Lovely Bookends

It was a pretty good day even if I didn’t think it was going to be at first.

I got up this morning early so that I’d be able to go for my bloodwork, but alas I couldn’t. I can’t find my standing order card:(. I hate being disorganized and I know I put it somewhere safe, but now I need to figure out where that was!

Exercise:

I went up and met with my friend Anna for a run. She is just starting to run and wanted some stretching tips. We just did her usual route which is just over a kilometer and it was fun to run somewhere new with someone new and to catch up with an awesome friend.

I also did a quick weights workout this afternoon, but I have to admit it was half-hearted at best.

Baking:

I had to do my Sally’s Baking Challenge today. At the start of the year, Abbey and Kathy and I decided that we would try the Sally’s Baking Challenge and then write about our results on the last Saturday of the month.

This month the baking challenge was baked apples. I had a ton of apples from my friend’s tree that needed to be used but they were so tiny that I decided to use the recipe to make a crisp as there would be no filling otherwise.

The recipe was super quick to make and the only change I made was to use coconut oil rather than butter. I forgot that it would t crisp as well with this :(. The crisp still tasted really good!

Socializing:

After a day of not having any success with the bank or with the mobile company, I was happy to order a poke bowl and meet up with another close friend Emily for a parking lot dinner. It was awesome to catch up with her and the poke bowl was good too!

Well I’m off to find a cure toque pattern to use up my pom pom on.

Have fun!

AJ

Happy Friday Eve

It is crazy how excited the children are, they are almost beside themselves!

Teaching:

It was a pretty good day. We got through some McCracken spelling this morning g before music. Then we tackled graphing our favourite candy, though we didn’t manage to finish:(. This afternoon we did a directed drawing of an owl, but some kids haven’t finished that either.

I thought mine was the best I’ve ever done though! I’ll be sure to show you the kids as they outlined and coloured theirs.

Medical:

After work I went for a massage and found out that my adductors are incredibly tight which might be causing the problems with my Soas and my hip. Hmmm I’d better google how to roll an adductor.

Knitting:

I have spent the evening knitting and have finished my InStillness Mini sweater by Alicia Plummer.

Sorry for the night shot but at least you get to see it. I followed the instructions except I added four rows to the collar as I wanted it to be a little higher. This sweater uses Gathered Yarn: The Harvest is Here. It is a super soft yarn and was lovely to knit with! The pattern was easy to follow and quick to make:)

Well that’s enough accomplished for today.

Have fun!

AJ

Hiding

Well today was a better day, but I have to admit I hid.

Teaching:

We had a pretty good day. We did a class book about our favourite part of Halloween this morning. We only had a few repeats so it’s a good book.

For math we attempted to get our numbers 11-20 booklet done. Some of the kids got it done, but the rest had to put their books in unfinished. I will just be glad not to see that book again!

This afternoon we did our first STEM project.

The kids were super excited to do it and all were very engaged. It was a tough task as they only got four cups, 3m of yarn and seven pieces of tape. I had two kids who were in tears as their bridges didn’t hold spiders. It was very interesting to see how the different kids reacted. We definitely need to read some books about perseverance!

I have to admit that I just stayed in my classroom for recess and lunch today. I trawled through Ravelry at recess and spent lunch knitting on my sweater. I figure my classroom is my happy place so I’ll stay there.

Exercise:

I left right away after school and met up with Sarah for our workout run. We did the same run that I started with Dennis yesterday, but we did it out on a street. It was definitely not as fast as yesterday, but we got it done.

Knitting:

I have spent the evening knitting on my sweater and am hoping to have it done tonight, though it may actually be tomorrow night.

As I’m writing this I realized I have fallen behind on my jobs this week. Uh oh, I’m going to have a busy Saturday!

I also just realized that my fireplace isn’t working. I have a text into my cousin who is a gas fitter and since his collectors truck lives in my spare spot, he better not ignore me!

Well I’m going back to finishing my edging.

Have fun!

AJ

Trivia Tuesday

Well it appears I’m wearing a target.

Teaching:

We worked on the parts of a pumpkin this morning and then went on to putting our pumpkins in order from smallest to biggest.

After recess the kids were super excited to roll virtual dice on the smartboard and tell me whether the number was even or odd. We managed to do this by having each child use their own personal whiteboard marker to touch the smartboard. So simple and yet they loved it.

This afternoon we did a mini book about the life cycle of a pumpkin. The kids got to see me make another mistake as originally I had the flower before the vine. I swear…I meant to do that.

