list two :: things to do this fall

I found a list.  Apparently I had a plan for the fall.  The good thing ... I've completed none of these, which means they will become a list for the winter.  Expect the bike. Too cold now.

A list that has nothing to do with Christmas.  Or work. I like that.

1.  make a quilt

2.  take more pictures of halifax

3.  business plan

4.  fix bike. ride bike.

5.  clogs

6.  make banana bread

7.  make more banana bread

8.  knit a hat

9.  wear the hat

10. be patient

11. drive to Peggy's Cove or Lunenburg or the Valley

childhood.

This song, and another one by Radical Face called 'Missing Teeth' are such beautiful songs about childhood, I think.  I can't find a link for Missing Teeth, but if you purchase the fantastically awesome 'Do Fun Stuff' album [find a handy link in my sidebar] on iTunes you can take a listen for yourself.  It's a great album and a really great song.

For me, they make me all weepy and nostalgic for childhood.  Innocent & complicated, happy & sad, hopeful & inspired ... uhhhhh.. so beautiful.  Just makes me feel good on my insides. Spending the weekend with adorable 2 year old nephew only makes it better.  I hope you enjoy them.

 

'the road to dysfunction is paved with good intentions'....

Read more about that and other great links about parenting, mothering, breastfeeding, women & frenzies in general here .... worth checking out.  I feel we really need to collectively move away from judging each other, from judging parents. When did we get so judgemental? So high and mighty? So god damn smarmy about everything?? I blame Oprah. Last time I checked, almost everyone was/is convinced in some way or another that they've completely effed up their children, and with the best and most honest and pure intentions. Unintentionally. They didn't know.  We don't know... no one knows for sure.  We just do our best and try to learn something along the way.  Self-reflect. Anyway, I could go on... but instead, I'll collect myself and take inspiration from this picture ::

see a few more right here

 

p.s. Is anyone else listening to Charlie Brown's Christmas on repeat yet?? I like to ease myself into the season with that one. God I love it.

first days. again.

Love these cards. Today was my first day in my new position.  I have to be more discrete in my blogging about where I work and what I do.. confidentiality and all.  Probably not a great idea to blog about it.  So that will change around here.  But today was good... different, but good. The transition out of the classroom was much harder than I anticipated. Seeing all those little faces today and them not understanding why I was in the building, but not in the classroom with them.... bleck.  Yuck.  But I think it will be a great learning experience.  And everybody loves learning, right??

Blogging may be sporadic for a few weeks, but don't give up on me.. I'll still be around.  My brain just feels a bit mushy.

Here's some reading for you on early care and education from the Chronicle Herald today.

necessary.

ban.do

the mrs. shoppe

bcbg

 

granted.

Also, I think I may become completely obsessed with Prince William & Kate. Don't you think so?

ch-ch-changes

Woah.  Sometimes when you ask for something... it comes. So be prepared.  I feel like life is moving really quickly right now, so I'm trying to stop and take it all in as much as possible.

I've been feeling really unsettled lately, trying to figure out what my 'next' step is.  I've been putting all of my extra time, love, energy and work into a business plan for my own child care centre.  It's really exciting for me and also really terrifying... owning my own business, developing a business model, figuring out how to translate my ideas for something dynamic and innovative and inspiring in the city, which currently doesn't exist [in child care, that is].  How do you do that? One step at a time I guess.  And then life steps in.  And the whole being 32 thing... yikes. Where did this pressure come from? It's really tricky to keep things in perspective and not get caught up in this prevailing idea that I have to figure it all out today....  I hope collectively our ideas towards living and being are changing, becoming more modern, more realistic, more supportive, more... human.  Because life doesn't work that way anymore.  We're not graduating, getting jobs, getting married, keeping that job, buying homes, keeping that job, having babies, and eventually retiring from that one job.  That's not life anymore. And that is un-settling. I feel like our ideas towards ourselves and what that means for us over the course of our lives, as well as our daily lives needs to catch up to it.  We're all okay.  The world is infinitely messed up, but I think we're okay. Don't you?

So where am I going with this... I got a promotion at work.  As of Monday I will be the new Assistant Director at my centre.  Management! gah! This fabulous opportunity is literally being handed to me. To me! And all I can think of is what a valuable experience this will be for me professionally, the type of experience so necessary as to eventually run a successful business.  Of course, I'm completely terrified. I've never managed adults.  Not real, grown up humans.  Just the wee ones.. that's my experience. But I kind of feel that if I approach it the way that I deal with kids, with mutual respect, honouring integrity, active listening and careful observation, that maybe it will be okay.  And that they won't hate me.  I hope they don't hate me.  So while I'm mostly feeling really excited and challenged in a way that I haven't felt since I decided to go to grad school.. I'm also completely terrified inside. But don't tell anyone at work, okay?

Thanks universe.

I can't find a better clip of George Michael being promoted to Mr. Manager, but this one will do.

"Right, it's up to me now. I'm Mr. Manager.

Manager. We just say...

I know, but you...

Doesn't matter who...."

Brilliant.

bruxelles.

Oh man. If I was in Brussels, I would be going to this. An upcoming TED talk, taking place in Brussels this December, called 'Who's going to save the world?' Uplifting topic for what's commonly known as a bleak and somewhat boring city [I only partly agree with that sentiment]. Read about things, both good and bad,  here and here if you'd like.

