tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216122542024-03-11T01:48:53.992-07:00Talk Nerdy To MeJoin us in our adventures in travelling and parenting!Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.comBlogger2348125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-78830491577893661572021-02-11T10:14:00.004-08:002021-02-11T10:14:34.177-08:00Thankful Thursday<p> Thankful Thursday time! It's been months and nothing has really changed; I never imagined any of this (pandemic for a year) happening. Let me just share some photos of things that we have been up to...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4363/35957024073_db83f387e4_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4363/35957024073_db83f387e4_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">This week I am thankful for:</span></b></p><p><b><span></span></b></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">1. Subbing</span></b>. Just 1-2 times a week average works perfect for me. I am on a 0.29 contract this year for work which means I taught full time from September to November and the rest of the year I will substitute teach at my high school only to minimize exposure.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50491878828_1f0756140b_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50491878828_1f0756140b_b.jpg" width="481" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>2. Health</b></span>. Grateful that we have avoided COVID in a place (Surrey, B.C.) where it's been chronically top of the list of cases. I had a mammogram that was suspicious so had a follow up and will have another in a few months. There are crystallizations on my left chest wall that need to be watched (crystallizations can be a precursor to cancer). My thyroid is behaving nicely and as per usual I am trying to keep iron levels up. Nya has been very healthy asthma-wise with only one respiratory illness that she got from Koen at the start of the school year. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50903045287_a887995810_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50903045287_a887995810_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">3. Our home</span></b>. We've done some small updates like hinges, doorknobs, lighting and couches. Next up are our floors! Our current ones are not that old but we went for super cheap ones from Home Depot last time without leveling ahead of time..lesson learned. We're going for an "almond paste" luxury vinyl which should warm it up a bit.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50930693641_64e4459f59_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50930693641_64e4459f59_b.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">4. Our cat.</span></b> Our kids are wild for Kinley. We were going to surprise them with a kitten at Christmas but it didn't work out. They beg daily. She is a great comfort for them and a place to express emotions when it may not come easily for some (Kai).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50903091981_057d082d1e_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50903091981_057d082d1e_b.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;">5. Kai is done with orthodontics! </span>I had no idea that I should start saving for braces when the kids were young. Our coverage is just $1500/kid so we had to pay a solid $6000 out of pocket. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50930007383_0722da1357_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50930007383_0722da1357_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">6. Places to explore</span></b>. Although I am a bit over the Lower Mainland, there are worse places to be "stuck" right now. This hike here was <a href="https://www.vancouvertrails.com/trails/minnekhada-regional-park/" target="_blank">Minnekhada</a>.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50902386033_5a1beb8231_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50902386033_5a1beb8231_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">7. Paper route for the younger two</span></b>. We split the route into two so that I go with Nya and Gary goes with Koen. We're done in about 15 minutes and they make about $10/month. Normally with sports this would not work but we do not have much going on.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50755611483_53d4eeb379_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50755611483_53d4eeb379_b.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;">8. Thrift Store Finds. </span>I bring a box the thrift store every two weeks (purging makes me happy!) and then take a peek inside. I found these Merrell boots for Nya for $10 as and example. I will take all the hand-me-downs and thrift store finds that I can because raising kids isn't cheap, especially when you only have one girl so she's not sharing with a sibling.<p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50930693926_5c18b6423d_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50930693926_5c18b6423d_b.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">9. Rest and Restoration</span></b>. We spend a lot of time at home. This is best for Koen as school is a lot for him. Knowing that there is really nothing on the schedule other than resting and restoring at home has been really great for him; I don't know if he's ever been happier. That said, he does miss ball hockey and we are hopeful he will be able to play again in the spring.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50902384058_3662651100_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50902384058_3662651100_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>10. Books! </b>As always, I love the Libby App. Some great reads since January have been: Concrete Rose (prequel to "The Hate U Give", 4/5), The House in the Cerulean Sea (4.5/5), The Glass Hotel (4/5), The Ten Thousand Doors of January (4/5) and The Library at the Edge of the World (3.5/5).</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50933348362_a2d822e846_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="582" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50933348362_a2d822e846_b.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope that you are able to find restoration this weekend, friends. Dr. Caroline Leaf says in her podcast "Cleaning up the Mental Mess" podcast 253 "Even if you're resting but not managing your mind correctly during the rest (because you may be shaming yourself for not being someone else's definition of "productive") you are not restoring and may find yourself chronically tired, irritable & depressed. Recognize there is a difference between rest and restoration".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Much love to you all. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Love, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Louise</div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-45712828003422551212020-11-12T08:00:00.079-08:002020-11-12T08:00:04.001-08:00Thankful Thursday Fall Edition<p> Hi friends! Wow, so I was a faithful blogger for about ten years and then took a break while going back to work teaching. Every time I log onto here to update it in some way, the platform/dashboard is so different and I feel myself aging rapidly. I do love having updates here for several reasons:</p><p>1. I love seeing what we were doing so it is easier to make our photobooks.</p><p>2. If anything ever happened to me, my kids would have a record of sorts. That said, I am really trying to limit personal information about them because, well, the Internet is a wild place and I want their consent on all I post.</p><p>Well, it's Thursday so you know what that means: Thankful Thursday. This is what I am thankful for this week:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4363/35957024073_db83f387e4_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thankful Thursday" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4363/35957024073_db83f387e4_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span><br /><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">1. Koen has his first job!</span></b> He has a paper route of 60+ houses that he does once a week. He isn't able to do it on his own but it's a great job to spend some time in the outdoors together. He got his first paycheque this week for $28/month. He is different than Kai...he doesn't put his money in the bank right now, he likes to spend it. </span></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50402986706_46dff78024_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="427" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50402986706_46dff78024_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">2. I'm done teaching</span></b>! This year I went down to 29% and that looked like full time for ten weeks. It was busy but totally fine because Gary was able to do the pick up and drop off of the kids which gave me so much more time and energy each day. It probably also helped that our extra curricular was pretty much non-existent other than school volleyball practices for Kai. I am so proud of myself for teaching 50 kids each day. I had two three-hour classes and wore a mask for it all. I also had three At Home Learners who I worked with. There was a lot more technology involved and I'm grateful every student made it through well and we had a good time together. I often wonder if I'm ready to retire (I know, I'm only 42) but then I hear all of the words of affirmation from my students and they make me feel like I'm one-of-a-kind :) </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50491878828_1f0756140b_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50491878828_1f0756140b_b.jpg" width="241" /></a><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50492581271_16d2e39151_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50492581271_16d2e39151_b.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">3. <b><span style="font-size: medium;">Kinley Cuddles Chapman</span></b>. Everyone is wild about this cat. Okay, not Gary but he does like it when she curls up on him. Best thing to come of out Covid.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50445714703_a5bc54e483_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="427" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50445714703_a5bc54e483_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">4. Kids that love reading</span></b>. I'm only referring to Nya and Koen but they read for at least two hours a day minimum. I have to tell Koen to stop reading or he gets all cramped up from not changing positions. Love it!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50335725697_4e73fb5eb0_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="427" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50335725697_4e73fb5eb0_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">5. A hike with Gary</span></b>. We did Mount Frosty a few weeks ago to see the Golden Larches. It was not an easy hike but it was beautiful. Definitely feeling my age.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50419336758_22bc2ee773_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50419336758_22bc2ee773_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">6. Sushi with sisters</span></b>. We met before the current stage we're in Covid-wise. We each had our own take out sushi containers, went for a walk and sat around the fire. I really miss that the kids can't see their cousins but there's just so many of them we can't risk it. Realllllly hoping they can see each other outside for Christmas. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50591786062_c1ebc0b338_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50591786062_c1ebc0b338_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">7. Books</span></b>. This was a great audiobook. 4/5. I can't get into my Goodreads account for some reason so I'm just rating it here ;) And yes, I know you can do "Forget my password" but I never get the retrieval email!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50591658301_4bbc5f84ff_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="702" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50591658301_4bbc5f84ff_b.jpg" width="561" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">8. Younger two are doing fine with Covid.</span></b> They don't mind wearing their mask and don't notice too many differences. We have gone to a different kind of church (six families, all at their own tables, we wear masks) and the pumpkin patch and they just roll with it. Koen is the only one of us who does not wear his mask consistently. Koen is sad that there are no competitive sports for him (he did play soccer once a week at the school) as they normally start in grade 6. Kai is sad about sports too.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50590932118_873f4d044e_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50590932118_873f4d044e_b.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(church above)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50591664361_37c94f1dec_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50591664361_37c94f1dec_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">9. Our new air fryer!</span></b> I bought it for Christmas for Gary but it did not come in an Amazon box so he saw it. We've opened it and used it. I love it for making wedge fries. Easy to use and way less oil. Delicious tasting. I bought it on the Amazon Prime Day for $48 off.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50591790442_31cc5d4ba0_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50591790442_31cc5d4ba0_b.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">10. Our "new" TV stand.</span></b> I wanted to replace our open shelved rolling one and found an IKEA one on marketplace. Gary painted it white, removed the glass doors and made solid doors. Love it! Next up is white stack stone around the fireplace and a dark stained wooden mantel. If I get the ideas and the supplies, then Gary can carry it out. #teamwork</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50591338108_942f24d1f8_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50591338108_942f24d1f8_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Phew. This whole blogging thing takes so much time! I think this will probably be my last post until Christmas time! Hope you are doing well, friends. Thanks for checking in.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Love, <br />Louise</div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br />Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-43538977714246297922020-08-27T11:34:00.002-07:002020-08-27T11:34:52.739-07:00Thankful Thursday: A Pandemic Summer<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4363/35957024073_db83f387e4_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thankful Thursday" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="369" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4363/35957024073_db83f387e4_b.jpg" title="Thankful Thursday" width="655" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Hi friends! It has been a while since I have spent some solid time on here and I want to thank you for checking it out. Well, this has been a unique summer! I went through all the feelings, like many of you did, from "What are we allowed to do?" "What is a proper bubble?" "Will we have school in person?" "Will we have sports camps?" and "WHAT ARE THE RULES EXACTLY?" (in caps because I am a rule follower). I have been able to practice gratitude throughout the time and I recognize my privilege of having a home, steady income, healthy family members, medical coverage etc which has made life a lot easier. Also, the fact that Gary and I are both teachers and able to stay home this summer has been huge. We have truly used this time to restore our bodies by getting ample fresh air, enough sleep, healthy home cooked meals AND Gary and I have been able to work out almost every single day. Besides resting and trying to figure out the rules, here are some things we have been up to this summer that I am grateful for:<p></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">1. Going to Whistler for one night</span></b>. Why just one night? For a multitude of reasons: The teenager doesn't love family trips, we have a kitten at home, the cost of a hotel is not cheap and we can pack a lot into just two days!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50268067728_7d94b9f92c_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="brandywine falls" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="491" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50268067728_7d94b9f92c_b.jpg" title="Brandywine Falls" width="655" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50268421887_933b1776ce_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Whistler Olympic Rings" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="655" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50268421887_933b1776ce_b.jpg" title="Whistler Olympic Rings" width="655" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: large;">2. Seeing a bear! </b>We have seen many from our car but not up close while hiking and biking. Koen came upon him/her first and stopped a good distance away. The bear went on its way and we made a lot of noise biking past! This happened while biking from Alta Lake back to the Village along the Valley Trail in Whistler.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50249668972_09f77c9fdf_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bear in Whistler" border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="437" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50249668972_09f77c9fdf_b.jpg" title="Bear in Whistler" width="655" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>3. Green Lake getaway. </b></span>Gary took the younger two for several nights up to my dad's vacation home at Green Lake. It was so nice for me to experience relative peace and quiet (Kai was with me) and nice for them to swim, kayak and roast marshmallows. One thing I have noticed is that I need space and quiet more than ever and it's almost impossible when you're in isolation with your family for five months. I go on a lot of walks!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50220195287_b0189c42b6_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Green Lake" border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="437" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50220195287_b0189c42b6_b.jpg" title="Green Lake" width="655" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">4. Getting a kitten</span></b>. This would not have happened without COVID as we had plans to be gone a lot of the summer road tripping. Kinz (Kinley Cuddles Chapman) has been so therapeutic for all of our kids! Nya reads to Kinz in bed every night for half an hour, Koen loves playing with her and Kai loves his cuddles.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50084453803_583b0765e5_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cuddles with kitten" border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="437" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50084453803_583b0765e5_b.jpg" title="Kinz cuddles" width="655" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50145161361_9c19ea8b52_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watching kitten" border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="438" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50145161361_9c19ea8b52_b.jpg" width="655" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50185144067_a2fb3e62f5_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kitten" border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="438" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50185144067_a2fb3e62f5_b.jpg" title="Kitten" width="655" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">5. Camping! </span></b>We only booked two nights for the whole summer because when the registration opened June 1st, we had no idea what the summer or our lives would look like. It worked well. We spent one night at Rolley Lake and one night at Golden Ears. At $41/night it was a very affordable experience and the kids loved the s'mores. We have really tried to be wise with our spending as I am going down significantly in my teaching to 0.27 (purposely!) and we do not know if I will be able to substitute teach during my semester off as we do not know what will be happening COVID-19-wise.