Good news first... the other day I was babysitting an almost two year old at her house with Carrie Ann and Bethany. Carrie Ann went over to Luna's play kitchen, and said, "Now I'm going to back my favourite food! Spinach!"
Today I sprained my ankle -- I was rushing to walk to the school to get Bethany for a dentist appointment, and tripped when my foot hit the backpack on the back of the stroller. Then suddenly I had lots of time, because I knew I couldn't do the half hour walk anymore! I flagged down a passing neighbour and got a ride home, then called Frank's Mom who was happy to pick up Bethany and take her to the dentist. So it all turned out all right, I even got the fish tank moved to a shady corner with everyone's help (hopefully that will cut down on the algae overgrowth), but now I can't sleep because my ankle hurts. It's not at all like the worst sprain I had (in 1996) which took months to heal. This one will probably be better in a week or two. Such is life.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Updates
Well, it hasn't been too busy here the last two months, at least not for the camera!
In January we went skating, went to Torch day (Carrie Ann calls it "Canada", since we sang "O Canada" there), saw a baby calf, and I went to a fabulous concert by the Toronto Consort. I don't have pictures of all that, of course, but there are some pictures of the beautiful sweater MaryAnna made for Carrie Ann!
In February:
We did a reading Olympics for school -- 2000 minutes in one month, per kid, and we just finished on the last day!
We went to a concert by the Canadian University College Chamber Orchestra. It was incredible -- the music swept me away a couple times, and that hasn't happened in a very long time. We had a couple of flautists over for the night afterwards. It was fun! They were from Thailand and Seoul, so we could have spent lots more time talking if it hadn't been so late!
Carrie Ann stopped sucking her thumb (with a little help). It took two weeks before she stopped saying "I really need my thumb" at bedtime.
We watched a little bit of the Olympics (mainly figure skating).
But I don't have pictures of that.
I have pictures of the smile finder on our new camera, a new family picture, and the first shoots and flowers of spring.
If anyone wants their own copy of our family picture, just let me know what size, what format (electronic or paper) and which one (this is number one, number two has Carrie's eyes open but everyone else looks bored).
Click here to see the rest of the pictures in my gallery.
In January we went skating, went to Torch day (Carrie Ann calls it "Canada", since we sang "O Canada" there), saw a baby calf, and I went to a fabulous concert by the Toronto Consort. I don't have pictures of all that, of course, but there are some pictures of the beautiful sweater MaryAnna made for Carrie Ann!
In February:
We did a reading Olympics for school -- 2000 minutes in one month, per kid, and we just finished on the last day!
We went to a concert by the Canadian University College Chamber Orchestra. It was incredible -- the music swept me away a couple times, and that hasn't happened in a very long time. We had a couple of flautists over for the night afterwards. It was fun! They were from Thailand and Seoul, so we could have spent lots more time talking if it hadn't been so late!
Carrie Ann stopped sucking her thumb (with a little help). It took two weeks before she stopped saying "I really need my thumb" at bedtime.
We watched a little bit of the Olympics (mainly figure skating).
But I don't have pictures of that.
I have pictures of the smile finder on our new camera, a new family picture, and the first shoots and flowers of spring.
If anyone wants their own copy of our family picture, just let me know what size, what format (electronic or paper) and which one (this is number one, number two has Carrie's eyes open but everyone else looks bored).
Click here to see the rest of the pictures in my gallery.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
December pictures
Well, my pictures from December are up!
It was a busy month. I got to go to a play with a friend of mine, in which another friend played Elizabeth Bennet -- in Pride and Prejudice. I had a great evening!
Later that weekend I took the kids to the Mormon's display of nativity sets they have collected -- several hundred of them! Some of them were very beautiful, some interesting -- made of local materials or styles in far away places. They also had a great craft room for the kids!
Two weeks later, my choir sang in the local Ministerial concert -- many churches from town sent their church choirs, and the songs were interspersed with readings and congregational singing. The choir members outnumbered the guests by almost five to one, I think! It's a really neat evening.
Two days later, Bethany and the primary students at their school put on a play about the Mice who saved Christmas. I found out that you have to get there at least half an hour early to get a seat! I got there 45 minutes early, and found the auditorium half full already! The next day, the middle school students (Matthias' section) ran a Winter Carnival -- Matthias helped at the concession.
