Student-Led Conferences at Confederation Park

Yesterday our school held their Student-led Conferences.    

The girls were very excited - especially Sasha.  She's kind of new to all of this school-stuff, you know.  As we walked to school together when Mike got home from work, Sasha was practically jumping out of her skin with anticipation.   She claimed she didn't want to go first, but grade one is where we began our little tour of what our girls have been spending their days doing.

Sasha's teacher has just finished teaching an amazing unit on Vikings.   She's done an awesome job!  The boys were really into the grunting and warrior-like style of the large bearded men, and the girls were all into the cooking and the clothes.  There was something for everyone!

Sasha's tour began with showing us all the Viking Village her class built.  

They even made Viking clothes for all of the Playmobile people who reside there.

Check out the real grass roof on the Viking house!  Miss Collins sprinkled grass seed and covered it with a thin mesh and sprayed it with water.  The houses have all needed their grass cut at least once!

Yes, I'm laughing uproariously.   Yes, my children wish I'd refrain from this in public places.

But I'm reading Sasha's Viking report and loving every minute of it.

I mean how can you not laugh with total delight when you see a picture of this little Viking girl named "Siv Mikesdottir"?  Mikesdottir = Mike's daughter.  Get it?

Miss Collins even made a real replica Viking dress for little Siv to wear.

I love how excited Sasha was to show off her work.  

Being in grade one is pretty great.

Sasha read us her story about Roger the monkey.  She's not finished yet.  

The tale so far left us wanting more, however.

Here's Sasha with one of her favorite people in the whole wide world, Miss Collins.  

Miss Collins has been a perfect fit for Sasha.  She's the kind of teacher who just floats around the room gently like a feather -  touching down when needed.  Her classroom is full of creativity, her voice is soft, and she inspires some great thinking.  

Next stop - Hannah's classroom.

It just so happens that it was Hannah's turn for being the student on the spotlight board in the hallway this week.  We had lots of fun last week choosing pictures and things about Hannah to display on the bulletin board which tell a little bit of Hannah's story.

Hannah designed an add for a contest the "Burnaby Now" newspaper was having a month or so ago.  Her design won, and she had just received a framed copy of her winning entry.  My favorite part about her add is that it featured a female firefighter.  That's what I'm talking about.

Here is Hannah demonstrating a Science experiment....

.... and sharing some parts of her writing portfolio.

And here is Hannah with her beloved Ms. Parmar (on the right), and her student teacher for the year, Mrs. Brown (on the left).  Hannah has been so fortunate to have Ms. Parmar for two years in a row.  She is such a wonderful positive example of a strong, intelligent, interesting, and compassionate woman.  She generates amazing conversations and weaves her own life into those of her students with great generosity.  What a gift she's been for Hannah!

And finally, last but not least, it was Ellie's turn to take us into the 

inner sanctum of her portable classroom.

She began by showing off the research project she did on Cerebral Palsy 

which was part of a unit on exceptional needs.

Then it was time to put Mike through the paces of a multiplication speed drill.  He wasn't messing around, even for a second, and got every single one in his two minute time frame. We all teased him afterward that we would occasionally glance up to make sure Ellie's teacher noticed how very quick and proficient he was.  We were all very impressed.

One of the highlights of this term for Ellie was having a lot of roles to play in her classes reader's theatre presentations.  Here she is with one of the scripts.

We spent some time trying our hand at building some geometric shapes....

... and doing a quick Science experiment using Chromotography.

Here is Ellie and her teacher, Ms. Safarik.  She's been a great partner in Ellie's school experience this year.  She treats her students like they are capable of doing hard things.  She gives them the chance to prove to themselves that they can.  She doesn't spoon-feed them, but gives them a lot of freedom to make their own mistakes.  Ellie would say the best part about Ms. Safarik is that she made them root-beer floats last week.   Let's face it,  that's pretty important too.

There was time for one swing on the monkey bars 

(which is Sasha's favorite place to hang out in the whole wide world).

Only Ellie would think of kissing her "guns".

We're thankful for all of the lessons the girls have been taught at Confederation Park over the past two years.  Mostly we're thankful for the relationships it's given all of us.  It will be hard to say goodbye.

