Maya's Sports(wo)manship!

My daughter Maya plays basketball. My daughter Maya plays a lot of sports and is usually pretty good at anything she tries her hand to...but it's not just that....I've always admired Maya's attitude about playing.....and that came out in her basketball game yesterday. Her school basketball team played a school from 'the city'.....our highschool is considered in the suburbs.....gee, when I moved into this area 50 years ago they called it the country....hehe....but anyways...the team they were playing was having a difficult time catching up but the worst part was the unsportsmanlike behaviour. Not only did the coach of the other team get a technical for throwing his clip board, with force, to the floor...one of his players got a technical for swearing on the court...and then the junior team who were observing, started pounding their feet on the bleachers every time one of our girls was doing a foul shot. Unfortunately some of the spectators weren't much better......a parent from the opposing team was quite vocal when her team was penalized in any way and when one of the girls from our team accidentally fell on the court...she just killed herself laughing and kept going on about how funny that was. I was appalled.....how are our kids going to learn good sportsmanship when they have that kind of example?

Maya started playing basketball competitively when she was nine years old and she's always had this really neat attitude......she chats to the refs...she even chats with the girls on the opposing team....I observed her talking to one of the girls on the other team yesterday and the other girl was looking quite serious and determined but before long she was smiling and chatting back..but when the play started they both were all business...I thought it was kind of neat...yesterday one of her coaches told her that she needed to be more aggressive on the court...Maya asked what he meant...she said she didn't like getting fouls and he said just go after the ball more.....be more aggressive......I suggested that maybe he meant more assertive...Maya does have long arms and she does get in there and get the ball from the other teams and she's there for the rebounds and you often see her grab the ball and start down the court...but she'll usually pass it to one of her team members that can zig zag through the masses to get to the net. While they're doing that Maya gets into position off to the side and quite often she does what she's known for the best....the three pointers......and all with a fantastic smile on her face....I like that...she's a team player and she enjoys herself,...she never has a temper tantrum on the court...and like I've always told her since she was nine...just go out and have fun...and she does!

A Great Lady

Today we had a rare Sunday 'off' from our commitments at the church so we decided to drive a couple of hours to visit my mother-in-law. This coming Friday is her 82nd birthday and we brought a birthday cake with us to help celebrate the occasion. Bessie has always been a wonderful mother-in-law and I admire her tremendously. When I came on the scene way back in 1970 she seemed totally accepting of me which is something considering her son was only 16 at the time! For the last 21 years Bessie has been on her own, her husband died of cancer and I have truly been amazed over some of the things she has done...like flying to Australia by herself...not once but twice!...like driving across Canada all by herself and last year she decided to sell her family home that she's been in for the last 40 some odd years and move into an apartment....talk about your downsizing! Yes, she's a great lady!
Happy Birthday, Bess! I hope you have many more!

Retiring!

Well, we are coming to the end of another week. I thought that this week would not be as busy as last week but even though I had less appointments I still seemed to be on the go. Especially in the evenings....my husband works another job on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights. That means that when Maya needs to be taken to a basketball game, which falls on Mondays and Wednesdays, that I have to do the driving. On Tuesday nights Maya has band practice at the church and then on Thursdays, after school I have to take Ben to his therapy group. Then on Friday evenings all the kids usually go to Youth Group at the church. Are you tired yet cause I surely am......all this running around was easier to do 20 years ago when we were running kids to choir and band practice....I'm definitely getting too old for this job! I told the kids that they all had to be out of the house and on their own in ten years.....that's when hubby retires and I plan on retiring too! Sounds pretty good doesn't it! Ten years...I can do ten years.....can't I? Sure I can.......maybe......oh darn,...it is a long time....:0(

Family Birthdays and such.....

So it was MAJOR Birthday weekend around our house ....three birthdays!!!! Last Thursday, my first child had her 34th birthday ...thirty four years since I first became a mom....unbelievable. The picture above is Leslie's birthday cake coming to her and her two little girlies, waiting to help her blow out her candles!
The picture below is one of me holding Lauren's cake...she is 22 years old today and beside her is her boyfriend Ryan, who was 26 yesterday. I was very glad that daughter Maya was eager to help make all three cakes the night before...everyone always prefers homemade...even if it's from a mix!

After the candle blowing.....Honour wasn't pleased that she didn't get to blow out many candles! The wanted us to relight them!

After all the birthday stuff the girls decided on a bath in nana and papa's tub....first little Afton......
and then Honour and Verity talked Auntie Maya into putting some soap in the water and then turning on the air bubbles....and voila...winter wonderland in the tub.....!!!!