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50144614118_86370d626d_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kids on inner tubes at Rolley Lake" border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="438" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50144614118_86370d626d_b.jpg" title="Rolley Lake" width="655" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50145394147_00de1395ee_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Campsite at Rolley Lake" border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="438" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50145394147_00de1395ee_b.jpg" title="Campsite at Rolley Lake" width="655" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50092075338_2260cac33e_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hammock with boy and girl" border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="438" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50092075338_2260cac33e_b.jpg" title="Hammock Time at Rolley Lake" width="655" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">6. Getting items done of the "To Do" list!</span></b> This might be my favourite. Along with our neighbours we re-did our fences to a solid 6 foot one. The old fence was 14 years old and falling apart in multiple sections. It was also only 5' feet tall with a lattice so not a lot of privacy which is especially important because our homes are so close to each other! It was a great opportunity for Kai to learn life skills, to get to know our neighbours more and to update our yard! Gary had never done it before and I'm proud of him. The total cost for it was "just" $1500 (our portion) including the staining. Other projects included painting, replacing base boards, carpet cleaning, deep cleaning our home etc.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50184347413_0dd25f4f6b_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kid using a saw" border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="438" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50184347413_0dd25f4f6b_b.jpg" title="Kai learning life skills" width="655" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This photo below shows the finished fence. If you look, you will see that most fence posts were not replaced (just two were) and we just adapted them to help save on time and cost. It worked well. This outdoor patio space is another area that I am grateful for. Our yard is incredibly small but we make use out of almost every little section of it. It's a great area for the kids to read outside (or Kai to do his Science 9 course online) or me to escape the noise. We also use it when friends visit as we haven't had anyone in our home.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50274996018_8148eb8825_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Boy working on computer outside" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="655" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50274996018_8148eb8825_b.jpg" title="Finished fence and "patio" area" width="491" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Gary also made this shelf for me! I haven't decorated it properly yet. I want it to have greenery but also knick knacks from our travels. Possibly photos, too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50260379788_76fc9ace6d_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Octagonal shelving" border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="437" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50260379788_76fc9ace6d_b.jpg" title="Octagonal shelf made by Gary" width="655" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">7. Patio furniture</span></b>. I mentioned it above but I am grateful we splurged on some pricey furniture. We got it on sale at $400 off but it still cost a pretty penny. I wanted a couch that I could lay on to read and it's perfect for that (although my feet go over the end which is totally fine with pillows). Also, I love these patio latterns from Costco! They make the prettiest patterns when it gets dark at night.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50234755407_bf739efbd3_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Solar lanters" border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="437" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50234755407_bf739efbd3_b.jpg" title="Lanterns in our patio space" width="655" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275064628_fd8bce6d27_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Solar lights with neat pattern" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="655" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275064628_fd8bce6d27_b.jpg" title="Fun solar lights" width="491" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">8. Bike rides</span></b>. We haven't done too many but we did Veddar Trail and a lot of biking around Whistler. Nya likes a paved path and the boys love more dirt and challenge. It's something we can enjoy as a family and hopefully our skill levels balance out soon! Grateful that the bikes Gary and I have had for 20+ years keep working and for the secondhand ones we get for our kids.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50118049671_a4b2e294e6_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Family posing with bikes" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="491" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50118049671_a4b2e294e6_b.jpg" title="Family bike ride at Hayward Lake" width="655" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">9. Our elliptical and treadmill</span></b>. Although we prefer outdoor activities, we did replace our treadmill early on during COVID and also bought a space saver elliptical second hand. I use the elliptical probably 6 days a week (watching Netflix) and it is a great low impact workout as my foot is still quite sensitive and my joints can't handle high impact. Gary has lost 10 lbs this summer and I have lost 6 lbs (I was aiming for 10). My endocrinologist was impressed as my thyroid is very wonky which makes healthy weight loss so tricky. I am going to increase my blood tests to once a month for two years now as the stress of life is not helping it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275064348_0c4003911c_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Space saver elliptical" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="655" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275064348_0c4003911c_b.jpg" title="Space saver elliptical" width="491" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">10. Vitamix on sale!</span></b> We use it about once a day for smoothies and I've tried some soups with it as well. I've always wanted one as our Ninja was nearing the end of it's life. I was grateful we got it for $120 off at Costco and then an additional $20 off with an online coupon I had to use!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275899282_bafa6b0eb9_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Vitamix with roasted veggie soup" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="655" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275899282_bafa6b0eb9_b.jpg" title="Vitamix with roasted veggie soup" width="491" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, those are some highlights from this summer. I should add that it has been a summer of growth in regards to reading and listening to podcasts about the Black Lives Matter movement and awareness of white privilege. I have many books to recommend: The Hate U Give, I'm Still Here, So You Want to Talk About Race and How to be an Anti-racist. We still have a long ways to go but I am grateful for wise voices and resources to read.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>I'd love to hear: What is something you are grateful for this summer?<br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Love, <br />Louise</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">PS I love my birthday present to myself: a Lululemon waist pack. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275899462_fc75149298_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="655" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50275899462_fc75149298_b.jpg" width="491" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div></div><p></p>Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2827291 -123.12073753.4617736899846108 166.56676249999998 90 -52.808237500000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-29172747440111186892020-08-27T10:25:00.000-07:002020-08-27T10:25:59.167-07:00Parenting During a Pandemic as a Perfectionist<p> <a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50268424657_935695de5c_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="491" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50268424657_935695de5c_b.jpg" width="655" /></a></p><p>"Do we have to wear masks in the classroom?" "Will we have cross country races?" "Will there be running club?" "How will Halloween work this year?" "When will we have sports?" "Can I hug my friends at school?" Those are just a few of the sample questions that I get asked daily that I do not have answers to. I recently read this article "Your 'Surge Capacity' is Depleted–It's Why You Feel Awful" and it touched on so much of how I am feeling. </p><p></p><blockquote><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: medium-content-serif-font, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.063px;">"It’s harder for high achievers,” she says. “The more accustomed you are to solving problems, to getting things done, to having a routine, the harder it will be on you <b>because none of that is possible right now.</b> You get feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, and those aren’t good.”</span> </blockquote><p> <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><a href="http://www.talknerdytomeblog.com/2017/12/when-you-find-out-you-are-perfectionist.html" target="_blank">I am a Type 1</a> on the Enneagram which is known as The Reformer or The Perfectionist. I like to know the rules, expectations and plan. During COVID-19, this feels like a near impossible task. I can deal with the unknown for a few weeks but five months?! This is a lot, especially when those in our lovely little family are demanding answers. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50145151951_29f3b09d17_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Three kids in a hammock" border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="437" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50145151951_29f3b09d17_b.jpg" width="655" /></a></div><p>We are heading back to work in less than a week. I do have a basic understanding of what it will look like at the high school level (quarter system meaning I am teaching two longer classes) but beyond that, I do not know what it looks like. I know answers will come. However based on my experience over the past 5 months, <b>THE PLAN KEEPS CHANGING</b>. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What are the other aspects that are hard for me?</span></b></p><p>1. <b>Gary does not worry</b>. When asked about COVID and how he feels, he said "I wish we had one more week of summer to rest before the unknown starts". This is great for him and I am not saying there is anything wrong with that, I just feel more alone in the burden I feel.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50268421887_933b1776ce_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="655" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50268421887_933b1776ce_b.jpg" width="655" /></a></div><p>2. <b>Finding the balance of letting my kids be kids and trying to keep them safe</b>. I am quite confident the boys would be okay if they got it but Nya has asthma. She has done so much better over the past few years, but still, she is susceptible to bronchitis and has had pneumonia and a 9-1-1 call resulting in an ambulance ride to the E.R. </p><p>3. <b>Feeling alone.</b> I do not mean that I feel physically alone because <b>I AM NEVER ALONE</b>. I mean that no one truly understands how I feel because no one is in the exact same boat. Normally this is not as noticeable but when people take stances on masks and ideas of bubbles and safe socialization, you recognize more differences. The needs of our kids are obviously different than others and it often appears to be magnified when you are together 24/7 and your younger two are approaching puberty too.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50268067728_7d94b9f92c_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="491" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50268067728_7d94b9f92c_b.jpg" width="655" /></a></div><p>4. <b>Not trusting my body.</b> When you have a disease that you have no control over, and it attacks your own body (autoimmune), it is hard to trust it. When your mom gets cancer and dies at 53 even though she lived a very healthy lifestyle, it makes you feel like you are never safe. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What do I know?</span></b></p><p>1. <b>I can control what goes on in our home</b>. Mostly, I do have a teenager. I can ensure my kids continue to eat healthy, stay on a proper sleep schedule, get their exercise and feel a sense of purpose and routine to their day. I can prevent anyone from coming into our home and say where we do or do not go.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50118049671_a4b2e294e6_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="family bike ride" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="491" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50118049671_a4b2e294e6_b.jpg" width="655" /></a></div><p>2.<b> I'm not in control of others.</b> I do have a faith-based foundation so trust that I am in God's hands throughout this. The administration in our schools and government have more experience than I do in their areas of expertise so I do need to trust them. Do I trust the 130+ families that will be in our bubbles in two weeks? Not sure, to be honest.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50268422192_0a0d4cbf41_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="601" height="655" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50268422192_0a0d4cbf41_b.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><p>3.<b> I am allowed to feel what I like</b>. When someone says "Don't worry" or "Calm down" it is aggravating. I am entitled to all my feelings. I can feel worry and peace at the same time; one feeling does not take up 100% of my feeling bank.</p><p>4. <b>One day at a time has worked so far</b>. I never imagined teaching online and we did it. I never imagined wearing a mask into each store and it is no problem. I never imagined spending the majority of our summer at home but we did. I never imagined getting a kitten...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50260380588_41c4783971_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Girl with her kitten" border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="406" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50260380588_41c4783971_b.jpg" width="611" /></a></div><p>So, to those that are feeling overwhelmed, depleted, alone...I am there too. I do feel hopeful that we will get through this one day and a time and may find unexpected gifts through it all. Much love to you all as September, and school, approaches.</p><p>Love, </p><p>Louise</p><p></p>Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-32081101481141890462020-06-20T15:37:00.001-07:002020-06-20T15:37:28.542-07:00Getting a Pet: Our Three-Month-Old Kitten<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Introducing our three-month-old kitten, Kinley Cuddles Chapman aka Kinz. She is our first official pet other than a whole lot of fish that we have tried to keep alive over the years. Nya has begged us for years to get a kitten and we always said "no" because we travel a lot and I don't want to have to worry about would care for the kitten. </div>
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However, once COVID hit, we knew we would be home for a long time and were craving any cuteness to add to our Quarantine Crew, so we considered the idea. Gary sort of said "okay" finally after making it clear that he was not going to take care of her in any way. It was more difficult than I thought to find a healthy little kitten and finally I found one through a friend of mine; she had one left...</div>
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I had two cats growing up but we lived on a farm so I really had no idea how to care for an indoor cat. We bought a climbing tower, litter box, a collapsible carrying case, some food and some toys and hoped for the best! We named her Kinley because Nya's name in utero was Mackinley but we changed it a week before she was born. Nya says Kinley is the sister she never had.</div>
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It has been awesome. She is cuddly and cute, although, maybe everyone thinks their kitten is the cutest–just like your own child. She will cuddle with everyone in our home and curl up and go to sleep. She especially loves to lay with Gary and I at night when the kids have gone to bed and we are watching TV on the couch. </div>
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We don't let her sleep in our bedrooms because once she starts shedding I don't want to have more to clean all the time. Also, she gets really wild around 11 PM so I don't want her waking the kids up!</div>
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She is so easy to care for. She just explores, plays wildly with her toys (pretend mice and sparkly balls are her favourite), scratches on her climbing tower and sleeps anywhere and everywhere. She did pee outside of her litter box twice but hopefully it doesn't happen again! Talking about the litter box, it is in our bathroom as we have a detached garage so can't have a cat door. We do have another one in the basement laundry room which she can use as well and we hope to make it her main one once people can come into our home again.</div>
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Nya loves cuddling her, Koen loves watching her attack flies and Kai likes to do his homework with her laying beside him. I was really nervous because what if the kids liked her for a week and then decided she wasn't fun anymore? We've had her for a month now and our love is just growing. I was also concerned she would destroy our house. Although, I'm glad we did not get new couches as she's always on them. The only thing she really likes "destroying" is unrolling toilet paper rolls and attacking any cord found lying around–I can deal with that. </div>
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So, I'm not sure I'm a cat person but I'm definitely well on my way! I'm so glad we got her and have no regrets. Watching her chase her cat toys around makes us all smile and laugh. A Kinley cuddle de-stresses every receiver which is so needed these days. We will still do single overnight trips but have someone take care of her in our home.</div>
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It only took a pandemic but the kids got their pet. Do you have a pet? Would you get one?</div>
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<br />Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-24970728272728993162020-03-26T13:06:00.002-07:002020-03-26T13:06:57.429-07:00Thankful Thursday: Pandemic Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello friends! I wasn't going to post because I feel with social media everyone knows how I'm doing but then I realized, this time is a once in a lifetime and perhaps my kids will want to read back on what life was like. COVID-19 has shut down our schools, non essential businesses and travel and has had us in our homes for nearly two weeks already. Canada has just under 4,000 confirmed cases (with 659 in BC) and we're hoping flatten the curve. We did go to Ucluelet at the start of Spring Break but did not leave the car on the ferry and only visited beaches in Uclulet/Tofino. We have been going for walks as a family each day but definitely adhering to social distancing rules of 2 m between us and others. We have not had anyone in our home in almost 2 weeks. We have yet to visit the grocery store so we're getting to some interesting meals with those cans of artichokes we have.<br />
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Alongside the anxiety, fear and sadness have been peace and gratefulness. So many of our loved ones are out there working in healthcare and here we sit at home. Yes, balancing the kids' needs with our own may be hard, but if we just stay home we will be okay!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What am I grateful for in this time?</span></b><br />
