The Sun is Shining

Things always seem better when the sun is shining. Today, I woke with a croaky voice, like I had done yesterday. I must be fighting a virus, or the atmosphere is terribly dry. I have tried to keep well hydrated, and we've turned the heating off despite temperatures falling to -16C overnight. We had turned the heating on for 2 days, when it got a bit colder, and set it to about 70F during the day on low, and 64F at night, also low, but found that was too warm. Advantage of living in a condo, on the 5th floor, all the apartments below must be heating ours up!

I felt awful, just like I did yesterday evening, and had second thoughts about going in to help out at the school library, but I told Mrs P I'd be in, so I decided to do it. Dave encouraged me too, saying it would make me feel better to have people around me. He's a wise old soul LOL.  I told the kids that we would leave the apartment together, they would walk to the bus stop and I would leave by the back entrance of the condo to walk to school.

Weather bug said that the temperature was -16C, and as I walked along Highway 7 on my way to school, I thought is this what -16C feels like? There was a slight breeze, blowing freezing wind into my face. I had a beanie woolly hat on, gloves and my fleece and weatherproof jacket on. The only bit of me that was freezing was my face. I'll have to knit myself a balaclava, or get a hijab/burkha, cos, tis the season to be well dressed and covered! It was freezing, not felt so cold for a long time and it would take me about 20 minutes to walk to school. I walked briskly, to generate some heat, soon I wasn't feeling that cold. The walk takes me along some rather big houses, with tall pine trees and long drives. There's also a conservation area just next to the school, I will have to remember to take the camera with me tomorrow and hope the snow will still be on the ground, it made a stark but beautiful picture today, sun shining down the tree trunks and branches devoid of leaves, the dark bark contrasting with the white snow. It would make a lovely photo.

I got to school just after the kids, I was looking out for them in every bus that passed me on the walk to school, but I did not see them, and they said they did not see me either.  I spotted Jasmine walking to the back playground where they gather before getting into the school.  I got myself to the library, found Mrs P and showed her Domo, she was delighted, she's a fellow crafter, and wanted the pattern to make some for her grandchildren. It was a good thing I brought the pattern along too!

Domo

I got to work, unpacking boxes of books that I'd packed last Friday, as the library was getting new carpets and we needed to move the shelves out of the way. It was therapeutic work, sorting and organizing everything alphabetically. I realised there were many authors I did not know, and many children's books my children have yet to read! This activity took me all morning, from about 8.30 til lunch time at 12.30pm.

I am becoming a familiar face in the library now, and many of the teachers recognise me especially since I helped out at the Hannukah celebrations at the library last Friday.  One of the Grade 1 teachers was in the staff area of the library and said, isn't your son Mitchell just wonderful? I said, yes, thank you, I am very lucky.  She said, he's just so edible and delightful. She had seen him at the school musical auditions yesterday. She asked me what my secret was. I jokingly said, I smack him, hahaha and quickly took it back. I will admit it, I have had some bad mother days and have smacked my children, but stopped doing so many years ago, when Mitch was about 3.

Mitch the Star

I said, I always made it a point to tell Mitch how much I loved him.  The teacher has 2 young children and obviously wanted them to grow to be like Mitch in temperament and character. I  told her I was lucky, Mitch knew boundaries and how to behave. She said, I bet you are a calm person. Calm? Me? Not an adjective I would use to describe myself hehehehhe. I told her how Mitch had asked me to calm down last Friday when I had to raise my voice to remind the little Grade 1 pupils to go easy on the glitter glue! He did this in front of everyone, I could have died from embarrassment, but told him that I was just trying to get their attention!  So, I told this teacher that I was not always calm, phew, said she, hope for me yet! What I should have said was that no matter how cross, mad or frustrated I got with them, I always made it a discuss and apologize for my outbursts, and try to see things from their point of view, and see if they could see it from mine. This works only when children are able to understand their actions have consequences and try to explain to them the cause and effect theory.  It is difficult to rationalise with a toddler or during the terrible and troublesome 3s and 4s.  Needless to say, my son is charming the whole school population.

our salad had salmon in it too

I was going to leave at lunch but Mrs P said she'd brought in lunch for me.. she said it was only salad with salmon. I was so touched. I had wanted to leave at lunch as I had said to S, my neighbour who lived in the apartment 3 floors down from us, that we'd go to Timmy's (a coffee shop) and she wanted to have some waxing done at the nail spa after. We'd arranged this yesterday. I was torn. I did not really want to go to have my nails done, but fancied a coffee and a chat with S, she's expecting twins and has all sorts of things to ask and prepare. On the other hand, Mrs P who has made me so welcome in her library and so obviously needs my help and had brought in lunch for me! I decided to stay for lunch and worked till 2pm.  I texted S to explain what was happening, and told her to go ahead without me but I got no reply. I rang her as I left the school to apologise, she was already at the spa and said it was fine.

Anyhow, I was sorting out more books and Mrs P came up to me and said, time you were off, I said it's ok, I can stay a while longer but she was adamant that I left.  So, I said ok, but I will be back! LOL.  As I left school, the sun was shining, blue skies, still cold but not as cold as this morning. Everything was going to be all right......