The Comic Book Family

My mother retired and left town to live at her summer home in Osoyoos. This is a picture of my mother. Notice how she decided to not look at the camera, even though she gets on her grandchildren's cases about that very thing? This was her cake. Very yummy. I didn't make it, but it came with a golf cart that can go quite far if you roll it back first.

Father's day came and went which much love and attention showered on the Daddy of the house. Picture: a Dad and the children who adore him.

School ended for me. I hate saying good-bye. Everyone kept trying to tell me that I'd be back next year, but I really won't, unless it's a momentary call in September. The following year, maybe, but there's a good chance I'll be getting a mat-leave spot teaching all sorts of Science stuffs at another school when my friend has her baby.

School started for Tyler. His second year courses for his electrical apprenticeship. It's not going as well for him this time around (last time he was third in his class) because he didn't take the preview course like he did last time. And, well, he has a really crappy teacher that has never taught before. I'm positive he'll make it through just fine, but he's definitely taking the preview courses before the next year's courses.

Summer school started for me. I've got an interesting bunch of kids. It's an advanced credit course, not the remedial, so it's generally a great group of students. There's just some with some unique points of view... Picture: Visual proof I still exist (pictures get taken of me so rarely). Jade took this one.

Jade is happy and healthy. She loves Backyardigans, especially Uniqua. (Pronounced unique-wah). She can't say Uniqua, so instead calls her Inuqua (Pronounced In-new-queue-ah) because for some reason, that seems to be easier?!?!? She can't wait until she gets to go to school, but alas, she has some time to wait.

Quentin, on the other foot, is ready and about to go to school. He keeps asking when his first day going to be. Most of his attentions these days are lavished on art. He constantly has ideas for his next art project. "Mom, I'm going to do some art. I'm going to need a bottle, a straw, some plastic, some tape, two more straws and some more plastic. And some water and colour to put in the water. And some poppy seeds." The straw goes in the bottle, and the top of it is covered in plastic. The two straws and plastic are taped to the side. The water, colour, and seeds go inside the bottle. (This art idea is the property of Quentin. No use of this idea is to be permitted without his direct approval.) He is awesome at drawing Wall-E, Eve and M-O from the Wall-E movie. He came home with a spaghetti picture one day, and there's no mistaking who he created.

Yesterday was spent in the sunshine in the backyard. Tyler put up one of the rock walls on the playset (the other one is a rock ramp that he's putting the final touches on today). I weeded the garden and parts of the yard. I weeded parts of the yard three weeks ago, and my one thigh muscle still hurts a little from it, so I don't know why I'm punishing myself by doing more! As we've only had a hose that reaches the garden for a week, some of the plants didn't do so well there. The watermelons died. The peas are only a few inches high, but are all putting out a pod or two! The alpine strawberries (red ones and yellow ones) are doing great. We got the alpine ones because they are not only tasty, but they're also the only strawberries that the ants don't eat so we actually get to. The brussel sprouts are getting tall - Jade E brussel sprouts, that's why we got them! The artichoke is staying small, but I think that is mostly due to the ants who swarm it constantly, not just the lack of water. I doubt we'll get anything off of it. The chard is yummy - we ate some with dinner last night. We also have carrots (3 types), beets, beans, potatoes, lettuce, rosemary (because the kids and I hate the dried stuff), parsley, quite a few types of tomatoes (doing well, including all of the volunteers planted via compost), peppers (sweet and red and yellow cherry ones, all doing fine), pumpkins and zucchini. I think that's it. I could be wrong. Of course, we also have our grapes. Lots and lots of grapes to keep me occupied in the fall. Pictures: garden, mini pea plant, yellow alpine strawberries, artichoke.