Back To School 2014

The kidlets went back to school yesterday - Connor to Gr. 10 and Aili started Gr. 5 at her new school (due to re-zoning for French immersion).  I thought it'd be fun to do a little Back-To-School interview on the first and last day of the school year.  Here's the first day results:

photo by Gary Sykes

Your Name:  Connor Sykes
How tall are you? 5'8"
What are you MOST excited about this year? Football
What do you hope you will learn? Coding
Who do you want in your class(es)? My friends
What is your favourite subject? Dunno yet
What do you like to do in your spare time? Read
What is your favourite colour? Green
What things are you good at?  Football, reading, video games
What is your favourite thing(s) about yourself? Funny
Favourite sport? Football
Favourite food? Fooooood
Favourite lunch snack?  Foooood
Favourite book?  Sweetness:  The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton
Favourite TV show/movie? Friday Night Lights/Remember the Titans
Favourite song? Jungle by Jamie N Commons and X Ambassadors
Who is your best friend? Bailey
What do you want to be when you grow up? Dunno

Your Name:  Aili Sykes
How tall are you? 3.5 feet (Mama's note - she's closer to 4.5 ft tall!)
What are you MOST excited about this year? Seeing my friends
What do you hope you will learn? Everything
Who do you want in your class(es)? Natalie
What is your favourite subject? Homeroom
What do you like to do in your spare time? Draw
What is your favourite colour? Green
What things are you good at?  Drawing, playing, reading
What is your favourite thing(s) about yourself? Funny, kind, nice
Favourite sport? Cheerleading
Favourite food? Coconut Curry Chicken
Favourite lunch snack?  Brownies
Favourite book?  Harry Potter
Favourite TV show/movie? Camp Rock
Favourite song? Club Can't Handle Me by Flo Rida ft. David Guetta
Who is your best friend? Natalie
What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be an engineer

As you can see, both of them were highly impressed with having to take a photo on the porch…  At least Connor is smiling in a photo!!

Check back tomorrow for more Paper Cuts projects and the August Sketch winner!

Cheers,

P/S:  Don't forget about the challenges on my blog for a chance to win:
Sept Sketch Challenge (deadline Sept 30th, 2014)
Leave Your Legacy challenge - Don't Stop Believing (deadline Nov 30th, 2014)

Exhaust Your Excess! challenge blog - check it out!!

First Day of School 2013

Well, the first day of school has come and gone - and everyone is still happy!

My alarm went off at 6:16 am yesterday, but Connor was the first out of bed.  He has to leave the house by 7:15 am so he can stop by Bailey's house to pick him up on the way, to make it for his 8:00 am warning so his first-day-of-school photo didn't turn out so great...  I had to use a flash because it was still dark!

And because he was running late because he didn't prepare his clothes the night before, as suggested...

Connor - 1st day of Gr 9 | Sept 2013

As you can probably notice from the final result? *shaking my head, grinning*

I watched him walk away from the house yesterday morning with a lump in my throat and watery eyes.  It didn't seems like so long ago that this was happening:

Connor - 1st day of SK | Sept 2004

Aili was  excited as well, but in true fashion, she had all of her clothes picked out the night before.  Thankfully, there was also better lighting at 8am that there was at 7:15am, so I didn't have to use a flash!

Aili - 1st day of Gr. 4 | Sept 2013

(We set her hair using this method (by the Paper Mama) last night and it turned out in gorgeous loose curls - a definite Pinterest win!)

She has grown up so much, as well - sometimes, too much, I think.  Today's society tempts our girls to lose their innocent looks and ways too soon.  Why can't they all stay like this?

Aili - 1st day of LatchKey | Sept 2008

This year, I took the first day of school off work, which I haven't done in a while.  It was great to be home to greet Aili at the door and hear about her first day!  And to jump into the car to pick up Connor from football practice and hear about his first day and how much he likes his classes and teachers.

And to try not to faint from the potent fumes he was giving off, after a 2 hour practice in the sun! :)

Cheers,

P/S:  Don't forget about the other challenges on my blog for a chance to win:

September 2013 Sketchy Challenge (deadline:  Sep 30, 2013)
Leave Your Legacy: Top Ten Lists (deadline:  Nov 30, 2013

Back To School v.2013

This is me today:

(I'm the one in the middle, in case you were wondering...)

And the reason for my booty dance?  Those of you with children will know the answer...

IT'S BACK-TO-SCHOOL!!!!

