Two Very Different Dramatic Productions on a Friday...

So, yesterday afternoon my kids' school presented a very funny and wonderful production along with Trickster Theatre Company.  The company works by coming into the school for a week and working in all the classes to prepare a short (2-3 minute) play with the kids.  Each class has a theme or topic and the kids brainstorm and make up little plays.  Mid week, the school calls in parent volunteers to pull costumes from Trickster's "Bins of Costumes" to support the plays (I was there!).  They have tech rehearsals on Thursday and on Friday afternoon parents are invited to come and watch all the plays put together.  It was wonderful.  I laughed so hard due to intense cuteness as well as real funny stuff.  It was fabulous to see all the kids participating.  As a former drama educator I could see the principles applies and as a parent I was so happy to hear my kids come home all week long talking excitedly about what they were doing. I was so glad that the Parent Council at our school committed the funds to bring something like this in.  I hope that it becomes an ongoing thing as I certainly felt it was exceptionally valuable.

Last night I then returned to my old stomping grounds (and hopefully future stomping grounds) to check out the 2nd Year BFAs final year presentation of a new adaptation of The Seagull by Jason Chinn. I have been looking forward to seeing this class onstage all year.  I was in Drama 257 with Kabriel Lilly and Nikki Hulowski last year and directed Kabriel in New Works, so I was very excited for them when they got in the program and was very pleased to see them onstage. It was clear to me that the program has been good for them and it was nice to see how much they have grown over the course of the school year. I also have a fondness for The Seagull. Chinn's script managed to retain the original flavour and tone of the play while striving to bring it up to modern day.  It is one of those plays you constantly have to work at 'getting', but every time i read it or see it, I think I am closer. In any case, I enjoyed the production.  I think there are exciting things with this class and I am interested to watch them grow over the next two years.

It made for a nice afternoon and evening of theatre - even though both events were miles apart in form and content.  Who knows, maybe someday some of those elementary kids will be in a BFA program?

A Musical Beginning to 2013!

Last night I caught Three Form Theatre's Songs for a New World at La Cite. Tonight is their last show - it start at 7:30 p.m.  It was an admirable undertaking for the young theatre company.  They handled the challenging music of Jason Robert Brown's song cycle well and I had an entertaining evening.  I think we shall see more of these four performers in years to come.  MacKenzie Reurink, in particular, has a good sense of comic timing combined with a strong singing voice that I think will serve her well in her career.  All four (the other three being Chris Scott, Steven Angove and Robin Kumish) have nice voices and a good sense of story-telling.  The balance is a little off, so I would recommend sitting on House Right at least four or five rows up.  Sometimes the band is just a little too hot for the vocals and it's best a bit further back and to the side.

So after that delightful night of song, I took in my boy's piano recital this afternoon. Gibson started his solo well but got flustered and felt a little bad afterwards. He's playing a tough piece for his age and gets very nervous playing in front of people.  Oliver's solo went well and the duet they played was near perfect.  I am really hoping for not too many duets because it's a bit torturous to supervise them, but this time we survived. I have been told I am NOT allowed to post the video (by Gibson) else I'd pop it up.

Anyhow, thank you all for the music to start this year!

A Thank You is always a Welcome Surprise!

For those who know me, the idea that I volunteer a lot is not a surprise.  I spend most of that time volunteering in theatre areas, but I have also volunteered at my sons' school for 6 years.  Recognizing the immense value of casinos, I have done those for organizations who put the word out (again, mostly theatre organizations - I kind of have a niche).  In my theatre roles, I do a variety of things, directing, acting, painting, Board work, whatever fits that I think I have the skills for. I get rewarded with enjoying the tasks, meeting great people, developing skills. For the school, I primarily do Child Check.  Child Check is a system in place to phone all the absent kids who have not been formally excused by a parent phone call.  This is to ensure that they are somewhere - not lost, injured or snatched on the way to school.  99.9% of the time the parent has forgotten to call or they are on their way.  It's a good system for a city school.  I have been doing this, as I said, for 6 years.  I also do field trips, casinos, and all that sort of stuff for the school.  I don't feel like I do a whole lot.  It's one day a week and the occasional extra day, BUT, when I went in on Friday I was presented with a certificate for Volunteer of the Year for the school!  Woot! Woot!  It's nice to get a thank you and to be noticed.  I will enjoy my certificate and the window sticker for my van and feel good about the last 3 days of Child Check for the school year!

Dear Parents and Care-Givers of Dunluce School

Re: Traffic Issues – Dunluce School

2011-2012 School Year

I have been growing more and more upset by the way parents and caregivers have been behaving when they come to pick up their children after school this year. I have never seen it this bad and I have been picking my kids up after school for the last 4 ½ years (I did take one year off where they rode the bus – so 3 ½ of the last 4 ½ years).

I have observed rampant jaywalking, with and without children, often done by darting out between parked cars (when visibility is poor) or by making oncoming traffic stop. Remember, because of where the crosswalks are located this means people had less than ½ a block to walk to a marked crosswalk no matter where they were. So not only are these people acting unsafe and illegal, but they are also lazy.

The driving and parking habits that I have observed also concern me. Every single day there are people parking in the no parking areas surrounding the crosswalk. I fear for the crossing guards and pedestrians as your car being in those non-parking spots means that you have greatly reduced their visibility to oncoming traffic. Your being there means they have to step out further into the road to stop the traffic. You put them at higher risk. You endanger the life of those children. I have seen reckless u-turns, high speed pulling out of parking spots, lack of signaling, pulling out into the crosswalk (because, of course, that’s where you were parked). All of those things are unsafe for our children. Yesterday, I saw one van driven by a school parent that thought to go around the line of vehicles stopped at the crosswalk. Why were they stopped? They were stopped BECAUSE THERE WERE PEOPLE CROSSING THE ROAD. She (the driver) looked puzzled that I would honk frantically at her to stop (at this point she was driving on the wrong side of the road in order to get around those pesky stopped cars).

I wrote to Mrs. Busby (our School Principal) about these issues. She informed me that the school is very concerned but unless there are police out there ticketing people will say to the staff members who tell those of you who break theses rules that they could get a ticket that “They will take their chances.” I wonder, are you going to take your chances with a child’s life? Because that’s what it’s about – those children’s lives. It is not about whether you get ‘caught’ and get a ticket, it is about the message you send to our children. The message you send is that it is okay to break rules as long as you don’t get caught. The message you send is that safety is second to convenience. The message you send is that what they are taught in school does not matter. You send a terrible, terrible example to your children and to mine. My fear is that one day one of our children is going to pay for it.

Please stop taking chances.

The Snow Globe Festival - Filling the need for Quality Children's Theatre in Edmonton in the Winter Months

Recently I noticed a lot of buzz on Twitter and Facebook about a new theatre festival for children happening this winter. The Festival was called The Snow Globe Festival and was running the week prior to the Christmas holidays in the Avenue Theatre. As a mother of 2 elementary school aged children I have long wished for more theatre programming throughout the year. I get my kids out to the Fringe and have occasionally been able to take them to productions at FTA, The Citadel and Concrete Theatre, but have always wanted more choices for them. And, as they age, I have discovered that I need more variety and options for them. This Snow Globe Festival seemed right up our alley.

I took a little time to ask the festival's creator, Ellen Chorley, some questions.

What is the Snow Globe Festival? Who does is serve and why did you think it would be a good idea for Edmonton and the 118th Avenue area? The Snow Globe Festival of Children’s Theatre is a new Edmonton Festival created and produced by Promise Productions (an independent TYA company in Edmonton). The festival will take place in Edmonton’s Avenue Theatre and will feature student matinees and evening shows of three full length plays and a musical lobby show over five days-Tuesday, December 20, 2011- Saturday, December 24, 2011.

I wanted to a do a festival in the 118th Avenue area because it was really important to me to create both affecting and affordable theatre. I noticed that there a lot of awesome events that happen in Edmonton right before Christmas, but most of them seem to be pretty expensive. The Snow Globe Festival offers affordable tickets so the whole family can attend. It is also is in line with the Arts on the Ave Initiative: "We Believe in 118"- where arts and family oriented events are important. 118th Ave is a great neighbourhood full of people who believe it can be a safe, vibrant area. I wanted to give families and schools in the area a really, fun, affordable festival for the holidays!

