Going, going, GOOSEBREAK!

'Twas the night before Goosebreak and all through my house, not a dust bunny remained, last item packed - a blouse.  Ok corny I know.  Sorry.  I'm just excited!  Goosebreak: the time where I take my pile of things to be mended home to my sweet mother who's needle and thread fixes all the things.

Tomorrow at 3:40:01 I will be picking up Bobo and hitting the access road like a bat out of hell! Goosebreak starts tomorrow and boy has it come at the perfect time.  Don't get me wrong, I love my students with all my heart, but we have had enough of each other I think.  They have pretty much stopped listening to the sound of my voice altogether, tuned me out so to say.  I get it.  I talk a lot but sometimes I see their little eyes glaze over and realize I lost them miles ago.  We have had a TON of fun and hit some real milestones in their learning but we are tapped out.  The next two weeks will be great for them and me.  A chance to relax, take a break from school and come back refreshed and ready to go!  A student asked me almost tearfully who their teacher was going to be after Goosebreak if I was leaving?  I said not to worry, I was only going on holiday and I'd be back to school right along with them.

I am very excited to get Bobo a haircut because he is my absolute favorite with a fresh new trim!! I can hardly see his facial features anymore with that giant dog afro so I am sure he is looking forward to a little pampering.  I will not be getting a manicure this break because I somehow managed to get not one, but TWO fingernail infections which means my nails are literally falling off.  Disgusting, trust me I know.

This Goosebreak I am also loaning my humble abode to a pair of travelers referred to me by a past MES employee.  They are looking to explore the wild and wonderful Wemindji and since I am not using my house, I happily said yes to having them stay.  It's a win-win, they can stay here and I get someone to look after my many plants!!

This week has been a busy one. We had a half-PED day which made it feel like a Friday and very unnatural to come back to school today.  This afternoon the Grade 2s also went swimming which was a lot of fun as usual.  On Tuesday night we threw a surprise pizza party for Meghan's birthday which was amazing.  Meghan's birthday falls right on the weekend we travel home for Goosebreak so we don't get to celebrate it with her.  We did the next best thing and surprised her with a delicious make-your-own-pizza party!! It was a blast and we got very creative.

Otherwise I have been cleaning and packing and getting ready for guests and to travel home so I have been ultra busy.  I am very much looking forward to getting off the James Bay Highway tomorrow night and hitting civilization and clear roads.  Oh did I mention its been snowing for DAYS now and I am completely petrified of the road conditions?? It thawed a little today but basically a snowflake on the road gives me a panic attack now.  So I'll be traveling and a nice, safe speed of about 20km/hr until I reach Amos in mid July.  :P

Wish me luck!

"Tower of Dreams" 

Happy Birthday Meghan!! 

I can't even. 

Pure unadulterated snow rage. 

Oh splendid!! Just in time for my arrival.  Has Trafalgar not been under construction for YEARS NOW?!

The Great Goose Countdown

It's on!  Less than 2 weeks and my trusty companions Monika, Raquel, Jill as well as Meghan and Meredith in her car - will be hitting the good old Wemindji access road and then the glorious pavement of the James Bay Highway and heading home for Goosebreak!

It has been a LONG 4 months up here and time seems to be crawling by.  Tensions are high at times and the stress is palpable but there is a positive underlying buzz of excitement as people are gearing up for a nice two week stretch of time off with family and friends.  I am looking forward to some warmer weather and a chance to take Bobo to the vet, as well as get some much needed quality family and friend time.

The kids are doing really well however, which is a cause for celebration.  We are free writing our own mini stories which is turning out to be a lot of fun, and they are reading like crazy and really progressing in the learning goals we have set.  I couldn't be more proud of how far they have come in such a short time and even in the thick of crazy tournament schedules, long dark days and interrupted school weeks, they have worked so hard and I am pleased with the progress.

This weekend we experienced some "nice" weather, AKA weather with temperatures above freezing!! The snow really melted a lot this weekend and it was lovely to see pavement and even GRASS!! WHAT!  However, that didn't last and yesterday we were hit with cold temperatures again, freezing rain and some snow.  Why do all good things come to an end?  As long as the weather remains stable for the week leading up to our departure, I don't really care what happens between now and then. I just want to get home in one piece!

