Remembrance day poems and resources

Remembrance Trees

In Flanders Fields today you see,
Poppies growing beneath the trees,
The trees have grown up big and strong,
They represent that time has gone,

The trees you see began to grow,
After our soldiers were placed in rows,
As these trees grow older and older,
We must remember the lives of our soldiers,

For with their lives they gave us their gift,
Our spirits flow freely and gently they lift,
From place to place we can move without sorrow,
For us they have given us a brighter tomorrow.

By Marian Foskett & Dylan Allan

Poppy colouring pages

http://www.bigactivities.com/coloring/remembrance_day/poppies/index.html

A simple explanation

http://www.kidsturncentral.com/holidays/remember.htm

A mini book

http://www.dltk-teach.com/minibooks/flanders/index.htm

A Craft

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/remembrance/mvflower.html

Flanders Field Poem

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/remembrance/mpoem.htm

In Flanders Fields Poem

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

The rest of October

I figure I should probably get up to date on some blogging. I've been working a fair bit this past month, and volunteering, and the time has flown. I figure that for each 1 or 2, 12 hr shift that I work, I need a full day at home to clean up the mess, get caught up again, and re-establish boundaries and relationships with the kids. That's pretty much been October for me. Ryan went away for 10 nights total, 7 in Nashville and 1 in Minneapolis and 2 in Edmonton. Having Evelyn in school for most days makes it much easier to manage while he's gone. The weather's been hovering around zero. So, we get snow, it melts, it turns to ice, it melts some more, then we get more snow. The kids have enjoyed it none the less!

The kids also had fun building a fort out of the kitchen chairs and some blankets. I love how Ethan is looking at Evelyn. He's so happy to be playing with her!

I had my first 'parent helper' day in Evelyn's class. She is certainly the clown of the class. She will say or do things simply to make the kids laugh. Most of the time, it's distracting and causes her teacher to have to gain control of the kids, again. I've been talking to Evelyn about it, so I hope she stops soon. I volunteer again tomorrow, so we'll see how it goes. Though, Ryan called me this morning to say that only 46 kids were at school today (out of about 100) and 5 staff were off sick. Sick with what? Well, there are confirmed H1N1 cases at the school and it spreads like wildfire! So, the kids who are there will be getting some more one on one time!

Her class is working on "popcorn" words that pop up everywhere and need to be learned/memorized. So, she is learning: the, it, is, in, at, a, this, that... you get the idea. The kids have made 2 little books that she 'reads' to us. I'm pretty sure she has them memorized, but sometimes, I think she's actually looking at the words and reading them. One is called 'Run Turkey, Run' the other is called 'Five little Pumpkins'. I should take a video of her reciting them.

The playgroup had a halloween potluck party on Wednesday. There have been 4 new moms coming out with their kids. So, that is really great. Most of the kids are 3 and under. The youngest is a newborn (with a big brother). Several of us have brought in ride on toys that we don't use often. The kids spend much of the time riding around and around the large (gym sized) room we meet in. I took Evelyn to the party day (she missed the morning of school) so I could take her and Ethan to get vaccinated before I started work. She enjoyed being the big kid and the 3 yr old girls followed her around the whole time.

I have started working the H1N1 clinics. The hours are very flexible, and a bit sporadic, so it works out well for me. I am waiting to hear back from the 'healthy living' program to find out if I can work some mornings with them again this year.

Ethan is almost 3 years old now and has hit a new development milestone. He seems to be way more helpful and eager to be the helper. I think this is because he's figuring out sequencing and what tasks need to be done in what order. For example, I'll say 'let's have some cereal for breakfast' and he'll say "I'll get the bowl, and the milk!" He's finally starting to play by himself a bit. He likes to line up his 'Radiator Springs" 'Cars' cars, and build and take apart, and build and take apart... the mega blocks 'Cars' cars that he has. Sometimes I hear him making a story with the toys, but not too often. He's started singing more often and loves a new song we learned about a rocket ship.