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Although it can be tiring being in our home all together all the time, I'm grateful we can be there for each other. We have a schedule going which helps us all. There are one hour blocks which include things like: school (reading/art), exercise, family walk, chores, free time etc. They like it all except for chores. I have no idea how this will all work once online school starts and both Gary and I are teaching but we can only do our best.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. We were able to get a trip in to Ucluelet.</b></span> It was totally safe for us to travel within BC as we were not going into any buildings. We enjoyed 2 nights in Ucluelet. We had planned for three but felt that it was time to come home as the west coast of Vancouver Island was shutting down to visitors and I wanted to respect their wishes.</div>
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The Wild Pacific Trail (above) is the very first hike Kai did 19 months old. See below.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Staying on top of chores</span></b>. Always time to do laundry, friends. The kids are also learning how much work goes into keeping a house clean. I know some people can let things go but I cannot for my mental health.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Gary doing so much baking and cooking</b></span>. When I was looking for a partner I never considered how awesome it would be to have someone that enjoyed being in the kitchen. This is especially awesome in a pandemic when he's trying to utilize everything we have in the pantry so we don't need to go to the store. We found a can of condensed milk so he made <a href="https://www.justsotasty.com/oatmeal-fudge-bars/" target="_blank">Oatmeal Fudge Bars</a>. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Books</span></b>. I read this one on the Libby App. Scribd is also free right now so Nya is using it! I give this book 4/5. Took 20 minutes to get into it but I liked it.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Fitness options.</span></b> I love that we have a basketball hoop, trampoline, yoga swing and treadmill. Lots of options for the kids and us. Gary and I have been running almost every day which feels good. Kai started running his 5 km's today too.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. Gary</span></b>. I mean, we like spending time together but this is a bit much! Thankfully we are used to time together and know that I need to get away to my room sometimes to recharge. Gary could seriously be by my side 24/7 and it would not bother him--crazy, right? Thankfully we have 15 years under our belt but still this brings out new things to work through.</div>
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8. <b><span style="font-size: large;">Koen and Nya handling it very well</span></b>. They are playing together and staying positive, it's a relief. I mean, parenting isn't a breeze but these two make it okay! Kai is really missing school and sports so I'm hoping that with online school starting he will feel more purposeful and his PE teacher will provide some more structure to his exercising.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9. Netflix, Nintendo Switch, Disney + and Prime Video. </span></b>Yes, we have it all and I love it. Grateful for this escape. As school begins I guess I am grateful for Microsoft Teams, Zoom etc.</div>
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1<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">0. Health. </span>So grateful every single one of our family members (on boths sides) are healthy. </div>
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Stay safe, friends. </div>
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Love, </div>
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Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-48431028455744847972020-02-24T13:47:00.002-08:002020-02-24T13:47:39.790-08:00Monday MusingsIt is has been a while! I love this space because it has recorded our family growth over the years but also my personal development as well. I'm teaching every day and dream of having a couple of days off each week--I wonder if a job share option would work in a high school semester situation looking forward. We will see. One day a time!<br />
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<b>Here are some things that have happened over the past month or so:</b><br />
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<b>1. My niece got married!</b> It was a beautiful wedding and just what I would dream of for my own kids. I'm so happy for them both as they are such a wonderful couple together. Nya was able to be a flower girl which was special for her and I'm grateful she was invited to be part of it. My niece, Delaney, was a flower girl in our wedding 15 years ago! Nya Bear was fighting a respiratory virus on the day (and since) so it was not ideal and she didn't get to dance but she did really well.<br />
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<b>2. Nature time</b>. I thought that walking my 13,000 steps a day was enough for my mental health but it's not. I need time in nature. My mood is not fabulous these days with the weather and not ever having a day at home (I work every school day) and seeminly never ending sicknesses. This sounds depressing but life is good, just hard sometimes.</div>
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PS I discovered purple shampoo which makes highlighted hair less yellow. I realize 99% of people knew this already but it has been great. The end.</div>
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<b>3. Teaching Math 8!</b> This has nothing to do with the photo below but I don't have any photos of me teaching Pythagorean Relationships ;) It has been a learning curve but now one month into this semester I feel like I have my groove. This is my first time teaching Math since 2005. My degree is Biology and my last experience with math was Calculus 100 and 101 which I barely survived. I love my grade 8's and I do like how math is taught--check homework, give lesson with practice questions, work on questions. There is just a lot of help needed so it does get tiring. I sort of want to teach it again so all the work I invested putting it together is well used! Gary is teaching PE, Foods, and Photography right now. He is coaching Kai's grade 8 basketball team and they are undefeated and playing in the finals on Wednesday.</div>
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<b>4. Kai's concussion</b>. Kai had a foot injury in the fall that lasted weeks and then a major virus that took him out for a week this winter. Three weeks ago he had a major collision with a student and the gym floor and got a concussion (the side of his head hit the floor and student landed on his head). He was able to return to school fully in one week but hasn't played a game since. We're hoping he will be 100% headache free after practice tomorrow to play in the final basketball game on Wednesday. SMH pediatric ER was amazing with him. You can see how big he is in the pediatric wing ;) </div>
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5. <b>One of my <a href="http://www.talknerdytomeblog.com/2020/01/highlights-of-one-decade-and-goals-for.html" target="_blank">goals for the upcoming decade</a> included booking an Alaskan cruise for our family! </b>Well, I just did. It's not until August of 2021 which seems so far away but it's nice to save money by booking early. This time we will have to adjoining rooms rather than one <a href="http://www.talknerdytomeblog.com/2017/04/our-eight-day-eastern-caribbean-cruise.html" target="_blank">teeny tiny room like our Caribbean one.</a> The cruise was our kids favourite trip ever (alongside Mexico, they just like food) so I'm hoping they love it even though it's not a beachy one! Gary and I drove to Alaska for three weeks and this allows us to return with our kids without the long hours in the van. Also, Gary and I have not done the panhandle so this will be new to us! Our goal is to pay off our mortgage before the summer (eek!!!) and then we can use the money we make to save up for tuition, small house renos, and our vacations.</div>
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<b>6. My health.</b> In September I had a lot abdominal pain and months later, after a gastroscope and abdominal ultrasound, they found it was linked to an enlarged liver. More tests were given to find the cause of it. In that time I tested positive for another autoimmune (which can be the cause of it) so I am meeting with a rheumotologist April 1st. Another test indicated my ferritin was 11 which is iron deficient. I shouldn't be deficient as I eat healthy and don't menstruate but that is also linked to the autoimmune (likely Sjogrens). So, I've been taking iron and vitamin C and am up to a "whopping" 26. Still iron deficient but not far from the 30's which is where I normally sit. I feel frustrated that I am not as healthy and fit as I once was. The 40's have not been easy on this body of mine. I'm really hoping to stay healthy enough to get in better shape. My abdominal pain has subsided since January. </div>
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I hope you are doing well! This is not a Thankful Thursday post because I'm never home on Thursdays to write one so I'll just call it "Monday Musings". Boom. Oh, just googled it and I didn't come up with it. Shocker. Have a great week!</div>
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Love,<br />Louise</div>
Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-27395720652514420942020-01-09T08:46:00.003-08:002020-01-09T08:56:58.379-08:00Thankful Thursday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, friends! Welcome to 2020. I <a href="http://www.talknerdytomeblog.com/2020/01/highlights-of-one-decade-and-goals-for.html" target="_blank">wrote a post </a>about my highlights from the last decade and my hopes for the next (health and financial freedom). I hope your start to the year has gone well. Here in the Lower Mainland we are looking at a forecast full of snow which we have yet to see this winter so it is kind of exciting.<br />
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Here are some things I am thankful for over the past week (and going back into the holidays we had). My goal for the winter break was rest. I was quite sick going into it and it took the full two weeks to get my energy back. This week I am thankful for:<br />
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<a name='more'></a>1<span style="font-size: large;">.<b> Being able to run 5 km!</b></span> Being able to run this amount is always how I know I'm back on track with my health. It was a slow and steady run but grateful I could do it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. <b>Having such a low key Christmas.</b> </span>My goal was to do as little as possible. Teaching takes a lot of energy and encouragement. Going out with our family also requires these things and I just got so tired of trying to pump up my own kids. So, when Nya asked to go skating, I only took her and it was so nice to not have to make it enjoyable for the family. She is great at being terrible at something. That sounds strange but where three of us are not good at doing things we're bad at, it is a breath of fresh air.</div>
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My favourite part? Slow mornings!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. <b>My new Fitbit Versa 2</b></span>. Gary and I had a $20 limit for each other for Christmas because we spent more on the kids. He did not follow that rule. I did. Anyway, LOVE my new Fitbit as I've used one for years. This one has heart rate and sleep cycles and I love that face. Such a fan of quantitative feedback so it's a hit for me!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. <b>Getting my highlights redone</b></span>. I'm not big into how I look but I do love having blond hair. Glad to have time over the holidays to get it touched up...besides, I looooove having my hair washed and scalp massaged. PS I still dont' have grey hair which is suprising because my mom definitely did. Maybe because my hair is lighter it is harder to find? Gary definitely does!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">5. </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">Quality treats</span>. </b>I love Purdy's chocolates but won't buy it myself ($$) so Gary also bought my Georgia Browns for Christmas. Yes, way over our $20 limit.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Connect Four.</span></b> We are not a big "game" family and I think I'm scarred for life with games like Snakes and Ladders and Candyland. However, I found this beautiful wood Connect Four at the thrift store and we just left it out ot play over the holidays. It is so well used! My plan is to use it in my classroom when semester two starts and I'm teaching Math 8. My hope is to have a variety of games for kids that are done early. If you've taught Math 8 before, I'd love all your tips and tricks!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. Book club</b></span>. I love that it gets me reading books (like this!) that I normally wouldn't. I am only three chapters in but this is written so differently (interview format). It makes me believe it is fully non-fiction even though it's fiction.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8. Health.</span></b> I'm thankful that my abdominal pain has disappeared. They still do not know why my liver is enlarged but I will have follow up ultrasounds and blood panels in a few months to note any changes. I still have very low ferritin and therefore am focused on my iron levels right now. I'm also waiting to see a rheumotologist for likely having Sjogrens (another autoiummune disease). It affects all your lubricating glands (therefore, eyes, mouth, joints, organs etc) and I also have neuropathy which is a very unusual feeling. It goes between feeling like my hands or feet are "asleep" to shooting electrical pain in my limbs. That doesn't sound thankful but as long as it Sjogrens I won't die from it ;) </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9. Hockey game</span></b>. For Koen's birthday and Kai's Christmas present they went to an awesome Canucks game where they won 7-5. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10. Trips</span></b>. I am really grateful that we went to Mexico and Europe last year. It was a big and expensive travel year but wonderful memories for all of us–the highlights of our 2019 were all travel related. I feel that if I am working hard (and can afford it) we might as well enjoy it! This year the trips will be very minimal with Ucluelet and Green Lake for Spring Break so far. Our goal is to use our travel budget to pay off our mortgage and then save up for Hawaii next year.</div>
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I hope you are having a good week and I would love to hear one thing YOU are thankful for today!</div>
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Love,<br />Louise</div>
<br />Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-85011377257312343972020-01-01T13:57:00.002-08:002020-01-07T08:37:32.655-08:00Highlights of One Decade and Goals For the Next<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love looking back to see where I have been and then goal setting for all that is ahead. Here are five main highlights from the past 10 years:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1.<b> Nya Bear</b>. Her birth in 2012 came after two years of going through the adoption process and a miscarriage. We always wanted to adopt and when I was diagnosed with Graves Disease post partum with Koen, it was solidified. However, the adoption agency shut down, we weren't chosen and this led us to our final pregnancy and birth of our Nya Bear. Trying to adopt was a stepping stone to lead to our fostering journey where we were a foster-to-adopt family. She has been such a joy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. <b>Remission from <a href="http://www.talknerdytomeblog.com/2016/05/GravesDisease.html" target="_blank">Graves Disease</a>.</b> I was first diagnosed in 2009 and was in remission in 2011. I had it again from 2012-2013 and have been healthy from it for seven years now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. <b>Filling my parenting toolbox. </b> In 2015 we started fostering and learned a lot of about trauma, empathy and the needs in our community. Along the way, parenting newborns to teenagers I have learned a lot about puberty, asthma, ADHD, ASD etc. I have some skills now and feel like a much more equipped parent and teacher. I have grown so much as a person this decade and I'm grateful for it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. <b><a href="http://www.talknerdytomeblog.com/2017/04/our-eight-day-eastern-caribbean-cruise.html" target="_blank">Travel</a>.</b> When we got married, our goal was to do backpacking trips. I had no idea we would travel so much! I am incredibly grateful for all of the places we have visited: the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Philippines, Thailand, Caribbean, <a href="http://www.talknerdytomeblog.com/2015/04/disney-world-preparations.html" target="_blank">Disney World</a> (winning was AMAZING), Disneyland, Netherlands, Belgium, France (seeing the Eiffel Tower was surreal), Yellowstone, Arizona, and Mexico. My kids would choose the <a href="http://www.talknerdytomeblog.com/2017/04/our-eight-day-eastern-caribbean-cruise.html" target="_blank">cruise</a> as their favourite (all inclusive is their love language) and mine would probably the same although the Netherlands was a highlight connecting to my family roots. When we reflect on the highlight of our year, it is always, always travel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">5. <b>My boys falling in love with sports and me playing hockey again</b>. I have loved watching my boys play ball hockey, basketball, volleyball, cross country, track etc. I enjoy it because I celebrate their health and their ability to be part of a team and push themselves. Gary has also started playing basketball once a week now–way to go, Gary!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Looking ahead at the next ten years I feel hopeful and nervous. It was in this decade that my parents experienced major health challenges (40-50 years of age). I will try to focus on what I can control such as my activity, sleep, food and stress (to some degree). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>And, here are my goals for the next 10 years:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. <b>Be healthy</b>. I will continue to eat home cooked meals, sleep 8 hours and exercise daily (mostly walking) and pray that I will be able to enjoy each day without major health issues. Currently trying to get my iron levels up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2.<b> Hike the West Coast Trail summer 2021 with Kai and Koen</b>. Gary thinks nine-year-old Nya could do it but I am not certain. This date seems to be the optimal time where my boys are strong enough to do it (Kai could easily do it now) and where Gary and I will still be in okay enough shape to make it through. I am in the worst shape of my life (other than pregnancy and Graves Disease) due to ongoing health issues so I'm hoping that in 1.5 years from now I'll be stronger.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've hiked the West Coast Trail three times but the last time was in 2005!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Retire-</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">both of us by June 2030 (me much earlier, Gary possibly work part-time in 10 years or just coach or ?).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. <b>Stay in our home which we will be mortgage-free from this year!</b> We will need to do quite a few updates in that time as I am sure we'll have to replace appliances, flooring and the roof but all cheaper than moving!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We moved in February 24th, 2006. I was three months pregnant with Kai Bear.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">5.</span><b style="font-family: inherit;"> Travel</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Hawaii with our kids. I am not sure which Island (Maui vs Big Island) but we'll see! Our kids would also LOVE to do another cruise so we are considering an Alaskan one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">6. <b>See my baby graduate high school and my boys find a program/career that they love</b>. I have no idea what they will do after high school. Kai has plans to do something with math or science and go to school locally here in B.C. but anything could happen in the next four years. Koen loves P.E./sports and would love to be a P.E. teacher. Nya says she would like to either be a scientist and work with all of her friends in the lab (ha ha!!) or be a fashion designer. Not sure what she'll end up doing but my hope for her is that she maintains her zest for life.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kai's kindergarten "grad"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Reflecting on where we are I am grateful. Gary and I have a solid marriage with our three beautiful and unique kids alongside stable and good jobs. We have many family members and friends nearby and enjoy the communities we are a part of. It has not all been wonderful as there were many valleys but we climbed out and up again. Happy New Year, friends! All the best to you in 2020 and in the years to come.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Love, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Louise</span>Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-72981010885125569582019-11-30T10:03:00.003-08:002019-12-30T11:01:32.513-08:00My 2020 Goal: Not Buying New ClothesA new decade is upon us and I feel that the awareness of the impact of our decisions is increasing rapidly. Whether the issue is climate change and our carbon footprint, use of social media or the amount of screen time our kids have, most recognize changes could and should be made. In the past, my New Years Resolutions have varied from working on marriage to fitness. There was one simple one in in 2018 where <a href="http://www.talknerdytomeblog.com/2017/12/reflecting-and-goal-setting.html" target="_blank">my goal</a> was to wear lipstick each day and offer more hugs–I did it!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My goal for 2020: Not to buy any new clothes for anyone in the family</span></b>.<br />