That Sabbath was our church's Christmas program -- songs and readings interspersed with lots of special music. Creston is a very musical town, I think, and the SDA church is particularly musical. I had the privilege of doing one of the readings and leading one song -- why is it they always pick songs I don't know well? Bethany and her Sabbath School class sang Away in the Manger, and the choir sang our song again ("Twas the Birthday of a King").
By the end of all that, I was exhausted, and the next week first Bethany fell sick, then myself, then Carrie Ann, and finally Matthias as well. (Frank got it a little bit, two weeks later.) So Carrie's birthday was a quiet day at home, though Grandma came over with presents and strawberries to go with the cake. We did manage to bake a cake and blow out candles. Very important: always let the cake cool off before you put the candles in! I put them in right away and the bottoms of the candles melted into the cake! Then I had to scoop the wax out, creating big holes in the cake. Oh well, it tasted great with those nice strawberries!
Hard to believe she's three already! When she was born, I remember looking at her and thinking, "I can't wait until you are three, and can walk and talk and feed yourself, and are done with diapers!" It is finally here!
Carrie Ann Dancing on her birthday:
Christmas eve, we were still sick, so Grandma brought over some presents again, and from Aunt Kathleen and Aunt Deborah as well (Frank's sisters). (Rob and Hyang Ju's gift came earlier.) The Sunday after all the holidays (Jan. 3) we finally got to go to Grandma's house for hot cocoa! I got the kids all a toy and a pack of socks -- but after all the neat gifts from everyone else, mine were anti-climactic!
Carrie Ann with her favourite present:
The next week, I realized that Carrie Ann had not wet her pants since the day before her birthday! A whole week, day and night! I had promised her a doll when she accomplished a whole week dry, so we went shopping and she picked out this Barbie. So many toys in a row! I was so proud of her, though, and happy to be free, finally, of diapers! (She actually made it three weeks before her first accident, awesome!) Now I just have to teach her to do it on her own, instead of always needing help. She is getting there. This week she showed me that she can undress herself -- she wanted a bath, and next thing I knew she was running around stark naked. And she managed to dress herself, at least partway. One day she got panties, tights, socks and a dress on all by herself, all I had to do was the buttons and bow!
My baby is growing up, and finally I don't have panic attacks when I see other people pregnant or walking around with newborns. That doesn't mean I want another one, though!
Last thing this year, the sweater MaryAnna was knitting for Bethany finally arrived! Bethany picked the colours when we were visiting in Niagara Falls. They agreed on a pattern together, and went shopping together for just the right yarn (MaryAnna said it was an eye-opener shopping with Bethany, because she knew exactly what she wanted and was willing to shop around until she found it!). The sweater turned out just beautiful.
Other than that.... I'm trying to save up for my trip to Korea for Rob's wedding, so if you have any typing or transcribing you need done, let me know! (Or anything else I can do quietly on the computer at home for an hour or two per day.
If you go see the December pictures, don't miss the girls' artwork, "Jesus Baby" by Carrie Ann, and "Baby Jesus" and the "Rose Princess" by Bethany.
Carrie Ann has decided that she can make up new words as well! Recently she started using "innervating", which means something like annoying. Also, if it's not "his", it must be "shis" -- rhymes with his, means hers. Three year olds are so cute (but they still do cry, which she is doing right now, so I guess it's bedtime!).
It was a busy month. I got to go to a play with a friend of mine, in which another friend played Elizabeth Bennet -- in Pride and Prejudice. I had a great evening!
Later that weekend I took the kids to the Mormon's display of nativity sets they have collected -- several hundred of them! Some of them were very beautiful, some interesting -- made of local materials or styles in far away places. They also had a great craft room for the kids!
Two weeks later, my choir sang in the local Ministerial concert -- many churches from town sent their church choirs, and the songs were interspersed with readings and congregational singing. The choir members outnumbered the guests by almost five to one, I think! It's a really neat evening.
Two days later, Bethany and the primary students at their school put on a play about the Mice who saved Christmas. I found out that you have to get there at least half an hour early to get a seat! I got there 45 minutes early, and found the auditorium half full already! The next day, the middle school students (Matthias' section) ran a Winter Carnival -- Matthias helped at the concession.
That Sabbath was our church's Christmas program -- songs and readings interspersed with lots of special music. Creston is a very musical town, I think, and the SDA church is particularly musical. I had the privilege of doing one of the readings and leading one song -- why is it they always pick songs I don't know well? Bethany and her Sabbath School class sang Away in the Manger, and the choir sang our song again ("Twas the Birthday of a King").
By the end of all that, I was exhausted, and the next week first Bethany fell sick, then myself, then Carrie Ann, and finally Matthias as well. (Frank got it a little bit, two weeks later.) So Carrie's birthday was a quiet day at home, though Grandma came over with presents and strawberries to go with the cake. We did manage to bake a cake and blow out candles. Very important: always let the cake cool off before you put the candles in! I put them in right away and the bottoms of the candles melted into the cake! Then I had to scoop the wax out, creating big holes in the cake. Oh well, it tasted great with those nice strawberries!
Hard to believe she's three already! When she was born, I remember looking at her and thinking, "I can't wait until you are three, and can walk and talk and feed yourself, and are done with diapers!" It is finally here!
Carrie Ann Dancing on her birthday:
Christmas eve, we were still sick, so Grandma brought over some presents again, and from Aunt Kathleen and Aunt Deborah as well (Frank's sisters). (Rob and Hyang Ju's gift came earlier.) The Sunday after all the holidays (Jan. 3) we finally got to go to Grandma's house for hot cocoa! I got the kids all a toy and a pack of socks -- but after all the neat gifts from everyone else, mine were anti-climactic!
Carrie Ann with her favourite present:
The next week, I realized that Carrie Ann had not wet her pants since the day before her birthday! A whole week, day and night! I had promised her a doll when she accomplished a whole week dry, so we went shopping and she picked out this Barbie. So many toys in a row! I was so proud of her, though, and happy to be free, finally, of diapers! (She actually made it three weeks before her first accident, awesome!) Now I just have to teach her to do it on her own, instead of always needing help. She is getting there. This week she showed me that she can undress herself -- she wanted a bath, and next thing I knew she was running around stark naked. And she managed to dress herself, at least partway. One day she got panties, tights, socks and a dress on all by herself, all I had to do was the buttons and bow!
My baby is growing up, and finally I don't have panic attacks when I see other people pregnant or walking around with newborns. That doesn't mean I want another one, though!
Last thing this year, the sweater MaryAnna was knitting for Bethany finally arrived! Bethany picked the colours when we were visiting in Niagara Falls. They agreed on a pattern together, and went shopping together for just the right yarn (MaryAnna said it was an eye-opener shopping with Bethany, because she knew exactly what she wanted and was willing to shop around until she found it!). The sweater turned out just beautiful.
Other than that.... I'm trying to save up for my trip to Korea for Rob's wedding, so if you have any typing or transcribing you need done, let me know! (Or anything else I can do quietly on the computer at home for an hour or two per day.
If you go see the December pictures, don't miss the girls' artwork, "Jesus Baby" by Carrie Ann, and "Baby Jesus" and the "Rose Princess" by Bethany.
Carrie Ann has decided that she can make up new words as well! Recently she started using "innervating", which means something like annoying. Also, if it's not "his", it must be "shis" -- rhymes with his, means hers. Three year olds are so cute (but they still do cry, which she is doing right now, so I guess it's bedtime!).
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Appreciation
The other night, I was tucking Carrie Ann in when Matthias suddenly howled in frustration (the shower water went suddenly cold). So I told her, "Stay here and wait for a minute while I check on Matthias, and then I will come back and give you hair some more." I was hoping, though I know that usually she follows me within one minute when that happens. Well (after the shower water problem was solved), I returned to find her waiting patiently in bed for me! I said, "Thanks, Carrie Ann! I really appreciate that you waited in bed for me." Thinking to myself, I've been using the word "appreciate" around her for a couple weeks yet, and who said two year olds can't use four syllable words? When she answered, "I 'preciated that you comed back, Mommy." I love it when my kids appreciate me.
PS don't try to make complete sentences of everything I just wrote; I didn't.
PPS I just got back from a performance of Pride and Prejudice, in which a good friend of mine played Elizabeth Bennet. She did a smashing job! If you know her, be sure to congratulate her!
PS don't try to make complete sentences of everything I just wrote; I didn't.
PPS I just got back from a performance of Pride and Prejudice, in which a good friend of mine played Elizabeth Bennet. She did a smashing job! If you know her, be sure to congratulate her!
Friday, November 27, 2009
November's almost over already!
Well, after getting October done finally I was on a roll, so I decided to work on the November pictures as well. Besides, many of them are just pictures of things that actually happened in October.
I started with a "photo eulogy" of Opa, and pictures from his funeral. Thanks to MaryAnna, Uncle Al, and Angela, Jeremy and Ben for the pictures. Opa pictures: come see what he meant to me.
The rest of the pictures from November show the renovations and rearrangements Frank started in October and I finished in November, and Matthias and Bethany at school (and a couple miscellaneous things like my new haircut). Oh, and the new sun lamp can be seen on my desk under the blue and white tea towel (ugly lamp, pretty towel!), though it is now in the living room since I wanted to read in the morning before Frank and Carrie Ann are necessarily up. The mini-trampoline I haven't taken any pictures of yet, though I'm sure that will come!
Finally, I wanted to mention my dear cousin's baby. She was born Nov. 25 at 27 weeks and her lungs were not ready yet. Heather and Alex, we grieve with you for your beautiful daughter. I burned my mourning candle for her today (it was first lit when Deb miscarried Stretch). I look forward to meeting her when we all get to heaven!
I started with a "photo eulogy" of Opa, and pictures from his funeral. Thanks to MaryAnna, Uncle Al, and Angela, Jeremy and Ben for the pictures. Opa pictures: come see what he meant to me.
The rest of the pictures from November show the renovations and rearrangements Frank started in October and I finished in November, and Matthias and Bethany at school (and a couple miscellaneous things like my new haircut). Oh, and the new sun lamp can be seen on my desk under the blue and white tea towel (ugly lamp, pretty towel!), though it is now in the living room since I wanted to read in the morning before Frank and Carrie Ann are necessarily up. The mini-trampoline I haven't taken any pictures of yet, though I'm sure that will come!
Finally, I wanted to mention my dear cousin's baby. She was born Nov. 25 at 27 weeks and her lungs were not ready yet. Heather and Alex, we grieve with you for your beautiful daughter. I burned my mourning candle for her today (it was first lit when Deb miscarried Stretch). I look forward to meeting her when we all get to heaven!
Fall Videos
Well, looks like I forgot to blog about the videos I uploaded since things calmed down around here. So here is the list:
From August:
One of Carrie Ann's first successful attempts to make her tricycle go!
The evening Uncle Tony and Tante Marianne stopped by we were outside playing at sunset, and Carrie Ann showed off some of her new skills.
Dancing around with the piano demo music, with fancy princess hairdos in their hair!
Noisy noisemakers at Bethany's birthday party!
From October:
We always had fun in Opa and Oma's woods, and now my kids did too! Carrie Ann loved it that some of the trees were small enough for her to shake!
My crazy camera sometimes turns to video when you take it out of the case. So the first couple tries came out as videos, before we figured out what the problem was. Opa was so happy to be holding Carrie Ann's hand.
From November:
My new haircut is shorter than I was expecting, and when I shake my head the curly sides "floop" against my cheeks. So I call it my floopy haircut. It is cute.
Carrie Ann is so excited about the snow because she knows her birthday is on "a snowy day". She decided this white dress is her snowy day dress, and when she put it on in the morning she wanted to go straight outside and dance in the snow. (I had to persuade her to wait until I was dressed too!)
From August:
One of Carrie Ann's first successful attempts to make her tricycle go!
The evening Uncle Tony and Tante Marianne stopped by we were outside playing at sunset, and Carrie Ann showed off some of her new skills.
Dancing around with the piano demo music, with fancy princess hairdos in their hair!
Noisy noisemakers at Bethany's birthday party!
From October:
We always had fun in Opa and Oma's woods, and now my kids did too! Carrie Ann loved it that some of the trees were small enough for her to shake!
My crazy camera sometimes turns to video when you take it out of the case. So the first couple tries came out as videos, before we figured out what the problem was. Opa was so happy to be holding Carrie Ann's hand.
From November:
My new haircut is shorter than I was expecting, and when I shake my head the curly sides "floop" against my cheeks. So I call it my floopy haircut. It is cute.
Carrie Ann is so excited about the snow because she knows her birthday is on "a snowy day". She decided this white dress is her snowy day dress, and when she put it on in the morning she wanted to go straight outside and dance in the snow. (I had to persuade her to wait until I was dressed too!)
Thursday, November 26, 2009
October
Well, October was a busy and emotionally full month for me. Therefore, it has been hard to prepare to share about it -- I need to process it myself before I know just what I want to say. I am going to comment my photos -- I took over 200, and narrowed it down to "only" 80, and I know that's too much for most of you, but it's my scrapbook so I can do it how I like and you can flip through as fast as you want to (just look at the thumbnails, do a slideshow and pause when there's a long comment, or something like that).
First pictures, I signed up Bethany for ballet, and her new outfit arrived in the mail (it is a great use of her birthday money from Grandma each year).
That first week of October, I was thinking a lot about how quiet it was around the house while Matthias and Bethany were on the field trip with Frank. Homeschooling was going less well, Matthias was being more resistant, and I was having trouble focussing. I had a concussion a year ago, and I still find multi-tasking difficult and stressful. (The spot where I hit my head also hurts when it's cold, just like my ankle did for a few years after I sprained it.) I wanted to do more for Bethany in science and socials, but Matthias was taking all my energy and I felt I was not doing justice to the education they should be getting.
At the same time, I had been thinking since last spring of visiting Ontario to see Opa and Oma (they had never met Carrie Ann in person), to see Uncle Tony (he was sick) and to see Dave and Julie (my uncle and aunt) when they were around for the summer. I really wanted to go when Rob was there in July, but Frank said it was just too expensive.
So, in the first week of October, I found some better tickets ($50-$100 less per ticket, per way, per person), and decided that I was going to really regret it if I didn't go to Ontario soon, even if it meant we had to put off some renovations for another season. Uncle Tony had already passed away in July, and Dave and Julie and Rob weren't going to be there, but I didn't want to live with the regrets if I left it too late and missed visiting Opa.
So I bought the tickets, and started looking for a way to get to Calgary at 5 am on a Sunday morning. As I worked on this, I faced the fact that homeschooling was not going well enough, and decided to put Matthias and Bethany in to public school. I was pretty sure Bethany would do well (and she it), and I hoped that Matthias would do better in an atmosphere of compliance and a roomful of kids doing the same thing. Well, he has had three or four bad days (as bad as I feared), but on the whole he has been doing as well as I hoped -- he's working at his level, and not giving the teacher too much resistance. I met her at the store today, and she was really happy with how he did today! Anyway, back to the first week of October, as I was making travel arrangements, I gave up on homeschooling and registered the kids at the local public school, visiting their classrooms with them, and meeting their new teachers and principal. It is a really great school, with a lot of focus on learning virtues and making it a wholesome atmosphere for everyone there (no bullying allowed). I planned for them to start the Monday after we arrived home, allowing a day to rest up and unpack, and Friday was a Pro-D day.
So on Saturday October 10 we set off at 8 am for a restful Sabbath on the Greyhound. The kids were great, a lot of the other passengers really appreciated them (quiet on the bus and cute during the breaks), and I read "A Wrinkle in Time" -- the whole book -- to them.
The flight, and all the connections between bus, hotel and airport, went very smoothly, and I was overjoyed to "come home" to Thanksgiving with the Boonstra Family at Oma and Opa's. It was so great to see everyone again -- my cousins' babies and everything! In the afternoon, we all visited Opa in the hospital. He was so happy to see everyone, and was thrilled that "that beautiful young girl wanted to kiss him" (I'm not sure if he meant me or Bethany!).
The next few days we spent in Niagara Falls with Dad and MaryAnna. My good friend from highschool, Tonia-Joy, came to visit us, and we "did" the Falls together, as well as the SkyWheel, the big ferris wheel (pictures). It was so awesome to see her, and to spend some time with Dad. At Thanksgiving service, I most enjoyed the pipe organ in Dad's historic church! MaryAnna, unfortunately, was very ill those first couple of days, so we let her rest!
At the end of the week, I loaded the kids in Dad's car and we set off (through Toronto) to Bowmanville to visit cousins there (the ones who weren't at the Thanksgiving meal, mostly from Dad's side). Thanks to everyone who prayed for "travelling mercies", because I've never attempted city driving like that before, and it went really really well! We also enjoyed our time with our Toronto region cousins -- some I have pictures of, and some I do not, but I love them all. Some I hadn't seen since 2001, and a couple, even longer. On Friday morning, we even had time for a side-trip to see the CN Tower! How many BC kids can say they've been up the CN Tower?!
The beginning of the next week we spent with Dad and MaryAnna -- it was great to really get to spend some time with her. She has a lot of wisdom about life. We also visited with Dave and Julie -- did I tell you? Right after I booked the tickets, we got an email saying they were coming for Thanksgiving too -- I jumped for joy! We visited Oma as well, and Opa once more in the hospital. Aunt Kathy was with me that time, and we sat in the sunroom and talked while Opa watched Carrie Ann playing. It was so fun to see them together. The thing I remember most from that conversation was Opa saying "I want to go home *in the worst way*" At the time, the context meant, to his house, but I wondered if he also meant his heavenly home. He was very emphatic. On Monday he got to go home, and on Tuesday we visited him at home. He was on oxygen, but was able to take it off for a few minutes for picture taking. He held Carrie Ann's hand the whole time. They were so taken with each other! When she played, she would keep bringing her toy over to show him, or put on his lap, and he would listen to her and smile at her, and follow her around with his eyes as she played. She looked at Dad and announced joyfully, "I have two Opas!!" I don't have words to say how glad I am that we were there that day. Later on, we went for a walk in the woods, and that was such a beautiful time as well -- those woods are so full of happy memories for all us Boonstra cousins! (Pictures)
We left a 4 am, Ontario time, to head home on Wednesday. We stopped for a detour at the Calgary Children's Hospital, where I had a follow-up appointment about some tests Matthias had done in April. (No surprises there, he is still developing at his own consistent pace.) We spent the rest of the afternoon at the hospital, and caught an evening bus to Cranbrook, where Frank picked us up. When we finally arrived home, it was 1 am BC time -- a full 24 hours later! Thankfully, we all got a fair bit of sleep on the bus ride.
When we got home, Frank had indeed done his threatened renovations and rearrangements! Thanks to his earnest efforts, and his mom's help, the furniture (as well as ceilings and floors) were all back in place, and the kids bed had been made up. I had to find my bedding on the couch... The next couple days of "resting up and getting ready for school" ended up being a mad rush to bring order to the chaos in the house. But by the time Monday came, the beds were made, the linens stored, the toys and books all rearranged, the living room cleaned up, and the house was livable. Then I got to "decorate" my desk -- the new "me space" Frank created for me in the rearranged bedroom. Pictures will come, but by the time I was done and took pictures, it was November already!
So the kids started school. Bethany brought cupcakes with whipped cream and sprinkles, and found out that two of her friends were already in her class, so she fit right in no problem. Matthias brought chocolate chip cookies, and his classmates were very friendly. However, the Gr. 5 class didn't have a Teacher's Assistant, so after three days they moved him to a Gr. 4 class with a TA (and another Gr. 5 student who needs a little extra assistance). He fits in very well with the Gr. 4 class -- they are more the same size as him, and closer to his academic level. His teacher also loves science!
I bought a sunlamp, and just this week Frank picked up a mini-trampoline for me, so that I can continue to stave off depression during the dark winter months here. Carrie Ann has become somewhat less clingy, and is doing better at toilet training, now that she has some hours each day of my undivided attention. I even have energy, time and attention to cook something special once in a while now -- pumpkin pie, apple crisp, or a three course meal (I couldn't cook two things at once for quite a while, so while the meals were nutritionally complete, usually one part was cooked or "prepared", and the other two were just opened or peeled).
