My First Sleepover!

This past Friday I had my first ever sleepover! It was at my friend's birthday party. First, we went to Laser Quest for a two round laser tag game. It was really intense because firstly, we were competing against a group of boys, it was all dark so we ended up always tagging each other, and since it was so dark we would run into each other! But on the whole it was so much fun! After that we ate pizza for dinner in one of the party rooms. During dinner we played a game called two truths and a lie.
This is how you play it:

You say three statements which contains two truths and a lie. You don't say what the lie is but, your friend(s) have to guess which is the lie. If they get it right then they win!

After dinner we drove back to my friend A.S. house for the sleepover! First, we all got changed into our pj's and had cupcakes. Then we set up our sleeping bags and got ready to watch the movie Pitch Perfect. during the movie we got bored so we took a break. While we were taking a break my friends started to cut open the balloons with scissors and suck in the helium! so i recorded them and they sounded like chipmunks! After we got bored of that we watched Teen Beach 2 a new movie on family channel. By that time it was 11pm and we still hadn't brushed our teeth! But then, my friend T.A. asked me to go and brush my teeth so, I did. when we got back I layed down and I was out like a light! According to my friends I was the first one asleep! ( Not a surprise ) At 1am in the morning I woke up to the sound of my friends laughing. They were still up! I don't know what happened after that because I fell asleep. Overall it was probably the best - and first - sleepover I had ever been to!

The Pan Am Run

On Saturday June 27th my uncle P.C. was running for the Pan Am games. Most of my family went to watch him. He ran 200 metres holding a torch that was really on fire. From Sunday to Friday me, M1 and M3 were his trainers for this run. When we were training he was holding a baseball bat and we were timing him. On the big day it was raining the whole day but he still did the run. When he was running there were a bunch of police officers riding bicycles beside him on the road. After the run some people had to go home and change out of their soaking wet clothes.  Later when the whole run was over my whole family went out for dinner to celebrate. This weekend was a fun moment to watch.

                                                                    M2

My First Year Of School

This year I was in junior kindergarten. I liked doing arts and crafts and playing at recess. My friends go out to the big field to learn for next year. I will be a senior kindergartener next year and I will be the boss of people so the teachers will not have so much work when I be a star of the day. When I was in junior kindergarten the teachers had to teach me more than the senior kindergartens. My friends will play with me and their friends so I can play by myself for a little bit. My friends help me and I help them and say ''Hope you feel better''. I will be good next year in senior kindergarten and I will be the best person in my class. When I see the people hurt I will help them and take them to the teacher to get ice. When I help my friends I sit beside them and I like playing with them. When they come to me I know that they want me to play with them. I believe that I will be the best helper to my teacher. I will say that work is fun just like at home and I like learning about loud noises. I want to be the best class ever. School is fun like parties at play places and I wrote a book to my friends and they will love it. When they see it they will be so happy they might want to read it. I get cold sometimes in the winter so I put on my whole jacket and I stick it together near my chin and I look better in winter so I could make a snow angel. At my field trip to the art gallery I saw a plate of clay and I made a garden to bring home. I went to the big field for the play day and I liked the water balloon game. My favourite part of kindergarten was the play day.

                                              M3   (Typed by M2)

Let The Summer Begin

Yesterday was the last day of school.  My 3 kids are officially off until September 8th and it's time for me to plan activities, outings, summer camps, & play dates.

I am fortunate that my kids actually want to do 'school work' so for the last few summers I have bought work books for them to do to reinforce what they have learned during the school year.  They also love reading.  M1 read the Harry Potter series last summer and right now she is reading the Percy Jackson series.  M2 has been visiting the library regularly & M3 has started reading simple picture books on her own.  I have already asked them to re-start writing on this blog & have given them some topics to write about - they should be starting very soon - stay tuned!

But it's not just about working their brains - they love sports & playing outdoors too.  They will be outside everyday - lately the kids have taken to ball hockey.  M1 & M2 have asked us to explain how baseball is played.  And they love riding their bikes around the block which I have just recently let them do without my supervision.  Of course there will be a few visits to the community pools & M1 and M2 will take a couple of conditioning classes a week throughout the summer to keep their bodies limber for the upcoming dance seasons.

