Finally... An update.....

Well as you can tell I have been unable to balance work and life.  In order to keep my sanity a few things have had to slide and my blog was unfortunately one of them. I have been kept busy trying to get my homeroom website going for my 801-derful class.  It has been a bit more of a challenge than I thought it would be.



The Princess Vampire... So Scary!



Now I would like to update you on some of the goings on over the last month or two! i  can't believe I have neglected to post to my blog for that long!!!



The Little Devil!!! How fitting!



My Halloween Monsters!




The Little LadyBug... she was going to be a witch but refused to wear the costume.
Luckily I have lots of extra costumes her size!



Jorja and Lily were enrolled in Sparks (the youngest Girl Guides)

Makenna got her second year pin at Girl Guides.

I was enrolled into Girl Guides as a Leader for Sparks (got my ONE year pin!)

Here is Makenna's Girl Guide group with Leader Auntie Andrea!

I am the worst mom! Rhiannon was enrolled into Brownies and got her second year pin. She was in Sparks last year. However, I forgot my camera and took pictures on my phone and they turned out crappily!!!! 

Rhiannon finally lost her front tooth.  It has been loose since August!

So in a nut shell that is what we have been up to! I hope to get back on track with the blog!!!  I know you are all waiting on pins and needles!

Bye, Bye Baby....

We had a family wedding last weekend. Congratulations Amanda and Wade.  It was so much fun! We got to see many family members that we don't get to see very often and I got to hold and cuddle little babies!!!!! The wedding ceremony was at the Forestry farm in Saskatoon so between the ceremony and supper we all went to the zoo.  Talk about making memories.




Shallen getting a ride at the Zoo!




All the kids... see Beiber... I mean Kingsley with all the girls!




Taking a Train ride at the Zoo! Hold on tight!






Tansley and Mak... the beautiful big girls!



The absolutely beautiful bride!



Uncle John and the girlies!




Rhiannon even stole the camera and got a picture of me!




The dancing queens!



Then this weekend we had our annual fall Kids' Toy and Clothing Sale. It was a great success and my spot in the hall was right beside a very small and very cute newborn baby girl.  My uterus was screaming and my ovaries were tingling.  I resisted all day but while the momma was putting her stuff away at the end of the day I got to hold and console her crying newborn.... ah the joys!

Time flies by oh so quickly.  In the last week Shallen has stopped having a bottle and has started sitting in a booster seat at the table.  She is getting so big.  She is no longer a baby anymore. She is using more words and is starting to get a two year old attitude... man this kid knows what she wants!!!

She is like her momma... happiest when she is eating!



Isn't she the cutest??? Ok.. I might be biased!



If I would have known how much I enjoy babies and kids I would have gotten knocked up earlier and had way more babies!!!!  The thing is that I love each stage.  I am enjoying being a mom of "big" kids as much as a mom of babies.  (though at this time I am missing the little baby stage... maybe it is just because I know that it will not come again)

We are a very busy household. With the girls in dance (Makenna informed me that she wanted to do Tap and there is a tap class for her age right after her Jazz... so of course I caved so she is now doing Jazz, Tap, Ballet and Hip Hop...) and Guides, Brownies and Sparks we are quite busy but I love every minute of the craziness.

A very close and dear friend of mine reminded me that Makenna's time of living in my house fulltime is over half over. What a sad thought.  I am not going to wish this time away.  Don't get me wrong. We have our bad days.  My kids freak out just as much or maybe even more than most kids but when I look back at their time with me I hope that there are memories of snowmen, cookies and singing songs in the van.

Hug your kids and appreciate today!

And then she was 5!!!!

We had a very busy weekend.  Jorja turned FIVE!!!  Afterschool on Friday she had a small birthday party with a few of her friends. We had a Dance Party. We played musical pillows and freeze dance.  I wasn't going to have the kids paint a birthday mural but Jorja said that everyone else got one from their birthday... guess that is becoming a McClelland birthday tradition.

Grandpa Worsley stopped by to hang out with me and the kids. He had a meeting and wouldn't be able to make it to the family party in the evening.  He is just a big kid himself so he fit right in! (I have a video... but can't get it to load! LOL)

All the girls got along so well. The party was a blast and the time just flew by.

Later on in the evening, Auntie Bonnie, Keanna, Courtney and Farm Grandma all came over.  Grandma brought doughnuts for the birthday girl, since Jorja doesn't like ice cream which is Grandma's usual birthday treat.

