Zoom! There went December. And holidays. And 2012.
Despite the fact that we were on holidays from school from about the 8th, the month was very full. My list had several things checked off, but not as many as I liked. We got to see friends that the busy-ness of fall schedules had been keeping us from for several months. My old, second-or-third-hand oven finally bit the dust on Dec. 22, and we got a new one (which I LOVE!) And Jason got a promotion.
There is more to each of those stories, but they all seem a little too lengthy to try to cram into one post. Suffice it to say that Jason is now working as a System Analyst, a position that was handed to him within minutes of him receiving a job offer as a Project Manager for another company. The jobs were so similar as far as benefits, pay, and other things, that Jason struggled with the decision for about a week, initially thinking he would take the Project Manager job. He had no peace about it until he decided to stay with Northlands School Division as System Analyst, however, so that is what he did. We are very grateful that our belts can loosen a little, and that Jason gets to stay in a work environment he enjoys, making a wage he is happy with.
The kids were happy to start school again after our four weeks off. Last Sunday night, Jabin commented that he thought the holiday was TOO long. Didn't expect that. I could definitely have used another week, but my "to-do" list has significantly more items on it than theirs does! Especially for the last two weeks of the break, when Jason was off, too--there were a great deal of video games played during that time. It's good to know that they do see the value of structure and learning at times. :-)
My To-Do was more various forms of work, but fortunately, they were mostly ones I enjoyed:
Maybe this week...
Despite the fact that we were on holidays from school from about the 8th, the month was very full. My list had several things checked off, but not as many as I liked. We got to see friends that the busy-ness of fall schedules had been keeping us from for several months. My old, second-or-third-hand oven finally bit the dust on Dec. 22, and we got a new one (which I LOVE!) And Jason got a promotion.
There is more to each of those stories, but they all seem a little too lengthy to try to cram into one post. Suffice it to say that Jason is now working as a System Analyst, a position that was handed to him within minutes of him receiving a job offer as a Project Manager for another company. The jobs were so similar as far as benefits, pay, and other things, that Jason struggled with the decision for about a week, initially thinking he would take the Project Manager job. He had no peace about it until he decided to stay with Northlands School Division as System Analyst, however, so that is what he did. We are very grateful that our belts can loosen a little, and that Jason gets to stay in a work environment he enjoys, making a wage he is happy with.
The kids were happy to start school again after our four weeks off. Last Sunday night, Jabin commented that he thought the holiday was TOO long. Didn't expect that. I could definitely have used another week, but my "to-do" list has significantly more items on it than theirs does! Especially for the last two weeks of the break, when Jason was off, too--there were a great deal of video games played during that time. It's good to know that they do see the value of structure and learning at times. :-)
- sew
- knit
- write patterns
- update web stores (all of them)
- start newsletter mailing lists for various businesses
- Plan Science for the remainder of the school year
- do my books for the past year
Maybe this week...
Sometimes I love the days when the kids and I are running around town doing errands. The prolonged periods in close proximity in the van with not much to do but talk and think often prompts the most interesting, and most memorable, conversations.
Yesterday was one such day. On our way into swimming lessons after lunch, Jabin pipes up, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a fighter. And my weapon is going to be a bow and arrow."
Snapping out of a reverie on my own (which was in a completely different sphere of thought--itinerary, or knitting patterns, or some such thing), I wondered where he might have gotten that from.
"Like Hawkeye?" I asked. My kids have seen the new "Avengers" movie at least five times. Hawkeye is one of their favourite characters from the show.
"Yeah, and Legolas," he replied. Now I was catching up. After our semi-annual holiday tradition of watching the entire, director's-cut Lord of the Rings trilogy (which Jabin and Noah got to participate in for the first time), Jabin had declared Legolas to be his favourite character. I guess he was still chewing on that.
I didn't want to point out the near-complete lack of reality in anyone using a bow-and-arrow for sniper or other soldierly work these days, but Jude did, instead. After some discussion amongst the boys about how archery was primarily for hunting game, and how Hawkeye's amazing arrows weren't really real, Jabin said, "Well, I can use it for hunting, and fighting. Then I can shoot a deer or a moose for my family."
"Good plan," I said, smiling. "You can make sure your family has food for the winter."
"Yep. And I think one of my kids will say he wants to be just like me!"
"I bet he will." There are definitely worse goals to have. :-)
Yesterday was one such day. On our way into swimming lessons after lunch, Jabin pipes up, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a fighter. And my weapon is going to be a bow and arrow."
Snapping out of a reverie on my own (which was in a completely different sphere of thought--itinerary, or knitting patterns, or some such thing), I wondered where he might have gotten that from.
"Like Hawkeye?" I asked. My kids have seen the new "Avengers" movie at least five times. Hawkeye is one of their favourite characters from the show.
"Yeah, and Legolas," he replied. Now I was catching up. After our semi-annual holiday tradition of watching the entire, director's-cut Lord of the Rings trilogy (which Jabin and Noah got to participate in for the first time), Jabin had declared Legolas to be his favourite character. I guess he was still chewing on that.
I didn't want to point out the near-complete lack of reality in anyone using a bow-and-arrow for sniper or other soldierly work these days, but Jude did, instead. After some discussion amongst the boys about how archery was primarily for hunting game, and how Hawkeye's amazing arrows weren't really real, Jabin said, "Well, I can use it for hunting, and fighting. Then I can shoot a deer or a moose for my family."
"Good plan," I said, smiling. "You can make sure your family has food for the winter."
"Yep. And I think one of my kids will say he wants to be just like me!"
"I bet he will." There are definitely worse goals to have. :-)