Sunday at Stanley Park

Sunday afternoon wasn't raining.   That was notable because it's been raining a lot here lately.  Yes, it's Vancouver and it's supposed to rain a lot in the winter - but winter is over.  So with skies that looked like the rain wouldn't visit us, we decided to head out to Stanley Park.

Stanley Park is full of interesting people...

.... and tiny daisies to make a chain.

People watching, especially when some of the people are my 

little girls on the playground, makes me happy.

We hung out at Second Beach and took deep breaths of the salty sea air.

The day was still young, so on our way out of the Park, we made a pit-stop at the Aquarium.  We're thankful we've had a family membership here.  Every time we've gone, we've seen something new.

That's my kind of Sunday.

The Home Stretch

By the time I hit "publish" on this post, it will already be tomorrow - May 1st.

May 1st has been a bit of a marker for me.  Months and months ago when I didn't know for sure what we'd be doing come July, May seemed so far away.  But as the months passed and we came to the decision to pull up our tent pegs and move the troops back to the prairies this summer, May 1st seemed awfully close.  Too close.

I say, "too close", not because I'm dreading what I'm going back to, but because I will so desperately miss what I have to leave.

The feeling I have is like the one you get as one of your greatest vacations is about to come to an end.   It's like that feeling multiplied again and again.  These past two years haven't just been regular living for us.  We've had the chance to do things and see things that we likely would have never tried or done if Mike hadn't taken the contract here.  Really, it's been like a two-year vacation inter-mingled with ordinary life and times.  How often do you get to do that?  But at the end of every great vacation you're left with the feeling of "no - I'm not ready for it to be over yet.... just a little longer.... I still have more things to do..... if I only had a little more time..."

One of the best parts of these past two years is the amount of intentional family time we've had.  In our old life, it seemed there was always something or someone that wanted or needed our attention.  We were rushing in and out to keep the marching rolling along.  I will always remember what if felt like when we first got here.  We knew no one.  We didn't have to wonder what we were doing in the evening or the weekend, because (of course) we were spending it together!  There weren't any other options.  Those months were pretty special, and I'm glad we savoured them because they didn't last long.

Our life here now has become increasingly full of other relationships - and that transition has been good too.  I love my family, but we all need more than just our own little circle.  If I look at our family calendar over the past few weeks and the ones ahead, I see play dates, sleepovers, babysitting jobs, PAC meetings, morning walks and lunch dates scrawled onto the squares.  I love the people and moments that all of those scribbles represent.  They are the roots to our time here.  They burrowed us down and made us feel connected and part of something bigger than ourselves.  Our family was nurtured and we grew, but in the end that wasn't enough - and it's not supposed to be.

These past two years have been amazing for our family.
They have been good for Mike and I and our relationship as well.
But they've also been a great gift to just me.

I have had the chance to learn so much here.  I had the space and time to soak up sights and sounds and words like I haven't had in years.  That space and time afforded me the silence to learn to recognize my own voice again.  It had been overpowered and overshadowed by the stage of life I was in, my circumstances, and too many other voices making their offerings too.  I can hear my voice here better than I ever have before.   I like the sound of it.  Part of my reluctance to turn the calendar page over to May is the fear that my voice will disappear with my journey home.

Along with my voice came thicker skin and conviction.  I know more of myself.  I am more willing to put myself out on the line and let the chips fall where they may.  I care less about pleasing you (and you and you and....)  and more about going to bed at night knowing I was honest with who I am and what I know to be right.  That's been easier with new friends here and lots of distance between me and my prairie companions.  May 1st looms when I think about this.  Did I really learn what I needed to?  Did I get enough practice to make it "stick"?  Will my skin become thin again?

These next two months will be a season of transition.  Of looking ahead and savouring the moments behind me.  There will be many opportunities where I will need to embrace "the moment" with all of my senses.  I have already felt the urgency to smell and see the hear what is around me in a different way - in a way that will stick.  There will be moments of letting go and marking a time and place with a great sense of thankfulness, yet at the same time  allowing space for grief and goodbyes.

Today is May 1st.  The home stretch is here.
I'm not ready, but time isn't waiting for me.