Wow, blogger actually let me sign in to my own blog today! That's a first, as I've been trying to post my exciting new for a while now. On Friday afternoon, while Mike was in Port Alberni visiting his mom, he got the call we've been waiting for from the RCMP, and it turns out that he will be starting his training on Monday the 29th of January. He will fly out some time on Sunday, but won't know the specific time until a meeting with the Recruiter on Thursday. We're very excited and I am so happy that he finally gets to do what he's been waiting years for. I'm really going to miss him, but hopefully the time will go by quickly and I will make it through my practicum alive!
We are now madly rushing around trying to prepare everything for him and I've also given him a list of the things I need him to do before he leaves, since I get the daunting task of moving out of our apartment by myself--yikes.
So, we spent two hours at the mall today and ended up finding him another pair of dress pants, three ties, two dress shirts, some black dress shoes and thanks to my shopping skills, a reversable belt. yes, it's black on one side and brown on the other. So, he has most of the things he needs, but there are still a few more stops to make. It should be a very busy week in the L'Heureux household!
And, don't be surprised if my blog becomes slightly more depressing once Mike is gone, and feel free to come and visit me often!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Blogger frustrations...
Does anyone know how the new blogger thing works? Why do they have to go and change things just when I finally figure them out? My other blog with my practicum is in the new account and I can't seem to sign in even though I created an account yesterday. I really hate it when they update things and make everything more confusing--it's just like what they did with hotmail.
In other news, I've been trying to remember to post this for a long time now, but I found out some good news about my church. On Christmas eve, we decided to take an offering since it was a Sunday, and all four services' offerings would be sent to an orphanage in Kenya that one of our missionary couples works at. Well, it turns out that we managed to raise 33, 500 $ in one day! I think that's so amazing, so now the orphanage can purchase the land they wanted to use for farming for food and money for the orphanage. It just shows what a difference one group of people can make at Christmastime.
I'd write more about how my practicum is going, but if you are interested, you can always read the practicum blog some of my friends started (the one I haven't been able to log in to successfully). It's quite funny: www.shmacticum.blogspot.com Check it out for all of our teaching adventures!
G'night!
In other news, I've been trying to remember to post this for a long time now, but I found out some good news about my church. On Christmas eve, we decided to take an offering since it was a Sunday, and all four services' offerings would be sent to an orphanage in Kenya that one of our missionary couples works at. Well, it turns out that we managed to raise 33, 500 $ in one day! I think that's so amazing, so now the orphanage can purchase the land they wanted to use for farming for food and money for the orphanage. It just shows what a difference one group of people can make at Christmastime.
I'd write more about how my practicum is going, but if you are interested, you can always read the practicum blog some of my friends started (the one I haven't been able to log in to successfully). It's quite funny: www.shmacticum.blogspot.com Check it out for all of our teaching adventures!
G'night!
Saturday, January 13, 2007
First week
Well, I'm finished my first week of practicum and very happy that it is the weekend. I went to bed before 11 last night and it was Friday! That's how tired I was. And, I slept in until nearly 10. I'm not a fan of getting up at 630 to drive Mike to work so that I can take the car and be at the school before 8:30. But, hopefully I'll get used to the early rising soon.
The week went pretty well I think. I got two keys and a room with a desk in it to do work and keep my stuff. I also got to teach a few surprise lessons since the snow kept my teacher from being on time two days in a row. It was okay though since they were just writing a test. I'm looking forward to actually doing the teaching myself, although I'm not enjoying all of the planning. Right now I'm about 1 act into making notes on Macbeth, and I'm thinking it's going to be hard to get my grade 11 classes to enjoy it. They seem kind of lazy so far. Hmm. I'm going to start a blog for them though for discussion of Macbeth rather than having them write boring scene questions like we had to do in high school.
Today is Mike's last day of work at Tim Hortons, which is awesome. I'm looking forward to spending some more time with him until he leaves for Regina. I think we are going to go out for dinner tonight to celebrate since we got a gift certificate from my sister to go for dinner at Moxie's. Yum. Bellini.
Hmm, what else is new? I still haven't taken down the Christmas decorations, although that is my goal for this weekend now that I have some more time. I'm trying to get organized before I actually start to teach. Also, since Elissa is coming to stay with me soon, I want my house to be clean.
Last night Megan and Billy came over to visit since they were in Victoria for the day. We played a board game that we got for Christmas called Artifact. It was pretty fun, although I messed up the rules. Afterwards I went to the mall with them and got a really warm tuque that I am planning on wearing in Regina, although right now it's cold enough in Victoria to need it. When will our crazy weather end in Victoria? It sure felt like Saskatchewan the other day with the frozen snow and the incredibly blue sky--quite beautiful actually.
