Spring/Summer kid update

 C-decided the computer science program started last year wasn't for them, this year decided that the electrical also wasn't their style (it's ok, in our house sometimes knowing "I don't want to do that" is part of the learning experience). So checked with guidance and found out taking 3 classes over late spring/early summer will render a General Ed Diploma in August. Classes are online.  C has also continued working for the curling club as the yard maintenance person.

C also got their complete full driver license! 

H-in mid April, we all decided to pull H out of school and change to an online, asynchronous program.  The program has a lot of advantages for H's style of learning.  Classes can be taken for as many or little hours per day, whatever time and there's 10 months to finish a class.  H is starting with an English requirement for Grade 12 and a health class. So H is working on that.  They also took a one week Dungeons & Dragons program and loved it.  The increase in happiness and mental health since taking out of school and doing the D&D is incredible.  My parents came to visit in July and said they couldn't believe all the positive change.  They are trying a bi-weekly D&D group in the next town over next month.

Both H and V have been participating in Metis youth group monthly.  They have been learning how to fish, canoe, orienteering, etc.

V was in the school play Animal Farm and played a cat. They love the school play!

V rowed in May/June and met a kindred spirit and they rowed double all month.  July/August is swim team and there are more teens in the program this year so there's some competition.  We are very proud that they've gone from the last swimmer to sometimes being in front of a swimmer.  The progression has been amazing and they love the water.

V also went to Metis canoe camp for 5 days and loved it. As they ate a lot of fish and other things they aren't fans of we aren't sure what they ate, but they had a great time.  We just found out in Aug, V is going to a Metis youth leadership conference, I'll be going as a chaperone to Thunder Bay. It will be the furthest north either of us has been and we are pretty excited.

V also did their 3rd hair donation right before camp, so hair was easy to take care of.

Curling season wrap up

 We finished the curling season strong.

In January I was invited by another female ice maker to take her place at the Women in Curling Summit happening concurrently with the Scotties (the biggest women's curling competition in Canada), so I was a speaker about being a female icemaker and how women can get involved with their clubs. I got to meet AND hang out at the Scotties in a box seat with Cori Bartel of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics Curling team who wants every one to touch her medal. She explains, "It's Canada's medal I'm just holding on to it."

Then my team won our ladies Banana Belt Bonspiel (I played 2nd) the theme was "A Day at the Races"

We also won our Club Championship league (Hubby plays skip I play 2nd):

The last game was a nail biter.  We had been down by 5 at one point and climbed our way back to the very last shot where we were sitting 2 to win and the other skip had the last rock... which hit a guard... we won!

My "fun team" from Thursdays:

Of my 6 ladies teams during the day (T/Th, 3 draws each) I won a 1st place prize and a 2nd place prize.

So, what do we do when the curling season ends mid April?  Usually celebrate C's bday since it's during the last few weeks and super busy (happy 21st!) Then we take out the advertising before the paint bleeds on it.  We changed paint this year and it was interesting to see that the old paint bled more than the new paint. We also found the new paint richer and easier to use, so we are happy with the change (IceCo, some of it old from before our time) to Jet Ice.  We've now thrown out the older IceCo and have already put in our order with Jet Ice for next season when we scheduled the Water filter tanks pickup and next year drop off (the tanks are rented).  

We also discussed property maintenance for summer with our property chair-hoping for puckboard along the sides to help with leaks, save from painting and paint chips which will keep the ice cleaner.

We also need to get the blades for the scraper to London for sharpening and they said they would buy our old, small nipper so that needs to go up as well.  We have some members who visit family there we will send it with.  Tomorrow (Jul 29) we will meet the refrigeration guy to see if we can get some "dead" pipes up and running again and the backboards have already been reinforced where they were bowing (we were having some tripping because we noticed sheet 8 slowly getting taller through the season!)

Other than that, we spend a week doing as little as possible and sleeping, then we start tackling all the projects that we put off over winter.  This year that included painting walls (so many walls-I still have two touch ups to do today).  We also spend as much time as possible outdoors (ok, well, I do.)

That got us through April, then in May I went on a bit of an adventure... next post!