This year we are trying a new summer school/camp for two weeks.   For another two weeks my older two will be volunteering at their dance studio while the youngest one takes a week-long dance camp.  And as usual, there is a week of 'dance boot camp' to end the summer off.

Although we don't have major travel plans for the summer, there will be our annual Canada's Wonderland day, play dates at friends & cousins, perhaps a trip 'downtown', a family wedding,  and cow-fu's baby shower (he's expecting twins!).   Looking at my calendar, practically all our weekends are already filled in!

I am so ready for the summer to begin!
YC

Give Me My Report Card!

It’s the last day of school today and my daughters brought home their school work.  One thing was missing – their report cards.  The teachers’ union has carried out many actions over the years which have upset me and given me small fits of rage.  But this latest move fills me with disgust.  Other than withholding the actual instruction (i.e. going on strike) the next worst thing is withholding the feedback.  Sure, you can argue most students and parents should already have an idea of how the student is doing based on homework and test scores throughout the year.  And the parents can arrange a meeting with the teacher to discuss the progress, but I feel the report card is a good tangible item that validates everything.  It also gives the students a good record, should they choose to keep them over their entire school career.

Then we find out that the report cards have actually been completed.  They’re just not giving them out.  The principal has the report cards and he/she can enter them into the computer system and send them out.  This way the union can still claim that the teachers did their job.  Is this supposed to make me feel better about teachers and their union?  No, it makes me more upset.  Any time the teachers’ union takes action, it’s the children that suffer.  When they cut extra-curricular activities, I can at least understand a little bit why they are doing it.  First of all, they are by definition, outside the regular curriculum and I am thankful that the teachers normally give their time to the students for that.  Secondly, cutting extra-curricular activities reduces their workload, which is what employees in negotiations would want to do – that is understandable, albeit unfortunate that the students miss out.  But getting back to the report cards, the fact that the teachers completed them but just won’t enter them into the system and hand them out is despicable.  This action does not save them any time or work.  It does not hurt the Liberal government or the Ministry of Education.  All it does is hurt the little children.

To me, not getting report cards is like not getting a ribbon/trophy at the end of a tournament.  Sure, the participants all know who won but it’s still nice to have something to display on the mantle at home.  How about having a birthday party for your child but no cake?  “Oh, I baked you a cake, but I’m just not allowed to give it to you.”  I don’t think any parent would want that to happen to their children.  So how can the teachers vote to carry out this action?  There are many teachers who are also parents, right?  How can they deprive their children of their report card?  Is there no teacher with enough decency and courage to stand up to the union and say, “This is wrong.  There’s got to be another way to settle this.”?  We always hear about how we need laws to protect children – the most vulnerable members of our society.  Yet we have laws that allow the teachers’ union to bully our children.  And do I need to point out the irony of the teachers preaching anti-bullying to our children during the year?

Having said all that, I do know that there are some good teachers out there – I’ve met a few as a student and as a parent.  They have expressed their regret at these situations and they just want to teach the kids.  So I’ve tried to be careful in this writing to call out the teachers’ union and not point the finger at teachers.  To the teachers’ union I want to tell you an old Chinese phrase.  (The effectiveness gets a little lost in translation but it sounds really cool in Chinese.)  “Face/respect – others will give that to you; humiliation – you earn that yourself.”  You’ve really disgraced yourself to the parents, students, and the general public this time.  To paraphrase the late great Pat Burns after Barry Melrose allegedly ordered Marty McSorley to elbow Doug Gilmour in the 1993 playoffs, “I lost a lot of respect for the teachers’ union tonight!"

One final thought for the summer: Perhaps the teachers' union can make good use of the next two months by having its members protest at Queen’s Park (or the Honourable Liz Sandals’ house) to lobby for what they want – be it smaller class sizes, more prep time, more autonomy during prep time, or whatever demands you may have.  This is the best time to negotiate because no children will be inadvertently held hostage by your actions.  Tell you what, if you do this over the summer, I will join you to show support.

Big Oh

Being 'Friendly' vs. Being 'Friends'

The Big Oh says that I sometimes have the tendency to be too friendly.  Usually I disagree but this most recent experience has made me reconsider.

