Will came home for March Break and it got kind of lost in the funeral and all that came with that. But our time together was gold and it went by too fast! It felt like old times to have my kids with me again and I soaked it up.
In homeschool this year, Zanna and I have been part of a homeschool co-op for the first time. It's a group of mothers coming together under a theme to share in the teaching of our kids ranging in age from junior kindergarten up to high school. Think one room schoolhouse meets Ms. Frizzle. It's a great way to learn for the kids and a great way for moms to use their individual skills and interests to share with everyone. Each unit theme takes three mornings (once a week) to cover. The curriculum has already been written (by a mom) and then is implemented by everyone. A typical morning includes an opening, a rotation of various lessons that has a mix of hands on, experiments, crafts or games. It ends with a review and closing.
I had been asked in the winter to fill in last minute and help come up with the curriculum that had been started by another mom who was no longer part of the co-op. The theme was "China" and since I had some experience in that area, I agreed to research and write it along with another mom. It was A TON of work but it was the implementation of it in March that was so exciting to watch unfold. The older kids made a salt dough map of China that took all three sessions to finish. They decorated their own "Ming Plates", made stir-fried rice, learned about panda bears and dragons, built the Great Wall of China - in one morning, and learned some words to say and write in Mandarin among other things. It was awesome.
Around the house I've continued working on the finishing touches of the basement. We are loving it! It's hard to even remember what it used to look like down there.
Mom and Dad picked out the futon mattress they wanted back in February. It's a big one that opens into a queen size! It's nice to have that extra space to watch TV and stay cool now that it's warming up outside. On the wall, I found some really neat decals I made on Shutterfly. They stick right on - no nails!
My other home project was to give Zanna her birthday present from back in February - to redo her room. It used to look like this ...
Pink. Very pink. Which is fine and was cuter when she was little and all that. But I thought we could go more "pre-teen" and give her a room to grow into.
The walls are neutral now with one accent wall of a grey/purple colour. The banner is courtesy of her godmother's talents. Her books are easily accessible and she now has a reading light and shelf to reach her currents reads.
I was also able to incorporate a beautiful umbrella that someone had given us from China and was too pretty to actually use in the rain. And above her curtains hang some lights just like Will has above his window for "mood lighting". I also hemmed the curtains by myself, thank you very much. With peel and stick hem tape. She's loving her new room! #thankgoodnessforikea #ishouldhaveboughtstockinikea
Mother's Day was lovely even if it was the first one without my son:(. Wayne and Zanna went out of their way to make the day special. The weekend before was a sweet Mother's Day Tea that the Lutheran Pioneers put on.
I woke up to singing (Happy Mother's Day to you) on Sunday and treated to a breakfast of scrambled eggs with chopped tomatoes, basil and feta that Zanna made herself. She also presented me with a card and craft that she made on the sly (which is challenging to do when you're at home most of the time). Lunch was on the go as we had the Quebec church to get to that afternoon for service. Dinner was grilled salmon steaks on a cedar plank made by Wayne. Yum! My son did technically contact me on Mother's Day to tell me that he'd be playing his violin in a concert that night that I could watch online. Which is thoughtful for a 14 boy. I'll take it!
I had already treated myself earlier to an awesome new blender that is considered my Mother's Day, birthday and possible Christmas present. This sucker blends whatever you can feed it to a smooth consistency. I'm in heaven. I've made various smoothies, enchilada sauce, sorbet, frappe chinos, pancake batter and soup in this puppy. Sometimes I use it for every meal. I'd be happy to invite you over for a demonstration:)
We are looking forward to picking up Will from school soon and having him home for the summer. I know the summer will fly by and we have plenty of activities planned already!
This past school year has been a huge change for us all. It's with a huge sigh of relief that we've almost made it through! Change can be daunting and the fear of the unknown can mess with the imagination. The reality is that God is consistent in His presence and care even when life is changing rapidly. We won't be able to share in Will's upcoming birthday with the usual festivities of the past, but the lilies-of-the-valley still came up! We'll make new traditions in celebrating his special day after the fact. Instead of having a whole day all about him, he'll get to take three final exams! Welcome to real life, son... but we still celebrate the day of your birth and we are thankful for God's promises to bless and keep you.
Change happens but "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8
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