Trivia Tuesday

It was a tough day cause they called another indoor day at lunch.

Teaching:

We did more work for our report cards today. The kids did their perspective and told me about who their friends are, what they like best at school and the most interesting they’ve learned so far this year. It was real interesting!

We did a couple of math games and then I had a prep.

This afternoon we tackled rights and responsibilities again as I didn’t feel like the kids really got it.

Exercise:

I left work early and went for a run with Dennis. We were supposed to be doing an interval workout, but instead we did a tempo run. I hit a 5:57, but was definitely feeling eating at 3pm.

Knitting:

I managed to finish the socks! I had to change the toe of one because I was running out of yarn.

This is the Brookline socks done in Kroy socks in gray. I really do love this yarn for reasonable socks.

Trivia:

There were five of us for trivia tonight. In the first round we knew:

What is Roberto Luongo’s twitter name?

Strombone1

What three countries start with F?

France, Finland and Fiji

Who wrote the Handmaid’s Tale?

Margaret Atwood

What card has to appear if you have a perfect 29 hand in crib?

Jack

How tall is Bad Bad Leroy Brown?

6’4

The music round was 1976, 1986, 1996, 2006, 2016.

We did okay in the Kahoot round and came in second?

Which South American country has the largest population?

Guatemala

In which film did High Grant play a book shop owner?

Nothing Hill

What are the names of the two characters in Outlander?

Jamie, Claire

What is the last zodiac sign alphabetically?

Virgo

What is the song contest throughout Europe?

Eurovision

What key is beside the l?

;/:

We actually won the last round!

So that’s it for me!

Have fun!

AJ

Monday Musings

It was an okay day- nothing out of the ordinary.

Teaching:

We got through a journal entry and then while the children had music, I gathered my courage and called Telus. I actually got a guy who was super helpful and went through all my options with me. My new phone is in its way.

We played games in the gym while we can and then had lunch. I got a couple of rows knitted during lunch.

I had to start assessing reading during my guided reading time today. It is the week of assessment as we then had the kids do their collaborative goals for the report card. The children then had centres while I got PHE assessed. Too much assessment!!!! Poor kids:(

Shopping:

Just as the last child got picked up my phone rang and it was the courier. He wasn’t willing to put the package at my door and would only leave it in the foyer of the building. Of course just this weekend a notice was put up about robberies in the foyer and from mail boxes. I had no other choice so I literally sprinted down the hill, and thankfully it was still there.

Knitting:

My package was my lovely new heated blanket. I have spent the entire evening under my new blanket trying to get a second sock made in a day.😳. I am 34 rows from the end and have a very sore hand. I think I’ll get back to work in the morning.

Have fun!

AJ

Weekend Wrap Up

I can’t believe it’s Sunday again already! I have to survive a five day week this week:(

Exercise:

I ended up running on Saturday morning with Dennis as he had an appt on Friday evening. I was tired of running around my house so we went out to the dyke to run. It was super bright and sunny on the way out, but then the big black cloud moved in on the way back.

We got 6.6km in which is better than nothing.

I worked out yesterday afternoon and did another NourishMoveLove workout- 20 minute resistance band workout- legs, cardio and core. I definitely was feeling that workout on my run this morning.

Sarah and I did another ten kilometers this morning. It seemed super slow though we picked up the speed on the way back. I’m not sure how to approach this with Sarah, but really feel we could be running faster at the start as we drop almost a minute off our time. I’d rather run a little faster on the way out and a little slower on the way back and be more even!

We got lucky though and it was a gorgeous morning for a run!

I did the seven hip and low back stretches for the fourth time this week. Hopefully it helps:)

Shopping:

I met up with another teacher from work at Chapters yesterday so we could choose a few books for the kids Bookclub this year. We have had kids asking about it so we are going to try and do the club over zoom once a month. It will be nice to have a little bit of normalcy! We also enjoyed a lovely tea afterwards:)

House:

I have been very productive this weekend for little things. I got the curtains fixed, my hydration bladder fixed, all laundry done and put away and my plants watered.

Knitting:

I have mainly been working on socks for a lady at trivia. I have one sock done and am just considering if I could get the other done by Tuesday night. I somehow don’t think so:(

Well that’s it for my weekend, well except for my reading but I’m not done my book yet.

Have fun!

AJ

Happy Weekend

My Friday’s seem to come so quickly this year. I keep thinking it’s because I have a good class so the time goes quickly as the Fridays sure didn’t come this quickly last year!

