Back to School!

Tuesday, September 4th

No, not for me! Never again. I loved preparing, getting ready, arranging desks, writing up my daybook. It always took me 2 weeks to learn everyone's name.

My first month teaching (1989), my junior kindergarten (JK) student told me "Daddy punched Mommy in the stomach last night." We know so much more about violence in families. I wished I'd known what I know now: that kids are affected by this.

I taught JK to gr. 8, plus a stint teaching student teachers at U of Ottawa.  I taught kids of all backgrounds, some had fled wars and gunfire, running into the hills. I taught beautiful students with special needs, I learned the most from them. 25 years. Gone. When my mother and dad died, I had to retire. It is bittersweet.

Tuesday morning

I'd weeded it the day before. This strange area under our porch. I was determined to lift up our bricks and stones, as they are sinking in the sand.  The bees and ants dig it up, and this has raised the level of the dirt around the stones. Also, in our big storms, the eavestrough overflows and it has splashback. (Good for the gardens!)

Tuesday afternoon

I'd had a difficult time with my client. It takes a lot of energy.
On the way home, a mother was having difficulty getting her child off of the bus. Then she stood and talked there for several minutes. I tried to be patient. It was the first day of school for our local kids.


JB said, "Let's go out to dinner. There won't be many days left!"
Off we went to Rideau Ferry. A red squirrel was happy.


It was yummy. I had their salmon on pita bread.


Dinner done, off to home. This truck (photo below) is one of the reasons we need the 'new' Health & Phys. Ed. curriculum, which teaches 'consent', that helps teachers explain the language to which children are exposed. "Slut shaming" has been common. Teachers need these tools. Women and girls need the language, men and boys need education. Teachers need the tools and the curriculum to help children recognize and understand the reality of same-sex parents, gender identity issues, and to respect differences.

Families have been changing. When I was first divorced (1993), society was shaming single-parent families. When I was newly divorced, a white, upper middle class teacher marched into the staff room and said, "I wish parents would think twice about breaking up their families."
I responded by telling her that living in homes where anger, hate, violence, or domineering spouses exist, is not a healthy place to be.
I ended up writing an article about this, which was published in our teacher newsletter. I hope it made a difference.

Thank goodness for people like Julie Lalonde. She is a speaker on violence prevention.

This morning @JulieSLalonde spoke to new students about consent and bystander intervention.
Thank you Julie for another great Orientation Week presentation! pic.twitter.com/8JO0bcVJEO

— TrentUDurham (@TrentUDurham) September 5, 2018

That was my Tuesday.

My daughter found it!

She took a flashlight, with help from my granddaughters, and found our tree frog. Josephine held him. Then Isabelle (5) held him and he peed on her! "Gross!", she wailed, and ran to wash her hands! You can see the pee dripping off of her arm in the third photo.
The frog croaked Oct. 6, then oct. 17th, Nov. 5th, Nov. 14th Nov. 18th! 

Anyway, that's the great news!
Our girls stayed with us for a sleepover. We always have fun! I could run a day care centre with my background and our toys! Daisy was soooooo tired!

Football in the rain,
we were safely indoors!

In the afternoon we watched some TV. Grampa watched his football game, while we played, and did some art.

Isabelle had a treat,
a TV breakfast!

Grampa rented Inside Out for us. It is an animated video and it is excellent. It shows how our emotions colour our thinking and our behaviour. It's all part of the limbic system, and uses an animation to show we respond to stimuli, and how the amygdala hijacks our actions with emotional responses. It is brilliant! Caitlin and the girls watched the movie in the theatre. I would highly recommend it to anyone. I've done a lot of brain research for my teaching career, and it is just amazing to see how they created a story. It would be great for kids who have any behaviour management issues, as well, as it has prompts that would be useful in teaching and parenting! Or for kids who have moved, or are moving. We rented it, but I might just buy it!
This is the trailer from Disney Pixar.

Anyway, Grampa took Josee into town to shop for Close Eyes. It's just what my dad did with our children, too. They had a coffee and hot chocolate at Code's Mill, and listened to a jazz band. Precious moments!

At home, Isabelle already having been given her Close Eyes (two dinosaurs), we played with them. It was an elaborate story. They were named, of course.

Tickle Toes, Scratchy Feet go to the Human Museum

First they had naps, then they went for a trip. "Where are we going," asked Scratchy Feet (AKA Caitlin).
"We're going to the human museum!" replied Tickle Toes (Isabelle)! The caterpillar (cat scratch tower) was their house. Then they ate a human, "First the flesh, then the bones!" declared Tickle Toes. They are scientists, and like to be clear.
She ate the humans and put the bones back together. (This is what they do at a museum!)
Then the dinosaurs had to go to the bathroom in my fuchsia plant!
I'd just shown the girls my deer skull, which fascinated them. (See the photos: deer skull)


Isabelle had eye surgery, and she still has one stitch in her eye. The others have fallen out. Her eye sight is much better!
Now, the game is, "Do you want to see my stitch, Gramma?" It does gross me out, which gives her great delight! I shudder, cover my eyes, and she giggles with glee!

Then, it was time go home!