March Already!
*yikes* can’t believe it’s been a month since I last posted in the blog!
Well to start with the weather is better! lol We’ve had enough balmy days that a lot of the snow melted and the roads are clear, so it makes for easier driving. Today is 3C out, but I have a feeling we still have more winter in store for us, this IS Edmonton after all.
February started off with Carnivale, which is an Italian tradition to begin Lent. My kids go to a school with an Italian culture and language program so this is always a fun event at school. Lots of games played, a bake sale, proceeds went to the Canadian Diabetes Foundation.
The febrary school calendar ended with 2 days off for the kids for teacher convention. Days off at the end of the month are always a challenge for us, as I am not usually able to take time off then because the bank is SO busy! So for teacher convention, James was supposed to work the mornings, then come home after lunch hour and work from home to help supervise the kids…. but that of course did not happen. People at his work didn’t show up so they were short handed *sigh* On Thurs he came home at lunch and brought Rowan back to work with him for the afternoon, with a promise to do the same for Keely on Friday but again…. that did not happen and she ended up in tears Friday night because she didn’t get to go to work with daddy 
Luckily we DO have a teenager in the family and he was home to babysit, but it’s not fair for him to be stuck with them every day off. That’s something I am always trying to balance. As it is I need him to watch them every day after school until I get home from work, which I pay him for. I try to make other arrangements for PD days and spring break so he isn’t having to “work” those days and can possibly hang out with his own friends for a change. But it doesn’t always work out that way…..
The younger two are now 10 and almost 8, and are old enough to take the home alone course… but as a mother you know your kids, my oldest has always been responsible when left alone, we started trying him out with it for short periods when he was 8, gradually extending the time as he and his dad and I were comfortable, and we had him take the home alone course at age 10. My daughter I can see doing ok, we have tried her a few times and she seems to be comfortable with it (well ok she’s a little TOO eager actually) and I’m willing to let her try some more, but my baby? Not on your life! He needs supervision even on a good day. Maybe when he’s 12 I’ll feel ok leaving him home alone lol I picture his brother around the same age and man they are different boys!
This working mom thing in hard…. I helped make up for Keely’s sad day by bringing her out for a girls coffee and dessert date on Saturday. I met up with a few ladies from a parenting group at a cafe on Whyte Ave, after that we did some walking around and shopping and a new Webkins to add to her family cheered her up! That wasn’t even me bribing her, she used her own money lol
Monday we had a provinical election and I’m a bit sad about it. I voted for our local MLA to stay but he lost 
I did not vote for a party, I voted for a person, he was very hard working and I thought he did a good job for us, but now we have a PC MLA in there, and Redmonton is no longer, we lost a lot of Liberal’s! The map is almost all Tory blue now.
Oh our other BIG thing this week is that we went to the open house night for the high school our oldest is going to attend in September. HIGH SCHOOL! I’m a little freaked out about that I have to admit. I can’t believe he’s old enough…. It’s a really good school, and so many different program choices compared to the olden days when James and I went to school lol Right after the open house James had to go to a council meeting which kept him out till 2 am! Apparently discussions got heated in regards to the election of 2 days previous…. There is a city councillor making waves in a local paper about how community leagues should stay out of “city issues” and confine their efforts to sports registration Community leagues advised to back off on controversial issues Well the original mandate of community leagues was NOT sports programs……. I don’t know where the one making that comment gets her facts from. Tonight I’ll try to dig up the book I have on the history of the Edmonton community leagues movement. So because of all this poor James is wiped out this week. He didn’t sleep well last night so actually called in sick to work for the morning, hoping to get some sleep, perhaps he can go to work in the afternoon.
