WE HAVE A PLACEMENT!!!

Dan had an interview today with the leader and another TR responsible for the Calgary Community Mental Health Rehabilitation Team.  He said he was so relaxed and they had a great conversation and then they OFFERED HIM A PLACEMENT! 

We are so excited.  Our own and the prayers of many others have been answered.  He begins September 6 for 3 months.  Not only is it in Alberta, but in mental health which is his preferred discipline.  Being in Calgary he will also have his mom's place to crash at and his brother and two sisters to catch up with.  It's also not too far a drive to come down and spend the weekends with us in Welling.  I need to insert another heartfelt thank you here to my parents who are willing, despite what I'm sure are some reservations, to let us stay at their home while this goes down.  You're generosity makes it possible for us to finish up this crazy roller coaster ride called "getting an education with a family in tow". 

We are so blessed.  It is amazing to see the Lord's hand in all things.  We were a little worried when placements seemed tough to find, and his last interview was not good.  But it's neat to see that the Lord had a much better plan for us.  Congratulations Dan!  We're so proud of you.  You've worked hard for the last 4 years to get where you are today.  And a big thank you to all our family and friends who have been thinking of us and praying for our success.  We couldn't have done it without you!

Virtual Job Chart

For any parent like me who has tried oodles of job charts and systems over the years, here's another one that you might really like for this internet generation.  I find points systems tough to monitor on your own, so this one does it for you!  You can set the number of points they earn for each chore and you can choose from family rewards (privileges like t.v., video game time, ice cream, or bigger ticket items like getting a pet or going on a special vacation) or retail rewards (the site actually allows parents to put money on the account through paypal and the kids can use it to purchase items.  Cool if you offer money for chores, which we do not.  But to each their own).

Each chore comes with it's own special icon and the kids log on and check their items off when completed.  The site keeps track of the points.  If you are offering money, they can also choose to donate to special causes or save money in their "bank".  You can also arrange to share points to work toward larger family goals.

The best part - it's totally FREE.  I like that.

So, try it out if you need a bit of a change and motivation boost.  I can't guarantee it'll be the last chore system you ever use, but you may just find it keeps order for a little while.  And it can't be worse than all the other systems that have died off on us in the past.  Like any of us, kids just need a change now and then to keep things spicy.  Have fun, and good luck!

The link:

http://www.myjobchart.com/

Birthday #3

Another week, another birthday.  Yesterday we celebrated 8 years with our oldest son.  He really seemed to enjoy his day.  Because his birthday was on Wednesday and Dad works, he requested chocolate waffles and bacon for breakfast instead of a special supper.  He was also thrilled because the cubs meet on Wednesday night, so he attended his first cub pack meeting on his birthday, where they learned to set a table properly and cook, that's right, french toast!  Nothing like starting and ending your birthday with dollops of whipped cream and strawberries.

I cannot imagine life without my little whirlwind.  You know the poem about the little girl with a curl right in the middle of her forehead?  This is my Clayton.  When he's good, he's very,very good; and when he's bad he's horrid.  He is never really horrid, just grumpy and stubborn.  But he makes me laugh and I always have great conversations with him, and he's so good with little kids and animals.  All the young ones at church have to make sure he acknowledges them every week. 

This past year, Clay has shown remarkable maturity for the boy we were getting a little worried about.  He has made some very tough decisions not to hang around other kids he knows don't act the way he should.  This has left him a little lonely, but the better for it.  It's like he reached his own personal crossroads and had to make that decision.  We're so proud of him!  He's even started to show signs of enjoying scripture reading in the morning (shock and dismay!).  I'm amazed by his answers in primary and at home.  That little mind is always turning.

So, here's to a great boy who changed, and continues to change, our lives.  We wouldn't change him for the world.

You'll notice the tooth.  He lost the other front tooth last week, but this one is ready to go soon.  He likes to push it out on top of his lip like a real hillbilly.  We call him Clyde for fun.

***Tooth Update: it is now missing.  He now has a big gap in the middle of his mouth****

The Best Laid Plans...