The kids aren't doing the mama-happy-dance, but they are excited for this year!  Last year, during the last week of school, Aili got a chance to spend some time in her new teacher's class - they put them on a rotation so they could learn who was in their class and to meet the teacher for next year.  I thought this was a brilliant idea - it lessened any back-to-school jitters about who they were getting and who'd be in their class.  Aili is starting Gr. 4 this year and excited to have some of her besties in her class! :)

Connor is excited as well - in a nervous sort of way... this year, he starts high school!  It's crazy when I stop to think about it!  Time has just flown by, especially the last 10 years.

A few weeks ago, we received a letter with information on an Orientation day at the high school.  I was reading it out loud, and when I got to the part about how parents were welcomed to attend with their child, I looked up at Connor, who was sitting across from me.

Me:  "Um, did you want me to come to your Orientation Day?"

C (looking slightly panicky at the thought): "Uh, no, that's okay..."

Me:  "Good.  Because that would pretty much seal your fate at high school, I think!"

We both laughed and marked it on our calendar.

However, on the morning of Orientation, I was getting ready for work and I noticed that he was pacing around in our bedroom while I was in the ensuite bathroom.  I stuck my head out and mentioned that maybe he could call Bailey (his BFF) to see if Gary could pick him up on the way so they wouldn't have to walk in alone.

C: "No, he's going with his mom..."

Me (chuckling):  "Oh, really?  He's going to be that kid, eh?"

I noticed however that Connor was still pacing around and not really laughing so I stopped him and asked him if he wanted me to come with him.  He stammered a bit and mentioned that I had to work but when I told him that I would go into work later if he wanted me to come, he paused and thought about it for a minute.  Then he said, "Nah, that's okay, Mom - it'll be fine!"

Sigh.

I thought about him all morning and wondered how it went.  Finally, I heard from Gary - all went well, he knew some kids in most of his classes and he started football practice that evening, about which he was really excited!

So it begins.  A new chapter for everyone.  I'll share photos of their first days at school tomorrow!

Cheers,

P/S:  Don't forget about the other challenges on my blog for a chance to win:

September 2013 Sketchy Challenge (deadline:  Sep 30, 2013)
Leave Your Legacy: Top Ten Lists (deadline:  Nov 30, 2013

Meet The Teacher. Or Not...

If you are here for the Inspiration Elevator's Challenge #5, please click here or scroll down.

Last night's Meet The Teacher night was cancelled, due to the teachers' protesting of the anti-strike legislation that is being mandated by the provincial government.

I have heard cases pleaded for both sides.  However, it's been said that there are two things that you should never discuss amongst friends - religion and politics.  So  I won't discuss either here.

I will say though, that my kids were REALLY REALLY disappointed last night... :(  Hopefully, we'll get a chance to meet their teachers sometime soon.

Cheers,

P/S:  Don't forget about the following challenges on my blog for a chance to win (deadlines in brackets):
It's a Sketchy Challenge (Sept 30/12)
Leave Your Legacy (Nov 30/12)

Back 2 School

Today, the kids headed back to school.  Connor is entered Grade 8 and Aili, Grade 3.  

Where does the time go?

Still on our summer schedule, we were rushing for the bus, as usual and I only had a chance to snap a few photos of each of them before they ran to the bus stop.  Completely forgot to get one of them together!

But I did get Connor to stand on the step so I could compare this year's photo to his SK photo (JK photos were with my film camera - I don't have them scanned yet!):

How adorable was he?!?  But still handsome, 8 years later...

And a lot taller!

I couldn't believe it when I uploaded these photos and I opened this next photo.  I sat here, for about 10 minutes, and noticed all the details that I usually miss, because he's always moving:  the peach fuzz beginning on his cheeks, the two little cowlicks that gives him that slight widow's peak, the long eyelashes.

When did my little dude grow up?

Aili was excited for school this year - our summer plans this year were derailed so we didn't get to have as much fun as we had hoped.  I think she was anxious to get her "social life" back on track! :)

Not to be outdone by her big brother, she also insisted on the comparison photo.  I absolutely LOVE this photo of her on the first day of JK:

As you can see, she's grown leaps and bounds in four years, and she is, as I always tell her, ALL LEGS!  They now start above where her waist used to be!

Her eyes are unfortunately closed in this photo, but I'm sure she's just happy that I got to document the new shoes...

