Things I'm loving lately

Walking on the beach

Our gorgeous garden {and our soon-to-be finished sundeck}

The smell of freshly cut grass

Painted toenails

The letters from Em I keep coming across 

Planning for my class next year {I'm going back to kindergarten!}

Skype

Instagram 

Letters in my mailbox

Season finales {The Office was wonderful, wasn't it/}

Summer travel plans

Riding my bike 

Sitting on the front lawn in my new muskoka chair

Imagining how fab our new bathroom's going to look

Listening to my first graders read and seeing how far they've come

Playing board games with my boys

My floppy new sunhat and stripy flip-flops

Six weeks left until summer vacation!

What are you loving lately?

J'adore

... this super cool Princess Bride inspired t-shirt from ThinkGeek. I'm pretty sure I have to have it. And then I need to watch the movie again. It's been a while.

Happy weekend, peeps!

Scenes from the weekend

Words I would use to describe this weekend? Busy. Productive. Organized. Chaotic. Relaxing. Fun. Cuddly. Wet {looks like our early summer is no longer... hmph}. Oh, and chocolate. There was quite a lot of chocolate.

Sweet Mother's Day gifts and cards from my darling boys

A misty afternoon on the beach

King of the castle

Beautiful barefoot boy

Flowers and wise words on Sunday night

What are you up to this Monday morning? I'm looking forward to catching up with friends over the lunch hour, growing butterflies with my first graders, a big pot of veggie soup for supper, some letter-writing while the boys are at Beavers, and the return of Canadian astronaut Cmdr. Chris Hadfield to Earth {from the International Space Station back home in just three hours}.That man is seriously inspiring. After following his space journey, and singing along with 500 kids and him on Music Monday, I might even want to be an astronaut when I grow up :)

Happy Monday, mes amies.

E xo

Happy things/Friday flowers

This has been a busy week, both at home and at school. I can feel the end of the school year approaching {7 weeks to go} and the pace of life is picking up. The sun has shone though, I've managed to keep on top of things, and I've been feeling pretty good.  And so, without further ado, I give you some happy things with which to end the week...

Colourful bamboo flower pots that my students made for their moms. They were so excited to paint the pots, pick out just the right plant, and scoop the soil. I think they turned out beautifully, don't you?

I know I keep going on about my lilac trees, but seriously. Look at them. They're gorgeous! And they smell heavenly. 

Lovely lupins, beginning to bloom. This is my favourite season in our garden.

And finally, Frapuccino Happy Hour! Half price fraps every afternoon until May 12? Yes, please.

Happy Friday, friends. I hope your weekend rocks. Don't forget to call your mother on Sunday and tell you how much you love her!

E xo

"Breathe through it, and release anything that does not serve you."

Me, at my yoga class last night

I have a new love in my life, you guys. It's yoga. It is exactly what I need. My sister has been encouraging me for years {literally} to give it a try, and last month I finally signed myself up for a class. After five minutes, I knew it was for me. I've never done such a peaceful, mind-clearing  type of exercise before. I like the quietness of it, the dim lights, the way I feel when I'm imagining myself as a goddess, or a warrior! I come away feeling like I've worked every muscle in my body, and had a good long nap! How is that even possible? I don't know. But I'll take it.

Do you do yoga? 

PS: I love, love, love how the instructor says "Namaste" at the end of each session. Totally reminds me of LOST :)

Happy things with which to end the week

I am so tired. This has been a long and busy week, starting with my weekend in Vancouver for Em's memorial. It was such a lovely couple of days {lovely but heartwrenching and totally exhausting}. I got home around 10 o'clock on Sunday night, and was right back to school the next morning. My first graders have been full of beans, and I've been doing my best to keep up with their abundant energy, but it's practically impossible!

Anyway, here are a few happy things to finish off the week. Hope yours has been a good one...

This is one little corner of The Regional Assembly of Text, which I discovered on Main Street in Vancouver on Saturday. Oh my god. Best. Store. Ever. They have a monthly letter writing club, where you and your fellow stationery-loving friends get to use their vintage typewriters and fabulous papers to write letters. And while you're at it, they provide tea and cookies! And the best bit? They've just opened a shop in Victoria! Wheee!

All four of our lilac trees are in bloom. This is the view from my office window. Swoon.

Speaking of views, this is the view from my classroom window. Springtime in Victoria is my favourite.

We're doing a Dr Seuss unit in Grade One. The kids love it, and get expecially excited when they get to read with my Thing 1 and Thing 2 finger puppets.

How's this for beautiful first grade artwork?

I've got a big to-do list for this weekend, but that's okay. The feeling of accomplishment we'll experience as items get checked off will make make tackling that list well worth the effort. The forecast is for plenty of sunshine and blue skies, so I plan to ride my bike with the boys {all three of them} and get lots of fresh air, too. Plus there's a new episode of Doctor Who to look forward to Saturday night, and a family game of Carcassonne to enjoy as well. I'm looking forward to all of it.

Happy Friday, friends.

xo

Saying good-bye

E & me, July 2002

It's been six weeks since my darling Em passed away. The celebration of her life is this weekend in Vancouver. I'm heading to the mainland tomorrow to stay with her mom, to visit with her family and friends, to celebrate all the things that made her such a special part of our lives. I know there will be tears {my god, so many tears} but I believe there will also be laughter and the sharing of many happy memories.

Em was my dearest friend for nearly 19 years, and she was remarkable. She was funny, smart, adventurous, loyal, kind and thoughtful. She spoke three languages, took beautiful photos, wrote eloquently and often, and she could dance like nobody's business. And even though she rarely lived nearby {and most often, far far away}, she had a knack for keeping the people she loved close.  Em could make the smallest occasion into a special event, and she never missed anyone's birthday, ever. If she loved you, she made sure you knew it. I knew it. The letters and postcards and emails and texts and phone calls and FaceTime sessions and yearly visits were proof enough, but she always made sure to say "I love you" before she said good-bye.

Now I have to say good-bye and I am dreading it. I'll be getting up to speak at her service, and I hope the words I choose will do justice to the amazing friend and person she was, and that I will be able to convey how much she meant to me. I hope the people there will be able to understand me through my tears. I hope somewhere Em is listening, and knows how much she is missed, and just how much she will always be loved.

Have a lovely weekend, friends. Wish me luck.

E xo

Wish List Wednesday: TOMS

I own a few pairs of TOMS already. A navy pair, and some cool felted grey ones. I wouldn't say no to a pair of these, though. They're way too cute to pass up.

Ooh, I like these ones, too...

How many pairs of TOMS do you own?

So far, so good

I went back to work today. After a three-month leave of absence, I was back in my classroom.

The sun shone, the kids were thrilled to see me, and I found a little blue vase full of tulips on my desk. It felt good. Monday was a success.

Bring it on, Tuesday. I'm ready for you.

My desk

Saturday morning daydream

A cup of tea, a bagel, some fresh air, a comfy chair, and nature right there at my fingertips? Yes, please.

image via here