A couple of weeks ago M2 had a birthday party at home.  When the parents started to come pick up their children at the end of the party the kids still wanted to stay and play, which I was fine with since we had no other plans for the day.  I invited each parent to come in for some cake & drinks but only one accepted my offer - everyone declined saying they'd be back in a couple of hours to pick up their kid (woo hoo - two more hours of free babysitting who wouldn't want that?).  

So for the next two hours I got to know one of my child's friend's mom (FM).  I had never met FM before, so we talked about our children, the school, the teachers, our neighbourhood, a little bit about our backgrounds & where we came from.  It was polite chit-chat & nothing too personal - which I'm all for - I want to know what kind of families my kid's friends come from. And for all those critical of this, just wait until you have teenagers!  

A couple of hours after all the kids went home FM shows up at my house on her way out to dinner.  Her child left her hair accessory at my place (which I already found & was going to have M2 bring to school).  What was odd about this was she brought her whole family...husband, both children, & her parents.   No, they didn't sit in the car & wave - they came right up to my front door.  She wanted to introduce them seeing that we live right around the block from one another.  So we exchanged polite pleasantries & then FM suggested that we do lunch one day.  'How about this week?  Which day works for you?'....A little blindsided yes, but I get it.  She lives with her elderly parents & so do I.  She did mention in our earlier conversation that we should have them meet.  And I did also mention that I am currently not working, so getting out of a lunch date would have been awkward.  So being the 'too' friendly person I am we made plans to do lunch that week.  Have lunch, then two more weeks of school, and won't have to see them for a couple of months, right?  So I thought...

We did have a very nice lunch and I did bring my in-laws as well.  Our families do have a lot in common.  And I am happy that we share some of the same principles & morals regarding how we raise our children.

A day later, FM texts me and ask which weekend in July will I be available as she'd like to have a BBQ & invite us.  Now I'm starting  to panic a little.  How do I get out of this? I tell her to go ahead & pick a day and don't worry about accommodating us - if I am free I would l love to come.  She replies back by giving me a choice of two dates & says "No rush just let me know which day works better for you".

I know I like this family.  I am happy M2 has found a good friend who lives nearby.  FM is probably thinking the same way, so why am I getting panicky & want to somehow get out of this BBQ?  Then I had an AH HA moment!  This relaionship/friendship is GOING TOO FAST for me!  I realized that although I am a 'friendly' person, it takes time for me to become 'friends' with someone.  And all this happened in a span of 4-5 days. As of now I still haven't replied to FM.  I guess I'll have to soon....

YC

Great Season - Great Songs

We recently finished another dance competition season.  We are on a short, much-needed hiatus, and this a chance for the Big Oh & I to relax & reflect about dancing.  During the actual competition season there's too much going on for any chance to slow down and really think about what all this dancing means to my daughters and us as a family.  I have written about all the benefits my daughters derive from dance and I could go on and on.  Big Oh (along with M2) have compiled a detailed "Results" spreadsheet which does  an excellent job summarizing this year's competition.  Overall, we had an a wonderful year & even though we are all happy with the break - our conversations do include what we will be doing in terms of dance for NEXT year!

Along with all these usual reflections & memories, I have also been thinking about some great songs that I'd love to see my daughters dance to...

Man In The Mirror - Michael Jackson
Beat It - Michael Jackson
I Hope You Dance - Leanne Womack
You Raise Me Up - Josh Grobin
Living On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
Imagine - John Lennon
Let It Be - Beatles
Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen / Jeff Buckley
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Wonderful Tonight, Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton
Circle Of Life - Elton John
Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Isreal Kamakawiwo'Ole Version
Lean On Me - Bill Withers
My Love Will Get You Home - Christine Glass
Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
I'll Be - Edwin McCain
Fallin - Alicia Keys
Anything by The Bee Gees
Heaven - Bryan Adams
I Will Take Care Of You - Amy Sky
That's Why You Go Away - Michael Learns To Rock
Miss You Finally - Trademark
Listen To Your Heart - Roxette
It Must Have Been Love - Roxette
If You Leave Me Now - Chicago
Hard To Say I'm Sorry - Chicago
You're The Inspiration - Chicago
Anything by Air Supply
Glory Of Love - Peter Cetera
Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor
Careless Whispers - Wham
Faith - George Michael
I'll Be There For You  - Bon Jovi
Don't Wanna Miss A Thing - Aerosmith
Believe - Cher
Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion
Island In The Stream - Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers