Claire and the Daisys

Grade Five Wrap Up

Claire is officially finished with Grade 5 today. YAY CLAIRE!!!!! Daniel has already been off for a week, so, I think that she would tell you this has been the longest week of her life!!!

Claire's class, along with the other Grade 5 class at OES, had their Celebration of Learning yesterday and I took the morning off of work to go and check it out.

The kids were all dressed to present their projects on a Canadian they felt left an impact on our country and the world. Claire and her partner, Dawson, both did Wayne Gretzky.

Claire with her report on Wayne. The laptop is set up with a power point presentation.
Heels with a hockey jersey, that's my girl!!!

Ms. Schellenberg wanted the kids to feel like they were important influential Canadians too so, the following is the poster that Claire made about herself.

Claire has had a good year in grade 5. She has been a member of the Green Team, Leadership Council (basically elementary school student council), hand bell choir and voice choir and Jack Rabbits (although she didn't get to many practices because she couldn't seem to keep her room clean). Claire had two teachers this year as Ms. Schellenberg had to take a few months off to get over her husband packing up and leaving. I can't remember the substitutes name, but she and Claire got along just fine.

Claire excelled academically and socially which, I am sure that if you know Claire is no surprise.

Claire getting her Certificate from Ms. Schellenberg

Claire and her certificate of Academic Achievement

Claire and her friend, Baily. Baily is leaving us for warmer
weather in BC. She will be missed. :(

Claire and her BFF's.
From bottom clockwise you have Addison, Sheraya, Baily, Shelby, Dana, Emma and Claire
Have a great summer!!!

Gerry

This is Gerry. He came to Chinook Winds by way of the SPCA when he was taken from a farm near McNutt, Saskatchewan. You can read his arrival story here and here.



Gerry is a wonderful, sweet dog. We have missed him since he has been gone. He was very quiet and spent a lot of time sleeping on my bed in my room. He came to us very unsure of his surroundings and he is still adjusting to his new life.

He has been moved to Olds, to live with the Halls for the time being. Mrs. Hall was away visiting her daughter when he arrived so, I hope, now that she is home, that she is falling in love with him and he will be able to spend the rest of his life playing with Pebbles.

Claire's End of Year Recital

Claire sang True Colors (Glee Version) by Cindy Lauper for final recital for the 2010/2011 season at Weeds Music. This will be Claire's last year at Weeds Music. Her new teacher next year will be Dori Whyte and she will be working towards taking her Grade 3 exam for Royal Conservatory of Music. She will then be able to work towards earning credits towards her highschool graduation.

This is just a snippet of her singing. We were very lucky to have my friend, Dena, staying with us this weekend so, she got to come to the recital too. Afterwards, we all took Curtis out for dinner to celebrate Father's Day.

Claire and her Giant Balloon

Claire won this balloon in a school draw. No idea what the draw was for, but she sure had fun with the balloon. She is holding a regular balloon in her other hand for size reference, in case you didn't notice that the blue balloon is almost as big as she is!!!

She blew this thing up herself and it is a good thing we got a picture because it popped when she tried to get it through the door of her bedroom.

OHS Honors Band Wrap up

I can't put into words how happy and proud I am of Daniel. He has almost completed his first year at the high school. He is excelling in all his classes and is an important member of the Onoway High school Honors Band. Last Sunday the band gave their final performance for the year. They will be back next year, but it won't be the same band as the grade 12 members are graduating and moving on with their lives (insert sadness here). Can't wait to see what happens next year, but for now, I thought I should reflect on the year that was.

Daniel's best friend, Hyrum, plays the tuba

During the 2009/2010 school year the Onoway High school Honors Band received a gold rating at the Red Deer Music Festival. This got them the coveted invitation to compete at the Musicfest National festival in Richmond, BC. At Musicfest the 2010/2011 band received a gold rating, one of only two bands at the festival. INCREDIBLE!!!! The following video is their sight treading performance at Richmond, BC. They had 5 minutes to learn and then play this piece that no one in the band had ever seen before.

The Honors Band also competed at the Edmonton Music Festival this year at which they received a superior plus rating and the Adjudicators Choice Award.

The Sunday concert was MC'd by the Chance Quartet.

Daniel received an award for only missing 1 of 160 Honors Band
practices during the 2010/2011 school year.
(Missed for goose hunting with Papa, not because Mom slept in)

Daniel receiving his attendance award from Maestro Tom Saumer
Hyrum received one of 17 perfect attendance awards

Mak'in Memories

So....... U2 WAS AWESOME!!!!!!

Claire and Daniel and I had a fab time last night with about 70,000 other people. One of them being my friend, Michelle. This is her favourite pic of the night (She was a little closer than we were). If you look between the two guitars, that is about where the Pollock-Patience family is seated (standing).

I give credit to whoever took this picture. Michelle and
Chip were numbers 314 and 315 for the mass standing area.
They ended up in the 2nd pit.

Daniel ready to ROCK OUT!!!!

This is U2 taking the stage!!!

This is the stage/bug/whatever you want to call it. They refer
to is as a spaceship. If you look way, way up to the tippy
top you will see a tiny cross on top of a silver globe.

This is our group shot!

Spaceship in the dark with the big LED screen thing in
the middle of it.

Daniel and I while Claire was in the
Merchandise line.




A little snippet of U2 singing Beautiful Day

This is a video of the song they did with all the lights
off. The lights you see are just every ones' phones.
VERY COOL!!!

U2 singing With or Without You!!! The highlight of the night!

Lock up your Daughters

U2 TONITE

OMG!!! I am insanely excited that I am taking Claire and Daniel to see U2 tonite. I feel that as their mom, it is one of my maternal duties to take them to see this band!!! U2 has been so influential in so many lives and have done so much for humanity. I know, it is just a band, BUT IT IS U2 PEOPLE!!!!

My U2 memory is from the TV show, Friends, and Ross and Rachel. I was completely blown away when Ross requested With or Without You for Rachel on the radio. I was 21 when that episode aired and living in an apartment with Curtis on Hermary Street in Red Deer. I was in my first year of College and so in love with that show and still so open to the possibilities of this world. Oh to still be young and carefree!!!!



I also think that this concert is a sort of a goodbye to Claire and Daniel's childhood. Daniel is 13 and Claire is 11. There aren't going to be many more concerts that they are going to be excited about going to with their Mom. They are going to want to hang out with their friends and do things on their own and surprisingly, I am OK with that. I am glad that they are growing up and becoming little independent people.

BUT, tonite is for the three of us and making a memory to last a lifetime and maybe even longer. Someday I hope and conversation between them starts, "Hey Claire, remember that time Mom took us to see U2......"