parties, friends and summer!

The summer has commenced!

So in a nutshell, here's what I've been doing since report card writing:

1. Taking (little ole me in charge) 76 children and 8 adults to Arnhem, Holland for four days (see map for the distance we drove in a double-decker bus with a mini van driven by my colleague Jon--it took us just under 4 hours). Arnhem is near Nijmegen and was the site of the failed airborne battle called "operation Market Garden" in the autumn of 1944...it was recorded later in a movie called "A Bridge too Far". Several months afterward, in the winter of 1944, Canadians liberated this area and we went to see the Canadian cemetary after the liberation museum tour by several elderly Dutch who were children at the time of the occupation. That was one of many activities we undertook but this trip followed the exact same itinerary as last year's so you can just read the archived blogs (June 2008) for our events.


2. celebrating Jon's significant birthday at the same time as celebrating the end of the school year. Here's a picture of my colleague and his spouse who opened his house in Overijse for a barbeque on one of the first nice days of many we've recently enjoyed:


3. having our own barbeques with friends new and old. I think we've cooked outside or have been guests where someone has cooked outside every day but one in the last ten days...its been lovely. Oh, and we've been hosting Canadian friends as well. Here's a picture of Greg and our family stopping for a break at the commune market's wine stall. He visited for three weeks off and on during his European tour and seemed to take to the domestic life with children...we dragged him to a party or two, out on the town to buy children's shoes, cafe-dining for moules and frites and he didn't seem to balk at all...but a confirmed bachelor I think this one is ladies, so unless you own your own plane, can cook pizza with roasted vegetables and are willing to have Greg keep his scotch collection in your liquor cupboard then I think he'll be a fine fish that evades your net, girls...


4. visiting the coast for some sun, sand, surf and creme soleil! On Canada Day we went to De Haan by train and tho' the weather was stinky in the city (27 and humidex of 32--Belgium called this a heat wave) it was fresh and perfect at the coast only 70 kms away. This is one of the widest ocean beaches I've seen: smooth sand, a fast outgoing tide and lots of shells for my little clam diggers to discover. As for the sun block, we applied in patches, and everyone regretted the lack of full coverage: I got a face burn and the back of one leg just fried, and the first born got slathered, but then bent down to do his sand castle construction and got a stripe of a burn just above the bathing suit line. We had to run to the pharmacy that evening, I tell you! (did you know you can't buy benzocaine/solarcaine spray anymore? Why is that, I wonder?)

5. Hosting M's little friend, S for several playdates and overnights, his parents for cocktails, barbeques and guitar jams. S and his family are part of the diplomatic corps from Lithuania and unfortunately for M have come to the end of their stay here in Brussels. The dad worked for NATO and is being shipped back to Vilnus next week. Our first born is devistated, as he's a one-friend-kid...this has been his buddy for the last 10 months--they even went to an AC/DC concert (chaperoned by their dads) together last month. We took S to the beach with us, and here's a pic of the boys running on the sand after having dipped their toes into the frigid water for the first time...they did eventually get in, and had a marvelous day body surfing and playing in the sand.



Ah, the life...now what will the next seemingly unlimited holiday weeks hold? We've got planned five days of a day-camp of tennis and multisport for the little one, tennis and horseback riding for the elder--then we'll jet over to Ghent for a music festival the week after just to stay busy. We hope the weather holds, it has been 26 (or more) and sunny for a week with only one brief half hour of rain today...tomorrow looks less promising, however...this is Belgium where it can be teeming rain and then half an hour later be blazingly bright without a cloud in the sky--no grey moods allowed here--there's always sun after the storm!

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
26° C | 14° C	23° C | 13° C	19° C | 14° C	20° C | 12° C	16° C | 8° C
Chance of Rain 20% chance of precipitation	Chance of Rain 40% chance of precipitation	Chance of Rain 40% chance of precipitation	T-storms 60% chance of precipitation	Chance of Rain 50% chance of precipitation

why I've not been blogging...report writing

To put my chaos in perspective, there are 19 students in my class. Each one needs a lengthy paragraph for each of the following areas of the curriculum that I teach: language arts, mathematics, social studies AND student conduct/behaviours/attitudes. One such paragraph I've copied for you below, so you can get an idea of the task that is ahead of me. If you're doing the math, that's almost 80 paragraphs in total...oh yeah, I also have to give each child letter grades in about 15 areas of math and language arts--these are specific areas of our program, such as "can effectively compute all four operations of mathematics mentally"...

XXX is one of the students who have been in the PYP way of learning for her entire schooling and this definitely is evident in how she conducts herself each day. She is an inquirer: always striving to know more on her own or in a group (such as how to solve an interesting math puzzle). She is a thinker: pushing herself to show others her knowledge and newfound skills (like a new origami sculpture). XXX has a great deal of wonderful talents—in her ability to see things in innovative ways to try systems of solving a challenge that others may have not tried, and she is caring. XXX shows her friends and her teachers that she enjoys their company and wants to engage them in appropriate play or conversations. XXX has done considerable growing up this term and yet her self-confidence is still intact and she attacks most of her day with enthusiasm. XXX’s few struggles each day lie in her work habits. After coaching and direct assistance, she still cannot prioritize her time consistently, nor can she find assignments or important papers because her desk, cubby and backpack are bursting at the seams with unfiled work and miscellaneous memos or notes to herself. XXX will need to adopt a system of keeping herself organized next year with her many courses, subjects, teachers and classrooms, or her marks will suffer. XXX’s affection and lovely smile will be missed in our hallways next year, but I know she’ll give middle school her 100% and I look forward to hearing about the great things she’s up to next year. Best of luck, XXX!

The twelve (plus) days of Easter

On the first day of Easter,
the boys and I flew
to lands grey, cold but true


On the second day of Easter,
M sung Brahms great in Perth
dear friends welcomed us
with glad smiles and mirth


On the third day of Easter
it was cold and wet
Grandpa bought a Wii
and our children haven't let up yet

On the fourth day of Easter,
to Toronto we drove
to see old dear friends
our house, our treasure trove

On the fifth day of Easter
Back to B'ville we went
after haircuts and dinners
a concert and sorting
our stuff in a basement
my energies spent

On the sixth day of Easter
formal photos were taken
Great Grandma and all
had a good Friday feast
(a bit too much whiskey
meant to bed did we crawl!)


On the seventh day of Easter
the girls all went shopping
for clothing and dinner and
more booze, some champagne
all the better for popping!

On the eighth day of Easter
M sung for Christ's service
a crisis was averted
for baby's illness
that sent him to the ER
all made us nervous

On the ninth day of Easter
we went up to my lake
to play with a cousin
and catch rays on the dock
it was bug free and peaceful
and long naps did we take


On the tenth day of Easter
Back to Perth did we go
Shevelyn got a visit
lots of laughs and a meal
Return to the cottage,
M & M late that night
saw the stars brightly glow

On the eleventh day of Easter
monopoly was played
but we worked for our supper
wood chopping and raking
firewood for dinner
was a grateful trade

On the twelfth day of Easter
our journey near done
we celebrated our family
with a Rita visit,
another GG chat
and a party for fun.


And on the last day of Easter,
we packed all our bags
how come when you travel
luggage multiplies
but not the moments
nor minutes or days
except in the airport
those hours do drag!