Highlights of this talk [for me], include :: nerd or artist? teacher or scientist? I will definitely be watching this talk online.

I miss Brussels sometimes. I forget that we lived there. If we were still there I would be heading to Cafe Modele on Rue Antoine Dansaertstraat for food + drinks beforehand.  Fun night.

peace.

Songs for the People

Let me make the songs for the people,
Songs for the old and young;
Songs to stir like a battle-cry
Wherever they are sung.

Not for the clashing of sabres,
For carnage nor for strife;
But songs to thrill the hearts of men
With more abundant life.

Let me make the songs for the weary,
Amid life's fever and fret,
Till hearts shall relax their tension,
And careworn brows forget.

Let me sing for little children,
Before their footsteps stray,
Sweet anthems of love and duty,
To float o'er life's highway.

I would sing for the poor and aged,
When shadows dim their sight;
Of the bright and restful mansions,
Where there shall be no night.

Our world, so worn and weary,
Needs music, pure and strong,
To hush the jangle and discords
Of sorrow, pain, and wrong.

Music to soothe all its sorrow,
Till war and crime shall cease;
And the hearts of men grown tender
Girdle the world with peace.

~ Frances Ellen Watkins Harper [1895]

Hey Brother.

It's my little bro's b-day today.  Happy Birthday Matt! Even though he's 28, I still feel like he's somewhere around 8. Or 10. I so wish we lived in the same city, I'm trying to convince him to move to Hali.  Thanks to my brother for many things, but most notably, for:

- reminding me often that I'm actually not that funny

- increasing my tolerance and eventual acceptance for how awesome the Simpsons are. AND, introducing me to Arrested Development. It changed my life.

- making me laugh so much, so often

THEN. 1983? St. John's, Newfoundland. I love this picture.

NOW. 2008. Two Christmases ago in Amsterdam at one of my fave restaurants.  Best Christmas ever.

Love you brother.  Happy Birthday.  Wish I was there to celebrate with you and make you dinner.

it's beginning to look a lot like....

I'm pretty sure I HAVE to make these!! I"ve been walking around the past few days, seeing signs of Christmas and thinking... really? Isn't it too early? Not feeling Christmas yet.  But these little lovelies change everything!! It says even beginners can handle it... I'm definitely far below a beginner, but I'm willing to try.  I never did finish my infamous hat for nephew (2 years later... whoops), but I did manage to finally decipher the pattern. All by myself.  So that was something. Find the pattern right here. The Purl Bee is def on my list of places to visit when I finally make it to New York. If you are a knitter, check out their blog and online store = LOVE.

Oh! Also... I found some great resources for yoga with kids! One is called Yoga Ed. The other is called Yoga Pretzels (fun!) and was recommended by my mom's yoga teacher.  Really excited to get into some yoga with the kids using these resources.

Happy Monday!

list one:: music

I am a list-maker.  I love making them, I can't function without them.  I've decided that periodically, they will appear on the blog, and the reason is two-fold.  One.. to feed my addiction. Two.. sometimes I lose my words, or run out of things to talk about, or just lack inspiration. Ruts are inevitable. And there's always a list to be made.  So I thought, what better way to start than with music?? Here we go, currently playing on my mixed tape for the car ....

1. david bowie, ashes to ashes

2. brooke fraser, something in the water

3. broken bells, the high road

4. the cure, close to me

5. hey rosetta, there's an arc

6. the acorn, restoration

7. radical face, welcome home

8. nina simone, my baby just cares for me

9. the band, the shape i'm in

10. arcade fire, sprawl II

 

namaste.

Today was challenging and lots of fun.

Yesterday, one of the kids saw me stretching after nap time and asked me what I was doing [of course]. I told her about my sore hip [FYI:  sciatica is NOT something that only old ladies get. I did not know this. And it sucks] and that I need to move my body to make it feel better and that something that I like to do is yoga.  So I did the tree pose for her.  She loved it and I quickly realized that I had an entire captive audience. Magic. So my co-teacher and I decided that a half hour of yoga would be something fun to try with the kids.  I've never done yoga with children before but have always wanted to.  Today we did the tree, the half moon, the cat, the cow, the eagle... it was beyond fantastic.  I love it.  I felt like I was learning from them... I was so far outside of my comfort zone, I felt like a new teacher again.  Good stuff. Yoga + kids = fun. So now I'm looking for resources on teaching yoga to kids... but everything I've found online so far is super creepy.  Maybe I don't need any resources, maybe I'm smart enough to do it on my own. Probably.  But just in case, does anyone have any ideas of where to look? Something that doesn't involve a creepy old lady, or adults on crack that you want to punch in the face?

Also, someone drew me a ghost today.  'Jillian, I draw a ghost for you. His name is Fred and he says 'ooooooooo'.

overheard...

Classroom conversations  ::

J. "I don't have any pets.

Me. oh really? Do you want pets?

J. No, I don't have a dog. I don't have a cat..... I don't even have a bunny rabbit. No pets. But.... [long pause], I think I have a grasshopper.  I saw one once in my yard".

Love that. Also ::

Me. [child's name] I love your ponytail on the top of your head today.

K. No, no, no. It's not a ponytail.

Me. Oh... it looks like a ponytail.

K. It's my blowhole.

Me. Oh, of course... what are you?

K. I'm a DOLPHIN! of course!

then proceeds to swim away....

Good stuff on a Tuesday.