Christmas Break is Fast Approaching!

Yesterday, one of my kids coloured his hands green (I mean COMPLETELY green) right before the Christmas concert. Need I remind anyone what children wear to school on Christmas concert days?!  Luckily, we managed to get his hands relatively clean (light green vs dark green) without spreading it to his clothes (though I can't say the same for his face - it looked like he was wearing green warpaint). Everyone thinks that stages are designed the way that they are so that the audience can see everything.  This is not the case!  They are elevated so that parents can't see what children have done to themselves after all of the hard work put into making them look nice before they arrived at school on Concert Day.  

In other news, one of my students got himself tangled in the computer keyboard cord today - how do you even do that?!  Especially, when you're supposed to be sitting in a chair with 3 feet of clearance around you because you can't handle being near anything. AND the computer isn't even turned on to distract you!  Having said all this, I'm actually quite relived that this is all that they've come up with this week.  Last week, (was it really just last week?!) I had what I refer to as the "Haircutting Incident of 2008."  Not one, not two, but THREE of my boys decided to give themselves haircuts during class.  Luckily, I intercepted the third one before the scissors could actually snip any hair, but I was too late for the other two. (They didn't take a lot because they were afraid of their parents finding out - as if they wouldn't notice a square of hair missing from your forehead!).  Between the 3 boys, I confiscated about 8 pairs of scissors (they had borrowed backups on the contingency that I might confiscate a pair).  Meddling with things in their desk seems to have slowed down this week, though that's probably largely due to the fact that I have a basket piled full of things that I have confiscated over the past 2 weeks and they are running low on stuff for me to take.  Did I mention that these students are in grade three, not kindergarten?  Oh well...

This is the life of a teacher.  Luckily, upon graduating from university, you get not only a degree, but also supersonic hearing, eyes on the back of your head, and the reflexes of (insert superhero of your choice).

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Great View

I love this view.  It's driving through Jemseg.  What more can I say?

Geocaching

Once upon a time, Darrell, Dianna, and I found a geocache while we were backpacking in Fundy National Park. From this chance encounter, an enduring passion has developed.

There are geocaches all around us just waiting to be discovered and I intend to find as many as physically possible!!!

So far I've searched four provinces but the journey has only just begun!

You can only hide for so long, and then I will find you!

Walking Along the River

Out for a walk with Lieneke and Arjen along the Saint John River in Woodstock.

Running Through a Cornfield

Warning: This video may cause nausea

Life Goal #57 - Check!

Thanksgiving Weekend

One of my life's goals has been to get lost in a cornfield.  Well, not really get lost in one, so much as to be able to get lost in one.  To my delight, Thanksgiving Weekend at my parent's held a wonderful surprise: a giant cornfield right beside our house!

Monday, Lieneke and I disappeared into the field loaded with only our cameras (I didn't even bring the GPS!).  After stalking each other through the stalks for a while (get it?), we settled into some serious picture taking.  Little did we know, we were not alone!  A feriocious wildcat had been shadowing us for some time and was preparing to pounce!  

Luckily, Lieneke noticed it in the nick of time, shouted a warning, and attempted to shot it with her camera (she missed).  Thankfully, I know a thing or two about taming wildcats, and I soon had it purring in the sun.  What can I say?  Aneke to the rescue!

It's a Small World

Upon arriving at the New Brunswick/Quebec border we decided that both pictures and a pee break were needed (though not necessarily in that order). As we crawled out of the car, who should we see but Ron Nickerson! It's a small world!