Parent-Teacher Conferences October 2016

This is definitely a "do you want the good news or the bad news" situation.

I have been to Ben and Maggie's Parent Teacher conferences this week.  

I was at Ben's first.  I only met with his Chemistry and Math teachers because he has been having a hard time with both of those subjects.  He's trying hard and hopefully will be able to bring his grades up as the year goes by.  No one has any major concerns about him and I will be meeting with the IEP team in November.

Sam and I both went to Maggie's meeting.  In retrospect, you'd have to say maybe it was good we were both there to share the pain.  Maggie has not had a good year so far.  We were expecting to hear concerns regarding her grades and not turning in assignments, but we had not been prepared for the defiance, disrespect and general bad behaviour reports that we got.  She has decided that she's not going to comply with anything she doesn't have interest in and won't even bring any supplies to the classroom.  Her learning resources teacher almost failed her!!!!  I wish they had told us about this before so we could keep an eye on it, maybe now we are aware, she will do better......

Random pics from October

Just some random stuff from October.....

I was walking on the track at work and this hawk decided to fly down and sit right by me.  I didn't think I was exerting that much effort, but maybe I looked worse than I felt!!!!

Ferdy is very happy that he has a pillow to sit on again.....

Ben decided he wanted to try driving again.  So, Sam took him out driving last Saturday morning when I was at yoga and then I let him drive me to Garden Heights in the afternoon.  He has been reading the driver's manual and took the learner's permit test yesterday afternoon.  Unfortunately he failed twice, so will have to sit it again.  Of course, the questions were "stoopid", just like everything else is to a teenager.....

Poor Maggie was on the swing at Tilles and the chain broke (probably with a little help from her since she twists the seat around, plus rides that thing like a banshee!!).  It could have been way worse than it was though, thank goodness she was OK.....

I did the Go! St Louis half marathon last Sunday.  I was almost last, but I finished.  I thought this picture was pretty reasonable, I certainly look better than I felt!!!!!

Ben has been so busy at school this year.  He spent about 6 hours working on this last Thursday.

October MBG trip

It was just Arline and I at MBG for our October trip. Couldn't drag Ben out of bed or Maggie away from the TV!!!!!  It was a different trip without a child, but we had fun and could look at whatever we wanted without being dragged along.  These Autumn Crocus were growing by the entrance

We went in the Climatron because we haven't been in there for a while-way too hot in the Summer, and who needs more humidity????  There were some lovely flowers in the Climatron this visit

This one was my favourite

They had decorated for Halloween

There are still some plants in the Kemper gardening centre, we saw some lovely artichokes-I have never cooked them before.  Arline said I should give it a go because they are yummy

These gourds were quite delightful

...and check out the lovely blue sky behind them

We walked through the Japanese garden 

The leaves are gradually starting to change colour

These chrysanthemums are lovely every year

Very peaceful

After all these months, we found the tree that Arline had been going to take a picture of every month!!!  We hadn't been able to find it after January!!!  Now we know where it is, we are going to have to do the monthly visits next year too!!!!

They are doing so well on the renovation of the garden keeper's house. It is absolutely fantastic now

We shared waffles for brunch

Our brunch view

This is what my asters "should" look like if they can survive being eaten by the rabbits for a few years

...and my turtle head, we have a long way to go

Found these milkweed balloon plants by the exit.  Definitely need to get some next year!!!!

Nobody's Child

This is my cousin, Gordon McHowat.  He passed away this week at the age of 55.  He had Downs syndrome and was placed in a home when he was 8.  I always thought of him as pure innocence.  He was always laughing.  I never saw him much because his family lived in Bahrain and the home where he lived was in Scotland close to my Granny.  When I was younger, we would always go and visit him.  My last memory of him was when we took him out for a drive in my old Spitfire with the top down, he loved the feeling of the wind.
I have often thought of how different his life would have been if he had been born today.  We have come a long way in our attitudes and care of people with disabilities, but we still have a long way to go.

Granny had an old record of Nobody's Child.  I can still remember Granny singing along to it and Gordon loving it.  At the time, I felt like Gordon was nobody's child.  The song is about a boy in an orphanage who doesn't get adopted because he is blind.  It reminds me of all the children in orphanages all over the world who live without hope.  All of them could be helped if we just cared a little more about others and less about ourselves.  Will that ever happen though?

As I was slowly passing, an orphans home today
I stopped for just a little while to watch the children play
A lone boy standin', and when I asked him why
He turned with eyes that could not see, and he began to cry

I'm nobody's child, I'm nobody's child
Just like a flower I'm growin' wild
No mama's arms to hold me no daddy's smile
Nobody wants me, I'm nobody's child

In every town and village
There are places just like this
With rows and rows of children
And babies in their cribs

They've long since stopped their cryin'
As no-one ever hears
And no-one there to notice them or take away their fears

Nobody's child, they're nobody's child
Just like a flower they're growin wild
No mama's arms to hold them, no daddy's smile
Nobody wants them they're nobody's child

Nobody's child, they're nobody's child
Just like a flower they're growin wild
No mama's arms to hold them, no daddy's smile
Nobody wants them they're nobody's child
Nobody wants them they're nobody's child

3rd trip to Loughborough in 6 months!!!!

I know it has been for very difficult reasons, but it has been great to be at home 3 times this year and be able to spend time with my family (and hopefully help them out a little bit).  I have loved being able to spend time with little Sophie Mae, she is the darling of the family!!!!!

We had time to go to Staunton Harold twice while I was home.  It's one of my favourite places to visit.  I really need to remember to try to do this with my plants next year!!!!

I walked through Queen's Park on my own one day.  I can't even remember why I was on my own!!!  I love the park, it is so peaceful

I don't think I knew that this bell from Taylor's Bell Foundry was in the park

One of my many pictures of the Carillon

Poor Dad got dragged back to Staunton Harold and Marie and I spent a lot of money on our second visit-haha!!!!!

Marie and I went to Bradgate Park on Saturday afternoon.  There were a lot of deer around

and lots of ducks in the stream

The ferns had been cut back severely at one time, but they are definitely coming back.  I think I get my love of ferns from Bradgate Park

More deer....

The baby swans aren't really babies any more!!!!!

Love the trees....

...and the ruins

Bradgate Park is definitely one of my all-time favourite places to go.  It was a good trip, I got to go to both places that I wanted to, plus spend time with my family and see a bunch of old friends.
Not sure when I will be back, but hopefully it won't be long
If there is one thing this year has taught me, it's never let a day go by without letting the people that you love know that you care about them.  Never take them for granted, you never know how long you will have them for

Mum's funeral

I was very lucky to be able to go home for Mum's funeral.  I found a flight that went through Dublin that was fairly reasonable, so I booked it on a Wednesday and flew on the next day.  I got home on Friday the 16th, and Mum's funeral was the following Friday, the 23rd.
Marie and I went through all the photos to find some for the Order of Service.  We picked this one for the back.  Wasn't she beautiful?

Found this little announcement on the CIBC website

Marie had these cupcakes made.  Mum would have loved them because she always loved flowers

Dad got so many sympathy cards.  There are a lot of people who will miss Mum

Janice made this beautiful wreath.  She is so talented

Mum's flowers outside the crematorium.  We asked people for donations to Cancer Research UK in lieu of flowers

It was a wonderful service.  The church was full of people, lots of lady bowlers.  The family went to the crematorium and then we had a reception at the bowls club.  Richard and Ute came up from Devon and Billy surprised us all by coming, so we had some family with us to help us say goodbye.