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A Canadian expatriate living and exploring first France now Germany, then BACK to FRANCE (!!!) with her family; former fashion designer, turned unexpected UNLIKELY NOMAD, raising two children, writing, photographing, painting, playing piano (who knew!!) and blogging - and now... full time student at ART SCHOOL!! (I MUST be crazy!!)

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Back by popular request...

This is one of my FAVOURITE cake recipe, it is one I began to bake with my Mom when I was little, and it is the one I made for our going away party from Dijon.

It is delicious, and especially good layered with lemon curd and iced with butter crème icing.
This recipe will make a decent sized cake but I often double it and then do a big and little one to freeze to use later.
Here goes…


Bonnie Butter Cake
Heat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in the middle.
Prepare baking pans- rub with butter and the flour the interior, set aside.
Mix until white and creamy
2/3 cup of butter
1 ¼ cups of sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoon of vanilla.
Measure into a large bowl and set aside
2 ¼ cups of all purpose flour OR 3 cups of cake flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
Measure and set aside
1 ¼ cups of milk
Add the flour and milk alternately to the butter mixture in 1/3rds and mix each addition until it is blended, then mix on medium high speed until it is smooth and velvety looking.
Pour into cake pans until 2/3rds full and bake until a pick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the cake bounces back when pressed…(Hey!!! I bounce back when I am pressed!!!) anywhere from 30-50 minutes depending on pans and oven. Let cool on rack then wrap tightly in a bag still in the pan and freeze.


Butter crème icing.
Separate
8 large eggs whites (reserve yolks for lemon curd).
Place in a heat proof bowl or top of larger double boiler and add
2 ½ cups of sugar
Heat and stir until mixture measures 170degrees F, remove from heat and mix well on high speed until the mixture is white and fluffy and stands in peaks, it will more then double in volume.
Fold in a lump at a time and mix until smooth and glossy.
3 cups of butter
¼ teaspoon of salt

The mixture will deflate a little after mixing in the better, reserve in fridge and beat again just before using. (This is also fabulous of you want to add cocoa, or white or dark chocolate (just melted) and can be also tinted with food coloring or flavoured with vanilla, almond etc.


Lemon Curd
Place in a sauce pan and cook on low heat while whisking until boiling and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
16 egg yolks
2 cups of sugar
Zest of 4 lemons
1 cup of lemon juice
Remove from heat and add
1 ¼ cups of butter
¼ teaspoon salt
Sieve and discard solids, cool with plastic wrap covering to prevent a skin and reserve. The curd can be frozen for several weeks and thawed when ready to use.

TA DAAAA!!!!

The assembly.
Remove the frozen cakes from freezer and run pan under warm water to remove cake, let thaw only slightly. Slice into layers with a serrated knife, running the knife all the way around the cakes to mark you cutting lines, and then cut in about 1-2” all the way around,. Then slowly and carefully slice the rest of the way. If the cake breaks it can be used any way as the icing and curd act like glue. (I try to do several layers around ½ thick) The slicing process and icing process is greatly aided if you have a very thin sturdy plate or piece of metal to use to move the slices around which prevents the layers breaking. The bottom of a cheese cake tin or tart pan is ideal. Stack up the layers in their proper order and brush off the crumbs with a soft brush.
Lay down the first layer and spread lemon curd between and so on to the top. Wipe off excess. Then spread a 1st coat of icing to smooth the cake. Let it sit for a minute and then apply the last coat. I use a long straight spatula and run it under hot water to smooth it at the end which gives the cake a nice smooth finish. The cake can be frozen and taken out 12 hours before serving and can be decorated or garnished with fresh flowers.
Delicious!!!

Happy Birthday to MEEEEE!!!!







Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Settle

The children are settling into a modicum of routine, and I am all for it. With all the upheaval and newness they are adapting really well but it is easy to forget that it is not only the adults who feel like fish out of water or (wasser Ha!, can you believe it - GERMAN!!!!!) but the kids too and in one sense perhaps we are better equiped to deal with the transition than they as they seem to feel their way through it while we can at least intellectualize our own adjustment.

On the whole everyone seems to be doing pretty good though there has been alot more yelling around here than there has been for a while and Lily for all her sweetness seems to be going through a bit of a bellowing stage...oooh my tender eardrums...seems I need to improve my ignoring skills.