Luckily, I had to run out at work today to get some documents scanned so I made it home before the kids.  We greeted them as they came in the door and they were both excited and happy with their teachers and classes!  Connor was a bit apprehensive, because he had heard that this teacher gives a lot of homework - with his swim practice schedule this year, he's concerned that he won't be able to fit it all in.  After getting assigned homework today already, he's still concerned but we've assured him that we will talk to her about giving him ample time to finish assignments on the weekends, since his nights are all consumed with swimming.

Aili really likes her teacher, but when she told us who it is, Gary and I were both a bit dismayed.  She's the same teacher that Connor had in Grade 3, who basically came right out and told me that he was lazy and that he should be on Ritalin (which is really a contradiction, isn't it?!?)  Anyhow, after involving the principal and getting an apology closer to the end of the school year, we braved it to the end of the year and washed our hands of it.  However, the following year, in speaking with some of the other parents, I discovered that she also "diagnosed" EIGHT other kids (all boys, mind you) as needing Ritalin!! What the???

So now comes the dilemma?  Do we approach the principal (who is NEW this year) and ask for Aili to be transferred to a new teacher?  Aili says her teacher is "Awesome!" so I don't want to move her if I don't have to but...  Maybe it will be different because she's a girl?

Any helpful suggestions?

Anyhow, happy B2S day for all parents and teachers, and happy Tuesday to the rest of you! :)

Cheers,

Another School Year Over!

Before leaving for work today, I managed to snag a couple of photos of the kids, since I wanted to compare them to our first-day-of-school photos taken by Gary in September, to see how much the kids have evolved in ten months:

Connor hasn't changed much.  Still sporting the buzz cut, he's grown a few inches and seems to have broadened in the shoulders a bit - I guess swimming approximately 10,000 meters a week will do that to a person...

As for this little miss:

She's definitely changed over the course of the year - she has teeth, for one thing! :)  Her hair has grown about four inches and she's sprouted up quite a bit too!  I have to watch what I say now, because she goes around saying, "Mom, look!  I'm all legs!"  Which is what I say when people comment on how tall she is... LOL!

As you can see, they were quite excited for the last day of school...

Pure unadulterated glee.

That was the general consensus around here this morning.  By all.

Yep, even the parents!

Gary took today off, a much-deserved break after the stress and long days of their latest IT project at work.  He took the kids shopping to pick up fixin's for a BBQ on Sunday and then out to my sister's pool for some fun in the sun.  

I, on the other hand, had to work. Boo hoo.

But don't feel too sorry for me, as I finally finalized plans for a shorter work week this summer!! YAY, ME!!  I'll be working three days a week, instead of five... so excited!

Oh, and to think of all the extra time I'll have to scrapbook and blog!!  When I'm not off on some adventure with the kids or sunbathing by the pool of course...  Can't wait.

I may not want to go back to five days a week in September... :D

Back to School!!

As you can see, the parents are not the only ones around here who are happy to be back to some sort of schedule!

Today, Connor and Aili headed back to school.  I had an internal audit at one of my stores and had to be out of the house by 7:30am so I missed my annual back-to-school photo shoot on the porch prior to their departure for the bus stop.

So I handed over my D300s and let their dad document it.

I have to say, aside from the obvious flash usage (I can't get that man to shoot in manual!!), he captured some great expressions that I wouldn't have gotten.  Like the one above - even though it's a little blurry from the slow shutter speed (because of the flash!! LOL!) and Aili's more concerned about where she's going to land, he captured a great expression on Connor's face!  I can almost hear him shouting, "Yeahhhhh!!"

And this one:

It's almost as he's smirking at something Gary's said to him.  And I'm not sure what look he's going for with his hair, but A) I wasn't home and B) he's almost 12 - he would have just combed over it if I'd done it in the first place...  Crazy how much he's grown up in the last six months!

As for the little princess,  Daddy managed to get a great photo of her big, toothless smile:

One tooth is finally starting to descend so that gap won't be there for long!

Just as an aside, note the colour difference in the skin tones - can you tell for which photo the flash did not fire?? :)

Anyhow, the kids like their teachers, are in the same classes as their friends and have the same bus driver - everyone's happy!

Until next week, when the homework starts...

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

BACK TO SCHOOL!!!

All kidding aside, I have to say - I'm not as excited to have the kids head back to school this year... :(

This is the first summer in the last five years that I've had to work full-time, instead of enjoying the summer with the kids.