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This is not an economic decision but one that is impacted by commercialism, materialism, self-care and a desire to reduce our carbon footprint. Did you know that one T-shirt takes 2700 L of water to make? Did you know that people used to buy on average 12 items of clothing a year in 1980's and now we are up to about 68 items per year (<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/thenational/clothes-from-canada-account-for-huge-waste-cbc-marketplace-1.4494444" target="_blank">this source says 70</a>, and this one <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/02/buying-less-by-buying-better/462639/" target="_blank">64 items and 7 pairs of shoes</a>). What?! Social media makes it harder when we see the deals that people are getting or the gorgeous new boots etc but do I need any of that? No.<br />
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I think often we (I) try to "escape" the reality of our lives and head to the mall for a pick-me-up. The goal should be more about trying to work on the hard things in our lives. Maybe this looks like healthy meals, counselling, tackling financial issues or going for a run. I am guilty of this; I love buying a new shirt when I am feeling overwhelmed with work. I have a lot of shirts.<br />
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So, let's see how it goes. Maybe I will only make it one month but my goal is to not buy any new clothing for the entire family for as long as possible. The exceptions I foresee to this will be socks, underwear and shoes and possibly sports team related items or a birthday gift. I am able to buy things second hand so it should go okay as I am a fan of thrifting already. I plan to continue to use thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, and swap kids clothes with my sisters as we have been already doing. Would you be able to do it? Do you have a goal for the upcoming year?<br />
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Louise,<br />
Louise<br />
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<br />Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-41187406594998795992019-11-21T08:57:00.000-08:002019-11-21T08:57:06.884-08:00Thankful Thursday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Good morning, friends! Thank you for checking out this space which is not getting the time that it used to. Purposefully. Instagram and Facebook have taken over the role of connecting with others and recording memories for me in a way. Also, going through my priorities (have you read "Essentialism"?), this was one area where I had to let things go when I went back to work. However, I will not let this blog go completely as it is a big part of my life; a journal of sorts of the years and a place to connect, share and grow.<br />
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<b>What are some things that I am grateful for today?</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. The Libby App</span></b>. If someone mentions a book, I just go on my app and put a hold on it as an e-book or audiobook; whichever is fastest. I do prefer an e-book though. I just read this classic! I had hoped the tears would flow and they didn't, but it was beautiful.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Modern Love series on Amazon Prime</span></b>. I somehow got suckered into this membership several years ago and finding a series I like makes it feel more worthwhile. I really enjoy these episodes when I need a solid 25 minutes of "Louise time".</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Beautiful education for my kids</span></b>. We recently had student-led conferences and I'm just so grateful for the teachers and EA's that are speaking into their lives each and every day. Our kids are known, loved and supported and I could not ask for anything more. We do pay for a private school and to me it is completely worth it for the opportunities that they have and the mission of their school lived out. I am not saying that public schools cannot do the same, I am sure they can and do! We have just found that this works best for our family.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Koen solidifying his positioning in hockey. </span></b>He loves sports and has always struggled with where he should be (understanding how his body works in each space). This fall he has his positioning down between center and winger and we are so proud of how hard he works each and every game. I also admire his attitude whether he wins or loses as he is just happy to be part of it all. Don't get me wrong, he is just as competitive as his brother but he can see it in a more positive light.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Travel memories</span></b>. This year we are really toning it down and "only" going to <a href="http://www.talknerdytomeblog.com/2016/03/visiting-ucluelet-bc-vancouver-island.html" target="_blank">Ucluelet</a> for Spring Break. I'm looking forward to building up our travel fund again and putting a lot more towards our mortgage in the meantime. Thankful for all of the opportunities we have had as a family!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. A good read.</span></b> This book is impactful and if you do not have a lot of time, I recommend just reading the first chapter. It covers ideas like going through you life like you do your closet. Sort what stays and goes. Do this process often. Don't ask "What can I get rid of" but "What am I going to invest in". My top three currently are: My health (spiritual/physical/emotional), my family (Gary and kids), my students. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8. One on one time with Kai.</span></b> We haven't had the easiest transition to teenage life but when he wants to spend one on one time with me, I take it. This may look like walks through the neighbourhood or checking out Sport Chek for Canucks gear. We recently went to Willowbrook Mall which is a shocker as he does not like shopping at all.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9. Watching Survivor with the boys</span></b>. This is the one time each week we watch a show together and the boys love it. They looked so sweet cuddling together but don't worry, full out wrestling during commercial breaks.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10. Beautiful fall</span></b>. I love walking by the leaves that are still out there. I have been going outside to walk for an hour each day and it's been great for my mental health. I'm not sure I am ready for the snow in the forecast....</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">11. Hockey for me!</span></b> I love it. I do struggle with frustration as I can't seem to score but tell myself that I still play an important role keeping the ball in the right end and making assists ;) </div>
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All right, friends, what is something YOU are thankful for today?<br />
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Love,<br />
LouiseLouise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-83266260665603562482019-11-07T12:35:00.002-08:002019-11-07T12:35:36.466-08:00Thankful Thursday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi friends! It's Thankful Thursday time. I had a rough month with an ulcer and minor concussion (warm-up spiked volleyball to the side of the head unexpectedly...not an exciting story) but I am on the mend. Gary and I had been doing so well running in the morning but when I was sick we got up early and walked and talked–still a great start to the day. We just started running again yesterday. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some things that I am thankful for today:</span></b></div>
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1. <b><span style="font-size: large;">Halloween fun.</span></b> The kids love it! I'm not into all the chocolate in my home afterwards but it's fun to see them having a blast in our densely populated neighbourhood (aka so much candy).</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Family photos.</span></b> I love the fall leaves and although we didn't get to a great location (just walking distance for grumpy family members) I'm so glad they allowed me to get a few. The kids are growing so fast and I never regret taking them.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Sushi and Peace Tea. </span></b>I am generally pretty un-fun in the eating out department ($$$). But, the two younger kids did a great job going to Kai's volleyball game last night and have another one tonight. It's not the games that are the hardest but driving for 30-45 minutes each way. Poor Koen had an episode of<a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/cyclic-vomiting-syndrome" target="_blank"> CVS</a> last night so it was a rough one. Gary is gone so I'm also trying to keep everyone happy ;) Is it bribery? Why yes, it is.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Physio coverage</span></b>. I cannot make the call on how Kai's foot is doing and whether playing on it before it's fully recovered is okay. He took one whole week off of volleyball (and three weeks off hockey) and physio said he was good to go. He's at about 70% better and that's enough. It was "just" a muscle strain next to his ankle but he couldn't even walk on it for 3 days. If you're looking for a great physio, we are loving <a href="https://www.trifectarehab.com/" target="_blank">Trifecta Rehab</a> in Guildford. This has also made Kai interested in becoming a physiotherapist!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Netflix documentaries</span></b>. This was an interesting one. One thing we are trying to do already is increase our vegetarian meals to lower our carbon footprint. This show also looks at the energy/nutrtion in plant-based diets which never hurts! </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Watching Koen play hockey.</span></b> I love seeing him with the "big kids". He's so little out there but holds his own. His gift is that he will really go after the ball yet maintain his positioning. He's a hard worker. I also love that the Langley Hockey House is close to home and Nya is okay reading (and I could do some marking too).</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. I get to play hockey too!</span></b> Our team is the perfect combo of working hard and competitive but still encouraging and having fun. The only hard part is if my game is at 9PM I don't get home until 10:30 and it takes a few hours to come down from it so I'm tired on Wednesdays at work.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8 Date night!</span></b> Gary and I went to Cirque du Soleil! It was our fourth one. It wasn't our favourite but it's always well done. The contortionist was out of this world. This was our Christmas gift to each other :)</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9. Koen</span></b>. I'm so proud of him. He has a lot to deal with each and every day but his positivity and maturity have increased a lot over the past few months and it's appreciated. He is such a great big brother to Nya and I think he would be a fantastic PE teacher. He's currently teaching Nya playing "school"--they've done science (refraction), poetry, PE (volleyball) and are now doing art by tracing leaves from outside.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">10. Bottle donations</span>. Kai is going on two big trips this year (jazz band and 5-day sailing trip) which will cost $1000. We have the money to pay for it but I want him to fundraise 25% of the cost in order to learn the value of a dollar and feel some gratitude. So far he has raised close to $150 so he's doing well! </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">11. Grade 8 boys volleyball</span></b>. I love it. Tonight they are playing for bronze in the South Fraser Valleys. Let's go, boys! Kai loves all sports and has asked to play club volleyball but I'm not sure how to fit that in with ball hockey and basketball. I wish we could do it all but need to be realistic. He's already missed hockey for volleyball.<br />
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<b>All right, what is something that YOU are thankful for today?</b></div>
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Love,<br />Louise</div>
Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-9213323777835068322019-10-17T08:05:00.002-07:002019-10-17T08:07:21.122-07:00Thankful Thursday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Good morning! I love Thursday mornings only because this semester I have the morning off to get all the things done (laundry, cleaning, errands)–so nice to have alone time. I love October and the fall leaves; I wish the beauty of fall remained all through November.<br />
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I've been thinking a lot about my lifestyle...I am a very productive, efficient and passionate person and to some it comes across as stressed (as I've been told). I am actually not stressed, I'm just balancing full days with kids and a job and I'm not worried about it. I don't want anyone to think that I'm not enjoying my life, I truly am. Is it busy? Yes. Am I always running here or there? Yes. Do I take time for myself each and every day? Yes (6-7 am). I wonder if we saw a productive, efficient and passionate man if they would be told the same thing? Anyway, on to my thankfulness for the week.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Here are the things I am grateful for this week:</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. This crew</span></b>. It was nice to have downtime together this weekend. I am struggling big time with the whole transition through puberty but as I've learned, it's a stage/phase and we are all learning and growing and we just do the best we can.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Chocolate.</span></b> I discovered this bar in Holland and couldn't find it here. My dad and Joanne just got back from Holland and brought me a couple. Now I don't want to eat them because once they are gone, they're gone! Ha.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Sisters.</span></b> No one truly understands what our family dynamics are like (loss of my mom etc) unless they're actually in it so I'm glad we have each other. We are all quite different but are going through this parenting thing together and I'm grateful. I do feel heard and mostly known by them all. I do wish someone *really* got me (like, to my core--I'm an open book) and I think at this point it is Gary but my sisters are close behind.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Thrift store finds</span></b>. I got these basketball shoes for Koen for $14.95. Now to find a pair in size 10 for Kai! I love secondhand finds because it just saves so much money. Would I pay over $100 for shoes that they will wear for 6 months? Nope! Love that it's good for my wallet and the earth. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Voting</span></b>. I'm grateful for the freedom we have to vote but man is it stressful. I'm a type one and want to make the perfect decision but there just isn't in this case. I find it so overwhelming. I wish I loved the process more but I was just glad to get it done. Next year I need someone to tell me what to do.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Fall leaves.</span></b> So life-giving. I love it. My walks each day may be full of rain but it doesn't matter because the leaves are there. My ulcer is still not great. When I was playing hockey this week I had to miss my last shift because it felt like a giant cramp and I didn't want to make anything worse. Gary and I have been going for morning walks instead of runs because running on an empty stomach hurts right now. Still glad to have our mornings together before the kids get up as it makes our mornings a lot more relaxing.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. Books to read. </span></b>This is our current one for book club. I'm reading it on my phone as I find it much easier to get through an e-book as I always have it with me!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8. Bottle fund!</span></b> Kai is collecting for his grade 8 five-day sailing trip in May. It costs the students $600 so he's trying to raise $200 via bottles. There are also other fundraisers like meat and coupon books etc coming up. Kai and I go for walks together to collect them and some people have graciously donated as well! He's up to $80 so far! *NOTE: I DO WANT TO DO A FULL POST ON THIS BUT PLEASE RECYCLE YOUR FLEXIBLE PLASTICS AT THE DEPOT! (Chip bags, cereal bags, avocado nets etc)*</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9. Students donating blood</span></b>. I'm so proud of them! I won't post pictures but I took some of my grade 12's to donate for the first time. It can be scary but they did so wonderfully.<br />
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All right, that is it. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend (if you're in Canada) and that can always find something to be grateful for.<br />
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Love,<br />
LouiseLouise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-52043499519228959322019-10-10T08:20:00.000-07:002019-10-10T08:20:01.729-07:00Thankful Thursday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Oh do I love thanksgiving weekend! It's not necessarily the family gatherings (we're fortunate to get two with both sides of our family around), it's that:</div>
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1. It's a long weekend! If you're a teacher and made it to Thanksgiving weekend, you get a breather!</div>
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2. The fall leaves are incredibly gorgeous and the crisp air is invigorating.</div>
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3. I love gratitude.</div>
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Here are some things I am thankful for in the past week:</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Family walk at Campbell Valley Park.</span></b> Well, not the full family. Kai had been at a sleepover so it was best to leave him at home. Our kids had much better attitudes about everything when they were younger but there were still snippets of fun on our walk ;) </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Koen is having a great year</span></b>. So far grade five has been his "best" in regards to going to school and hockey etc. This doesn't mean it's all smooth but it's a lot easier for him to transition to each thing. He has great support at school and a standing desk he can use (might not work for all kids with ADHD but apparently great for him--trying to get one for home too). He's going to be running in cross country in a few weeks and his goal is top 20. Can't wait to watch him because "Determination" is his middle name (Okay, it's really Jacob Daniel after our dads).</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Rookworst</span></b>. Something that reminds me of my childhood is Stomppot and rookworst--it's a dutch thing. They have it as part of a fundraiser at school so I always order some. Right now I am working half days (although almost always stay full days to work and bring kids home etc) but next semester I'll be teaching all day and I have no idea how dinner will get on the table. I had hoped Gary could make more but he's often at school later than I am...I'll probably try to get him to make and extra meal on the weekend to put in the fridge/freezer. We can do Costco frozen dinners (like lasagna) but I do want to have homemade as much as possible.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. My reader</span></b>. It took her until she was 7 to fall in love with it but I love it! She's devouring Koen's graphic novels and reads for about an hour a day. Yahoo! I'm also a big fan of secondhand furniture to save the world and my wallet. We picked up this nightstand for Nya as well as the bed for Kai below. It was time for Kai to get out of his junior sized bunk bed. We're keeping this bunk bed though because you never know what could happen AND maybe we could use for grandkids down the road?! That sounds hilarious to me, I realize that's a ways away.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretend his walls aren't all damaged. Gary gets to paint the basement this Christmas.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Hockey season for me</b></span> (alongside the boys). Finally I'm back at it. I'm glad I've been keeping in shape, sort of. Hockey is a lot of sprinting so I was still so winded even with three lines but at least I have some endurance. We picked up some solid players so I'm feeling good about this season. I'm definitely just an average player so it's hard to feel like I'm not contributing much--still figuring these things out at 41. I've been playing center where I prefer winger. Center just means a lot more quick sprints and defensive play (I find). We won our first game 4-0.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Nya is so thoughtful.</span></b> She is a lot more independent and doesn't need me as much which is a bittersweet phase. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. Bubi.</span></b> He is 10 years old and he is the most important item in our home. Very well loved.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8. Family walk to Black Tiger Coffee</span></b>. We went to try out the donuts I've seen on Instagram ;) That kind of marketing works on me, I guess! They were good but I don't know that we'll go back for more as our kids are just fine with the cheaper version at Tim Hortons.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">9. Koen's cake decorating at school. </span>He was so proud of this "1 Up" mushroom which I had no idea what it was supposed to be. He said he was rushed for time? I just love that he learned how to mix colours and pipe a bit. Koen is playing the clarinet this year. <b>If you have one to sell, let me know! </b>I am getting my old one serviced but would love one for home and one for school so it doesn't get lost/misplaced in transport each day.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10. Apple crisp</span></b>. I love it. So easy, affordable, and delicious! Great memories, too.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">11. Run for the Cure with my family</span></b>. Only 2.5 of the families could make it but it was still a good time spent to remember my mom. I think I'm going to organize a fun walk/run for family and friends in May to honour my mom instead...we will see. Maybe the Tynehead loop and then boterkoek and tea afterwards? </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">12. Health</span></b>. I had my mammogram last week and will get the results next week. I don't have any concerns so it should be good. My foot is nearly 100% better (sooooooooooooooo grateful to walk without pain after 11 months!!!). I was diagnosed with an ulcer last Wednesday after several days of bad chest and upper abdomen pain. I had bouts of nausea for days at a time so went to the doctor. I started meds and feel about 80% better today! This is wonderful. Getting older is great but I'm definitely falling apart a bit. Gary and I are both so stiff in the morning when we get up to run or walk at 6 am. It takes a solid 10 minutes for our joints to feel smooth again, isn't that wild? If you can wake up and your joints all move smoothly without any discomfort, appreciate it ;) </div>
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I hope you have a great Thanksgiving weekend (if you're in Canada) and that you can find a few things to be thankful for today. What would be on your list? </div>
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Love,<br />Louise</div>
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<br />Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-22136778293432986952019-09-17T10:15:00.000-07:002019-09-17T10:17:28.104-07:00How to Help Create Balance in Your Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am in a brand new stage of life. Our youngest is now seven years old and I'm guaranteed child-free time from 9 PM until 7 AM each day. Our oldest is a teenager and responsible enough to be left in charge of the other two for short periods of time. Heading into another year of work this September, Gary and I talked about our goals as teachers and parents. We both had the desire to balance our physical health with all that was expected of us (I would add mental health to mine as well). </div>
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In the past I have felt that there was no time. Sure, there were evenings but by that time I was just so tired. I had heard of people getting up at 5 AM but memories of my dad waking us up at that time to go fishing as teenagers filled my head and I just could not do it. I read the book "<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/AM-Club-Morning-Elevate-Life/dp/1443456624" target="_blank">The 5 AM Club</a>" and decided to go ahead with some of it's main principles. It has been life-changing and let me tell you why...</div>
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To be clear, we do not get up at 5 AM. On weekdays, Gary and I get up at 6 AM and go for a 3 km run together. I take Gary for two reasons: security and accountability. We are home and stretched by 6:30 AM. This gives us 30 minutes before our kids wake up. During that time, Gary works out while listening to a podcast, stretches and showers. I journal (stressors and then grattitudes), drink my coffee alone in the quiet, and shower as well. We set up the kids' breakfast on the table and are dressed and ready for them by the time we wake them up at 7 AM.</div>
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A big stressor with both of us working last year was that mornings were chaos. Last year we did have a toddler with us (fostering) which contributed to it–getting her ready and off to daycare was a lot of extra work. Our kids are a lot more independent this year and we have almost everything prepped the night before (lunches, clothes, backpacks etc).</div>
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Being able to focus 100% of our attention on our kids in the morning has been so much calmer for them and us. I used to want them to be quiet so I could enjoy my coffee and it just ended up being the most stressful cup of coffee every morning.<br />
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This may not work for you for where you are in life but I do want to recommend it. We have been running together in the mornings for three weeks now and I feel like I not only got an extra hour to myself each day but I am a better wife and mom because of it. I am calmer, more productive and fitter–major wins in my book!<br />
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In addition to this, I go for a walk alone in the evenings. I crave quiet and after being around people (students, teachers and my own family) I need this time. I have set my Fitbit to get at least 13,000 steps per day and this helps me.<br />
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Not sure if this would work for you but if you are a person who does get consistent sleep, this may be for you! Thoughts?<br />
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Love,<br />
Louise<br />
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<br />Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-22264115135922070582019-09-12T09:17:00.001-07:002019-09-12T09:17:19.160-07:00Thankful Thursday<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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With the second week of school/work almost under our belts I have to say we are doing okay! The early morning starts (6am) for Gary and I definitely make a world of difference. I mentioned it last week but getting up before the kids to exercise, shower and have coffee makes us much nicer parents and people. Our kids never used to sleep in until 7 am so this is a great new routine. All right, what am I grateful for this week?</div>
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<br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">I am thankful for:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. E-books! </span></b>It allows me to read a lot more because I can pull my phone out and read while I'm walking and waiting. This book is great especially if you are a female in love with science. I'm only half way but in love with the way she describes the role of the seed, root and leaves etc--how much has to come into play for it to be successful. I'm not even a big botany girl (oh man, memories of early morning non-vascular plant labs still haunt me) and still really love it.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. A rhythm for work</span></b>. Almost. I'm supposed to be just half days this semester but due to meetings and trying to incorporate all that is expected, I'm mostly there full days right now. Kai also has volleyball until 5 PM and jazz band once a week after school (seriously, so happy for these opportunities he has!) so I stay anyway to take the other two home at 3 PM if possible. Always a discussion on who is driving which child where and when. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. T coming to visit</span></b>. I never know how to refer to "T" (our first foster son. I wish there was a better word to describe a child you love like your own but is not your bio child and has now returned home--if you know, let me know). When I picked him up his parents gave us coconuts to drink from and reminded us of our time in the Philipines! Always so great to have him here and to see him doing so well. He still calls us "Mommy Chapman" and "Daddy Chapman" and Nya is his best friend.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Our early morning runs.</span></b> I especially love my quiet coffee in the morning on the patio. This was one of my goals for this year. I haven't lost any weight from running each day but it has helped me mentally immensely! Also, I went to a physio recommended by a friend and she gave my foot muscles a deep massage (so good and so painful!) and it made me feel very hopeful about my foot situation. As we get older, Gary and I are both so grateful for our relative health.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Nya never ceasing to surprise me</span></b>. She said she wanted me to take a picture when she got to the top of medium level climb. She's never climbed before so I kept telling her to do the easy one. She sure showed me! She said "Mom, I think you need to believe in me more" which is hilarious and true. I'm such an encourager but I also veer to the side of realistic expectations and didn't realize what she was capable of. As a side note, she's in grade 2 now and she commented "I'm starting to really notice what everyone is wearing each day. I love looking around the class and seeing all the differences.". This is different than the boys who never really noticed or cared.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Nya bike riding</span></b>. For two years she cried and was full of panic about bike riding. Now? She loves it! She still is panicky about biking in narrow areas but I'd say she's doing great. In the words of Nya "Never give up!" and "I can do this!". She's a big positive self-talker.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. Great mornings with Koen. </b></span>I lay out his clothes for the week and he picks any pile he likes. I realize most grade 5 boys might not need this but it makes our mornings go a lot smoother. This is the first year where he does not complain about going to school. I'm sure it will come but I'm grateful that it is going well for him. He says "Mom, I'm a lot more mature this year. I'm also starting to care about what people think about me--just not looks-wise, I'm not going through puberty yet". Ha!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8. Walks by myself</span></b>. I crave alone time and being a teacher and mother means it doesn't happen unless you are intentional. I've been walking the track by our home each night after dinner and sometimes listen to a podcast or audiobook but otherwise, I'm just alone with my thoughts. My goal this year is all about balance and it's my priority. Let's hope I can stick with it! I think one main way I'm able to do this is that we no longer have a toddler in the home for most days. Although fostering has been one of the most impactful/important things we've done, I know for myself at this age and stage in life, we definitely need a break. </div>
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I'm stopping there (at 8 instead of 10 in my list!). I'd love to hear something that YOU are grateful for today.<br />
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Love,<br />LouiseLouise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-46911326370324932642019-09-05T08:57:00.000-07:002019-09-05T08:57:41.008-07:00Thankful Thursday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy first week back to school! I realize this isn't the case for anyone but it definitely is in this family with three kids in three different schools (primary, middle and high) and two teachers. One thing I have been doing each morning is some brief journaling of my stresses and gratitude's (which I'll talk about below) and I'd really encourage you to try it out if you think it would be helpful. It only takes about two minutes/day and I feel it really helps to reset and focus.</div>
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Being that it's Thursday it's time to share my thankful list of the week! I am thankful for:</div>
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<a name='more'></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Getting out on a hike with our kids.</span></b> We used to hike every weekend but really pulled back this year as we had a lot of sports and working each day meant I wanted time at home. On the long weekend we did an easy two hour walk on the Crystal Falls trail, it was a great way to reset. I forgot how much the kids love being in nature.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Deleting Instagram and Facebook off my phone each day. </span></b>I download IG twice a day when I want to check my messages and do a quick scan through the stories. For Facebook I can check on my computer in our office. I would say this has freed up ONE HOUR of time each day. Isn't that wild?! If you have a "problem" with just scrolling and wishing you had more time, I'd encourage you to do this. When you don't see it, or it's notifications, it helps a lot. I would do it for longer but I do value the social connections and the great information/resources that I get from it.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. All-you-can- eat sushi</span></b>. We do this once a year because our kids LOVE sushi and can eat a lot. We used to go to a place in Langley that was very affordable but it is no longer available so we went to Midori in Abbotsford for a weekday lunch before school started. Still nearly $100 for our family (cheaper on weekdays and lunch) but we all really enjoy it!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Sporing activities for Kai.</span></b> He was able to golfing with his uncle AND the neighbour boys last week. Grateful for relatives that invest in our kids and neighbourhood friends that have similar interests. Seriously, having boys next door that LOVE sports (hockey, basketball etc) is such a blessing for Kai. He has tryouts for volleyball and soccer next week as well as evaluations for hockey so it's going to get busy but I can't wait because this kid does not do "down time" well. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Nya falling in love with reading</span></b>. I love reading. When I open a book I am transported back to my childhood and every book I opened and immersed myself into. I can't even explain the feeling. Koen really enjoys reading (graphic novels) and finally over the past four months or so, Nya started reading on her own and can spend hours doing it! I'm so grateful. It started with <i>Junie B. Jones</i> books and now she's reading her brother's <i>Diary of a Wimpy Kid</i> books too. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Little Libraries</span></b>. Talking about books, we have about five Little Libraries in our neighbourhood. We found a whole bunch of Junie B Jones books as well as so many great ones for myself. I have a hard time letting go of books but because I've found so many great ones, I've been able to pass some along too. Here were our finds on Tuesday when Koen needed a little one on one time--we just walk the route of the 1 km route to each one.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. Journaling</span></b>. As mentioned above, Gary and I started a new morning routine of getting up at 6 AM. This involves a run from 6-6:30am (between warm up and stretch it is "just" a 3 km run). After the run I journal my stressors and gratitudes for the day. Once I write down the stress it brings perspective, it's very interesting to see it in writing. One stress is what I'm teaching in January (it will be fine but it's a little out of my comfort zone re: curriculum but I love the grade 8's). As soon as I wrote it down I was like "I'm going to worry about it in December because I can't do anything about it right now". </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8. Getting up at 6AM with Gary to run</span></b>. I'm glad Gary is one board with this. We weren't able to do it before now because we've always had toddlers (our own or fostering). We run together as this is both accountability and security. Gary is a faster runner than me but he runs behind me as it motivates me to go faster. We won't be doing this on the weekends but this allows us to be showered and ready for the kids at 7AM so we can devote all of our attention to them. In the past I was trying to drink my coffee from 7-7:15 while doing Nya's hair and getting the kids ready and it was too stressful. We need to be out of the door by 7:35AM so this system works for us. I'm nervous about my foot but if I wear my best runners with my orthotics and only do the 3km with proper stretching afterward, I should be okay. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9. Photobook 2018 complete</span></b>! On the day before school Koen said "Mom, when are you going to do the 2018 photobook?". They love looking through them and I do one per year. I gave myself the afternoon and put it together! Done. I use Picaboo each time. It's not the cheapest or best but it's super easy for me to navigate and I use discount codes etc. My photos are organized by month on my computer already so I just do one page/month except the summer and spring break get three pages each. Done is better than perfect, yo.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10. Teaching Anatomy and Physiology 12 (Biology 12). </span></b> I love the course. I love grade 12's. I have great classes again and am trying to learn people's names currently. I enjoy teaching so much especially about the human body which is mind boggling. The hard part is that the expectations in the B.C. schools and then our own private school just keep changing and it feels like there is <b>so much</b> on our plate that is not clear (I'm talking about curricular competencies on learning reports via proficiency scales and how that all translates to something like what our tests look like in grade 12). I'll figure it out and I know it's important but I miss the old days sometimes where there was so much more freedom.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">11. Positive mind set.</span></b> I wish I had read this before I started parenting and teaching. I grew up with a pretty fixed mindset and did not deal with failure well. I would say that by grade 11 I learned that I could practice, improve and try new things and this has morphed to today where I do love learning and improving all the time. I can see how I can change simple things in parenting for example saying " You must have put a lot of effort into that" rather than "You're so smart". I feel like I contributed to our oldest having more of a fixed mind set at the start and we have been working on this! Failure is okay and we can work on anything.</div>