While I was on my prep in the staffroom, where we have been told we have to prep, I was sitting with my lunch to my right, my tea to my left and my phone on my lap as I uploaded Terry Fox run pictures to FreshGrade for the parents. My principal goes by the window, knocks on it and motions for me to put on a mask. I am in the room alone and am eating and drinking…🙄😖

Exercise:

After a quick stop at the dollar store I met up with Dennis for my run at the track. We were supposed to do fifteen repeats of 40 seconds hard, then 20 seconds easy, but Dennis was having real trouble with his breathing so we did nine repeats with more rest. It’s another 2.4km in the run bank.

Trivia:

It was a Seinfeld theme night. I have never watched Seinfeld, but did read up on Elaine in advance.

We actually won the second round!

We came in third overall for the night which is decent when there were only three people on the team who have seen Seinfeld. Sometimes I think a team of four is the best.

Have fun!

AJ

Meetings Should be Banned

The day was fine, but the meeting didn’t help it at all!

Teaching:

We created monsters in our journals and then wrote about them. The children also had music class and we began our pumpkin study. Each student has brought a pumpkin so today we brainstormed what we know about pumpkins. We’ll be doing something fun with the pumpkins each day until Friday when we will decorate them. Thankfully it was nice enough to end the day with playtime outside.

We had a CDMC (collective decision making committee )after school. These meetings always feel useless as nothing is ever decided.

Medical:

I finally found a place that had flu shots available so I went after work and had my flu shot and then rewarded myself with ice cream on the way home.

Knitting:

This is the back of the test knit I just finished. It is a cardigan called Garnered by Alicia Plummer. I wore it today and it was super comfy. I did it in LettLopi in Heathered Grey. I did it in a smaller needle size than the pattern called for and next time I would definitely use a larger needle so it would be drapier. I do really like it though.

I am almost done another Alicia Plummer knit- this one a pullover which I should be able to show you soon.

Well there my day in a nutshell, have fun!

AJ

SAL Update

Stitching:

This year I am determined to make progress on the project that sat on the shelf in my spare room for eleven years. It at least sits on my coffee table now. This is where I have been for the past two months after the tea disaster:

This is where I am right now (and I’m still working on it, but didn’t want to forget to post):

It doesn’t look like a lot of progress, but it actually is. Usually after I make a mistake, I don’t touch the project for years, but these past three weeks I have figured out my two areas of mistakes- one the blue coming down horizontally is a couple of stitches out here and there so I am trying to work around that to get it back to right to move forward with. Secondly, I didn’t realize I had misidentified some of the squares on the overlap column so I am now lining up the first and second page to make sure I am using the right colour.

There is a little bit of blue added to the bottom and a little brown and cream added to the top. It feels good to at least have some progress to report, though it’s not as much as I was hoping for.

I have also determined that I don’t actually like stitching on my couch in my knitting corner. I have determined this time that I do much better sitting on my floor cushion where I can have my threads somewhat spread out to the side of me. Stitching seems to go much faster when I can just reach over and grab the colour I need.

Well hopefully this is the start of steady progress!

Be sure to check out everyone else’s progress as there are some amazing projects! JennyAvisClaireGunCaroleSueConstanzeChristinaKathyMargaretCindyHeidiJackieSunnyHayleyMeganDeborah Mary MargaretRenéeCarmelaSharonDaisyAnneCathieLauraSherrie

I cried

And I never cry!

Teaching:

I got to sleep in this morning as it was a Professional Development Day and I had the time to make a lovely pumpkin chai latte so the day started off well.

Ten of us gathered in the staffroom to go over some of the computer programs we will be expected to use in the next few weeks. Our kindergarten teacher is also our Techy so she was leading us. It was going great until our principal came in and yelled that we couldn’t do this and had to be on teams in separate rooms. Then she said, “you, you and you, should be wearing masks, and some of you I have had to tell multiple times” while staring at me. Only one girl had been wearing a mask before she came in but everyone else thinks faster than me and it is true that I forget to put my mask on when leaving my classroom (I don’t have to wear it in my room) so that’s why I’ve taken to looking like this

I have never liked getting into trouble and especially not in front of others and lately it has felt like I’m her new target, but wait the day continued.

My friends at work and I had talked about getting skip the dishes for lunch today, but then they decided to go for donairs and with a “sorry Allison”, off they went and I walked home and had a rice cake with peanut butter as I wasn’t expecting to need lunch today and because of the late decision I didn’t have much time. I then ended the day with an email from my admin telling me that I was not to discuss classroom matters outside of a CDMC or staff meeting and that if I had a concern I should come speak to her. A bunch of us had sent emails about furniture being removed from our rooms. I now teach guides reading on the floor.

Yup it was enough to drive me over the edge and I cried in my classroom. I hate crying but at least no one saw me. I totally know these are little inconsequential things, I’m a lucky person overall and tomorrow I will remember that!