One of the most difficult things about living out here has been the lack of a natural support and social network within our ward.  This is mainly due to our ward boundaries being the size of a small city.  The distance between us is so great, that just dropping by or hanging out has to be planned out or it doesn't happen.  I finally met another woman in my ward with 4 children who feels the same - we need to get together more.  So we planned that this morning we would get together, let the kiddos play, see her new basement, and just socialize.  Yeah!

Or not...

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry..." (Robbie Burns)

My visiting teachers came half an hour late and, bless thier lovely hearts, they stayed for 45 minutes.  By this time I was a good half hour behind when I wanted to be out the door to our friend's house.  When i got there, she was out getting her child from kindergarten, which I got confused because in my mind her daughter was going to kindergarten in the afternoon.  So while we waited, the boys and I went to the grocery store to pick up some milk and bread.  We stood in line for over 10 minutes behind a couple of women wanting to use a coupon but not reaching the required amount spent (ps.  they spent over $20 more than they were going to spend in order to save $5.  Explain this to me?).  While there, the school called me to say that Clayton was curled up in a ball on the playground because his stomach was aching.  So, had to tell our friends that we will try again another day....

And all we wanted was to spend some time enjoying someone else's company!  Sorry, friends.  We missed being with you today.  But we can definitely take a raincheck.  Maybe we can check out the park above your place.  The boys were trying to start a mutiny in order to get out of the van and go play on it.

Make-It Monday

Here's a really yummy pancake recipe that just spices up the old standby.  Great if you have kids who want pancakes everyday, and super easy to make.  Plus, they might just be a little healthier!

Blueberry-Cornmeal Pancakes

1 c. flour
2 Tbslp. cornmeal
1 Tblsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 beaten egg
1 c. buttermilk or sour milk (place 1 Tblsp. of lemon juice/vinegar in measuring cup, fill with milk to make
                                              1 cup, then let sit for 5 mins before using)
2 Tblsp. oil
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

Mix dry, add wet, fold in blueberries gently.  Cook on a griddle like you would any pancake.  Serve with sprinkled powder sugar, syrup or (Dan's fave)  pear butter.  Enjoy!

Creativity in Education

I was fascinated by this speaker at the TED conference.  As anyone who knows me can attest to, I am intrigued by learning and why we learn the way we do.  Also, as Dan will attest to, don't get me going on how public schools try to conform children into one pre-determined mold with no room for your own thoughts, ideas, or expression (color inside the lines or it's wrong, add these numbers the way they say or it's wrong, etc.)  I also have a real issue with the lack of fine arts and other modes of creativity in the education system.  We are all talented in so many different ways that how can only 5 core subjects be the most important ones?  This has been brought home to me having a daughter that is so creative and expressive in art and music and drama, but does not give one flying fig about math and spelling.  Not that these things aren't important - they are, but there is no room for teachers to go out on a limb in their approach to teaching and learning.  Not enough time and resources, but that is another subject.

I continue to watch this in Dan's post-secondary education.  There is no room for critical thinking or coming up with new suggestions and methods of doing things.  Just follow the rules and, usually, the outline to the exact letter of the law if you want to get a good grade and graduate (can I just say APA style?  What's up with a bunch of psychologists determining the exact inches to be placed between the top of the page and the start of your words?  In Dan's psych class he got more points for following their style guidelines than he did for the actual content of the paper.  There's something wrong with that!)

 What happened to thinking outside the box?  How would this world have gotten to where it is now if people like Einstein or Newton or Da Vinci were told to conform and just draw their ideas from the pool of resources we already know to be true?

But I digress.  If you have 20 minutes to watch this, please do.  He is entertaining and enlightening on the need for change in our education system to support creativity.  I really enjoyed it, and it made me think.  Oh, and then I watched his talk from 2010 on passions and aptitudes in education.  It is wonderful too.









p.s.  Thanks Lisa for teaching me how to include videos on my blog.  See, it takes all kinds to make the world go round!

Fun, quirky music videos

Here are a couple of music videos that Madison watched at school and she just loved.  The music is a little eccentric, but the camera effects are pretty cool.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w&feature=fvsr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2fpgpanZAw&feature=relmfu

I know you can embed these into your post, but I can't figure it out.  Just click on the links and have fun.