First week of September

The first week of September has been busy.  We spent the long weekend in Regina.  We had great weather and enjoyed time with my parents.  Lis and I also cheered on the Riders at Mosaic and were happy to see them beat the Bombers.

Jaret's first week of school went well.  The second day of school he seemed confident that he wanted to walk into school on his own.  On the way to school we were chatting about his first day and what it would look like for him.  He was eager to make some new friends.  We prayed for the day ahead and arrived at school just before bell time where the kids were playing on the playground.  Some of you may think it is strange that I make mention of this but that is not how things are done at BCS so it is new for him.  Once the bell rings, the students line up in their class groupings and are let into the boot room one class at a time.  When the bell rang, Jaret grabbed my hand and decided he would like me to walk him in.  I was happy to do this - for him and for me.  It is like this is my turn in letting go. When most Moms let go in Kindergarten, I didn't really need to as I was at the same school as Teacher and Mom.  But all of that has changed now which is something I am still adjusting too - a new season and a new experience.

Jaret was pleased when he came home after his first full day and told me that he made a friend named Tyler.  I am so grateful for this boy who had been praying for Jaret since he found out the week before that there was a new student in the class.  He made a point of getting to know Jaret by asking him to come play at recess.  Jaret couldn't have been more excited to play in the tree belt where each class has a "fort."  Jaret showed me after school and explained that they collect bark and that bark is like money that they can save up to buy the "Grade 3 fort."  Jaret had so much fun and I have a thankful heart knowing that Jaret was included with the other kids.  I am especially thankful for Tyler who has befriended Jaret and who went home and told his mom that he made friends with Jaret. When she asked about Jaret he explained that he was cool and had spiky hair.  Oh through the eyes of 7 year olds.  Looking forward to other relationships that are established for Jaret.

Jaret was thrilled to come home with homework after his second full day of school.  All he would tell me is that it was something that would explode and that I would have to wait until we got home to check his mailbag to find out.  It turned out it was an Alka-Seltzer Rocket made out of a film canister.  He was so excited!  And it was fun to watch it explode.  He even got his friend next door to come and watch.  I was impressed that he could explain how this "fun fusion" as he called it worked to make the rocket launch. 

Over the week, Terry and I started doing some yard work.  Mostly clearing out areas that were overgrown with too much "stuff" planted, from raspberries to bushes to flowers.  The yard really had too much going on and Terry and I decided we would like to simplify it.  So starting with the front flower bed, and then toward the side and back yard, we got rid of all the mulch and just really cleaned things up.  We laid some sod in areas where we pulled up all the mulch and even cut down a tree. Feel a little bad about cutting down a tree but it was too far out from the fence and was a Russian Olive Tree which we didn't like the look of and which had really long and sharp thorns on it. Needless to say, we still have some work to do but we are pleased with how much better the yard already looks.  I wish I would have taken before and after pictures to show the difference.  And once we are completed the back corner with sod, we will then take some pics and post.  Although, on second thought, the pictures might look better next summer when the sod and grass look better.  The grass wasn't cared for well and we need to seed a bit and also fertilize, fertilize, and fertilize some more to get it looking like we want it.

Kirra and I attended church on Sunday morning at Circle Drive Alliance.  Kirra enjoyed Sunday School and there were lots of kids.  The pre-school class is organized with a lesson, singing, and a craft.  The service was good and I appreciated the message about trying to live a simple life.  The idea behind the message was that many of us are overwhelmed, over scheduled, and exhausted.  The paster spoke about our bucket being empty and trying to discover what it takes to fill our bucket. Overall it was a good message but I found that it lacked enough Biblical backing and theology.  So, we will perhaps try a different church next week as we spend some time finding the right fit for our family. Terry and Jaret joined us for the welcome bbq that was complete with bouncers.  It was a fun community orientated event but perhaps not the right place for us to be attending.  It made us miss Foothills today and our community there.

We were happy to spend time with Ruth and Sean and their family and friends yesterday as we celebrated Maeve's second birthday.  She is so sweet and it was so much fun being part of her special day.  Jaret had fun playing with Clive and Pierce and when it was time, neither of them wanted to leave.  It was such a perfect day for a party and the afternoon was spent outside in the sunshine.

We are one week into September and just getting into the routine of what our days look like.  This week means the start of gymnastics for the kids, Kirra will start pre-school, I hope to find a gym and get some runs in, and maybe Kirra and I will look at a Mom's Bible Study group that we can attend on a day when Kirra doesn't have pre-school.  The settling continues in our transition time and we miss Calgary and our friends there, but we are trying to build our life here for the time being.

Kirra misses friends in Calgary.  Jaret misses friends and Calaway Park.  They both like our new community because of all the friends but their biggest disappointment and what they miss the most...the ice cream truck; there is no ice cream truck that visits our neighbourhood in Saskatoon. Sometimes it is just the small things that one misses.  I am including some pics from the summer when we last visited Calaway Park and our last time having the ice cream truck in the neighbourhood.