Riel has been making noises about having a few boys over for play dates and even though we are nearer to the summer break I think it would be good for him to forge some alliances, now to muster up the time and the energy. We had a playdate with a friend from school tonight who is halfway between the two kids ages and in the end it all worked out ok with the three of them playing together but there was some struggling for a while about who plays with whom. And of course it is ALL very serious. I remember that though....

So finally I am turning my consciousness outside of the house and to our area and have started to look at the maps and guide books to figure out what is near and what we would like to see and explore. Seems there is lots to see so must get down to it and start planning. At the moment we hope to take the caravan to Scandanavia this summer for a few weeks but need to do some more research...We will make the pilgrimage back to Dijon this weekend to pick up the caravan...(figures our first road trip and it is back to France...). Not that I am done unpacking mind you but am at an impasse being both bored and fed up with it, so I will just make the rest of it invisible for a while to catch up with a bit of my life.

*Ahhhh..* Shedding the moving garb and pulling on those comfy NOMAD boots...

*BIG SMILE*

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Lily

Little Miss Lily did all these all by herself, she looks pretty proud of herself no?



Little Miss Lily was invited to a birthday party...so pretty!!

On the way to the party, she said to me a little pensively....

Mom, when we arrive at the party can you...leave?

*Sheesh* already?

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Veggy Tales ...A New garden

Hmmm the site...gee this looks good...?

Lift the tiles, the DECONSTRUCTION...always TBG's favorite part...


Plant some seeds early with Gma, Thanks for the help Gma!!!

Now to get down to the real thing...the planting ...

The finished product....not bad ..No?


A New Garden



Garden in Germany


Thursday, April 19, 2007

Recycling the German way

Paper, all types even tissue goes into a small clear bag.

Plastic in a small clear bag.

Compost all organic matter.

Some glass and plastic bottles must be returned at the store at which they were bought. Others, mainly big brand names like Coke and Sprite may be returned at any grocery store.Coke and Setc, a
pparently packaging can be returned to the vendor as well but I have yet to figure that out.

Any other non-recyclable glass can be deposited at a “green white or brown bin” to be picked up by the city.

Other actual bona fide “Garbage” (and now I am not even sure what that is anymore) is placed into a very small (about the size of our typical grocery bag) and expensive to buy (12E for a roll of about 10) garbage bag and left curbside.

We are down to one teeny tiny bag of actual “garbage” a week and I am told that even this is sorted through by recyclers.

*blinded by the light look*

Monday, April 16, 2007

First bits and bites...

Germany…First Impressions….

Green… so very Green. Half timbered…lots of SMILING people,

New favorite food obsession…sour cherries, everywhere… YUM.

Beer and lots of it, plus de-alcoholized for the just-a-half-beerers like me…(give me a glass of good wine…now THAT’S another story…)

Great grainy bread, and lots of yummy new yoghurt types to try.

LOT’S of cardboard boxe…no wait that is just at our house…


Beautiful windmills, very old ones and very Large white new ones.

A fabulous breeze that sweeps down the mountain next door that blows right through the house...

We met a helpful local soul in the grocery store today who had done a student exchange in Mississippi and was most anxious to practice his English, how very funny to hear a German y’alling me and the kids about juice boxes. LOL

More amazing high end cars than you can shake a stick mostly BMW’s, Mercedes lots of nice Audi’s and VW’s too…, and more bicycles than you can shake a stick at too...

First sounds at our new house…sheep bleating at 6 o’clock (coming in from pasture for supper maybe?) cloister bells ringing at 7:30 A.M, 9 A.M and noon plus 6 P.M…marking the work day…(how nice!!) and the tinkle of our fountain…soothing just like at home, and NO sounds at night AT ALL ‘cept the crickets. Bliss.

The kids had their first day of school today and it went so well I had to drag then away at the end of the day. Riel was very excited to introduce me to a few of his teachers at the end of the day and Lily managed to chat up a few of the teachers in the other kindergarten classes. I packed them up a special lunch so at least that would be familiar to them, and I must confess even though I knew I need not have worried, I did a bit. Had a bit of a scare too could not get the GPS to work on the way back to retrieve them at the end of the day and had images of my weeping children waiting forlornly for me. The sense of direction that always fails me in shopping malls served me just fine in open air however and I found the school in good time after all. Phew.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Home and "Home"

While were in Canada the kids went to our local Montessori school for a week, and had a great time with out good friend who is the super gifted directrice there. The school is a dream, set in the heart of the hills with a horse farm on one side, and a forest and stream on the other. They and I love it and I hope it is where they will go when we return to Canada.