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All right, that's it for the week. I would love to hear one thing that you are thankful for!!<br />
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Love,<br />LouiseLouise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-87579577867044413842019-08-22T06:00:00.000-07:002019-08-22T06:00:01.816-07:00Thankful Thursday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello and thank you for checking this space out once again. I have been here since 2006–13 years, isn't that wild? While I blog only once a week at most now, I do value this space and the community it has allowed me to have. I'm curious how going into another school year teaching will affect <i>Talk Nerdy to M</i>e but I plan to keep updating as I'm able.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">All right, after a busy summer, this is what I am thankful for:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. <u>Safe travels</u></b></span>. We went to Vancouver Island, road trip to Edmonton for hockey and spent three weeks travelling Europe. I do get nervous about safety in our transportation so I'm very grateful that it all went well. Health wise, Koen had his cyclic vomiting twice on our travels (once on Vancouver Island and once on the plane home from Europe) and I had a migraine coming home from Edmonton. Overall, compared to most of our travels, this is very good! PS Koen has his cyclic vomiting about once/month and this summer it was three times in one month. It is not contagious and it is triggered by emotions (anxiety, excitement, fatigue) or environment (allergies, heat). Thankfully it lasts four hours from start to finish. That said, if you know someone who has this and have any solutions, please connect with me! </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. <u>Free outdoor pools in Surrey</u></span><u>.</u></b> I love it! Well, I love that Gary takes the kids. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. <u>Donating blood with Gary</u></span></b>. It's very important to me and I love that Gary lets me sign him up. This was my 25th donation and his 18th. Also exciting is that my hemoglobin levels have been high enough since my <a href="http://www.talknerdytomeblog.com/2016/08/a-solution-for-heavy-periods.html" target="_blank">endometrial ablation</a> in 2016. If you are wanting to donate blood there is a fabulous app called "Give Blood" that allows you to book online.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. <u>Netflix.</u></span></b><u> </u>Gary and I try to watch something together each night. We just finished this six-part series which is about basketball and living on a reservation. It wasn't amazing but it was good (7/10). We're also watching Money Heist. Let me know if you have anything else to recommend!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. <u>Cool summer nights</u></span></b>. I have loooooooved the perfect temperatures we have had. It makes being outside so easy. Also, our super densely populated neighbourhood doesn't seem so populated after being in Holland.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. <u>Thrift store finds</u></span></b>. On my birthday (which is spent all alone!!!!) I went to thrift store and found myself this school bag. It's pretty much exactly what I wanted (Lululemon, excellent condition, big enough for my computer and millions of pockets etc) and only 1/4 the price as a brand new one. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. <u>Getting all the appointments done</u></span></b><u>.</u> It is so hard to do the dentist, bank, ortho etc. during the school year so I packed as much as I could into this week. One investing appointment I had put off for almost 10 months–yikes!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8. <u>Reading</u>.</span></b> I actually did not read a lot this summer–maybe four books– but that is okay. I'm currently working on this one but it's not an easy read so it's taking a while. It's supposed to be good so I will carry on. Have you read it? </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9. <u>Celebrating Kai's 13th birthday with the Chapmans</u></span></b>. When a grandchild turns 13 the family gets together to encourage and speak into the life of the child. It was Kai's turn this week and I am thankful for so many people that love our children deeply.</div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">10. </b><u style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;">Another year of adventures with Gary.</u><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b>We celebrate both of our birthdays in August so there is a sense of gratefulness for another year of life for both of us. Thankful for health and a continued commitment to our family and each other. We spend a lot of time together, like, way too much (two teachers who work at the same school and have summers off together), but it works!<br />
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As Gary and I head into another school year on Monday, I feel nervous about teaching but also confident. I feel hopeful that my kids will feel loved and known by their teachers and that they would make solid friendships. I hope you had a good summer and that the transition back to school goes well for you and your kids!</div>
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Love, </div>
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Louise</div>
Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-16781468235296284212019-08-13T13:03:00.000-07:002019-08-13T13:03:30.232-07:00Three Weeks in the Netherlands, Belgium and France with Kids<div>
Our three weeks in Europe included two weeks in the Netherlands and one in France. This meant that we were able to spend a day in Belgium on our way to and from France as well. You can see some tips I have give <a href="http://www.talknerdytomeblog.com/2019/08/what-to-consider-when-planning-european.html" target="_blank">here</a> on what to consider when planning your trip.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chapmans in the Eiffel Tower</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>Our itinerary was based on seeing what we could of the Netherlands while making sure our kids had enough down time. All four of my grandparents emigrated from Holland (technically Holland is a region in the Netherlands) in the 50's so it was a huge part of my childhood growing up. Upon arriving in the Netherlands I felt like I took a step into my growing up years–from the language to the food, it was wild. Three weeks was the perfect amount of time to be there as a family of five and we could have spent three weeks in the Netherlands alone but I'm grateful that we were able to explore two more countries while we were there. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of the places that we visited over the three weeks</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Week 1 Home Base: Monster, Netherlands</span></b><br />
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From this AirBnb we wanted to experience the west side of the Netherlands. Monster is a small village but it's right on the North Sea and walking to the beach was a major plus especially when they were experiencing record-breaking temperatures! One downside of this location is that it was time-consuming leaving the town each day as there is no direct route as you have to take so many different roads and highways, it could've been faster to bike! That said, all the town we visited were within one hour drive. These were the places we visited in the first week:</div>
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<b><u>1. Delft</u></b>. Here we enjoyed climbing the tower of the New Church (376 steps) as well as visiting the Old Church where Johannes Vermeer and Anthony van Leeuwenhoek are buried. Your tickets for one get you into the other. Note that the staircase is very narrow and winding. Trying to get around someone coming in the opposite direction is not easy. This town is beautiful with it's canals and flowers and we really enjoyed it. This was our first experience with the wildness that are bikes everywhere! We learned quickly to keep our kids close by and to take a second look before crossing any streets.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful canals in Delft</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the top of Nieuwe Kerk (New Church)</td></tr>
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<b><u>2. Amsterdam</u></b>. We decided to do Amsterdam early on because the heat wave was coming. We drove in and parked at a very expensive parkade downtown. If we were to do it again, we would use a park and ride. We arrived early which meant it was not busy yet (highly recommend to do this). We went to the Anne Frank House (but didn't go in), Westerkerk, Vondelpark and the Rijksmuseum. Coming from B.C. Vondelpark isn't a place that I'd recommend seeing unless you just want a grassy area to sit for a while. Note that free public bathrooms are hard to find anywhere–always have euros on you in case you need to go. The Rijksmuseum was free for kids and we just wandered around for one hour. It was cool to see the restoration of Rembrandt's Night Watch. Amsterdam was not our favourite as we prefer smaller cities.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of the Anne Frank House</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rijksmuseum</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Restoration of Rembrandt's Night Watch--it is huge!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much larger canals in Amsterdam</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We ate in the market outside the Rijksmuseum--very expensive!</td></tr>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">3. Kinderdijk.</u> This small town has the highest concentration of old windmills–19 of them. These windmills are from the 1740's and there is a visitor centre to learn more about it. It is free to enter and you are able to rent bikes if you want to explore a larger area. If we were without kids we may have done so but it was nice to just spend a day walking in nature and buying some ice cream and poffertjes (mini pancakes) from the vendors. Kinderdijk gets quite busy so it's nice to arrive early, besides, then you can beat the heat which is another thing we were dealing with! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poffertjes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paved pathways along the windmills for a lot of exploring</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always photo ops with wooden shoes aka klompen</td></tr>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">4. The Hague.</u> Here we enjoyed the Escher Museum which is family-friendly with activities for the kids. We saw the major buildings like the Peace Palace and Noordeinde Palace. It was extremely hot and I'm glad we went in the morning.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great hands on exhibits</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids really enjoyed this museum</td></tr>
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<b style="text-decoration-line: underline;">5. North Sea. </b> There are many beaches to visit when in Holland and we loved that we could just walk to one! We spent two days of downtime just enjoying the beach and resting because the heatwave was at 39C and we did not have air conditioning. If we were not staying at this location, we would have visited the Scheveningen Beach by the The Hague. The beaches have beautiful sand but not a lot of marine life although we did see a jellyfish.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The North Sea</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Busy busy beach at Ter Heijde</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Week 2 Home Base: Beekbergen, Netherlands. </span></b><br />
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Beekbergen is about 1.5 hours east from Monster. This provided a great location for us to explore the east side of the Netherlands. We stayed in a cottage at a resort (through AirBnb) which had a pool and a yard which was very relaxing and much needed. Beekbergen itself had nothing really to see but was a great place to branch out from due to it's closeness to the highway and centrality to the cities we wanted to see.</div>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">1. Gouda.</u> On our way to Beekbergen, we stopped in Gouda. This was one of our favourite towns. It was small, easy parking, great food at the bakeries, picturesque and just really laid back and quiet. Oh, and did I mention a lot of gouda to sample?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had to buy some after all five of us sampled almost everything in the store!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We missed market day by one day where this is normally filled with people selling cheese</td></tr>
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<b><u>2. Arnhem</u></b>. We spent four hours at the <a href="https://openluchtmuseum.nl/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh6CnvbCA5AIV6R-tBh1btwVSEAAYASAAEgKW8PD_BwE" target="_blank">Open Air Museum</a>. This was a pricey entrance fee for us but very well worth it. It is huge and has been open since 1918 and has artifacts and buildings from all over the Netherlands. It was very cool to see what the farmhouses looked like and there were many hands on activities for the kids. There was a special exhibit on the mass emigration to Canada in the 1950's which was particularly meaningful as that is my grandparents experience (as one in 25 Dutch people did). This museum is massive and there is a tram you can take from one section to another--we just walked it all though. This is also where we were able to get a tour inside of a windmill.</div>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">3. De Hoge Veluwe National Park.</u> There is a fee of $50 to enter the park but once you are in, there are 1800 white bikes available to ride for free! We biked for three hours and only saw on deer but the kids loved it. Each adult bike has a kid carrier on the back which is what Nya sat in. This day was a highlight of Kai's as we biked through forests and sand dunes (and stopped for an ice cream at the visitor center).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are three entrances to the park full of bikes! We started at the southern most entrance and did a full loop of the park from there.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only deer we saw</td></tr>
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<b><u>4. Giethoorn</u></b>. This town was a highlight for me. After seeing it on Amazing Race I knew we would have to stop here. We rented a boat and travelled the canals, so slowly, and had our packed lunch on the island in the lake. It is very quaint and picturesque. Afterward we explored on the foot path (note that in the Netherlands there is a huge distinction between foot path and bike path!).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating our picnic lunch at the "Pit Stop" of Amazing Race. It is a very small island!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is like the "driveway" to their homes.</td></tr>
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<b><u>5. Apeldoorn</u></b>. This was a minor stop on one day as we just wanted to explore some more nature and went to the Park Berg en Bos. We saw wild deer and boars, walked the trails and played on the playground. This is not a "must do" in any way but a relaxing morning. There is the Apenheul here which is highly visited as a primate zoo where monkeys roam free but we decided to pass on it.</div>
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6. <u style="font-weight: bold;">Barneveld.</u> This is the hometown of my mom's parents. There isn't much to see here so I wouldn't recommend it as a tourist destination but it was great to go. Barneveld is known for it's chickens (the Barnevelder breed specifically) and so we had to buy eggs at a vending machine! Everyone in the Netherlands was so kind and willing to help us at any time. At one point Nya was upset in a grocery store and an elderly man started chatting with her and giving her high fives to cheer her up. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting a carton of eggs from the vending machine</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gouda had pictures of cheese hanging in their streets, Barneveld has pictures of chickens.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Week 3 Homebase: Rouen, France</b></span><br />
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The drive from Beekbergen to Rouen took us about seven hours which was longer than we wanted due to construction but we also wanted to see Dunkirk and Bruges along the way which was a longer route. </div>
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1. <u style="font-weight: bold;">Bruges, Belguim.</u> We packed a lunch to eat in the square here and also picked up some treats at the bakery (waffle on a stick is not as good as it sounds). We were only there for an hour but it was beautiful to see the square and another canal or two. It was also very, very busy.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the entrance to Bruge!</td></tr>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">2. Dunkirk.</u> We only stopped her for a hour to stretch our legs but it was worth it! We walked to the beach, visited the Visitor Center and grabbed some snacks from a bakery. There is a museum but we did not want to add it onto this day.</div>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">3. Rouen.</u> This was the town that we were staying in. It was nice to be right downtown so that we could walk everywhere but one thing to note is that the buildings are very old. I know this sounds obvious but be aware when you are planning your AirBnb's...maybe the wifi will not work, maybe the stairs will be very narrow and windy, maybe you will wonder about fire safety etc. The apartments are also very close to others and therefore noise and smoke are factors too–everyone smokes. We only stayed here five nights although we had prepared to be here for seven. The Internet was not working and we had seen all we wanted to. It was a great location in regards to exploring outwards one hour in each direction. Food was more expensive in France but you could be sure to always find fresh baguettes affordably. It was not unusual to see someone biking with several baguettes in their backpack!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The street our AirBnb was on. Just a five minute walk to all the monuments.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Le <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gros_Horloge" target="_blank">Gros Horloge</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notre Dame de Rouen</td></tr>