Teaching:

On Tuesday I sent home a sight word mini book with two of my kids and one girl brought it back today. She read it to me and the next one. I have sent the third one home with her for the weekend. What I noticed was that I spent about ten minutes working with her this morning and the rest of my class just kept doing what they were supposed to be doing. So nice!

We did a pre- reading lesson on doing picture walks with the book, Enemy Pie. The kids were so impressive as I asked them what pre-reading strategies we had talked about so far, and they got them all! Most of the kids noticed the enemy list in the tree house.

We also did a lesson on tally marks today. We had covered these briefly a few weeks ago, but some children were having difficulty so we spent yesterday and today reviewing the concept and everyone seems to have it now:)

Finally this afternoon we did McCracken spelling, had gym and played outside. A pretty Good Friday!

I also got the art from yesterday put up.

I am calling it Windy Fall Leaves and it was done with pastels. With older grades I get them to also colour the background.

Exercise:

By the time I got home there were only ten minutes until sundown so I did a bosu workout after dinner instead, and I think I am going to hurt tomorrow. I haven’t been on my bosu in a while and I can tell.

I never have problems exercising- all my troubles come from eating. I have stuck with the MetPro program so far and it gets one more week before I give up on it. It has gotten me off of sugar and I noticed it now has me down at a level 3 (I started at 6). Maybe they have figured out that I’m not a typically sized person?!?!

Well I’m in my jammies, have a cup of tea and am going to read my book now.

Have fun!

AJ

Lest We Forget

It was a very odd Remembrance Day for me.

Exercise:

I decided that since I had the day off I would put it to good use getting some extra mileage in. I did 10km with Sarah this morning out on the dyke. Thank goodness our new restrictions still allow me to run with other people!

I am hoping to get some yoga done before bed tonight too.

Shopping:

I stopped on my way home to get the yarn I need for the three knitting projects that I owe to other people. Thankfully the store was very quiet and I didn’t meet anyone!

I also stopped at the grocery store and got two advent calendar gifts and some protein for the next couple of days. I really didn’t want to have to go out again but I hit three different grocery stores today:(

Knitting:

After a lovely nap in front of the fireplace I have spent the day working on the socks for a lady at trivia. These are due first so I thought I’d start with them. The pattern is going quickly, but I really hate the first time I make an item for someone as you never really know if it’s going to fit and be comfy!

Reading:

I also finished the book I have been working on for a while. It is called Fatal Inheritence by Rachel Rhys. It tells the story of an English woman in 1948 who inherits 1/4 of an estate from a man she does not know. It was really good and I didn’t figure out the mystery until it told me at the end. I would recommend it to anyone who likes cosy mysteries or that time era.

Remembrance Day:

It has been a very odd Remembrance Day for me. This day is really big in my family- usually bigger than any other holiday. We all get together and I have never missed a Remembrance Day ceremony. I was even there when my mom was pregnant with me. It made today feel weird and lonely. I did take the time at 11am for a minute of silence and thought of all the things I am thankful for having in my life. I just hope never to have such a quiet Remembrance Day again!

My dad’s newest project. He created his own ceremony by playing the last post and Reveille and having a moment of silence. All of the neighbours stood at the end of their driveways.

Have fun!

AJ

Trivia Tuesday

Well it was once again a nice day since my principal was away again🎉🎊

Exercise:

I actually started the day with ten minutes of yoga before I went off to work. It felt great, took no time and got me a little more yoga time for the year- a win all around:)

I also did a run with Dennis after school. We had to do a progression run where every five minutes we got faster. I actually managed to do this. We had a few breaks as he was still having trouble breathing (it was his first day with a puffer), but we managed 4.57km. Pretty good for a very cold Tuesday.

Teaching:

Our day was quite mixed up. The older kids cane up this morning and taught us the brain dance. I promised them I would get the exact movements from the teacher as grade five teachers aren’t perfect.😜

We also had a quick poppy poem to do and then it was time to eat snack as we had to eat before our early recess today as we had the Remembrance Day assembly after recess.

The assembly went reasonably well for our first virtual try. The kids were super patient as we tried to get sound working, etc.

After lunch we had silent reading and guided reading. I am worried about the two girls I worked with today as the sounds just don’t seem to be clicking for them. I had sent home the alphabet rap, but maybe it’s not getting done:(

We also worked on a Peace Is class book this afternoon before we went out to play. I have about five students who still need to finish, but otherwise, a pretty good day.