I was able to cram some quality time in with my good friends as well, a great dinner out with Trisha and another with friends from our old mothers group as well as some great visits. One thing I LOVE about our community at home in Canada is that we can just drop over for coffee. Speaking of coffee I could not resist a trip through drive through and a Tim Horton’s maple dip donut and a large-decaf-double-double (everyday…*blush*). Did I mention that I LOVE drive through? All in all though it was pretty great, pretty hectic and pretty tiring but really good to be back home.

My mom flew back with us and we had a smooth journey back to Germany or “home”. The day we arrived we were able to view the house and indeed it was finished and met our expectations in every way. While my Mom spent 3 days in our hotel room with the kids (bless her heart though she started to look a bit frazzled towards the end...), the movers and all our stuff arrived. The movers, who reminded me of a cross between Arnold Schwarzenegger and the happy but bumbling 7 Dwarfs, spent two days traipsing boxes into our house then the unpacking and sorting began. I always hate this part as it seems that we have an overwhelming amount of stuff and that it will never ever fit, so consequently I spent about 36 hours cursing our North American appetite for possessions and alternately sulking as I was sure our new house was too small to fit everything (again). I become what an only be described as irascible and then begin to fantasize about my back packing days, when all I had I could carry on my back. The tension wanes however when everything starts to get tucked away and miraculously.
We decided to go all out and get it all done right away so have spent a spent the last week up until 2 A.M almost every night unpacking and assembling new IKEA stuff but have finally....


Run out of steam

Monday, March 26, 2007

The last day in Dijon

As the train sped towards Paris, by the green fields, rolling hills and old limestone farmhouses I wistfully admired the profound beauty of the French country side for the millionth time, while the children slept, Lily’s slumbering form on the seat beside me warm and comfortable under my scarf. I even dozed too, sneaking a peek now and then at Riel looking flushed and drooling under my trench while he slept on the seat across. We had stayed up until all hours celebrating and then…*grunt* finishing packing and everyone was bone tired. Even though we are not the ones actually filling the boxes, this event of moving house is still a monumental task of organization and preparation as we have been sorting and pitching for months…

So why so much stuff I ask myself…? Huh.

The movers arrived this morning at 8 A.M and the kids were still warm and sleepily tucked into their little beds. Our son was up in about two seconds with visions of MOVING TRUCKS in his head. He was sure he would be able to give the “boys” a hand and was intensely disappointed when we tried to explain why this might not be SO practical…

It was sort of surreal in fact wandering around Dijon today before we left thinking to ourselves ”Hmmm….homeless for a little while…feels sort of funny…Gee I sure hope the house is ready in Germany when we are…”

And knowing that we might be back in Dijon or we just might not…

We treated ourselves to the great breakfast of the Dijonnais, Pain Chocolat (Chocolate Croissants) and Chocolat Chaud (Hot Chocolate) at our favorite spots, mainly since we had gotten ejected out of the house so early even though it was blustery and cold. The kids spent their last few hours at regularly scheduled art and music classes while I wandered around appreciating the beauty of Dijon through fresh eyes wondering to myself why when we know we will soon loose something does it so suddenly increases in value?...

Note to self: File under lessons learned for future use.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

More of Spain...

Strolling the streets of Barcelona...

The Goudi's Church Sagrada Familial under construction

A section of the ceiling of the cathedral...

The Tapas bar where we had a FEAST...*burp*

Friday, March 9, 2007

Journey to Spain



The first evening we arrived after over-nighting on the sleeping car (couchette) from Dijon to the Spanish border, replete with double bunks, individual reading lights that can be switched on and off, on and off, ON AND OFF…many many times before Mommy or Daddy yell, upper and lower lime green sleeping bag jobbies and individual freshen up kits which included exactly one wipe, 2 breath mints and ear plugs (like that’s going to do it???) I guess if everyone smells REALLY bad the earplugs could be used in other orifices or sensory organs as well… The kids were great, but REALLY excited and once all the prerequisite giggling had died down to a dull roar, we settled into a comfortable sleep, lulled by the timeless sound and motion of the train.