Meantime, Frank also got the furnace fixed (yay!) and the leaky sewer pipe -- this I have pictures of!
The last thing that happened in October, on the 30th, was that Opa passed away. I thank God so much for impressing my conscience that I better visit now or I'll really regret it (I don't know if I could have handled it if I had not gone). But I did, and I am incredibly thankful for that. Now Opa is at Home, and we will see him again later, but not right now.
I hope you enjoy all the pictures (or at least some of them!).
First pictures, I signed up Bethany for ballet, and her new outfit arrived in the mail (it is a great use of her birthday money from Grandma each year).
That first week of October, I was thinking a lot about how quiet it was around the house while Matthias and Bethany were on the field trip with Frank. Homeschooling was going less well, Matthias was being more resistant, and I was having trouble focussing. I had a concussion a year ago, and I still find multi-tasking difficult and stressful. (The spot where I hit my head also hurts when it's cold, just like my ankle did for a few years after I sprained it.) I wanted to do more for Bethany in science and socials, but Matthias was taking all my energy and I felt I was not doing justice to the education they should be getting.
At the same time, I had been thinking since last spring of visiting Ontario to see Opa and Oma (they had never met Carrie Ann in person), to see Uncle Tony (he was sick) and to see Dave and Julie (my uncle and aunt) when they were around for the summer. I really wanted to go when Rob was there in July, but Frank said it was just too expensive.
So, in the first week of October, I found some better tickets ($50-$100 less per ticket, per way, per person), and decided that I was going to really regret it if I didn't go to Ontario soon, even if it meant we had to put off some renovations for another season. Uncle Tony had already passed away in July, and Dave and Julie and Rob weren't going to be there, but I didn't want to live with the regrets if I left it too late and missed visiting Opa.
So I bought the tickets, and started looking for a way to get to Calgary at 5 am on a Sunday morning. As I worked on this, I faced the fact that homeschooling was not going well enough, and decided to put Matthias and Bethany in to public school. I was pretty sure Bethany would do well (and she it), and I hoped that Matthias would do better in an atmosphere of compliance and a roomful of kids doing the same thing. Well, he has had three or four bad days (as bad as I feared), but on the whole he has been doing as well as I hoped -- he's working at his level, and not giving the teacher too much resistance. I met her at the store today, and she was really happy with how he did today! Anyway, back to the first week of October, as I was making travel arrangements, I gave up on homeschooling and registered the kids at the local public school, visiting their classrooms with them, and meeting their new teachers and principal. It is a really great school, with a lot of focus on learning virtues and making it a wholesome atmosphere for everyone there (no bullying allowed). I planned for them to start the Monday after we arrived home, allowing a day to rest up and unpack, and Friday was a Pro-D day.
So on Saturday October 10 we set off at 8 am for a restful Sabbath on the Greyhound. The kids were great, a lot of the other passengers really appreciated them (quiet on the bus and cute during the breaks), and I read "A Wrinkle in Time" -- the whole book -- to them.
The flight, and all the connections between bus, hotel and airport, went very smoothly, and I was overjoyed to "come home" to Thanksgiving with the Boonstra Family at Oma and Opa's. It was so great to see everyone again -- my cousins' babies and everything! In the afternoon, we all visited Opa in the hospital. He was so happy to see everyone, and was thrilled that "that beautiful young girl wanted to kiss him" (I'm not sure if he meant me or Bethany!).
The next few days we spent in Niagara Falls with Dad and MaryAnna. My good friend from highschool, Tonia-Joy, came to visit us, and we "did" the Falls together, as well as the SkyWheel, the big ferris wheel (pictures). It was so awesome to see her, and to spend some time with Dad. At Thanksgiving service, I most enjoyed the pipe organ in Dad's historic church! MaryAnna, unfortunately, was very ill those first couple of days, so we let her rest!