Well, since I have nothing interesting to share, I think I will go do some reading!
Happy weekending
The week went pretty well I think. I got two keys and a room with a desk in it to do work and keep my stuff. I also got to teach a few surprise lessons since the snow kept my teacher from being on time two days in a row. It was okay though since they were just writing a test. I'm looking forward to actually doing the teaching myself, although I'm not enjoying all of the planning. Right now I'm about 1 act into making notes on Macbeth, and I'm thinking it's going to be hard to get my grade 11 classes to enjoy it. They seem kind of lazy so far. Hmm. I'm going to start a blog for them though for discussion of Macbeth rather than having them write boring scene questions like we had to do in high school.
Today is Mike's last day of work at Tim Hortons, which is awesome. I'm looking forward to spending some more time with him until he leaves for Regina. I think we are going to go out for dinner tonight to celebrate since we got a gift certificate from my sister to go for dinner at Moxie's. Yum. Bellini.
Hmm, what else is new? I still haven't taken down the Christmas decorations, although that is my goal for this weekend now that I have some more time. I'm trying to get organized before I actually start to teach. Also, since Elissa is coming to stay with me soon, I want my house to be clean.
Last night Megan and Billy came over to visit since they were in Victoria for the day. We played a board game that we got for Christmas called Artifact. It was pretty fun, although I messed up the rules. Afterwards I went to the mall with them and got a really warm tuque that I am planning on wearing in Regina, although right now it's cold enough in Victoria to need it. When will our crazy weather end in Victoria? It sure felt like Saskatchewan the other day with the frozen snow and the incredibly blue sky--quite beautiful actually.
Well, since I have nothing interesting to share, I think I will go do some reading!
Happy weekending
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Back to high school
Well, today is officially my last day of freedom before I start at Oak Bay High School until may. And, I accidentally slept in until 1030. I woke up around 9 and meant to get up, but then somehow managed to fall back asleep. Must have been tired.
My holidays have been great though, when I really think about it. Went over to Sarah and Fraser's last night for a game. We played Cleopatra and I kicked their butts. Yeah! I never win games unless it's the first time I've ever played them--and then it's usually a fluke because I really don't know how to play yet.
I still have to take down the Christmas decorations. I'm trying to think of an excuse to keep them up a little longer, but I should really do it before I get too busy with lesson planning. I read over my first French unit this morning and already have lots of ideas, so that's good. It's a unit on inventions, and I think I'm going to make them create their own invention out of old recyclable materials and things they can find for free. Makes me think of mine and Jenn's first invention--the flying machine. Can't remember what worked better--the helium balloons or the coat hangers with shirts for wings?
Still wish I could fly. What I wouldn't give for a firebolt 2000. Okay, I just read the 5th Harry Potter book. It was actually the first one I read, can you believe it? They are very good. I need to get the 6th one now. Hopefully JK will write another soon.
Speaking of writers, check out this post that my favourite author put on her book blog. Sad but true for all you fellow writers out there. What can we do but have two jobs? (teacher as writer or writer as teacher?)
My holidays have been great though, when I really think about it. Went over to Sarah and Fraser's last night for a game. We played Cleopatra and I kicked their butts. Yeah! I never win games unless it's the first time I've ever played them--and then it's usually a fluke because I really don't know how to play yet.
I still have to take down the Christmas decorations. I'm trying to think of an excuse to keep them up a little longer, but I should really do it before I get too busy with lesson planning. I read over my first French unit this morning and already have lots of ideas, so that's good. It's a unit on inventions, and I think I'm going to make them create their own invention out of old recyclable materials and things they can find for free. Makes me think of mine and Jenn's first invention--the flying machine. Can't remember what worked better--the helium balloons or the coat hangers with shirts for wings?
Still wish I could fly. What I wouldn't give for a firebolt 2000. Okay, I just read the 5th Harry Potter book. It was actually the first one I read, can you believe it? They are very good. I need to get the 6th one now. Hopefully JK will write another soon.
Speaking of writers, check out this post that my favourite author put on her book blog. Sad but true for all you fellow writers out there. What can we do but have two jobs? (teacher as writer or writer as teacher?)
Monday, January 01, 2007
Buon Natale and Happy New Year!
Well, this is my long overdue Christmas post. I'm home now and just had a great New Year's nap. Even though Mike was also taking a nap on the couch, which means that I squashed myself into the love seat. Still a good nap though.