We woke in the morning true to French form, without showering, (ok…so that is SO VERY tongue in cheek) and our with our first thoughts being of BREAKFAST. Visions of steaming mugs of hot coco, yogurt and chocolate croissants danced in our heads and when we enquired of the red faced stubbly sleep encrusted steward, who by the way looked as thought he had had something entirely different to DRINK for breakfast, in which direction exactly could we find the dining car he looked at us with a bemused expression and replied…Nada…

As in NO…meaning none…like as in NO FOOD AT ALL??? (just to be sure)???

Rats. (Did I say one of the best things about traveling is the FOOD!!)

We managed to scrounge some oranges and juice from the night before to appease the masses and arrived after a breathtaking journey in between the rocks and the sea of the Costa Brava. The wind swept Mediterranean lay on the left and the snow capped peaks of the Pyrenees on the right. As we travelled further south the heavy veil of misty Dijon grey lightened like a watercolor to clear brilliant blue and the architecture transformed from the austere ivory limestone of Provence to more ornate colorful Spanish stucco punctuated with white trim and dusty olive, palm, and citrus trees.

Once we arrived the cab went up and up and up...to the hills.

Train journey to Spain... 150 Euros
Watching the moon rise over the Med... Priceless...

Friday, March 2, 2007

Ballon Rouge


There is an international theatre festival that runs in Dijon for the two weeks of school vacation in February, called A PAS CONTE, and today we went to a play called “Ballon Rouge”. It was one of the most interesting, most amazing pieces of children’s theatre I have ever seen.

The curtain opens to a completely black stage and a man enters with a lap version of an accordion, doubtless some historical folk instrument. He begins to play softly and the machine shudders and wheezes audibly between stanzas. The music has the wafting romance of gypsy song but there is an added hint of melodrama of old talkies and their silver screen. As he plays a light from above illuminates a small red ball on an otherwise empty stage, suspended in the air above a black table, on which rest two slender oblong strips of foam, one blue and one white. To the scores of the music the oblongs of foam are skillfully animated by invisible puppeteers who soundlessly and with only the red ball, tell a story of two people who meet, fall in love and have a child. The child frolics and plays, and then hides. The parents become despondent, and melancholy. In the end the child is found and all is well in Foamville. The story is so eloquently told and the music so expressive the performers had the audience howling with laughter one moment and holding their collective breath in anticipation the next. Even the really wee wee ones seemed to completely comprehend exactly what was going on.

At the end of the show the only thing left on the stage was the small red ball…which disappears and is replaced by a larger ball, and so on and so on until the red ball left is IMMENSE, well over 15 feet in size, puffy, huge, bouncy and shiny. The ball is launched into the audience and is rolled around collectively by eager children whose hands hold it high and pass it to each other over their heads as if they are jubilantly passing the winning goal scorer at a final match.

The end.

It was FABULOUS!!!



Thursday, March 1, 2007

Still high on Paris...and the Louvres...

Wow!!!
More Wow...and this is the view from Napoleon's apartment...bedroom to be more exact...
Gorgeous.
Of course, to Lily the most interesting thing is the geometric shapes in the marble floor...so typical that they process information based on the current frame of reference...

We ARE feeling all inspired and did some printmaking yesterday, and today we made an apple tart together...

Gosh I LOVE doing cool things with my kids!!

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

We just got back from the weekend in Paris with the kids.

It was awesome because TBG was able to fly to join us so we all got to be feeling like a family. On Saturday I went to do my Cordon Bleu course for the day and TBG took the kids to three museums…(I was impressed…NO?) I think they had a pretty good time.

Then on Sunday we wandered around the Louvres for several hours and had a great visit.
The museum itself is so amazing and it was so uplifting to see such timeless works of art.
Even the kids were awe struck at the potency of some of the classical paintings.

I had lots of fun with the camera and took some interesting shots.