Finally, the Snow Globe Festival allows my company Promise Productions, to branch out to producing scripts with bigger casts and production values, as well as take care of 32 artists over four different projects. It's a big challenge and I felt like I was up for it!

Tell us about yourself. Who is Ellen Chorley and what is her background in theatre? In children's theatre? My name is Ellen Elizabeth Chorley and I am a workaholic obsessed with creating theatre.

Indeed she is. Here is an excerpt from her Bio:

Ellen Chorley is the Founder and Artistic Director of Promise Productions and the Festival Producer of the Snow Globe Festival of Children's Theatre. For Promise Productions, Ellen has written, produced and performed in: Cinderella the Wizard (Edmonton/ Athabasca/ Calgary Fringe 2007), The Too Tall Princess (Edmonton Fringe 2008) , The Twelve Dancing Princesses (Edmonton Fringe 2009) and The Tortoise and the Hare (Promise Productions @ FTA 2010) and The Fairy Catcher’s Companion (Edmonton Fringe 2010) as well as writing and producing The Not Evil Stepmother (Edmonton Fringe 2011).

Ellen has written many plays for young audiences including Lost and Fever Pitch (Evergreen Theatre), Mixed Up (co-written with three other writers for Centre Stage Theatre), The Heights of Love (Calgary’s Heritage Park) and two original high school plays The Albright Pact (Central Memorial High School) and Highlands at One Hundred (Eastglen High School).

Along with her work with Promise Productions, Ellen also serves as Artistic Associate for Edmonton's Northern Light Theatre, and between 2005-2010 worked with the Calgary emerging theatre company Mob Hit Productions as Head of Research and Development/ Playwright in Residence. Ellen also is a co-founder of Edmonton’s new theatre burlesque company Send in the Girls Burlesque.

Ellen has worked for the past twelve years as a drama teacher- starting her career as a teaching assistant at Edmonton’s Stage Polaris Academy for the Arts, Foote Theatre School at the Citadel Theatre and Theatre Zocalo. Now, Ellen teaches drama to all ages as a teacher at the Foote Theatre School, as a guest artist for the City of Edmonton, the City of St. Albert, and the City of Fort Saskatchewan, and as an artistic residence leader for Centre Stage Theatre (Calgary), Alberta Opera, and her own theatre company Promise Productions. In the fall semesters of 2009 and 2010, Ellen lead long term drama residencies in high school in Calgary’s Central Memorial High School for the Performing Arts (2009) and Edmonton’s Eastglen High School (2010). In each of these residencies, Ellen wrote and directed full length and tailor made plays for the students she worked with.

Ellen was nominated for the Emerging Artist Award at the Edmonton Mayor’s Evening for the Arts in 2008 and is the recipient of the 2011 Enbridge Nextfest Emerging Artist Award and Ellen was nominated for a 2011 Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Outstanding Fringe New Work (Award to Playwright) for her script The Fairy Catcher’s Companion. At the Edmonton Fringe 2011, Send in the Girls Burlesque received the first ever Staff Choice Award for their production of Tudor Queens: A Burlesque.

You've written, directed and performed in Children's theatre quite a bit. What draws you to that particular form? When I was six, I told my mother I wanted to be princess when I grew up. Then when I was twelve, I told my mother I wanted to be writer on broadway. Then when I was sixteen I told my mother I wanted to go to theatre school and become and actor. Doing children's theatre has allowed me to do all three.