Sure, we had a fantastic two weeks with our friends, the Lepages, in early July.  But I miss just hanging out with the kids outside, swimming, or just vegging indoors, watching movies or playing games, during the super-crazy humid days...

Ah well, maybe next summer, I'll have more time at home...

Anyhow, this month, I teamed up with fellow DT member Allison Cope to share some Back-To-School themed projects on the myStamp BOX blog.

My project was based on the old adage, "Necessity is the mother of all invention".  One thing that I abhor the most about back-to-school is packing lunches!  More often than not, much of the food comes back home with my children, only to be thrown away.

While thinking about the Back-to-School theme, I remembered back to when I was little and I had a mix and match book (similar to this one, but with a girl instead of a mouse!).  Each day, I would pick out a new outfit.  And so an idea began to form...

And I ended up with this:

Supplies used:  Bazzill Basics cardstock; Scenic Route and Basic Grey patterned papers; myStamp BOX stamps (Lots of Dots, Funky Circles - mini); Tsukineko and Ranger inks; Stampendous embossing powder; Creative Memories and Marvy Uchida punches; Marvy Uchida pen; miscellaneous ribbon, kraft wrapping paper; chipboard sheets and binder rings from my stash.

It's a menu planner, similar to those mix-and-match books of yesterday!  Here's a peek inside:

You can check out the myStamp BOX blog HERE to see more of this project, as well as Ally's layout, created to record her son's first and last day of Kindergarten!

Whew!

What a busy week we've had!!

Between co-ordinating the Blog Hop and getting the kids ready for school, I'm ready for a little vacation... :)

Today, we sent off our 6th grader and 1st grader:

It was bittersweet - this year was the first summer that we have been home with the kids this much.  And while their bickering and nattering were enough to drive me mad some days, it was nice to spend some family time together, just hanging out by the pool, laying together on our bed reading, etc.

I'm excited to see who their teachers will be, and which friends will be in their classes!  Aili's been lucky, as she has had the same teacher and classmates for the last two years - her JK teacher was so happy with her class that she requested to teach SK and to keep the same students!  So this is going to be a big adjustment for her.  And Connor may be in a portable again this year!  While I'm angry that this new school has already had to implement the use of 16 new portables, I'm sad over the classmates that the kidlets will lose when they move to the new school being built, to help with overcrowding.  I guess we can't have it both ways, right?

And so I'm off to have a tea and rest - not feeling so hot today.  Only 5 hours and 34 minutes until the bus arrives!

SK Christmas Concert 2009

Aili's Senior Kindergarten (SK) class performed for their families at their Christmas concert in December.  To protect her classmates' privacy, I took a page from the National Enquirer's book and masked out their eyes - although I don't really understand how that protects them?  Oh well.  Hopefully, this is okay for everyone - if your child is in this photo and you'd prefer that I obscure their face even more, please let me know!

Madame Barcic is Aili's favourite person in the world, next to me, so she tells me.  I think Daddy and even Connor may rate above as well, but at her age, she still lives in the moment so when I ask her the question after spending a day with Mme. Barcic, she inevitably places high on the list!

And for good reason.  This group, with the exception of one or two children, is the same group that Aili had for Junior Kindergarten (JK).  Mme. Barcic so thoroughly enjoyed her JK class that for the 2009/10 school year, she requested to teach SK - and not just any SK class, but the same kids she had last year!  Of course, I had spent all summer, preparing Aili for a new teacher and new friends... for no reason, apparently!

After their mini-concert, in which they entertained the group by singing 3 french Christmas songs, there were various craft stations in which we could participate.  Gary grabbed the camera, while I was nominated for craft duty! :) And for the record, I wasn't angry in this photo - just concentrating on helping Aili frost her cookie!

You can see  in this photo how short my hair is now!  A far cry from before - I scrounged around and the only half-decent photo I could find that showed most of the length of my hair was this blurry one from Christmas 2008 - at the time of cutting in Aug'09, it was probably about 4-6 inches longer!

But I digress...

I love when Gary takes the camera, because he has super long arms and is famous for taking these arms-length sort of photos:

And I love when Gary takes the camera, because at 5'1", I can never get views like this - unless I stand on a ladder!

Aili was so excited for this concert!  I sent her to school in her chosen outfit, with her hair pulled back with jewelled red barrettes:

They did not look like this when she left the house! LOL!  She informed me, when I asked if she re-did her barrettes, that her hat made them "crooked" so naturally, she had to fix them...