Megan

It's hard to see in this pic but that is Megan, catcher's position, this summer at Fair Havens, where we camp.

Well, I did it! I finally made the decision to homeschool Megan for the rest of the year. It was a difficult decision to make and I know some people don't agree with me doing it but I feel it's the right thing to do this year. Plus, I found out yesterday that it would only be for one year, not the two that I originally thought I'd be signing on for. It seems that because she's already 13 and should be in grade eight (she's in grade 7), she'll be able to go to highschool a year from now instead of two years. I've had many discussions with the resource teacher and they just do not have the Educational Assistance to help Megan this year in the way that she needs.....plus they cut her life skills program completely and the resource teacher says that's what she needs the most! Her reading skills are fair but her comprehension skills are nil, nada...not even there and probably never will be......so, that's what I'll be doing with her for the next few months...reading, comprehension, language, math.....and life skills...lots and lots of life skills.....

I think that this could be a very good year for Megan and I...a year to get to know each other even better (you may not know but Megan just came to live with us three years ago, and ya, I know her but.....)...something, that in the evenings when I'm driving her older siblings here, there and everywhere....is a little impossible.

Maybe a good thing...

Well, Friday morning went pretty well. Megan and I actually had a very productive and enjoyable morning. After breakfast, I pulled out some workbooks that had kindergarten and grade one work and she did some pages in each that touched on printing, reading comprehension and decoding. In doing the work she had the option of colouring some of the pictures on the pages and she did quite well....she's actually a very good at colouring, which is something since her fine motor skills are usually quite poor. Then she helped me with some laundry...I taught her how to fold the facecloths while I folded the towels, then we did the dishes....why is it that even when you have a good dishwasher you still end up with fry pans, cookie sheets and pots that you have to handwash? Anyways, I washed and she dried. After that I got a story book and we sat down and read it together. By that time it was lunch time and then Leslie and the grandkids came down, so Megan had an enjoyable afternoon playing Barbie with nieces.

All in all, it was a pretty good day. If I decide to do this I can see some positive benefits.....in a large family there isn't a lot of one on one time, unless you're driving one child to an activity or doctor/dentist appointment...so this would definitely give me some one on one with my youngest before she goes off to high school, a year and a half from now. It could be a good thing.

The Donnybrook

So, yesterday I had to take Ben, my 17 year old, to his first group therapy class and before that we had an appointment with his anger management counsellor. You would think that since I was taking the one usual instigator of the physical fights in this house,...out of the house, for a few hours that all would be well wouldn't you.....you would think that leaving a 16 year old, an almost 15 year old and a 13 year old home for a few hours would be okay, wouldn't you.....well, you would be wrong, dead wrong!!!!!

Both of Ben's appointments went quite well, and as we were leaving them I called home and asked middle daughter to make some pancakes for supper, which she was delighted to do...she loves to cook. When we arrived home, eldest daughter met me with a whole paper list of the accounting's of what went on while I was gone. Apparently, eldest daughter decided to become the parent and told youngest daughter to do her chore (which is something because eldest daughter never does her chore!)...so this was mistake #1!

Mistake #2 occurred after youngest daughter begrudgingly did as she was told(they all have this thing about telling each other what they should be doing but each one resents the other one telling them what to do..'your not my parent!' is a familiar refrain around this house.....While youngest one was doing the chore, middle one decided to tell her that her jeans were dirty....well, youngest one took exception to that and replied with some rude words. Then oldest one had to get into it by singing a little ditty that involved the fact that youngest was being rude.
So, youngest left the kitchen and went to her room to wait until a better time to unload the dishwasher, which was her chore.

Mistake #3.......youngest had her radio playing in her room and middle one decided...'hey, I like that song'...and into youngest room she went to dance the song away.....youngest yelled..'get out of my room'...middle one said 'wait, I just want to listen to the song'...

Mistake #4....youngest one decided to forcibly remove middle one from the room...which is quite a feat since middle one is about 50 lbs. heavier than youngest one.......a lot of pushing and shoving occurred

Mistake #5......youngest one grabbed the shirt of middle one and did significant damage, ripping the shoulder of the top completely apart...

Mistake #6.....middle one decided to punch younger one....in the forehead...after she removed younger ones glasses......

Mistake #7....younger one foolishly said ..'that didn't hurt'

Mistake #8....middle one....hit her again!!!....just to prove her point that it really did hurt.....