What are the shows? What should audiences expect to see? Are there any specific age recommendations for the individual shows?
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, adapted by Joseph Robinette When four children- Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are shipped off to country estate to escape wartime London, they stumble upon a magical land in a wardrobe called Narnia. Narnia is ruled by an evil white witch who makes it so it is always winter and never Christmas. What Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy don’t know is that their arrival in Narnia aligns with an ancient prophesy calling for the end of the White Witch’s rule and the return of the King Aslan. This story of love, faith, courage and giving, with its triumph of good over evil, is a true celebration of life. Target Age Group: 5-14 years old

The Fairy Catcher’s Companion by Ellen Chorley
Back by popular demand! After a sold out run at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival, Promise Productions remounts their 2010, Sterling award nominated hit The Fairy Catcher’s Companion. The Starling Sisters have been waiting for their father to return home from war, but after two years without a letter, they are beginning to worry. Finally, an official typewritten letter arrives imploring Charlotte and Beatrice’s mother to travel to collect their father. Beatrice and Charlotte are shipped off to live with their stern Aunt Bernadette at Prince Manor- a dark, drafty countryside manor. Charlotte and Beatrice are at their wits end waiting to leave Prince Manor, until they find a peculiar-looking book called “The Fairy Catcher’s Companion” and use it to catch a real-life fairy named Fusser. But could having a fairy friend be more trouble than it’s worth? Target Age Group: 7-12 years old

Miss Electricity by Kathryn Walat

An electrifying, educational and entertaining comedy for all ages! Violet is a normal fifth grader who would much rather be breaking a world record than studying for her geography test. But when the world record attempt goes array, Violet walks home in the rain feeling sorry for herself, only to be hit by lightning, not once but twice! Now Violet isn’t a normal fifth grader anymore, she’s Miss Electricity- a super hero who can control electricity with her thoughts. An off the wall comedy with a great anti-bullying message about finding strength in yourself!Target Age Group: 4-12 years old

The Holiday Half-Time Show Baby, it’s cold outside! So stay inside the Avenue Theatre and let Holiday Half-Time Singers keep you warm and entertained. Enjoy your favourite winter songs before and after every performance at the Snow Globe Festival of Children’s Theatre, and you’ll be back in your seat for another show in no time at all. With voices sweeter than sugar plums, tunes toastier than hot toddies, and music merrier than mistletoe, who could ask for a better way to get ready for the holidays? (Evenings only) Target Age Group: All ages

What can parents tell their children before bringing them to the shows? Are there any special etiquette that they should be aware of? I think it's so great for parents to talk to their children about theatre etiquette! I would say the things to cover are:

- there there are any scary parts, it's just an actor, so don't worry! (and in fact usually the actor on stage playing a scary character also plays a good guy too!)

- make sure you go the bathroom before hand

- unlike watching a movie, watching a play means that actors can see and hear you! so to make the play enjoyable for everyone, try to keep quiet during the show, that doesn't mean that you can react to the play, but it does mean that you probably shouldn't shout "hey look behind you" to an actor on stage

Tell us a little about how people can support the festival. Is it more than just attending? Are there volunteer opportunities? Is there a way for people who want to see a Festival like this succeed to help out?

We need any support you can offer, especially since The Snow Globe Festival is NOT being funded by grants or government funding bodies like AFA or EAC this year.

First of all, anyone can donate to the festival though out IndieGoGo fundraising campaign at http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiegogo.com%2FThe-Snow-Globe-Festival-of-Childrens-Theatre&h=dAQEopa5AAQHCGsr8Fz-6fmhIo0zbpejNJPB64Cuz6fIT7A any donations made through this campaign will go directly to the 32 artists working on the shows!

Secondly, you can support us by buying tickets at Tix on the Sqaure by clicking http://www.tixonthesquare.ca/event/subscription/detail/134/ You can buy passes to the festival or singular tickets.

Third, we will be needing volunteer ushers and box office people, so if you are interested in volunteering check our website at http://www.promiseproductionstheatre.com/ or our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ellen.chorley#!/pages/Promise-Productions/134007796617404

Finally, we still have a few student matinees left to fill, so if you think your child's school might like to see one of the shows, you can talk to you principal and have them visit my website http://www.promiseproductionstheatre.com/

Thanks so much Ellen, for answering all my questions. This sounds like a wonderful way to spend time with our kids over the holiday season. I know I am glad to have the option and will be taking my kids!

A Mother... my most significant relationship(s)...