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4. <b><u>Paris</u></b>. We took a 1.5 hour train from Rouen into Paris and it went so smoothly and affordably. We walked 23km that day and went from one monument to the next. The kids did so well and we had a proper restaurant meal where normally we got food from the market or a cafe. This was Kai's 13th birthday so an extra special day already. If you are doing this trip, note that you can rent scooters along the Seine River instead of walking it. We started at the Arc de Triomphe and next went to the Eiffel Tower. We then walked all along the Seine to Notre Dame, then to the Louvre and back up to the train station. I recommend starting the day early (less busy and cooler) and packing snacks and water. I loved Paris; it was beautiful, clean and friendly.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing up the Eiffel Tower. You can also take an elevator but this was more fun.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were many water stations, bathrooms and cafes along the Seine. And a playground or two!</td></tr>
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5. <u style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://normandy.memorial-caen.com/" target="_blank">Caen Memorial Museum</a> and Juno Beach</u> This museum had an amazing amount of arficats from World War II (and Cold War). It's hard to know how the kids will do in a situation like this but they made it 2.5 hours. There is also a bunker to visit and they enjoyed that. All of the information is in French and English.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juno Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juno Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juno Beach--powerful to see the Canadian flag there.</td></tr>
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6. <b><u><a href="https://www.vimyfoundation.ca/learn/the-vimy-memorial/" target="_blank">Vimy</a> Ridge</u></b>. This was a stop on the way back to the Netherlands and a "must do" as a Canadian. I highly recommend taking a free tour at the visitor center so that you can go in the underground tunnels. We went through the trenches and then walked to the memorial. Powerful and important. Side note that everything is free and there is a lot of parking.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting to visit a National Historic Site of Canada in France!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visitor Centre is very well done</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visiting the underground tunnels--there's 10km worth but we just did a small section.</td></tr>
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7. <u style="font-weight: bold;">Ghent, Belgium. </u> After Vimy, as we made our way back to Amsterdam, we stopped in Ghent for lunch. We parked at the park and ride and took a free shuttle into downtown. We did a boat tour (translated in English and French) and then ate Belgium waffles at the cafe. The kids didn't love the boat tour as it was historical and a little tricky to understand. Ghent is beautiful and I'm glad we stopped there for a few hours.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boat tour in Ghent</td></tr>
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Phew! That was our three weeks in Europe. Is there anything else I wish we had done? I think based on the heat and the need for rest days, we did everything that we wanted to. When people hear about all our kids did they are surprised. I think the reason it worked so well is our kids love to walk and always enjoy a good treat. It was likely hardest on Nya (age seven) as she didn't understand the history or language but she did wonderfully. </div>
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<b>My three final tips would be</b>:</div>
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1. iPads with headphones in the car work well. </div>
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2. Always stop by the market to pick up snacks and/or lunch for the next day! We had a lot of gouda sandwiches, chips and baguettes. We always made sure to have two full water bottles too.</div>
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3. Oh, and wine is cheaper than pop so when in France...</div>
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If you have any questions at all, please ask! I'm sure there's a few things that I missed. </div>
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Happy travels.</div>
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Love,<br />
Louise</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What to see and do when travelling with kids through the Netherlands and France</td></tr>
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Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-88549636805306248652019-08-10T19:18:00.000-07:002019-08-10T19:44:32.900-07:00What to Consider When Planning a European Family VacationWe recently travelled through the Netherlands, Belgium and France with our three kids for three weeks. The purpose was primarily to connect with my dutch roots and for the kids to experience various cultures. Our hope was to go to all of the museums and attractions that we wanted and to eat local foods yet keep the budget for the entire trip under $10,000 Canadian.<br />
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Our kids are seven, 10 and 13 which worked well for a trip like this. When planning I had a few questions: How should we get around? Which cities should we see? Will my MasterCard work okay? How much would it all cost? This is what we did and I wouldn't say there is a right or wrong way; this is just what worked for us.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Here are a few things that you may want to consider when planning your European trip:</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Accommodations: We stayed in AirBnb's</b>. </span><br />
Most hotels only have room for 2-4 people unless you want to pay about $200/night–that third kid always adds a huge cost. AirBnb's allowed our total cost for accommodations for the three weeks to be under $3,000. Another way in which they save money is that if you get one with a kitchen you can make a lot of your own meals. Two of ours also had a washing machine which was very helpful as well! Our kids had a separate bedroom from us each time which is also nice when you're together all the time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating outside at our AirBnb in the Netherlands</td></tr>
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Be sure to note if linens are included and whether there are extra fees such as a local tourist tax or cost per person per night. One of our AirBnb's only had working Internet for one day which was frustrating as we needed WiFi for our planning and also for downtime for the kids. It was also in a loud apartment (note that all homes are so close together) so we did leave it two days early. Read the reviews in depth as well as their refund policy before committing!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our old apartment in downtown Rouen, France. It's the one we left early.</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Transportation: Renting a car</span></b>.<br />
Europe has an amazing system of trains, trams and buses. In the Netherlands, the bike routes are plentiful. We decided to rent a car because it would allow us to get to a greater variety of cities and we could go on our timeline.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We rented a compact car which meant that we could not take a lot of luggage. One carry one each!</td></tr>
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That said there are a few drawbacks to driving: gas is very expensive, parking can be tricky to find, navigating may add stress and there are are often road tolls. The total cost of our compact car, gas, parking and tolls was under $1400. We did take a train into Paris which saved us the stress of navigation and parking costs. We booked ahead using <a href="https://www.thetrainline.com/" target="_blank">Trainline</a> and it saved us money ($130 for the five of us return trip).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The train from Rouen to France </td></tr>
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There were also times when we could rent a boat and bikes which is a "must do" in the Netherlands.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Renting a boat in Giethoorn, Netherlands</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding bikes in Veluwe National Park, Netherlands</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Money: Euros and MasterCard.</span></b><br />
Only major businesses (museums, gas stations) accepted MasterCard and most supermarkets could only take euros. Even our parking in Delft, Netherlands was tricky because the parking machines would not accept our MasterCard. I got creative and asked a woman to pay for me and I paid her in cash.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to figure out parking in Delft, Netherlands</td></tr>
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It was better for us to take a large amount of Euros to start so that we didn't have to pay the bank machine fees and whatever exchange they offered. Having about 500 euros for our family of five for three weeks was ideal. Reminder: Let your MasterCard know you are leaving the country. I let them know about mine but forget to include that Gary would be there too.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Location: How many cities to see</b></span>.<br />
We stayed in three very different locations for a week at a time. This gave us a home base to get settled and relax which is ideal with kids. It allowed us to branch out about one hour from each AirBnb into different directions. This meant that each week included a longer travel day, a rest day, and then about four cities to explore.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our day in Paris!</td></tr>
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We did not book our museums or attractions ahead of time as we wanted to adapt our itinerary depending on how we were feeling and what the weather was like. There are some things you can book ahead of time, online, to save money or possible line waits. In regards to what cities and sites to see, I highly recommend connecting with someone who has done the trip before or lives in the area.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vimy Ridge</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Travel dates: When to go and for how long.</span></b><br />
We went in the summer for three weeks. There was a major heatwave with record-breaking temperatures which made some of days very exhausting and uncomfortable. Our AirBnb's also did not have AC as they are not used to those temperatures either. Be sure to consider this fact when booking.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to stay cool with ice cream and cafe air conditioning!</td></tr>
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Three weeks was the perfect amount of time for our family to see all that we wanted and to make the most of the trip (and the expensive airfare!). In regards to airfare we actually did get a pretty good deal using Flight Hub which lets you put in the dates and destination of travel and tells you when there is a drop in price. Also, I've found that when booking, Thursdays are generally cheaper to fly on. We flew with Icelandair and had a two hour stopover in Iceland. It worked out well; we could run around, grab some food and then get going again. Looking back we could have spent a few days there while we were there anyway! The cost of our flights was $3800 for the five of us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beaing the heat on record breaking days in the North Sea</td></tr>
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I will be sharing our exact trip, week by week, in a follow up post but wanted to address this first. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Oh, and are you curious if we kept it to $10,000? It was $9,700–guess I could have had a few more pastries, frites and coffees at the cafe.<br />
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Love,<br />
Louise<br />
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<br />Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-89731178689241150952019-07-17T12:40:00.001-07:002019-07-17T12:40:57.086-07:00Ball Hockey Tournament in Edmonton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The <a href="http://www.wccballhockey.com/" target="_blank">Western Challenge Cup</a> is a ball hockey tournament that includes teams from B.C. through to Manitoba. Every year it rotates being hosted between B.C. and Alberta and Kai has the highest chance of making this team on the years that it is away as he is the older at that time. We weren't sure if he should try out for the U13 team as we had a big trip to Europe planned but he really wanted to and we thought the tryouts would be a good experience. </div>
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Well, he made the team of 15 runners and 2 goalies. Leading up to the tournament in Edmonton, Kai fundraised with bottles and earned $240 to pay for his team fees, "new" back-up stick and gloves. He also had many practises and exhibition games. Going into the tournament their only loss was to Delta and they tied with Metro. They felt pretty confident and Surrey has a pretty good reputation of doing well at this tournament. </div>
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Being that this was not a trip we had budgeted for in our summer plans, we drove to save money on flights and car rental. Thankfully gas is very affordable in Alberta! We stopped at Wells Gray (which we had been to three years prior) for lunch and then powered through towards Valemount.</div>
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We stayed at <a href="https://www.tetejaunelodge.com/" target="_blank">Tete Jaune Lodge</a> as it's affordable, beautiful and we had been there before. It is the perfect location close to the B.C./ Alberta border. Small cabins are $45 and large are $90 – we packed our own sleeping bags and pillows. </div>
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We got on the road early the next day to attempt at hike at Mt Robson but as we started our trek to Kinney Lake it was just raining too much and we turned around. The drive through Jasper was beautiful and we saw so many animals!</div>
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Kai had a practice as soon as we arrived at Edmonton and so began five days of hockey. It was stressful and stuffy in there!</div>
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The Surrey Scorpions lost their first game to Victoria 1-0. Although they played a strong defensive game they just couldn't get a ball in the net. Kai won MVP for that first game and I agreed that he played really well generating a lot of chances.</div>
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The next day was rough as they ended with a tie and a loss. They needed to win against Delta the following day in order to have a chance to make it into the playoffs. This was hard for the team because all the other Surrey teams (U11, U15, U17 and U19) made it no problem. </div>
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They won against Delta 4-1 but there was a five-way tie for that 8th spot in the playoffs! It went to point differential and we sat at "0" which meant that we were moving on–good thing our team plays a great defensive game. I was so grateful for this as that meant three more games for them and a chance to prove what they could actually do (the pools for the tournament were very "interesting" with a strong pool and a weaker one which made it difficult to qualify on our side). </div>
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We faced the #1 team Grand Prarie and beat them 2-1! This put us into the semifinals where we would face off against Metro who we had tied in the exhibition games but never beat. We ended up losing and therefore going for bronze.</div>
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In the meantime we tried to get outside as much as possible and Nya loved the swimming pool at the hotel. We did not do any touristy things other than visit West Edmonton Mall where Kai went bowling with his team. </div>
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The kids were so proud of their big brother! Koen watched every game intently while Nya watched her iPad.</div>
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In the final game against Ridge, who we had lost to in the round robin, the boys (and girl) came together and won 5-1! Metro won gold, Delta silver, and Surrey bronze–this was very similar to our experience in the exhibition games prior to the tourney. Kind of wild that we all had to drive 12 hours to play each other in the semifinals.</div>
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Kai finished the tournament with one goal, two assists, and a whole lot of great memories and new friends. He played really well in several games and stressed me out in a few of the others. Moving forward he hopes to work more on his shot and physicality (using his body more to get the ball–he's a bit tentative even though he's got some great height/weight on him).</div>
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It looks like next year Surrey will be hosting and both boys will try out but their chances will be slimmer as Kai will be going for U15's. We'll see!</div>
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We left immediately after the last game (in a super smelly van) and made it back to Tete Jaune Lodge for another night. I had a terrible migraine the entire five-hour drive which is made much worse through smells. We had a good night sleep in our small cabin (it truly had just double bunk beds and a mini fridge) and then drove home the rest of the way the next day.</div>
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Gary was saying that this tournament was more of a "business trip" as we didn't have time to explore and hike. We would LOVE to do the Jasper Banff Corridor one day but we had to get back ASAP as we only had two days at home to prepare for Europe.</div>
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I'm thankful for a safe drive and that our van made it no problem. I'm thankful that Koen and Nya survived a week of hockey. I'm thankful that we made it through the tourney injury free. Was it worth it? Yes. The total cost was about $1200, 24 hours of driving and a lot less sleep but the experience was priceless.</div>
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Thankful for Kai's love of sports and his athletic abilities–I do love watching him play! That said, I am grateful that we now have six weeks off of hockey ;) </div>
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Love, </div>
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Louise</div>
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Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-13723665184605288462019-07-04T08:45:00.001-07:002019-07-04T08:45:28.050-07:00Thankful Thursday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">I am feeling a lot of feelings these days</span></b>.<br />
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Who am I kidding, I always am. Along with the relief of summer holidays and being able to sort of sleep in, there are feelings of nervousness regarding our upcoming trip–how do I fully prepare for three weeks in Europe? Will it cost more than predicted? There are also feelings of frustration as I really wish my body was 100% healthy to do all the activities I would like but my foot still needs to be treated with great care and my weight is at a all time high (other than pregnancy). My kids seem to enjoy arguing with each other yet needing to be right next to one another which brings on some "wonderful feelings" Finally, there are ants in our home and a rat in our backyard which is just annoying. So, there's a broad range of feelings, time to focus on what I'm thankful for this week:<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>1. The ability to spend time with Gary as Kai can babysit. </b><br />
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We usually only go out for an hour at a time but that's all we need! We never had someone who could just pop in and watch our kids without planning a month in advance so it sure is nice to "escape" when need be!<br />
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2. <b>Sisters. </b></div>