Result of all this donnybrook?........two girls that have lost some privileges for awhile...and youngest child staying home from school today....I really didn't think it would go over too well with school authorities as to why youngest one still has a goose egg on her forehead this morning...I'm afraid I'm old enough that I really don't want to put up with the questioning. Plus youngest one has the habit of really playing up the 'poor little me' card along with ready made tears to garner up as much sympathy and attention as possible...didn't want to go there either....so, it's just her and me this morning before the grandkids arrive this afternoon to be babysat....maybe this could be a trial run at the homeschooling, which I'm considering for the youngest one.........

The biggest problem is....I seem to remember a little conflict...okay, a down and out cat fight between my older sister and I when we were left alone...and I seem to remember her blouse getting ripped too...hmmmm......the only good thing in remembering that is that we're good friends now....so maybe there's hope....not!!!

A Soldier named Paul

This is my son Paul. This is my son Paul with his new truck. He loves his new truck.

Paul is in the infantry division of the Canadian Army. I wanted to put a picture of him in his uniform (he looks so handsome!) but alas they are on hubby's computer and I asked him how to get it onto mine and he's not quite sure.....must ask one of the young uns...they always know! Paul has been in the army for two years next month and we've been very fortunate that he hasn't had to do a tour in Afghanistan yet....much to his annoyance....he really wants to do that...well, I guess that's what all his training has been for...I have mixed emotions about it all.

I'm very proud of him and the career decisions that he has made but I do admit that everytime I hear about another Canadian soldier dying in Afghanistan, it does send a little niggle of dread deep inside me. I tell myself that anyone walking in downtown Toronto has the same chance of getting hurt,...or having his life taken...as a soldier overseas.....that's what my head keeps saying...my heart..well, that's another story.

Pomp and Circumstance

I enjoy classical music....not all classical music but a good part of it, I enjoy some contemporary music....not all but part of it,..I even enjoy some country music..(I have all of Lonestar's c.d.'s, before they switched lead singers!)....I enjoy most brass band music...that happens when you're fourth generation Salvation Army...yes the 'Army' is actually a church!.....I enjoy pretty well all sacred music...it speaks to my soul......I must admit that I'm not a big opera fan....but a few artists like Andrea Bocelli, I really enjoy.....so in summary, I enjoy music...it's a big part of my waking hours.....I even leave some music playing in the house when I leave so my doggies don't get lonely!

A few weeks ago I was looking on line at a favourite artist of mine, her name is Tricia Romance and when I went to her site the most beautiful piece of music was playing....I immediately asked my hubby what the piece was and he didn't know...so I called eldest daughter, the music major and played it for her...she said that she was pretty sure that it was Nimrod by Elgar....and she was right...so, last week I went to the local mall and picked up at cd of Elgar's works.....did you know he composed Pomp and Circumstance,..you know, that piece they always play at graduations? Well, this morning I was driving into the dentist....stupid back tooth broke..again...and the P & C piece came on (I was playing the cd).....all of a sudden I flashed back to when I was 18 and graduating from high school. At that time my hubby and I had only been dating for a couple of months and he lived about an hour and a half from me so we didn't see each other very often. Well, the very weekend I was suppose to graduate, I had the opportunity to go and see the newest love of my life so....well, can you guess....I decided to go and see him and not go to my graduation. For some reason, when I listened to P&C this morning..even though I've heard it many times since at all my childrens' grads....I've never once before flashed back to my own...but today I did. I must admit to feeling quite sad.....I was very foolish in the decision I made and I just wished that my parents had insisted that I go...but they didn't.

It makes me realize that the times that I know my kids, even when they're older and I usually give them a choice when they get older...that maybe there are still some situations that you should still assert your parental authority ...and then maybe ...hopefully....40 years later that they wont wish that someone had insisted that they not turn their back on such an important milestone.

A New Year.....

These are our four youngest that still live at home. The boy at the back is Ben, 17, and the girl in the black shirt is Maya, 16, the other girl beside her is Emma, 14 and the one in front, in the purple shirt is Megan, 13.

The three oldest went off to highschool and the youngest is in grade 7, in the local elementary school. They were all looking forward to going although Maya was awake half the night because she was so anxious and Emma spent the evening before doing a dry run of her hair style and makeup! The other two were just excited to go...I had to stop Megan when she started running down the road to school after the picture was taken !

After a long quiet day they all returned, filled with all their different news of the day.....and so another year has started.....right now all the teachers are great, friends are wonderful and life is terrific.....wait til the end of the week!