Ten Years ago today, right now, I was in labour but not progressing. With each contraction the heart rate of my unborn child was dropping. In a couple of hours, if things didn't progress, they were going to give me a c-section. I didn't so they did. It was fine. I made jokes once they did the spinal (and I could feel nothing below my arms - ahhhhhh). Mark argued about having to sit during the procedure as 'he had seen a c-section before'... the nurse insisted - 'that was not your wife' and 'they didn't want to have to pick him up off the floor if he fainted'. So he sat and watched. Oliver Lester Finlay arrived ten years ago tomorrow morning about 1:30 a.m. Mark did all the preliminary stuff with him as I was down in the recovery room waiting for my toes to move.

10 Years a Mother - hard to believe. The manners were better when he was 5. I see the teenager to come though and I think he will be an interesting, if challenging, kid. Right now he still loves Lego (Harry Potter this year) and is not into 'girls'. This past school year he had the 'puberty' lesson and he didn't giggle because their teacher told them they weren't allowed to be immature. He still likes Webkins, and Pokemon rules the world and his latest DS Game is Plants vs. Zombies. He is tall for his age but a bit lazy but I do have him trained to put his dishes in the sink and his dirty clothes in his hamper. I understand him terrifically, but sometimes that doesn't do much when he's cranky or wants his way. He is my first born and he grows more interesting every year. The job itself gets both harder and easier, as well.

Milestones...

Gibson, my little guy, lost his first tooth yesterday. He really lost it too. In school somewhere... so he wrote a note to the Tooth Fairy explaining the situation. Luckily, she still came through for him. Then, this morning at breakfast he worked at wiggling the other loose tooth right next door and it to popped out. He seemed so excited about this simple little thing. Maybe it is the money from the tooth fairy, but he really couldn't stop grinning and it was so much fun to see.

Family Outing

The whole Finlay Clan took in The Tortoise and the Hare at the Westbury last night. It was produced by Promise Productions and the Hare was played by a friend from Walterdale. She kindly offered comps for some of her friends with children so I asked for 3 and then it turned out Mark could also go, so I managed to snag him one of the few remaining tickets. We got there early so we had lovely seats and ran into Linette and her niece and we thoroughly enjoyed the show. Gibson had his own 'moment' when he yelled out 'He's a tortoise!' to which the entire audience laughed loudly. Both boys have since recalled several moments they liked from the play. Being of different ages they each responded to different moments. Oliver had a tense moment when he worried that the poisons, referred to in the play, were real. I reassured him that we would be fine and we moved on. It was nice to go out as a family and see a show that was age appropriate and length appropriate. The boys and I saw some stuff at the Fringe and we caught You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown at Walterdale, but I always feel that there isn't enough for kids, especially young ones.

Solutions...

So, frustrated with my perception of 'too late' with Ollie's grade 2 year I decided to put together a plan for doing what I can this summer to help him improve over the summer. The big issues seems to be focus (behavioral) and writing (cognitive/process). I can only do so much with the focus issue as it is one thing to get a a single child to focus and quite another in a class of 28 (what his class in the fall will have). So, today I made a worksheet up asking simple questions about our trip to the museum yesterday. The answers could then be taken and used to write a short story about the day. I am not skilled in Division I. I do not know what they are supposed to be able to do, so I had to rely on Ollie's cues about how skilled he should be. He wasn't happy about the exercise, but once we finished it, he seemed a lot more relaxed about it. He was really stressed about the idea of writing a story. This is hard for me to deal with because prior to this year he would try just about anything fearlessly. This school year has changed him in that regard. I am not sure why, but hopefully I will be able to help him enough so that he is comfortable writing in the fall.

More on Parenting Choices - It's an Evolution...

I read the letters in the Journal today. This whole issue is coloured by generalizations and judgement and I know, I am not without guilt on that matter. I do try to see the whole picture and I feel comfortable 'thinking aloud' on my blog on this issue as opposed to writing in to the Journal with a snapshot of how I feel at one moment or in reaction to an over-generalized comment that someone else has written that I feel attacks me unfairly (for example, I do not 'do everything' for my kids - I teach them to do things for themselves). Anyhow, I wish this issue wasn't so polarized. I wish we made child-raising a priority in our culture, whether that means compensating those who do it in as a profession more, or stopping the belittlement of those who choose to stay home. I do recognize that just like home-schooling, there are those who do the job well and those that do not. Not every Stay at Home Parent is a saint or a genius at the job. Similarly, there are many who work outside the home, who do so for selfish reasons and who neglect their children to a certain extent - not all, but some. We need to stop fighting about it and find solution to issues that are fair to everyone (or at least most) not just those who work and not just those who stay at home. Sacrifices are made on both sides. Our children will live with the consequences of those choices one way or another.