Last night was a very mellow New Year's. Mike and I went to Sarah and Fraser's house to play some games and eat food. We did do a dutch tradition that I recently heard about called Olie Bolen, (sp?) which involves deap frying small balls of dough and then dusting them with icing sugar on a platter and sharing them with friends before midnight. Oh, and eating A LOT of olie bolen. Today my pants smelled of olie bolen (similar to the smell you get when you make french fries). It was a lot of fun though and I enjoyed being the traitor (once again) when we played Shadows over Camelot.
Christmas was an exciting adventure as well. We went to Port Alberni on the 23rd and Mike went to play hockey while I visited with my mom and sisters. Then, we went to Ashley's house for an early birthday party since her birthday is on Christmas day.
On Christmas eve we had famlily portraits taken with Mike's family, then went to see The Nativity Story. It was good but Mike kept falling asleep near the end and I had to elbow him a few times. Afterwards we went to Mike's Dad's place to have our Christmas with them. We opened present and had a big fondue for dinner. It was very yummy.
We then spent the night at my mom's house and had Christmas morning at her house. My little sister woke us up at 7:19 am and we got up to open our stockings and presents and then my mom made us waffles with strawberries (our Christmas morning tradition). This year she made so many that I froze the extras and ate them throughout the week. Very yummy.
At lunch time we went to Mom #2's house to open gifts and see Mike's sister and our nieces, then to the nursing home to visit Mike's grandma, then my nonna and nonno. Christmas is always a busy day for us since we have 7 parents between the two of us!
For dinner we went to Mike's sister's house and ate a delicious turkey dinner and cranberry stuffing. We played a game and then since we were so tired we decided not to spend the night (the nieces are tiring after a while and require a lot of energy). So, we made it back to my mom's in time to catch the end of her Christmas dinner and visit with the Italian side of my family. For those of you who don't know, this is the side which includes Crazy Uncle Bruno. They are also the side that always gives cash and since me and my sister's are the only "kids" in the family, we tend to get spoiled. Hence the fact that I've been shopping every day for the last three days....
It was nice to see them quickly before they went home though, since nearly every Christmas I wonder if it will be my nonno's last. He will be 95 this year, so he's getting very old and is just starting to lose a bit of his memory. As my nonna puts it, "nonno repeats a lot". (In Italian accent). I always enjoy visiting my nonna though, it usually gives me some new little tidbits about her very exciting life before she came to Canada and more ideas for my novel about her life and the many poems I have already written. This time, she told me about how when she and her family fled Ethiopia to go back to Italy, she had to leave everything behind in their house. She remembers, 67 years later, every memento from her wedding that she lost. Her Dad hid them in the attic in a box--her high school diploma included. She still has a beatutiful black and white photo of the two of them on their wedding day though, with lips and cheeks tinted pink.
So, Christmas was lovely as usual. Enjoyed the build up, the lights, seeing family, and thinking about the true story of Christmas.
Then, on Boxing day the craziness began. We were awoken with 2 phone calls. The first informing us that Mike's mom, who hadn't been feeling well since Christmas eve, was in the hospital and possibly having her appendix removed. The second, informing me and my sisters that my Dad (who worked Christmas night in Vancouver General hospital) was now a patient in the hospital and they believed he had the Norwalk virus. So, he couldn't come to Port as planned for the boxing day dinner we were having with him. It sucked because we were really looking forward to it. But, we tried not to let the bad news ruin the relaxing boxing day we had planned. For the past few years we've always had to work boxing day, which kind of ruins Christmas since you have to get up at 5 am to make it back to Victoria in time. So, we slept in anyways and stayed in our pyjamas and played board games, waiting to hear back from either of our hospitalized parents.
In the end, my Dad ended up coming to Port for our Christmas with him on the 28th instead, which worked out well. We had an awesome ham dinner (thank goodness) and opened presents and played games. He gave me a lovely hard cover boxed set of the Lord of the Rings, with illustrations.
Mike's mom ended up having major surjery to remove her appendix and part of her bowel where they found a tumor and just went home from the hospital last night. Thank goodness they are both okay though.
Well, that was our Christmas. It was the longest Port Alberni visit we've had in the past few years so it was very nice and I'm looking forward now to a week off before it's time to start teaching!
