A Picture to Remember all of the Good Times

Believe it or not, that child's sombrero is my age.  When my Mom was expecting me, my parents went on a trip to Mexico.

Au revoir Damien

This is my favorite picture of Damien as an adult. It really captures who he is: calm, deep thinker, quiet, respectful, kind... I took this a few months ago to add to my knitting projects gallery on Ravelry.  He always poses patiently for me to get the right shot.

Well, he's leaving home on Sunday, May 1st.  Going to pursue his studies in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the neighbouring province.  It's a pretty little jewel of a city with a lovely Campus and downtown core, perfect really, for Damien to reinvent himself.

I have tears in my eyes as I write this.

So Sunday, my boy and I are getting in the Prius and driving the five or so hours that will separate us at least for the next two years.  He said he will be home at Christmas but probably not at any other time as his program, after-degree Nursing,  is intense and crowded into two whole years of back to back semesters.

I will miss his gentle manner, his respectful, discrete demeanour, the kindness he shows to everyone he interacts with, his blue eyes, the friends he gathers almost weekly at our house and of course, his love and concern for us...

Lovin' and Learnin'

Dad:  You do well at school because you have a good teacher.
Daughter: No, I do well because I love my teacher.

After 6 weeks of almost weekly visits to my student teachers and 25 years of observing pre service and in service teachers, I have come to the unshakable conclusion that if you love/admire/respect your teacher, whether you are 6 or 66, you will learn better.  Granted, love is not required but respect is, at the very least...

Loving your teacher generally helps motivate you to learn, enjoy being in his/her presence and consequently being more apt to enjoy/want the learning.

My student teachers all worked hard this term not only on their lesson plans but on their relationships with their pupils.

They're gonna be all right.

Chillin' on the Deck

Yes, those are two of my men on the deck wearing my hats.  We are being very responsible about the sun and its potential dangers.  We've been spending time on the deck, talking laughing, sometimes with a glass of wine or a cup of tea or coffee but always in our best mood.  The sun in April is deceptively strong and we love to sit out and chill while soaking in its rays.

Natural mood elevator.

Pure bliss.

Happy Birthday Vlad!

Happy, happy Vlad with his three children. 

Chorale Saint-Jean

Our son Tristan who is home since December when he finished his studies and returns to Chicago to start work in July, went back to sing in the choir where he sang years ago.  Last night was the spring concert.

The most beautiful song for me was Water Night.  Not for it's melody, but for the richness and layering of sound that is mind boggling.  Listen, this is Eric Whitacre directing a virtual choir of thousands of singers.  Best heard with with eyes closed.

Wow Word

My son and I were talking about the word: "overachiever". He had an understanding that it meant that an individual overachieves in relation to the established standard in his cohort.  I said no, that an individual overachieves when he overreaches what is expected of him because of hard work. I won.

Overachievers are individuals who "perform better or achieve more success than expected." The implicit presumption is that the "overachiever" is achieving superior results through excessive effort.