Evelyn is very interested in friends right now. She wants to have them, she wants to play at their houses (not something we've done yet) and she is very aware of the social dynamics of her class. She is starting to divide boys from girls and make statements like 'I only play with the girls.' etc. Overall, she seems to be doing well in her class socially.


She's been assessed by the Occupational Therapist at the school for some guidance about whether she is right or left handed, and why she walks on tip toe so much. One possibility for the toe walking is that she has a sensory integration issue. This would also explain her finicky likes and dislikes about smells and how sounds can bother her sometimes. I read through some info on a website and I'm not sure it fits well. I think she walks tip toe in part because I did! I had thought for a while that she had decided to be left handed, now she's back to writing and colouring with both. I think she is truely ambidextrous. At times, she will write things in a mirrored script (like DaVinci wrote in his journals) so, I'll continue to monitor her as she learns written language to see if any dyslexia crops up. Her favorite subject is probably math. They are doing patterns, so she sees and points out patterns everywhere.

I took the kids to the Costume Parade at the school on Friday. Ethan wore a pirate costume that Ryan's mom made (hat and all!) He charmed the judges, oozed personality, and won the contest for 'under 5 boy'. This is his second win. Last year he was a safari man riding a zebra.

Evelyn wore a 'Snow White' costume made by Ryan's mom also. She looked so cute and she spent much of the time twirling around and admiring her dress.

When we sorted through the candy the other day, Evelyn immediately picked out and set aside the 'chokey candies' that were not safe to eat. I don't let the kids have hard, round candies becuase they're too easy for them to choke on. I like that label 'chokey candies'. Then, she decided how to sort the candy. Chocolates, gummies, suckers, and a small miscelanious pile with tootsie rolls and rockets.

Today, we are having some soffits and fascia installed on the house. We had lost a fair bit in some wind storms over the years. That's about it!

Thanksgiving Weekend 'Now Edited with Pics!'

Perhaps the caption for this first pic should read "Siblings that pee together stick together" or "We really need a second bathroom". They thought this was a great joke and giggled for about 5 min about sharing the toilet.

On Friday morning, after Ryan only managed to get about 90 min of sleep, we headed to the airport to send him on a conference in Nashville TN. He went into school after I got home from work, and the kids were in bed and stayed there until his sub plans were done. I think he got to bed about 4:30 am!

After dropping him off, I took the kids to Ikea for lunch and 'Smalville'. Ethan is pretty much potty trained during the day, so this was a reward for him. (Kids must be potty trained to go in the playroom) The kids had fun for the 30 min they could play before we had to head BACK to the airport.



As we were going to be in the area at the same time she arrived, I offered to pick up a travel nurse named Pamela at the airport and drive her to Boyle, rather than her having to take the Greyhound. Her flight arrived literally 2 min before Ryan's flight to Nashville took off. After, we went to Sears to look for a winter coat for Evelyn.

Evelyn fell in love with the first jacket she tried on. It's long and styled like the parka jackets worn in the north. I think it will work well. It came with a hat, scarf, and mittens to match too. The jacket and snow pants were on 25% off, so the total was **$90!**. I SO wish I'd been able to find something at a thrift store! I looked at a few thrift stores, and they had absolutely nothing! We tried on jackets in Wal-Mart and Fields, but they were all too big in the torso. With the -5 - -10 temps and snow we're getting, I needed something for her now! At least she really likes the jacket she chose and it should serve her well.

Ethan has been pushing boundaries and getting into things he knows not to. He put his Buzz Lightyear doll (his favorite toy right now) into the bath with Evelyn this morning. It no longer makes sound. I must say, I'm not that upset by this consequence to his actions. He, however, does not feel the same way!

Ethan has continued to push against the rules for the rest of today too. Grrr! He peed on our bedspread while he was supposed to be watching a movie with Evelyn. I was installing new window shades in our kitchen at the time. He spread apple sauce all over the railing and couch while I went downstairs to change over the laundry. He almost flooded the bathroom while he 'washed' his hands while I was changing into PJ's. Whenever I specifically tell him NOT to touch something, he is touching it a few seconds later. When we were doing errands today, he refused to hold my hand when I told him to while we were crossing the road and in the parking lots. Most of his disobedience is little things, but he's doing so much of it, it's getting extremely frustrating.

Evelyn just watches him do these things she knows he shouldn't do, then, when he's done, yells out "Mommy, Ethan just...peed on your bed, ...put apple sauce everywhere, ...got water all over me and all over the bathroom..."

Last night, despite my best efforts, I fell asleep before Ethan did. He went into the bathroom and took my jar of Vit E oil (I had been putting it on a scratch he had on his face) and the foaming soap dispenser and dumped them all over his carpet. I woke up a little later, heard him still awake, and found the sticky, gooey mess all over his carpet. Evelyn had been sound asleep for at least an hour at this point. I have no idea why he was still awake.

I am tired of having to watch him directly all the time. Even a couple minutes without me looking at him, and he's getting into trouble and making huge messes. This stage of his development can not pass too soon in my opinion!

Anyway, at this time, the cheesecake I'm making for tomorrow has 30 min left in the oven. Our Duvet has about 50 min left in the dryer before I can possibly head to bed. I'm going to fold some laundry, and figure out the timing of all the food for tomorrow. I set the table today. It looks good! I took some pictures with the old digital camera. The last of the window stuff came in today too. I like how it's turned out. It makes me want to get the kitchen finished.

I put Evelyn to work writing out some place cards for the table. I lightly wrote the names in pencil, and she traced it in Crayon. She thought that her card "Miss. Evelyn" was hilarious, and decided that mine "Mrs. Mommy" was the silliest thing ever. We also set a place for Teddy and gave him a place card too. His dishes are Evelyn's china tea cup and saucer from the set we bought her and his cutlery is drawn on paper by Evelyn and cut out by her too.

Here's an excerpt from an e-mail from Ryan. This is from his first night in Nashville.


"It was a long day but the city has lots of personality from the one small stretch we walked down looking for dinner. Every spot seemed to have live music. We stopped in a pub and I'm 99% sure one of the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica (the mechanic) was with a group of guys who were whistling at their male waiter. Kind of odd. Dinner was good. That's been about it so far."

He also saw a guy that looked just like Santa, and country music singer Teri Clark. Nashville is full of celebs!

That's all for now!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Good-bye 20's

Today was a BEAUTIFUL first day of Autumn. The temperature matched my new age, sunny skies, the leaves are changing colour, crisp morning air, then wonderful warmth.

Ryan presented me with tickets to see the Vinyl Cafe Christmas concert (again) on Dec 6th. I thoroughly enjoyed the show last year, and am really excited to go again this year.

He also managed to get a Dairy Queen cake for me. This is quite a feat as the closest DQ is about 2 hrs away, and he hadn't been to the city in a long time.

The kids were very sweet and gave me cards they had made. Evelyn decorated the envelope for the tickets with dozens of sparkly stickers.




I had felt a lot of trepidation about this coming milestone, but it's turned out okay (so far...) I had a small third-of-life crisis. So, instead of buying myself a new car, I got a haircut! What do you think? I modified the bangs a bit at home as the stylist made them a tad long and too curved in on the sides. Now they're more straight across. (see last picture) I'm interested to see how my hair looks in the morning after it's been washed and not strait-ironed and blow-dried. Right now, I like it. It makes me feel kind of sassy.











Overall, this has actually been a very positive birthday. I do feel older, and it's not 'just another day older' somehow. I'm going to have to consciously learn to celebrate my 'fine lines' and accept the more frequent appearance of grey hairs as a mark of experience. I've heard a quote lately that says "At 20 you have the face God gave you, at 40 you have the face you've earned." So far, I see smile lines. I can definitely live life with the honor of having my face show that I smile!

Evelyn is a student!

On Tuesday, Sept 8, 2009, Evelyn began the part of her life where she will be a student. It was exciting and a little bit overwhelming for her, but she's settled in well now.

Her teacher is Miss. Megan Devereaux, the aide is Mrs. Irene Gautier. Her class has about 14 students. Evelyn is one of the youngest kids in the class.

The first day, she was the class cryer. Here's some of the highlights of the day as told by the staff at the school.

Near the beginning of the day, the kids had snack. Evelyn had a granola bar and drink that I sent with her. The school also provides a snack for the kids. Evelyn noticed that one of her table mates did not have a snack. She raised her hand and asked the aide Mrs.G (who related the story) to help her open her granola bar and could she "Please break it in half so my friend can have some too". I understand that Mrs. G had to fight back tears and happily obliged.

A little later, Evelyn used the washroom and closed the stall door (as I had told her she needed to do!) Well, the door got stuck and she called for help. The story I got from Mrs.G was this "I heard this little 'Excuse me! Excuse me! I need help' coming from the washroom and found Evelyn stuck in the stall. I had to push against the door fairly hard to make it open. I did not realize she had her face right next to the door, so when it did open, I banged her next to her eye." And then the water works started! I think Evelyn was pretty maxed out on stress already and any blip in the process of the day was enough to push her over the edge. Eventually, she calmed down and did well until the end of the day, though she was a bit whiney.

As the day ended, the kids lined up for each of the busses. This was the point when Evelyn remembered/was reminded that she was not riding the bus yet (we still had to set that up) . The story I got from Ryan was this: "As I walked down the hall, I could hear some wimpering, like she was trying not to cry. Robin (the counsellor) indicated that I should just keep going, so I tried not to look at her as I walked past. But I could see her sitting in the bottom of her locker, with just her legs sticking out trying so hard not to cry, but with her bottom lip quivering." She was pretty devastated, but got to visit in Daddy's office after her class got on the bus.

When I picked her up, she burst into tears for no apparent reason as we walked to the car. As soon as we got home, she changed into her pajamas, scarfed down a snack of left over pizza, and asked to have quiet time in her room watching a movie. After about an hour, she emerged and had a good evening.

She later shared that her favorite part of the day was looking around the school for the racoon stuffy that was sneaking from place to place. This was a clever activity Miss.D planned to show the kids around the school. Rather than a tour, they went on a racoon finding adventure.

The next day was better, with only one episode of tears when she did not win a game that the class played. She still wanted to ride the bus, but understood that it would be a few days until we got it settled. She again changed into PJ's as soon as she got home, and wanted a snack and quiet time for about an hour. We talked about feeling happy for the person who wins and practiced saying "Congratulations! I'm happy for you". She stated that there were no favorite parts of this day. Loosing at the game and not riding the bus again overpowered all the positives.

The third day was better yet. No crying at all! She even won a game of freeze tag during gym and did a good job in her Metis Culture / Jigging class. Her favorite part of this day was winning the freeze tag game.

On Monday, she go to ride the bus to/from school. That totally made her day. She again wanted to change into PJ's and have quiet time as soon as she got home. She had a visit from the Occupational Therapist at school. She gave us some tips on how to help her figure out which hand is her dominant one. She is still using both hands for colouring and writing, but uses her right hand about 60% of the time. Ryan says the other students are commenting on her preference to walk on her tippy toes. She does this whenever she is excited. She also made her first school friend. Her name is Megan. Ryan tells me that they were inseparable at recess and held hands coming into school. He overheard Evelyn telling Megan that "You have to tell your mom to call my mom so we can have a playdate". Maybe in October we can arrange something! I have to work every weekend in September.

Ethan has been a bit of a couch potato. He is not used to playing independently all the time. He wandered around a bit, but loved being able to choose what he wanted to watch without having to come to a concensus with Evelyn. After lunch, he asks when Evelyn will come home. The house has been quiet and it has barely gotten messy! (How nice is that!)

He is determined to be in as many pictures with Evelyn as possible, but he just stands there looking stubborn and sad. As you can tell from the bundled up 'hank' clutched closely to his chest and the hood on his head, Ethan was feeling a little uncomfortable with this new change too.

I managed the first day with only a few tears welling up in my eyes, (when I read the note her teacher sent home with me) but none shed. I felt listless and unfocused and very introverted for the first couple days. Evelyn's teacher gave each parent who dropped off their child a little baggy with a cotton ball, tissue, and a tea bag. It also included a note which I will include here:

"Dear Kindergarten Parents and Guardians,
Here is a little 'gift' for you as you leave your precious one with me on the first day of school. As you hold this cotton ball in your hand, the softness will help you to remember the gentle spirit of your child. After you've gone home and dried your tears, make yourself a hot cup of tea. Put up your feet and relax. Remember that together you and I will work for your child to be the best they can be. Thank you for entrusting your child to me for the coming school year. I will do my very best evert day to be your child's guide in learning and exploring this bright, new world they've just stepped into. Sincerely, Miss. Devereaux"

Evelyn came home the first day with a little bag too. Hers held a few treats and a note. This one said "Dear Evelyn, You are a star in my class. It's OK to make mistakes...that's how we learn. You are going to learn so much this year. Everyone needs a hug - let me know if you need one. I'm so happy to have you in my class! Love, Miss. Devereaux"

Her teacher is wonderful, I am totally confident in her abilities and passion for her profession.

The most common response I've recieved from others when I tell them Evelyn is going to Caslan school is reserved and surprised. The schools reputation is not great. I am, however, at peace with our decision to send her there.

Evelyn is getting an oppertunity for her character to grow in the slightly adverse situation. She is encountering stresses and having to learn how to control herself, and get along with others. She is being exposed to children she would never have met otherwise, some of whom come from very different homes than we have and have behaviours and attitudes to match their homelife. I am thankful that she has an oppertunity to know these children. I hope that she will show a loving spirit and embrace the chance to practice some of the values we have taught her. These sorts of learning oppertunities are equally valuable to me as academics are.

I will continue to work on printing and reading etc with her after school. Not because I'm trying to counter some deficiency in her schooling, but because that is what a concientious, caring parent does! (I will admit though, my passion lies in biology and science more than printing!) We've been learning about mushrooms, dragonflies, and the aurora borealis lately. Basically, whatever we encounter, that she asks questions about, we look for more info. I love this organic learning and plan to continue enriching her experience with the world in this way.

September 2009 Photos School Start and Ryan's B-Day

Pictures from August 2009

Photos from August. We played outside, went to a splash park, visited the lake up the road and hung around the house.

Since we've been home..

we have relaxed. Ryan and I take turns sleeping in.

We've given the camera a rest too.

I painted and washed the exterior windows on the back of the house. Now they match the front of the house.
I organized and junked out our linen closet, craft closet, and under the bathroom sink.
I organized and reduced the clutter of both kids rooms. (I got 3 laundry baskets full of stuff out of Ethan's room!)

I have spent entire days reading. (Wonderful! )

I've worked one day shift. I have 4 more shifts scheduled in the last week of Aug.

Ryan has organized some of the office and worked on his hobby trading card website.

The kids have played, alot. Not outside too much. We have these Deer Flies at out house that pack a nasty and painful bite and seem unbothered by 'Off' spray. Their bites have left bruises on me! It's also been pretty cool most days. It even went down to 3 degrees outside at night a few times. I actually turned the furnace on for one cycle!

We did go to the beach once. Lots of little fish to be seen. Lots of crickets too. They make a really neat pattern in the sand as they hop across.

We went to the dentist (the whole family) for the first time ever for the kids. They just had a check up, not a cleaning. I've never had my teeth praised so much in my life. This dentist and his sister (the hygenist) LOVE teeth. They seem genuinely excited by them. The kids and I are cavity free! Ryan gets to have a repeat visit in October. My gums were so sore from my scaling and flossing, I had to take 2 doses of Advil. Ryan managed without any meds.

We went to the optometrist. Evleyn has the "same eyes as her Mom". She's farsighted, but 20/20 and will not need glasses at this time.

