class in work..... and was definitely ready for grade 3...... so maybe I need to lighten up a little bit??

Anyway...........

our social studies/geography took us to Mexico this week..............

We 'celebrated' Cinco de Mayo and made Papel Picados and tissue paper flowers (which are now decorating her bedroom) 

We made God's eyes..........

and celebrated the Day of the Dead.......

On Thursday evening the lil one made tacos (with supervision) and for some reason the pictures I took didn't save.......... and of course I didn't discover that interesting fact till wayyyyyyyyyyy after dinner.

Next week -- haven't a clue where we'll land up.............. gonna have to get my act together!!

Frustration!!!

My head is ready to explode...... GAH!!!!

It started this week and came to a head this morning when I tried to write a post!

Let's start there - writing a post......... 
Did anyone else notice that Blogger is changing their format??
Did anyone else click the button to view the new format and find that the old blogger format went poof??!!  (fortunately I also a noticed a button to return to previous format)

In the new format - I could NOT figure out how to write a new post... GAH!!  and this new format is coming in at the end of June....... anyone able to tell me (step by step directions would be helpful) how to write a new post in the new format??? I need help ... before I just toss the whole thing out the window!!!


THAT was today's frustration........ the week's frustration is/was.......... 

close quarters to do school work...... I seem to be falling over either the dog or the lil one all the time!!!  (and yeah I know I shouldn't complain at least we are in the country BUT!!!!!!!! close quarters is driving me to distraction!!)

For 2 months now I have been pretty much sitting on top of the lil one while she does her school work - giving new meaning to one on one teaching.  She has been thriving....... BUT ...... when the schools open I can't go with her.... I had been hoping having me 'teaching' her how to get the work done without fooling around for these 2 months would have taken......... seems I was wrong.  (for those of you who don't know we have had trouble with the lil one - for the last two years - being 'too social' during class time - talking too much....)

Yesterday they had a 'directed drawing class' - which means the teacher gives very precise directions and the children follow them - creating (in this case) a picture of a peacock.  The whole point to the lesson is to test the children and see how well they follow directions.  I sat outside on the deck to see how well she did........ 

She didn't do well at all ...... le sigh..... I could see her bouncing around on her chair... standing up and dancing... wiggling.. playing with her hair... just not focused. OH and she knew the teacher couldn't see her cause everyone had turned their cameras off.
(and before anyone asks - no she isn't hyper active or ADD or anything like that - she just likes to do what she wants to do..... she stays focused when I am there with her.. when she is doing something on her own that she wants to do.. never mind the fact I know how to look for problems in children - did it for nearly 25 years)

When I went in the teacher was asking the children to turn on their cameras and hold up their drawings so she could see how well they were doing....... she looked at the lil one's and said "You didn't follow the directions.. you did all the feathers when you were only supposed to draw two"   Didn't seem to bother the lil one at all.  

NOW......... the point is not that she was doing a wonderful job drawing a peacock the point was she was supposed to listen to the directions and follow them ( a rather important life skill !!)  
Then they were told to colour their peacocks bright colours .......... 

The lil one coloured hers green - the whole thing green!!  and not even a very good colouring job........ and definitely not bright colours.

I was annoyed!
I was disappointed!
I was frustrated!

Fortunately she is off to her mother's today for the weekend - gives me time to regroup and cool down (to be honest)

Monday is a new day right? 

Life is good when it offers you challenges and shows you where you need to do more work!

Checking In........

I am so relaxed up here in the country that I am finding it hard to write a post every day......... (OK truth!!  I can't think of anything to write..... I am not connected to the news as much - only getting headlines - stupid people don't surround me - well almost! all of that equals nothing much to write about)

Homeschooling is muddling along - more about that tomorrow....... Our numbers here in our province seem to be sliding downwards - though we have had a couple of blips ... for the most part they are going down.  However I read in the news how it is suspected that the US - specifically some of the states - may be fudging their numbers ........ which makes me wonder if we're not fudging our numbers too.......

Then just to make matters worse (so to speak) our weather took a turn for the better - we seem to have skipped spring and gone straight to summer with temps in the high 90's......... that brought the covidiots out in large numbers on the weekend - congregating in parks by the bus load :(  They seem to think because 'young people' don't get as sick they don't have to worry (le sigh)  Now begins the waiting game to see if our numbers spike again in 14 days.  

A neighbour up here gifted us all with personal face masks!  Mine has japanese writing on it.... the masks for the lil one have dogs and cats... Sir Steve's still hasn't made an appearance but she (the seamstress) said it would be mostly black (mmmmm it's almost as though she knows what/who we are - grinning) .  Now the lil one has custom fitted masks - she and I can run into town and pick up a few things at the grocery store ...... it will make for a nice change in our routine.

Now your turn......... what's going on in your corner of the world??? 
Roll Call................

Opinion........

There really are a whole lot of 'stupid' people out there......... and this pandemic is putting the spot light on them..... dontcha think???

This past weekend the weather was beautiful and there were crowds ... 
C. R. O. W. D. S.  .......... of people out and about - and not just in the States or in Toronto - all over.  It's as though sunshine and warmth melted their brains ya know??

I saw a picture of a park?? (I think it was a park) in San Francisco (I think it was San Francisco - grinning - do ya think my brain is in country mode?!)  

Anywayyyyy  

the city had painted white circles 6 feet apart over the entire area.....and people were sitting in the circles !!  there weren't any large groups of 'stupid people' bunched up.  I was thinking - most people are very visual - saying 6 feet doesn't register with them.. paint circles and they 'get it'.  (It might help them visualize if there were a number of security people ready to write hefty fines too)........

Know where else you find stupid people?? On social media sprouting off how their freedoms are being trampled on..... or how unfair that schools look like prisons... or how they need their hair cut (me too!!) and why aren't the salons open...... or they need a mani/pedi and why aren't the spas open......... oh the list is endless.  AND ya know ... trying to talk with them is a total waste of time!  I gave up about 2 days into lock down.  

For the most part -- for most days -- I realize how lucky we are. And then yesterday I read this .............

I felt very humbled......... 

Life is very good even when we have to self distance and do without........