Outside of my grade 4 classroom are two beautiful trees. We get so used to them being there that we often take them for granted. But they are something to marvel at. They promise us spring as they wake up from winter’s sleep. They shelter us from the heat of the sun when it threatens [...]
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of watching my son, Aiden, play in his last high school volleyball game. It was a fun weekend away in Victoria, cheering him on. Even though it wasn’t the finish his team was hoping for, I thought it was an unbelievable way to finish off his years [...]
I really enjoy driving. Which is a good thing considering we bought a farm in Chilliwack while keeping everything else in Abbotsford. I don’t love driving all the time. Late nights to pick up kids from youth, driving to Abbotsford for the fifth time in one day, early morning hours when the highway is jammed…these [...]
Sometimes the world is heavy. The news is heavy. Our hearts are heavy. I hear the word anxiety tossed around like a disease that people have. As a teacher I hear it often in reference to kids who “have anxiety.” I have a little girl in my class who struggles with worries and heavy thoughts. [...]
The title for this blog has been sitting in the back of my mind for many years now and I’ve never quite had the guts to write it. For those young folks out there, “the skinny” refers to an old expression that dates back to WWII. It means the inside story, the real truth, the [...]
Today I spent a day at home with my youngest. The other boys were off to school as usual, but Levi and I were part of the functional closure and found ourselves at home. Levi being the organized chap that he is, had us up on time, breakfast wolfed down as if we had somewhere [...]
My mom was the reason I got into teaching. I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up so when people asked me that question, it caused me concern that I didn’t have a clear plan or direction for my life. I only decided to take education courses because I had [...]
My third son, Aiden, just got his L. More than any of my other boys, he has been looking forward to driving and has been talking about this day for as long as I can remember. He always loves adventures, risk taking, trying new things, and has the confidence to believe that whatever he tries [...]
Aiden is my middle child. He fits the stereotypical middle child role of flying under the radar. He doesn’t do too much to get himself in trouble, he is pretty independent, and he’s content to be on his own, not asking for much or demanding attention. This can be a slippery slope for parents because [...]
The post Christmas blues hit with a vengeance today. Pre-Christmas was filled with the usual anticipation; anticipation of celebrating Christ’s birth, setting up the Christmas village with the boys, and hanging ornaments on our carefully chosen tree. There was excitement over Caleb coming home for three weeks, family visiting from Ontario, a break from the [...]