Don't we want to know what's 'best'?

Lots of buzz about the Iris Evans comments on parenting. I wish I could hear the whole thing, because I think the comment was contextual. Even if it wasn't I wonder what the big deal was. No, I don't wonder, I know who's upset. The same thing happens when someone makes a broad statement about breastfeeding (breast is best), those who chose not to get their noses out of joint. I think we should aspire to what is best, fully acknowledging that there are circumstances that prevent everyone from achieving that. For example, a vaginal delivery is 'best', but I couldn't have one with Oliver (he might not have made it). Do I think that people should schedule c-sections, like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera? NO - that is idiotic. But, a c-section is necessary to prevent a lot of dead babies and mommies. Breast is best, it's a proven fact. There are, however, some women who try and cannot breast feed (inverted nipples, babies not getting enough, etc...). Do I think you should go straight to formula because it's there and convenient? NO - that is a dumb choice. But, formula has saved many a baby who would not get nutrition otherwise. We do not want to villanize those who had no choice in these situations, however, I don't think we should let the other ones 'off the hook' for deliberately making a dumb choice.

Now, the daycare (including all the variations - nanny, day homes, babysitting, etc...) is a little more complicated, because there are plenty of kids who come from families where both parents work that have turned out fine. I think it has more to do with realizing that when you have kids you need to sacrifice something. If you both work during the day and the children are in care, you need to take the time you do have with your kids to form connections and teach them to be good humans. You might have to give up the lifestyle you had pre-children so that instead of martini nights with the girls or beer nights with the guys, you are actually parenting in the evenings. You might also have to push down the daycare-guilt and discipline your child even though you want those few hours to just be fun and wonderful. you don't do your kids any favours in the long run if you abdicate responsibility for their moral development because you feel bad about having to work. I know there are some people who 'have' to work because of the economics of their families, but there are many who choose it. Take responsibility for your choice. If you see that choice damaging your children, you might want to re-visit it.

It's quiet now...

...for the moment, as the boys eat Eggo Waffles. A half an hour ago it was not so quiet. Last week I took the boys to Crankpots on Whyte Avenue and they each painted a ceramic doo-dad. Oliver painted an ant and Gibson painted a car. I picked them up today and put them up high for safety. Despite my warnings, however, the boys got them done and were playing with them. In the course of this Gibson's hand was bumped by Oliver's and the car crashed and shattered. Both boys were in tears for well over 15 minutes. Gibson over the lost treasure and Oliver because he felt so bad about it. I am exhausted and tomorrow Gibson and I are going to Crankpots to paint a new treasure. Yay?

Trial Run...

Today I got the boys up and fed and dressed and out the door at the soon to be usual time and did a trial run of my Tuesday morning trip. Yes, it's Thursday, but on Tuesday we didn't get out the door early enough. In any case, we made it with time to spare. I circled the block so that I was leaving the bus stop at 8:06 AM and made it to the daycare by 8:27 AM and out of the daycare by 8:35 AM. I passed the Timm's at 8:40 AM. That would mean I would have 20 minutes to park and get to class. Completely doable. And if it turns out to be tighter (bus running late... etc...) then I should still have some buffer time. I will also ask the bus driver about whether or not I can put Ollie on the bus at an earlier (and closer to the University) stop. I feel better about the whole thing. And it will only be Tuesdays. On Thursday, I can take Gibson earlier and not have to wait for the bus.

Eggs and Dye and Children

Just finished colouring the eggs with the boys. Gibson has been so excited about it ever since we bought the Dora Colouring pack at Shoppers the other day. The whole colouring thing took about 15 minutes. Next year I may have to make more eggs. The trouble is having all those hard boiled eggs lying around. I am not fond of them myself.

