Joyeuse St-Valentin

Pre-Valentine fondue. Yumm!

Les fleurs de St-Valentin!

Valentine sushi!

Valentine Sushi Dinner!

Celebrating Report Cards - continuation

This morning we went for our danish and coffee at St. Lawrence Market. We also picked up some cheese and baguettes for our family Valentine's Day fondue tonight. The girls came away with free keychains! Whoa, did we spend that much on cheese to earn a 'free' gift? ;)

This past Monday, I was at the girls' school for parent-teacher interviews. I don't the chance very often to see what is going on at school like I used to. Before I started working, I used to volunteer in the classroom or help out with hotdog lunches. So I like going on these evenings were I can see what the girls have done in school (since a lot doesn't seem to come home very often).

Here's Alia's project on the lifecycle of the maple tree.

Kyra's page from class book project in art class.

 Kyra's story she wrote with a classmate.

Celebrating Report Cards

On Friday, the girls brought home their 1st term report cards. Yes, it may seem late for 1st term but that is a whole other story which I will not get into now. As usual, the girls are doing very well and as a parent, I kinda liked the new report cards. (Which I know where a pain in the butt for teachers to fill in - I was a witness to the mayhem at my school.) We try to do a special activity as a celebrating for all their hard work and effort. In the past it meant a trip to Chuckie Cheese (the only time we went there as a matter of fact) or a new book.

At suppertime, Eric asked the girls what special activity they wanted to do to celebrate the good report cards. Kyra had a hard time deciding on something other than Canada's Wonderland (which is closed for the winter)!!! We were caught off guard (and pleasantly surprised) when Alia jumped in with her request - she asked to go to 'Lawrence Supermarket' (her words but what she meant was St. Lawrence Market downtown) for breakfast! Oh my goodness our kids are growing up to be foodies! Can't blame her. Who wouldn't want a nice croissant, strudel or mega muffin for breakfast!

Since we couldn't make it there this weekend, we decided to go to What a bagel and Starbucks for breakfast. We will go to St. Lawrence Market next Saturday morning for Alia's celebration breakfast of turnovers and molten lava muffins (but then she might surprise us by choosing something else)!!

Saturday morning, Kyra finally decided she wanted a Tim Horton's bagel belt as her treat! Ok.

Good Bye Chuckie Cheese! (phewf! Personally, I am glad!)

Commuting Wisdom 1

I have started to take the bus to work. It's not a long commute: 15 - 20 minutes, 2 buses and 5 - 10 minute walk.

This morning the Rocket bus arrived first. The Rocket buses are express busses that only stop at major intersections. At the last second I decided to take it and then walk the block back to my normal stop. The difference is on corner of the shopping mall or the other. We are talking the width of the Zellers parking lot. I thought I was being smart and it would be faster than waiting for the regular bus. I was wrong.

While I was walking, I counted three other buses that would have stopped at my regular stop! The positive outcome is that I had an extra five minutes of exercise today.

The lesson learned: getting on the first bus will not always get you to your destination faster!