These are the things I am looking forward to doing when I get home:

1. Opening up my packages of things I have bought online and sent myself
2. Seeing my family (Baby Robin) and friends
3. Sleeping
4. Laminating a huge pile of stuff I have waiting
5. Hoping someone will help me cut out the lamination once I am done
6. Catching up on my shows
7. Sleeping
8. Hitting up Costco
9. Planning the rest of my UK summer trip with my mom!!!
10. Sleeping
11. Getting my knee x-rayed and ultrasounded
12. Getting a carwash
13. Seeing a movie!
14. Getting a manicure
15. Getting someone professional to trim Bobo's nails because he bites me every time I try
16. GETTING A NEW PHONE (still don't have a phone)

Anyways I accidentally forgot to drink any water today so I am going to go chug back a few liters and probably wet the bed tonight.  Wish me luck!!

My usual view on the weekend

Auntie's little bookworm!

Already this kid is too cool for me

I CANNOT WAIT TO SNUGGLE HIM

My extension cord has made a miraculous reappearance!! 

Looks like the frost took my woman sticker clean off.  Also: see #12 on to do list

Along with my extension cord appeared my lost mitten!! Hidden beneath snow mountains for 6 months! 

Something I wish would stay hidden is all the dog poop I have neglected to pick up over the winter...

April's Fool

I am convinced that the world does not want me to be vertical.  The pull of gravity is just too much for my feeble body.  My being craves the ground, and the ground it shall have, over and over again.

Yes folks, I have fallen again.  Fallen not once, but twice again since my great collapse of 2016.

The first time was last week on the pool deck at the sports complex after a group swim with all the Grade 2s.  I was the last out after doing a sweep for kids things and I fell in front of the change room doors.  I recovered quickly and got back up but did hurt my knee a little in the process.

The second time was last Friday, almost 1 week TO THE MINUTE after my previous fall, at the complex too!  This time it was after I stepped off a 3 inch sidewalk, tripped on both my feet and fell flat on my face.  I did not move this time.  I lay there - defeated.  Christine cried out "Oh no!" and Monika knew I had hit the ground.  She rolled me over, checking my beautiful face for scratches and scrapes.  There were none.  She credits my generous upper body for saving my money maker.  I agree.  Anyways, it took a whole host of people to lift me off the ground and this time I definitely hurt my ankle (the one I damaged the first time I fell in Wemindji - also off a sidewalk hmmm) and scraped my bad knee.  I limped to the car, laughing and in utter disbelief that I had fallen again, nearly hurting myself badly again.  I have since almost recovered but my knee still isn't the same.

Anyways besides the fact that my body just wants to become one with the cold earth, things are going along just fine.  Sadly, Christine, my incredible student teacher left us this weekend to finish up her program at Bishops and become a teacher!  It was an amazing 13 weeks working with her and she brought much to the classroom.  It was awesome having such a capable educator-in-training in the room who completely dedicated herself to the student's learning, their emotional well-being, bringing Cree culture into the classroom as well as collaborating with other professionals and totally immersing herself in the community.  It was a wonderful experience for us both and I feel proud to have been her mentor teacher and even more proud to now call her my friend!

The weekend before last was Easter! 4 unadulterated days off sans children.  I slept so much it was glorious.  I also hosted a lovely Easter dinner for 13 of my nearest and dearest which was really nice.  Everyone brought something different and delicious and I lived off leftovers for days!

It has been as cold as ever here.  SO COLD.  Today was about -30 with the windchill and it is WINDY.  To make matters worse, we had a few days of really warm weather (think -2) and it melted a lot of the ice on the roads.  However, with melted ice comes slush.  And with slush and overnight dropping of temperatures below -20 comes ICE again.  There are ice fields everywhere.  There is a huge sharp and dangerous ice monstrosity at the end of my driveway which I wince at every time I drive over it, sure that this time I will burst a tire on the sharp outcroppings.  Also because of all this ice, I am walking at a pace of about -456 km/hr to ensure I do not slip and fall.  This is getting ridiculous people.  Even Bobo, a blind and disabled dog himself, is carrying on better than I am.

Anyways, now I am back to solitary teaching in my classroom.  I took what will probably be my last sick day of the year last week (feeling absolutely dead with a head cold but knowing I could trust my classroom to Christine) and Goosebreak is 3.5 short weeks away!! Look out Southern Ontario, I'm coming for ya!