For the potluck, I made Baked Caramel Corn, trying out a new recipe.  I saw Mme. Barcic a few days later at one of Aili's classmates' birthday party and she begged for the recipe!  I made so much that she brought the leftovers into the staffroom (rather than inflict any more sugar on the kids!) - she said that everyone (office staff, teachers, even janitors!) kept coming back for more!

I'll share the recipe tomorrow!

Sundaes on Thursday!

Heading out today to volunteer in Connor's classroom today (Thurs)!

His teacher came up with a unique way to encourage the children to learn their multiplication tables - Each Thursday, she quizzed them on a multiplication table, based on a number, beginning with 0, up to 10 (i.e. Week 3 tested the kids on 2: 2x1=2, 2x2=4...). If they completed the entire quiz, with no errors, they "earned" a piece of a sundae! They had to achieve one level before going onto the next - and would take the test each day until passing.

Here's what they earned - and what I'll be dishing out!

Table 0: a bowl
Table 1: a spoon
Table 2: a banana
Table 3: one scoop of ice cream
Table 4: second scoop of ice cream
Table 5: third scoop of ice cream (?!?)
Table 6: chocolate sauce
Table 7: caramel sauce
Table 8: crushed Smarties
Table 9: whipped cream
Table 10: maraschino cherry

And then she's going to let them all loose on their poor unsuspecting parents for a long weekend!! LOL!

I'm not sure how I feel about using the food as incentive - big NO-NO in my parenting books (our personal opinion - no judgement passed on anyone!!) but it seemed to provide the incentive needed to get through boring multiplication tables!

We'll see how I feel about it tomorrow, up to my elbows in ice cream, chocolate sauce and 20 hyper 9/10 year olds, jacked up on sugar! ;)

This is me...

this morning.

Why, you ask? Well, because of this:

Today, my baby started school!! I thought I would be more emotional. I was a bit weepy when Connor started school. Not because he was - in fact, he went right in, picked a book from the shelf and sat on the carpet, all the while grinning from ear to ear! I had tears in my eyes because I was so proud of him for being strong and independent.

Not to say this my little one is not independant.

Oh Lord, far from it! She knows exactly what she wants and what she doesn't.

Like taking pictures, for instance.

Not high on the list of her priorities this morning.

It was all about getting on the bus.

(Yes, I know - overexposed and a little blurry... but I was trying to get a shot before the driver closed the door!)

But even the most independant people need SOMEONE. And seeing as Little Miss A. has been as close to a fifth appendage as I could get, I thought she'd have trouble adapting. She looks a bit apprehensive as Mme. H. corrals them all and lines them up at the fence.
"Daddy..."
"Hmm, what's this? You have TOYS???" Utter chaos reigns. Kudos for Mme. H for being so calm and collected! And right in the thick of it, there was my little Princess, making sure that the teacher knew that she didn't bring a sweater this morning, but she had long sleeves. And she got new shoes.
'Cuz we ALL know that it's all about the shoes, right??

Is it possible...

That this is the same kid??

Amazing what two years can do!

Connor started in Gr. 4 this year on Tuesday at the same school. He so far loves his teacher (although they started math today, he informed me, and the love is fading fast... LOL!)
Aili started at her new daycare on Tuesday as well.

And in case you're wondering... yes, she's as mischevious as that smile suggests...
More details to follow - I have some design team kits to send out! ;)

Finally!!

We have been waiting for Connor's school pictures for a while now! During the first bout of photos, Connor's hair was ALL over the place - the disadvantage of the in-between phase of growing his hair out! So we had his photos retaken in November. The cheque was cashed early January - and I only received his photos today, after I left a note for his teacher!!

I do not have many good things to say about LifeTouch - between the inferior work from my professional photos that I sent to the Winnipeg lab, to the customer service that I received LAST year when Connor's photos were OUT OF FOCUS!! Suffice it to say that if it comes to a vote for next year's photographers, they will not receive mine!

(Excuse the terrible scan - I need a new scanner... **hint, hint, Gary **)

And for all of you who are convinced that Connor is all me - have a peek at this handsome fellow...

Isn't he the cutest thing??!? With his little Mr. Rogers sweater and tie?? OMG - I love this photo!! And you can see where Connor gets his cowlick from... :D

{I guess I can kiss that scanner good-bye, eh?? Ah, it was worth it!!!}