At the end of the week, I loaded the kids in Dad's car and we set off (through Toronto) to Bowmanville to visit cousins there (the ones who weren't at the Thanksgiving meal, mostly from Dad's side). Thanks to everyone who prayed for "travelling mercies", because I've never attempted city driving like that before, and it went really really well! We also enjoyed our time with our Toronto region cousins -- some I have pictures of, and some I do not, but I love them all. Some I hadn't seen since 2001, and a couple, even longer. On Friday morning, we even had time for a side-trip to see the CN Tower! How many BC kids can say they've been up the CN Tower?!
The beginning of the next week we spent with Dad and MaryAnna -- it was great to really get to spend some time with her. She has a lot of wisdom about life. We also visited with Dave and Julie -- did I tell you? Right after I booked the tickets, we got an email saying they were coming for Thanksgiving too -- I jumped for joy! We visited Oma as well, and Opa once more in the hospital. Aunt Kathy was with me that time, and we sat in the sunroom and talked while Opa watched Carrie Ann playing. It was so fun to see them together. The thing I remember most from that conversation was Opa saying "I want to go home *in the worst way*" At the time, the context meant, to his house, but I wondered if he also meant his heavenly home. He was very emphatic. On Monday he got to go home, and on Tuesday we visited him at home. He was on oxygen, but was able to take it off for a few minutes for picture taking. He held Carrie Ann's hand the whole time. They were so taken with each other! When she played, she would keep bringing her toy over to show him, or put on his lap, and he would listen to her and smile at her, and follow her around with his eyes as she played. She looked at Dad and announced joyfully, "I have two Opas!!" I don't have words to say how glad I am that we were there that day. Later on, we went for a walk in the woods, and that was such a beautiful time as well -- those woods are so full of happy memories for all us Boonstra cousins! (Pictures)
We left a 4 am, Ontario time, to head home on Wednesday. We stopped for a detour at the Calgary Children's Hospital, where I had a follow-up appointment about some tests Matthias had done in April. (No surprises there, he is still developing at his own consistent pace.) We spent the rest of the afternoon at the hospital, and caught an evening bus to Cranbrook, where Frank picked us up. When we finally arrived home, it was 1 am BC time -- a full 24 hours later! Thankfully, we all got a fair bit of sleep on the bus ride.
When we got home, Frank had indeed done his threatened renovations and rearrangements! Thanks to his earnest efforts, and his mom's help, the furniture (as well as ceilings and floors) were all back in place, and the kids bed had been made up. I had to find my bedding on the couch... The next couple days of "resting up and getting ready for school" ended up being a mad rush to bring order to the chaos in the house. But by the time Monday came, the beds were made, the linens stored, the toys and books all rearranged, the living room cleaned up, and the house was livable. Then I got to "decorate" my desk -- the new "me space" Frank created for me in the rearranged bedroom. Pictures will come, but by the time I was done and took pictures, it was November already!
So the kids started school. Bethany brought cupcakes with whipped cream and sprinkles, and found out that two of her friends were already in her class, so she fit right in no problem. Matthias brought chocolate chip cookies, and his classmates were very friendly. However, the Gr. 5 class didn't have a Teacher's Assistant, so after three days they moved him to a Gr. 4 class with a TA (and another Gr. 5 student who needs a little extra assistance). He fits in very well with the Gr. 4 class -- they are more the same size as him, and closer to his academic level. His teacher also loves science!
I bought a sunlamp, and just this week Frank picked up a mini-trampoline for me, so that I can continue to stave off depression during the dark winter months here. Carrie Ann has become somewhat less clingy, and is doing better at toilet training, now that she has some hours each day of my undivided attention. I even have energy, time and attention to cook something special once in a while now -- pumpkin pie, apple crisp, or a three course meal (I couldn't cook two things at once for quite a while, so while the meals were nutritionally complete, usually one part was cooked or "prepared", and the other two were just opened or peeled).
Meantime, Frank also got the furnace fixed (yay!) and the leaky sewer pipe -- this I have pictures of!
The last thing that happened in October, on the 30th, was that Opa passed away. I thank God so much for impressing my conscience that I better visit now or I'll really regret it (I don't know if I could have handled it if I had not gone). But I did, and I am incredibly thankful for that. Now Opa is at Home, and we will see him again later, but not right now.
I hope you enjoy all the pictures (or at least some of them!).
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