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We share a lot in common BUT we also have very different personalities! I love when we can spend quality time together and the opportunity for our kids to get to know their aunts, uncles and cousins better.</div>
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<b>3. My dad being able to play with the kids</b>.</div>
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He had his heart attack anniversary this past weekend and celebrates it like it is his birthday. It was 14 years ago when he had to have his heart restarted twice. He's not a sports guy but a highlight for me was seeing him take an interest in what they were doing. </div>
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<b>5. Our family.</b></div>
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Each sibling group had matching t-shirts for a giant family photo which is why they are dressed the same. The kids did wonderfully while we were there. Well, better than at home I guess. Koen did have one bout of abdominal migraines and cyclic vomiting which he gets about once a month but two hours later, totally fine. It's wild to me. </div>
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6<b>. Nya having her girl time</b>.</div>
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She was so excited to have girl parties as she's "stuck" with two brothers and really just wants a sister so badly. Auntie Janny put lipstick on her and had her in her cabin a lot to "party".</div>
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<b>7. Kai finishing grade 7.</b></div>
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They had a farewell evening which included a party afterward. It was really fun for them and they went all out with a DJ, dance, food galore and photo booth. I ran the photo booth and tried to stay out of his way (but did force him to take some photos with his friends). We're looking forward to high school and more of a focus on academics, sports and the variety of opportunities that arise.</div>
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<b>8. Doing the grad intros.</b><br />
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I was a tad nervous having to introduce 106 grads alongside a colleague in front of 1000 people. It's a brief blurb on each grad as they cross the stage. I was nervous about pronouncing someones name wrong. It took about an hour and went well.Done!!<br />
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<b>9. Nya starting to read more.</b><br />
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I have such great memories of devouring books and love that she's started reading chapter books (Junie B. Jones). I hope this is just the start of a life-long journey. Koen likes graphic novels and Kai does not opt to read ever.<br />
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We also have these neat Little Libraries around our neighbourhood!</div>
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<b>10. Hockey</b><br />
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Gary was able to pick up some Bauer sticks that were samples for $20 each (normally well over $100--yahoo!). Kai's tournament is next week in Edmonton and he has a practice or game every day until then. Really hoping our road trip to and from goes well and maybe we'll see a bear or moose along the way, too!<br />
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<b>What is something that YOU are grateful for today?</b></div>
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Love, </div>
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Louise</div>
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PS Isn't this neat to see the growth over the past two years? Curious how tall Kai will be in two more years!<br />
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Also, another side note. Someone took Gary's size 12 sliders and left behind size 9's at the pool. I found the teen later trying to walk in shoes that were way too big and he was never going to tell his parents that they weren't his. We were able to switch them back which I'm glad about because I had just bought Gary the shoes TWO days before and there's no way he's squeezing himself into size 9's. </div>
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<br />Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-20343665390831637032019-07-03T13:48:00.001-07:002019-07-11T12:53:16.144-07:00Tigh-Na-Mara Family ReunionWe just had our third family reunion at <a href="http://www.talknerdytomeblog.com/2015/07/top-ten-family-friendly-activities-at.html" target="_blank">Tigh-Na-Mara</a> in Parksville, B.C. There were 33 of us and again, it was the perfect location! Although there is a ferry involved to get there which increase the cost and time, we were able to get home in about four hours from door to door – not bad. We had amazing weather (mid 20's) and the kids had a blast with their cousins. The resort is quite accessible for strollers and wheelchairs to get around and to the beach (but not on the beach) but know that the path back up to the resort is steep. So grateful for this opportunity to hang out, connect and make memories!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Here are five reasons why we love it there as a large group:</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. There are six cabins in a cul-de-sac so we get the whole area to ourselves!</b></span><br />
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The kids are able to run from cabin to cabin and play in the middle together exploring the forest and playing sports. It's safe, we don't have to worry about noise and it's in the shade.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. The beach is awesome</span></b>.</div>
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You can walk down to the beach in 10 minutes and the tide goes out so far that it makes it a lot safer to manage so many kids. There are tide pools galore and many little crabs for them to discover (and sand dollars and jellyfish!). Also, with our oldest being able to babysit, Gary and I could get out for a walk on the beach each night. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. There are many activities for the kids. </span></b><br />
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We didn't even use the basketball court or tennis court but the kids spent oodles of time in the pool and hot tub and playing chess. There is also a playground and <a href="https://tigh-na-mara.com/resort/recreation" target="_blank">recreation program</a>, too–something for every age. Nya's favourite was the pool and I like that it is indoors and shaded.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Meals are so easy.</span></b></div>
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The cabins have full kitchens which enabled to us to have potlucks (grocery stores nearby, too) or you can eat in or get take out from their own <a href="https://tigh-na-mara.com/dine/cedars-restaurant-lounge" target="_blank">Cedars Restaurant</a>. Note that their pizzas are 2 for 1 on Mondays and are made in their new stone oven.</div>
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Gary and I enjoyed a sunset on the beach with dessert...</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Non-stop nature to explore.</span></b><br />
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Gary and I went for a run each day and my sisters and I walked to <a href="http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/rathtrevor/" target="_blank">Rathtrevor Provincial Park</a>. It's the perfect balance between being close to stores and being fully immersed in nature. We had no problem getting 20,000 steps per day! Also, I know I mentioned the shade already but other than the beach, there is ample shade everywhere which is such a plus for me.<br />
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We spent three nights there which was a great amount for our group. The cabins are a great fit for each family because they have two bedrooms and a pull-out couch with cots available if need be. Looking forward to heading back again in a few years...<br />
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<b>Have you been?</b><br />
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Love.<br />
Louise<br />
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<i>(*Note that I was given a gift certificate for Cedars Restaurant during our stay and opinions are my own*)</i>Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-10511443097892123792019-06-27T10:21:00.002-07:002019-06-27T10:24:01.632-07:00Thankful Thursday: I Finished a Year of Teaching Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">I am proud of myself.</span></b> </div>
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I feel like we don't say that enough for fear of sounding boastful. This year I took a giant leap back into the classroom after being at home for almost NINE YEARS. Yes, I had been subbing but that is very, very different. Once you're "locked in" to a one year teaching contract, you are <i>in</i> and flexibility is out. I'm thankful for the roles I had while I was at home for those nine years–from photography to foster parenting, I grew in my skills, resources, ability to set boundaries and understanding of the needs in our classrooms.</div>
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When I remember myself walking across that graduation stage 23 years ago, I imagined becoming a doctor working full time outside the home. I loved biology with my whole heart and felt that is how I would make a difference. Along the way I realized I loved teenagers just as much, probably even more. Being open to change and opportunities has led me to a full life rich in love, experience and growth.<br />
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Talking about changes, many have occurred in the classroom since I started in 2001. When considering returning, I feared I would be too old and slow to adapt to the technology (laptops for kids with distribution of work through OneNote etc) and new terminology and mindset (all the curricular and core competencies, online portfolios, self-assessments, learning targets etc). However, I have learned through the feedback of my students that although things are different, what truly matters (being known, curious and encouraged) has remained the same. Here are some comments that filled my heart and made me realize that I was made for this and still have "it".<br />
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<li>You make science fun.</li>
<li>I looked forward to coming to class each day.</li>
<li>Our class felt like a family. You are like a mom to us.</li>
<li>I've decided to go into Biology now because of your class.</li>
<li>You believed in each and every student in your class and did not put one student above the other.</li>
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I realize that likely not everyone enjoyed being in my classroom but when you feel like you give a lot it is so important for teachers to hear feedback like this. Can you tell I'm a "words of affirmation" kind of girl?</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Balancing family life and work was hard</span></b>. </div>
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The first semester was especially hard as we were also still fostering full-time. I'm proud of myself for hiring a cleaner in that first semester–it's okay to not do it all. I am thankful that although I was at work each day, we still had plenty of time together as a family as I was able to keep most of my work at school being that I was at a 70% work load. I was hoping to work less this upcoming year but it will be the same percentage. I can do it.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What am I thankful for overall?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. A husband that believes I can do anything and is fully supportive in action as well.</span></b> </div>
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He did the majority of the cooking this year and drove the kids to school when I just needed a 20 minute commute on my own.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Amazing students. </span></b></div>
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I know some people would be terrified to teach teenagers but they are awesome. I loved being able to teach such a range, grade 8 and 12, as the relationship and interactions are unique. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. The opportunity to work part time.</span></b></div>
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I wouldn't work otherwise.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Being able to teach Biology. </span></b></div>
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I want to be passionate about what I am teaching. That said, I'm also teaching Math 8 this upcoming year...let's see how excited I can be about math. Yay, integers and fractions?!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. A summer break to rest and read and run and travel.</b></span></div>
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Let's do this!</div>
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I hope to return this fall with a spirit of mindfulness. I want to be less of a "check off the box" kind of girl getting through each day/week/month/semester and come with more of a "let's see what today brings" attitude. </div>
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I hope you have a wonderful summer and I cannot wait to share about our trip to Europe with you all!</div>
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Love, </div>
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Louise</div>
Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612254.post-77740077048161211862019-06-20T06:30:00.000-07:002019-06-20T08:05:09.819-07:00Thankful Thursday: End of School EditionToday is the last day of school for my kiddos! We did it. Phew. The main "work" of it all is just the organization–from agendas to field trip forms to birthday parties to band concert information that comes home in that backpack every day, it's a full time management job. Let's take a quick look at the growth (physical and otherwise) this year for each kid. Please note that I'm mostly focusing on the positive. This is not because my kids are perfect but I don't want to embarrass them publicly.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Kai: Completed Grade 7</u></span></b><br />
-Gained 8lbs and 3" (now 94 lbs and 5'6")<br />
-Played almost every sport: basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, track and field and cross country in school. He also did ball hockey again through Surrey Minor Ball Hockey and the Langley Hockey House. He excels in running the 1500m and in ball hockey where he made the Surrey rep team for U13.<br />
-Played the trumpet in jazz band<br />
-Took Math 8 online and finished with a 95%<br />
-Continued with his Thrive course and program in order to help kids with special needs at church and in life. He is great with other kids (other than his siblings).<br />
-Started wearing Invisalign (aka my retirement fund)<br />
-Loves sports, jazz band and math.<br />
-Free time is spent playing sports with the neighbour boys, watching sports on TV or walking to 7-Eleven for a slurpie with the boys.<br />
-He's looking forward to high school for more of a challenge and for the team sports (of course). I'm very curious to see how he manages it all.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48080105973_e72c9237e4_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48080105973_e72c9237e4_b.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">September</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48058265518_0c34f82668_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48058265518_0c34f82668_b.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June (band concert)</td></tr>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Koen: Completed Grade 4</span></u></b></div>
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-Gained only 2 lbs and 1" (now 77 lbs and 4'8"). The lack of physical growth is concerning to me this year but he is a healthy weight and height overall. He is on biphentin for ADHD which gives him a lack of appetite during the school day. He is also social and likes to chat rather than eat his lunch. We'll try to fatten him up over the summer. It doesn't help that he doesn't stop moving either!</div>
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-Had a tricky time with three teachers over the year which was no ideal but worked out well in the end.</div>
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-Played ball hockey at the Langley Hockey House and Surrey Minor Ball Hockey. He is one of the top 10 in his division for points and we are so proud of his non stop hustle in the game.</div>
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-Started using an iPad for journaling as writing is beyond frustrating for him. Goal is to work on his typing skills this summer.</div>
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-Has some great buddies at school that he plays soccer or hockey with each and every day. His favourite part is passing to someone who hasn't scored in a while so they can be celebrated.</div>
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-Played the recorder and will be starting a band instrument in grade 5. I'm not sure what instrument would be best for him as I want this to be a positive experience.</div>
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-Fell in love with reading even more (mostly Big Nate and Wimpy Kid books still). Goes to bed at 8:30 and reads until 9pm.</div>
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-Plays so nicely with Nya (yay, miracles can happen) as long as Kai is not around.</div>
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-Can be very encouraging.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48080080726_ef34650619_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48080080726_ef34650619_b.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">September</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June</td></tr>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Nya: Completed Grade 1</span></u></b></div>
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-Gained 4 lbs and 2" (48 lbs and 3'10")</div>
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-Outgrew her asthma and had normal colds!!!!</div>
<div>
-Favourite part of school is socializing and seems to have a new club each day (Unicorn Club, Worm Club, Water Club etc).</div>
<div>
-Loved learning about the solar system and continues to teach us about it whether we want to hear it or not.</div>
<div>
-Participated in a "Learn to Play Hockey" clinic and gave 100% but didn't necessarily love (or like) it. No other extracurricular this year as it was her first time in full time school.</div>
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-Wears dresses/skirts 90% of the time but has added the colour blue to her repertoire!</div>
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-Friendly, encouraging, sensitive and chatty</div>
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-Does not love "working hard" in athletics.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48080177987_b01503a20e_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48080177987_b01503a20e_b.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">September</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June (wearing heels so disregard height)</td></tr>
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<div>
I am grateful for the teachers and EA's that love on our kids. We are part of a great community. Next year Kai will be moving up to the high school where Gary and I teach. I won't be teaching him (I will be teaching his friends Math 8) but Gary will have him for PE likely. I'm looking forward to a summer of <a href="http://www.talknerdytomeblog.com/2019/02/our-european-vacation-plan.html" target="_blank">adventures</a> with these kids and hopefully a little down time while they entertain themselves?! </div>
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Hope this school year was a good one for you and your kids!</div>
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Love, </div>
<div>
Louise</div>
Louise Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15052576071967823728noreply@blogger.com0