We went to West Ed Mall. Ryan took Evelyn to a movie about hamsters or gerbils or guinee pigs (pick a rodent) who were spies. He slept for part of it. Evelyn has not made any mention of the movie since she saw it. I think it was just that good!

We took her shopping for a new outfit for her first day of school. She chose well! A pretty pink shirt with tiny flowers all over it, khaki pants, and cute brown MaryJane shoes with pink flowers on them. She didn't really need any clothes, but a new outfit for school seems to be a tradition, so she got one. Photos to come in September!

We measured both kids. Evelyn has grown a centemeter since June. Ethan grew an inch since May. Evelyn has gained 3 lbs over the summer and is now the magical weight of 40 lbs. This means she can use a booster seat instead of the carseat harness. I plan to switch her seat over today.

I bought some stain for our back stairs/deck. I should put that on before Ryan starts work again. It's much easier to get things done when there is another person around to help supervise the kids. I submitted a request for an estimate for floors. We decided to do the 'teak' laminate with the vinyl. I'm hoping to see that done in the next 4-6 weeks. I continue to attempt to get someone out to fix our soffits. It's not going well. I'll try yet another exterior contractor on Tuesday.

I think I may work on repressurizing the water pressure tank today. The pump has been turning on way more than usual, and the gauge has dropped. It'll give my arms a nice workout on the bike pump! I also need to replace the valve at the bottom of the toilet tank. I thought it was just a build up of iron that was making it leak, but after I removed the iron, I can see the valve is warped and breaking down. I'm pretty sure I did this repair shortly after we bought the house. That seems like a short lifespan for a valve. I'll spend the extra $2 for the higher quality one this time.

How's that for a newsy update? To quote Jane Austin "Life is but a quick succession of busy nothings."

Returning Home

After almost 3 weeks in Victoria, and a full month away from home, (except for 3 days the kids and I returned during Ryan's seminar) we headed back to Caslan early on July 27 and arrived home about 10:30 pm July 28th.


We took one of the new ferries, the 'Coastal Celebration' and enjoyed the phenomenally warm temps outside on deck. We were comfortable in t-shirts - even in the strong wind at the front of the ship! I can't remember ever feeling so much warmth while on a ferry. It was beautiful.

We stopped at the J's again and were treated to a turkey dinner and home made pumpkin pie ice cream. Yummy!

The next morning, we were up at 6 am and out the door by 6:30 am. We had several potty stops along the way, and took the Ice Field Parkway from Banff to Jasper rather than going the faster route from Calgary to Edmonton. It added about 2 hrs to the trip, but it was beautiful! That stretch of the park is so interesting to look at. We had a 'Lupper' (lunch/supper) in Jasper at around 4pm BC time/ 5 pm AB time then sprinted for home.



The kids, as usual, did very well and only watched one or two movies during the 15 hr car ride.

Alberta seems to have had lots of rain. The grass is all green and lush. Our lawn was a solid 30-50 cm long! Oddly, I heard that our county is declaring an 'agricultural disaster' due to drought conditions. I guess most of our county missed all the rain and their neighbouring county (which we are very close to) got all of it instead. Funny how that happens.

Hanging out at Nana's (photos by Brenda)

Camping at Cowichan Lake

Evelyn went fishing with Papa. She unknowingly caught something too! This little trout was on one of the lines when we reeled it in before we headed back. Evelyn was SO proud that she caught a fish! She refused to get too close to it, or thouch it, and she jumped away when it wiggled. But, she was beaming!

Dawne and Karl joined us late Friday night. Ethan found a new buddy in Uncle Karl.

The second night, it rained and there was a wedding nearby. They had a live band that was very good. We would have loved to listen to them, except that they started playing at 12:15 AM and completed their set at about 3:00 AM. They played well, just not at the right time for us to fully appreciate them!

A visit with Uncle Tim

I took my brother Tim to a movie, then after, we returned to Ryan's Mom's place for a spagetti dinner and a walk along the Galloping Goose trail. Ethan loved holding Tim's hand during the walk. It was a nice, low key visit.

Tim is turning 18 in October and will be graduating from Stellies High School next summer.