Hope all your Christmases were a little less exciting and that your New Year's is very exciting!
p.s. Happy Birthday to Emily Noelle Linde, our youth pastor's new little baby, who was born on Christmas Day! What a nice Christmas present. :)
Last night was a very mellow New Year's. Mike and I went to Sarah and Fraser's house to play some games and eat food. We did do a dutch tradition that I recently heard about called Olie Bolen, (sp?) which involves deap frying small balls of dough and then dusting them with icing sugar on a platter and sharing them with friends before midnight. Oh, and eating A LOT of olie bolen. Today my pants smelled of olie bolen (similar to the smell you get when you make french fries). It was a lot of fun though and I enjoyed being the traitor (once again) when we played Shadows over Camelot.
Christmas was an exciting adventure as well. We went to Port Alberni on the 23rd and Mike went to play hockey while I visited with my mom and sisters. Then, we went to Ashley's house for an early birthday party since her birthday is on Christmas day.
On Christmas eve we had famlily portraits taken with Mike's family, then went to see The Nativity Story. It was good but Mike kept falling asleep near the end and I had to elbow him a few times. Afterwards we went to Mike's Dad's place to have our Christmas with them. We opened present and had a big fondue for dinner. It was very yummy.
We then spent the night at my mom's house and had Christmas morning at her house. My little sister woke us up at 7:19 am and we got up to open our stockings and presents and then my mom made us waffles with strawberries (our Christmas morning tradition). This year she made so many that I froze the extras and ate them throughout the week. Very yummy.
At lunch time we went to Mom #2's house to open gifts and see Mike's sister and our nieces, then to the nursing home to visit Mike's grandma, then my nonna and nonno. Christmas is always a busy day for us since we have 7 parents between the two of us!
For dinner we went to Mike's sister's house and ate a delicious turkey dinner and cranberry stuffing. We played a game and then since we were so tired we decided not to spend the night (the nieces are tiring after a while and require a lot of energy). So, we made it back to my mom's in time to catch the end of her Christmas dinner and visit with the Italian side of my family. For those of you who don't know, this is the side which includes Crazy Uncle Bruno. They are also the side that always gives cash and since me and my sister's are the only "kids" in the family, we tend to get spoiled. Hence the fact that I've been shopping every day for the last three days....
It was nice to see them quickly before they went home though, since nearly every Christmas I wonder if it will be my nonno's last. He will be 95 this year, so he's getting very old and is just starting to lose a bit of his memory. As my nonna puts it, "nonno repeats a lot". (In Italian accent). I always enjoy visiting my nonna though, it usually gives me some new little tidbits about her very exciting life before she came to Canada and more ideas for my novel about her life and the many poems I have already written. This time, she told me about how when she and her family fled Ethiopia to go back to Italy, she had to leave everything behind in their house. She remembers, 67 years later, every memento from her wedding that she lost. Her Dad hid them in the attic in a box--her high school diploma included. She still has a beatutiful black and white photo of the two of them on their wedding day though, with lips and cheeks tinted pink.
So, Christmas was lovely as usual. Enjoyed the build up, the lights, seeing family, and thinking about the true story of Christmas.
Then, on Boxing day the craziness began. We were awoken with 2 phone calls. The first informing us that Mike's mom, who hadn't been feeling well since Christmas eve, was in the hospital and possibly having her appendix removed. The second, informing me and my sisters that my Dad (who worked Christmas night in Vancouver General hospital) was now a patient in the hospital and they believed he had the Norwalk virus. So, he couldn't come to Port as planned for the boxing day dinner we were having with him. It sucked because we were really looking forward to it. But, we tried not to let the bad news ruin the relaxing boxing day we had planned. For the past few years we've always had to work boxing day, which kind of ruins Christmas since you have to get up at 5 am to make it back to Victoria in time. So, we slept in anyways and stayed in our pyjamas and played board games, waiting to hear back from either of our hospitalized parents.
In the end, my Dad ended up coming to Port for our Christmas with him on the 28th instead, which worked out well. We had an awesome ham dinner (thank goodness) and opened presents and played games. He gave me a lovely hard cover boxed set of the Lord of the Rings, with illustrations.
Mike's mom ended up having major surjery to remove her appendix and part of her bowel where they found a tumor and just went home from the hospital last night. Thank goodness they are both okay though.
Well, that was our Christmas. It was the longest Port Alberni visit we've had in the past few years so it was very nice and I'm looking forward now to a week off before it's time to start teaching!
Hope all your Christmases were a little less exciting and that your New Year's is very exciting!
p.s. Happy Birthday to Emily Noelle Linde, our youth pastor's new little baby, who was born on Christmas Day! What a nice Christmas present. :)
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