Trivia:

We went to trivia tonight, but we really aren’t sure how much longer it will go on with these new restrictions we are under.

So there were five of us for trivia tonight and we are still in third place overall.

In the first round, we knew:

On survivor what do you have to do?

Outwit, outlast and outplay

On which hit tv show did Shelly Long play Diane?

Cheers

What is the name of the character on the children’s show Tipoo and ?

Binou

Where is the boy from in the Journey song Don’t Stop Believin?

South Detroit

The music round had Bands with Brothers, Lounge Lizards, Songs about Drinking, Duran Duran and Songs of 1997.

We won the Kahoot round.

What nationality was Catherine the Great?

Russian

In the fourth round we knew:

What four movies were Jennifer Laurence and Bradley Cooper in?

Silver Linings Playbook, Serena, Joy, American Hustle

What do women win in Wimbledon?

Platter

In which movie did Clint Eastwood day, “do you feel lucky?”

Dirty Harry

What is a package of paper called?

Ream

In which county is Seattle?

King

Which book is Captain Ahab in?

Moby Dick

What musical instrument does Lady Gaga have on her arm?

Trumpet

Well that’s it for me, have fun!

AJ

Monday Musings

The day went pretty well. I am attributing it to everyone feeling more at ease because our principal was away for the day.

Teaching:

We got through a journal entry about peace and I was super happy that so many children volunteered to read what they had written- even the little guy who cried the first time!

We had gym and did the stations approach again- hoop jumps, plank, jumping jacks and squat jumps. I did them with the kids and got quite the workout!

This afternoon we had silent reading. I always do guided reading during this time and today a little girl came up and asked when she got to come. I couldn’t believe I missed her on my plan!! I really praised her for coming and asking though.

We also did a cut and paste about peaceful versus not peaceful actions. We did it as a class and it went super smoothly.

We ended the day with outside playtime. I really wish I had worn about five more layers! It was so cold today and the kids were super excited because the forecast called for snow. None showed up though.

I spent some time after school working with my teaching buddy on the report card templates. They have changed it again on us. This is the fourth time in four years🙄😖

Shopping:

I did some more online shopping today as I work to use up gift cards. I have purchased an electric blanket from Walmart which should be here by the 20th and I spent an hour picking two books from Chapters to use up my store credit as I didn’t want to forget about it. I have the new Oh She Glows cookbook and a modern top down knitting book coming, hopefully!

House:

As I write this, I realize I forgot to do my floors today:(

Knitting:

I have made a list of projects I have upcoming and now I just feel overwhelmed:(

I was working on the October Hat, but screwed up and had to rip out again. Maybe I had better put this to the side for a bit.

On the list:

Sweater test knit

Fix my coral sweater- wore it today and I want the sleeves longer

Socks for Jacqueline

Toque for Lyndsay

Toque for secretary’s daughter

Fix purple sweater – I want it skinnier and longer

October hat

Mitts out of Weekender leftovers

I know it’s all fun, but the length of the list makes me nervous. Now I just want to get them done and off the list!

Well that’s it for me today.

Have fun!

AJ

Weekend Wrap Up

Well here it is Sunday evening and tomorrow is back to reality.

Saturday:

I spent the morning tidying my house in case I had guests later in the day. I realized why I prefer reading and knitting over cleaning. If you read a book, it stays read. If you knit a sweater, it stays knit, but when you clean, you just end up having to clean again. Already my place could use some straightening🙄

Exercise:

I did a short interval workout yesterday and then hiked for a couple of hours with some friends. It was really nice to be out in nature with company!

Socializing:

We spent some time on the patios of a couple of local restaurants. I was super cold so I ordered blueberry tea and my friends were teasing me until it came and they tried it. This is definitely my winter drink of choice- regular tea mixed with Amaretto and Grand Marnier. It is very yummy as you drink it through a cinnamon stick:)

I was home early, but it was still really nice to have some time with friends as that doesn’t happen a lot right now.

Sunday:

Exercise:

Today started with my regular 10km run. Sarah was back with me today as her soccer is cancelled with the further restrictions we were put under yesterday. It was an absolutely gorgeous morning for a run, but super cold! I wore two wool shirts and wool vest!

This afternoon I did another short workout with the weights. Figured I might as well get it in as I won’t be doing anything tomorrow.