As a child, I loved colouring Easter eggs. I was a bit of the artsy-crafty kind of child so I loved trying to make patterns and doing cool things with the decorations. However, my favorite part of it was throwing the dye on the snow. Living as we did in Fort McMurray, there was a 95% chance of snow on the ground at Easter time. My boys had a blast doing that part today. A big laugh for the yellow dye and the requisite don't eat yellow snow jokes. It was much fun.

Those Back to School Germs...

Gibson is sick, again. I am hoping that as he gets older, his immune system will toughen up a bit. Went to the Medi-centre, one hour+ wait, prescription for Ventolin, but no anti-biotic this time. We were told to come back if he doesn't' get better but that it was most likely a virus. Knowing Gibson's "history", I am putting 3-1 odds on us going back by the end of the week. I hope I am wrong.

Last night I did the "Test the Nation - Language" test that was on CBC. I got 58/70 which wasn't too bad. There were a few of the ones that I could narrow down to 2 and then I picked the wrong choice and there was 1 answer I continue to disagree with. I also got some word origin and regional answers wrong. Most of the ones I got wrong were ones I was unsure of. It was fun to do and I know I beat the average! Mark and I did the IQ test when that was on. Is there anyone else out there who likes to sit and watch TV and take silly tests? Maybe we're just geeks!

Rites of Passage...

Today Oliver started grade one. Full days, lunch at school, homework... It all begins today. I am actually a pretty relaxed Mom about this major life step. I think because I was a teacher I don't see school as something scary and I have tried hard to create enthusiasm for school within Oliver (and Gibson too). I think he was more puzzled by the fact that he didn't see all of his classmates from last year since they obviously shuffled the AM and PM Kindergarten classes. There were a few and Caelen was in his class so that was good. He also got the male teacher so I am hoping that helps to curtail his silliness a bit. He's a pretty good kid. Not shy. Not scared to try new things (except Chinese food - or "china food"). Academically I am not concerned and I really like the school. It feels like a good year has started.

Gibson will also have a "first" today. He will go to My First Pre-School at the YMCA today. He is pretty excited. He wanted to stay at the school with Oliver but I had to remove him and tell him his school would start later.

My Child, the Artistic Genius....

Okay, this is a second child I am talking about, so I am not in that happy delirious haze of first time parenthood. Had to get that out of the way first. My child, Gibson, is an artistic genius. Maybe it is too soon to tell, but if you can't brag about your children on your blog, where can you? But get this, he sings, in tune, all the time. Now, his favorite songs are "Stupid Girls" (Pink) and "Upside Down" (Jack Johnson - Curious George Soundtrack), but still, - in tune! Why is that so amazing? Well, for me it is because he is 2 years and 8 months old. The reaction of the teacher at Kindermusik has confirmed for me that Gibson's vocal skills are unusual. Most of the children his age listen to the music and dance a bit, but very rarely do they actually sing along and extremely rarely are they ever in tune. He can also tap out beats correctly and in tempo - most kids his age just bang away randomly.

So that's his musical genius - but get this - today he drew some amazing pictures for his age. Today he drew faces, with correctly placed eyes, noses, ears, mouths and hair. I know that is unusual for his age. His older brother (almost 6) doesn't even consistently do that when he draws. Get ready Auntie Annie for your first portrait a la Gibson --> it's a beauty!

So will I become a psycho stage parent? Pushing him to develop. Vocal lessons at age 3, shoving gouache and water colours into his hands at age 4? I hope not. But I think it is cool and if he likes singing and drawing I will provide that outlet, after all I like to do those things too.

Now, if I can only get through potty training!

The Trouble with Germs...

The trouble with germs and kids is that they always seem to find each other. We are going on 4 weeks in this house where at least one or more people are sick. I was out of it for a week and a half. Oliver and Gibson have both been ill twice and Mark was sick for a few days when the rest of us were relatively healthy. Gibson now has bronchitis. Luckily he has been rejuvenated by his trip to the doctors and is very cheerful, but he has three prescriptions coming to make him better. I guess I will wash the comforters again to try and minimize the 'lingering sickness' and I will pray for good sleep. It isn't fun. This year has been worse than others. I think it is because I have one kid in school and one under 3. The germs are having a great time.