Exercise:

I arranged with Dennis to do our run an hour earlier than normal and we got 7.5km in. One good thing my anger did was make me run fast. Dennis couldn’t believe my speed. Normally on Friday nights I run 6:30-6:45/km, but tonight I was 5:30-6:00/km. I guess something good came out of it and the good thing that came out of my run is that I am much calmer now.

Veging/knitting:

I am having a lovely evening of hallmark movies and knitting. If I had ice cream, it would be perfect, but this will do. I will try to forget all of this and just enjoy my weekend and I hope you all do too!

Have fun!

AJ

Friday Eve

I survived the day!!

Teaching:

We worked on the letter f today and all but one little girl are doing great. I’m hoping I’ll have some time to work with her on it next week.

We tackled more of our teen number booklet and most of the kids are getting the idea and working their way through it.

This afternoon we just got some silent reading done and I got a reading group done. I always love getting to the reading groups as I feel like I make the most impact there.

I did another five parent phone conferences today and they all seemed to go well. It seems like all of the kids are happy to come to school which is always one of my concerns at this time of the year. I managed to get my one focus for each child across which is a bonus.

Reading:

I finished a second reading of The Hating Game this evening. I really do enjoy that book. The banter is great and I always like a enemies to lovers book. I would recommend this one if you want a fun read.

Socializing:

I stopped in to see my friend Cori with a pumpkin oat bread and a gorgeous fall planter from the staff.

Exercise:

I was thinking of going for a run but it started to pour and I just couldn’t get my head into it. I decided to do a Lyndsay workout instead. I did thirty seconds each of skipping, froggers and a squat hold and repeated that five times. Then I did three sets of the following with increasing weight: static lunges, static lunges jumps, deadlifts, sumo squats, step ups, and normal squats.

It was at least something!

I have spent the rest of the night working on my newest sweater. I got smart and put it all on scrap yarn and tried it on before I got too far. I’m hoping it will be a super useful sweater!

Well I think that’s all I’ve done today other than a long talk with my mom.

Have fun!

AJ

Better Than Expected

The day actually went better than I was expecting:). It started with seeing these signs on my way to work which was super lovely!

Teaching:

It was an early dismissal day so there wasn’t a lot of time. We finally finished off our big problem versus small problem work by completing a worksheet. I also talked to the boys who were involved in hitting, actually there was a lot of hitting today. However, the one boy hit the other because he was breaking branches off trees. Thankfully we have that cleared up!

We also finally got to math this week. We are working on a booklet about numbers 11-20. I am aiming for these kids having a solid number sense in this first term. I’m sure not getting through as much as I usually do!

Finally this afternoon we only had time to read a story after our lunch.

After the children went home, I spent three hours calling and talking to parents. I feel like most of the calls were really positive and went well. I had one parent who had the child with her. I always hate when parents do this as you then can’t have an honest discussion about the child. 🙄. There is a time and a place people!

Baking:

I quickly got my condo tidied as there is a fire alarm inspection tomorrow- don’t want anyone looking at my laundry drying🤣.

I then got a pumpkin goat chocolate loaf made for my friend Cori and her family as she had surgery on Monday. I stopped and bought normal chocolate chips as they are much cheaper and thankfully I managed not to have to touch them, it unfortunately, now I can’t try it. I sure hope it tastes good!

Well that’s it for me. I think I’ll go curl up in bed as I’ve been super tired lately.

Have fun!

AJ

Trivia Tuesday

It was a pretty good day!

Teaching:

My prep got changed without my knowing it so I was a little off kilter as I didn’t know what I was going to do this morning.

We got through a phonics lesson on short a, and another lesson on big problems versus small problems.

I started on the parent teacher conferences I have to do by phone this week. It was very enlightening when one of the parents told me that he son is being hit by another little boy and she got told by another parent. I can’t believe nobody told the teacher!

Exercise:

I did a workout run with Dennis. We warmed up and then did 90 seconds hard, 60 seconds easy, 60 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy, 30 seconds hard, 90 seconds easy and we did it 5 times through.

Trivia:

Who was the older man on Three’s Company?

Ralph Furley

What are the three most westerly NFL teams?

Seattle, Arizona and Las Vegas

How much is a bottle of Bailey’s?

$27.99

What Mexican food means little donkey?

Butrito

Where was Bombay Sapphire created?

England

What are the second letters in each row of the keyboard?

W, S, X

Put these dynasties in order?

Mayan, Viking, and Inca

The music round was done by decade- 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005, 2015

What was the name of the butler on Fresh Prince?

Geoffrey

Where was the first real housewives?

Orange county

Where did Michael Jordan also play?

Washington Wizards

What ladies gym is associated with club 16?

She’s Fit

Who is not like the rest? Ben Franklin, George Washington, Abe Lincoln and John Hancock?

Abe Lincoln

We actually won the last round:)

Well that’s it for me.

Have fun!

AJ