Shopping:

After a quick tea with the group, I stopped at the store for fruits, veggies and meat. I spent this afternoon roasting all of the veggies.

Eating:

I’ve had a lot of people raving about this Veg Out Food Truck lately. They specialize in vegan burgers and milkshakes. I had heard really good things about the chicken burger. Well they were across the street from my house so I decided this was probably the best time to try them. I waited forty-five minutes only to find out I wasn’t allowed the chicken burger because it’s not gluten free. I could only have their classic burger. It was good, but really nothing spectacular and I am now kicking myself for wasting those calories!

Knitting:

I have decided on the October hat from Kelbourne Woolens as I have made the June hat and it appeals to me to have a different hat for each month. I got the brim done and wrote out the pattern (as I hate working from charts), but then screwed up on the fourth row of the pattern. Since I have to rip out I think I’m going to decrease the amount of brim down to 2.5″. Right now it’s about 4″(supposed to be 5), but since I’m holding the yarn doubled it’s thick and squishy and I don’t think I’ll need to fold over the brim.

Movies;

I am starting early with the Christmas movies as I just watched the Hallmark, A Royal Christmas. It was very cute. My favourite moment was when the royals all come up with a reason to delay leaving. It doesn’t hurt that it has not one, but two gorgeous guys in it😜

Well I’m going back to my book for a bit.

Have fun!

AJ

Friday Eve

This thought got me through today!

Teaching:

I actually had to get my big mean voice out today as my kids were noisy and not listening. I felt really bad, but I guess it’s pretty good to get to November before having to do that.

This morning we did a pre reading strategy of making predictions with the book, Dear Mrs. LaRue by Mark Teague. I love this book, but it definitely made me realize that some kids books are written for the parent reading them. It was probably too hard for them to understand but they did a great job of making predictions based on the front and back cover.

We finally got to some math! We did greater than and less than. We watched an introductory video and then did some practice on the smartboard. We didn’t get to the worksheet, but everyone seems to be understanding the concept. I thought it would be more difficult than even/odd, but I guess not.

This afternoon we made our poppies for the Remembrance Day wreath. Our assembly will be virtual but the wreaths will be displayed in the front hall. All but one student finished and that was because of talking!

We unfortunately didn’t make it outside to play today which was a shame because it was beautiful, but the poppies had to be done!

Exercise:

I didn’t feel like running, but had made a commitment to meet Melanie and so off I went. We got 5.59km done so pretty good for a Thursday night!

Eating:

I haven’t been super impressed with the MetPro app yet, but I see they’ve finally put me down a level. I am wondering if they’ve taken into account my size at all??? I will give it a few more days, but so far, the only plus has been that it is getting me off sugar!

Knitting:

I ripped out my toque so far and am looking for one I can do with two strands of fingering held together. I hope I find one soon as I don’t like being without a knitting project. As I write this, I’m realizing that I think I have three blue toques and here I am making another one?!?!

House:

I am very happy that I got my sheets changed and I got my dishes loaded and the dishwasher turned on today:)

Ok I’m off to read in bed.

Have fun!

AJ

Another Day

I wish I had something exciting to tell you about!

Teaching:

We started the day with our body science talk, what used to be called sex Ed that they now start in kindergarten. Ours was very garbled and it was tough for the kids to understand, but they did really well!

We also had a gym class! This morning g I went downstairs to see a teacher who is a gym specialist and she gave me an idea. I set up a tabata timer on my phone and the kids worked through stations- two foot jumps through hula hoops, burpees, figure eights and scissor jumps. It went great and they loved it,plus I didn’t have to clean anything g as they touched nothing.

This afternoon Fin came to talk about what to do so that problems don’t get big. We got through two -take a break and listen. I can’t believe how much the kids love a puppet!

It felt like a pretty good day as we went out to play at the end of the day. It was odd though that one of my little girls noticed that the sky was getting g really dark and she started crying. I think she was worried about a thunderstorm, but we don’t get those very often.

Medical:

I went to physio again and had him do IMS on my left hip this time. It was a lot of needles!

Shopping:

I am trying this MetPro app as it is based on metabolism and I’ve always been super interested in that. I’ll let you know if it’s successful. So far it has me eating more food, and I had to go buy some today. What I really notice is the lack of sugar, which is probably a good thing!

Reading:

I’m reading Doctor Dearest by RS Grey right now and I’m going to go snuggle down in bed and read.

Have fun!

AJ