Jorja ended up with a wad of birthday money which she promptly spent when we went to Saskatoon on Monday. She purchased new earphones for her MP3 player and a new DS game. What a lucky girl!!!

Cheque-tember!!!!

Yep, it is that time of year. You know the one when you burn through more cheques than you use for the whole rest of the year!!!  Yep, fall registration time.

I think we have it all figured out and everyone signed up for their "stuff".

Makenna is dancing Jazz, Ballet and Hip Hop (as well as a duet later on in the season and taking her Ballet and Jazz exams). She is also enrolled in an 8 week after school Volleyball program at her school on Wednesdays after school. I hope she enjoys it since it is the first time she has tried Volleyball.  She is also doing Guides on Thursdays.

Rhiannon is dancing Jazz, Ballet and Tap (as well a solo and duet with Jorja later on in the season). She is also taking First Communion and First Reconciliation classes at the church.  As if she is not busy enough she is in Brownies this year.

Jorja is dancing Jazz and Ballet (and a duet with Rhiannon later in the season). She is also in gymnastics for a 12 week session. She will be beginning in Sparks this year. (first year of the Guiding program)

Once I was done signing all the cheques I realized that my monthly dance fees would be enough for monthly payments on a new van .... oh well... at least the kids are happy and involved and that is what matters right?!?!

So basically I am chauffeuring kids Monday through Thursday. (Luckily I am carpooling with some other moms and since I am chauffeuring my own I might as well drive other kids right!!!)

Now if you think I am REALLY crazy ... wait for the kicker.......... I have just "volunteered" or more like been "suckered" into being the Sparks leader!!! AUGH!!!!  Oh well... I am sure it will all work out... RIGHT????

Oh,  did I mention that "on the side" I teach full time????? LOL  Now I remember why I love summer holidays so much!!!! HA HA HA HA HA.... I am INSANE!!!!

We Survived!!!!!!

Well we all survived the first week back to school!!! The first week was very long for all of us. We were not used to getting up so early.  I actually prefer when the school year starts and the students are only there for 3 days.  That is a nice way to ease back into it.  However, we survived the full week back.

Makenna is loving her new teacher for grade 5, Mrs. Gordon. She has also signed up for Atomic Volleyball afterschool on Wednesdays for the next 8 weeks. It is a grade 5/6 program ran by one of the highschool coaches I work with.  I am really excited for her to give volleyball a try. She usually is pretty hesistant to try new things but actually it only took a couple days to presuade her to join and she seems pretty excited about it now.

Rhiannon has Mrs. Simons for grade 2 this year. Mrs. Simons taught Makenna kindergarten and we all loved her so I am sure Rhiannon will have a great year this year.

Jorja was counting down the first day to kindergarten for the last month so I was hoping she would have a great first day... and she did! She loves being in Mr. Lorenz's room. She enjoys riding the bus with her big sisters. Everyday she comes home with a new story to tell about her day... she is so adorable!

Shallen (and Jorja every second day) is going to a new sitter this year.  Shallen had a little cry when I dropped her off the first day at Erin's house, which is to be expected after spending everyday in July and August with momma. However, now she seems to have settled right in there. Jorja is loving it there too. They play outside a lot which my kids are pretty used to since we are out on the farm and camping all summer. 

My "adopted" daughter, Lily, also started kindergarten at White Fox School.  I phoned and talked to her before she got on the bus on her first day and she was SOOOO nervous, but when I was talking to her afterschool she had so many stories about what she did at school and all the things she learned.  She is also going to Erin's house parttime so she and Jorja still get to hang out a couple days a week... they are so lucky to have each other!

As for me... I am BEAT!  I have not taught four straight hours of grade eight before.  It is draining!  I have seem to have a nice bunch of kids in my class this year, however, I am teaching Math 8.  Not only am I math challenged, it is a new curriculum so it is very different than when I taught Math 8 in my first year of teaching in 1998!!!  Luckily, I have Grade 12 English at the end of the day for the last hour.  It is the class that helps me wind down at the end of the day.  It is also a bonus that it is full of students that had in my grade 8 homeroom 4 years ago... it is amazing how much they have changed, yet, how much they are still the same.  Does that even make sense???  Anyway, I am enjoying spending time with them.

Next week begins the afterschool activities and that is when it really gets crazy... but that is a whole other blog post! ;)

Now we are ready for the long weekend, full of family, food and football!!! We are invading mom and dad at the cabin tomorrow sometime and staying until Monday.... ahhhhhhhhhh... I can't wait!!!!