The kids soak it up like sponges. One of the more interesting exhibits is a medieval castle excavated in the central court where the glass pyramid now sits. The 20 foot high foundations are exposed and we were able to walk amongst them via the path of the old moat, and were even able to look at some of the ancient detritus pitched into it by the kitchen scullery. (Why is garbage such an endless source of fascination for kids) The evolvement of the site the Louvres sits on is illustrated by a series of models and the kids had an interesting time analyzing how it has changed and developed over the last 500 years.

Mona Lisa, The crowning of Josephine, all the amazing sculpture and Napolean III’s original apartments are still there and intact.

Dinner with Napoleon anyone?


WOW.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Poivrons


Riel today when we were eating lunch…

"Hey Mom, Didja ever notice when green peppers are cooked they are yummy…But…"

*thoughtful silence*

"But when they aren’t they taste kinda ...MEAN??"

Monday, February 19, 2007

Rrrrrrollerrrrrrrr....

The Day has Finally arrived...

For those if you who may not already know this Riel has enrolled in a roller blade class with his school, as an extra curricular activity. Riel was very enthusiastic right from the get go and has been doing what they call “Roller” (with a big rolled French “R” at the beginning and the end). His coach is a nice young guy named Emilien and as far as I can see Emilien does not “Roller” on water yet, but he sure must be pretty close to it.

Several weeks ago there was “Un Competition” which due to extenuating circumstances Riel was not able to participate in. This delay only served to heighten the anticipation of the next “Competition” several weeks off, and indeed it did come to parallel an event of equal significance such as a birthday or even Christmas…

Mom…
Yes Honey?
How may days till my race?
Ummm…*consult calendar* uhh…5 weeks honey…
Several hours pass… and then
Uuuh…Mom?

Let’s just say that Riel was REALLY looking forward to it, especially since he now has his own very new spanky pair of roller blades an Xmas gift from his G’ma and G’pa B…

So the Big Day Finally arrives…I am flying in from Chicago and TBG has to leave on a 3:30 train out that same afternoon , so we are desperately trying to get it together so Riel can actually participate. The transit gods are smiling on me and I arrive just in time in Paris to catch the last train to Dijon possible before the race.

Riel suits up




The Racer Ready to Go



Pensive thoughts pre race and maybe a strategy brewing??



The Line up



Ready Steady…



Go!!



GoGo…. GOOooo!!!



Phew…I’m pooped now!!! Great Race Riel!!!!



Fidgety Lily has found it difficult to SIT STILL so instead has found Mom’s lipgloss and toe separators for a pedicure…

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Creative endeavor for the day

The fact that we know we will soon be leaving Dijon has made me feel suddenly a little attached and nostalgic...figures...huh!!!

LML and I took a walk today to see a film and I took some photos on the way back.

This is the alley we normally take to the historic central area of Dijon. Our path winds its way in and out of ruelles (allies) mostly cobbled and mostly pedestrian, always lovely and quiet and always lots to look at. This particular alley leads past the famous owl carved on the side of Notre Dame, not visible but just to the left. It was vandalized some years ago and is now video monitored 24 hours a day.
The owl, which as legend or history has it, was gently stroked by Napoleon on his way past and which is rumoured to give the modern stroker great luck as well.



Lily was cavorting around the front of the church while I was trying to photograph the gargoyles suspended on the front. Notice how all the sculpture at the top of the arch ways has been chipped off by angry peasants during the french revolution.



The rows of gargoyles are fantastically tortured looking creatures, maimed and looking in great agony, and there are many more than I was able to capture in this shot. I can only imagine the energy and effort put into the design and creation of these frightening images, undoubtedly the average souls reward in hell for errant deeds.



This is the main square in Dijon, Francois Rude with its bronze statue and fountain and the ever turning carousel.



Lily hamming it up on the way home.


Saturday, February 10, 2007

Scientific Eye Candy

Lily and I had some business in Paris on Friday, so we took the train in early and decided to stay and make a day of it.

We went to the Cite des Sciences, Paris’s ENOURMOUS science centre, cited in what used to be the cities old slaughterhouse lands.

It is an enormous structure (7 hectares) about 14 acres and on 4 levels, flanked by a reflective Geo-dome theatre and criss-crossed by futuristic pathways that seem suspended in air.
























Its industrial architecture is reminiscent of the Pompidou museum but it has a more urban ultra modern feel, and it is situated in an equally large park peppered with more activities for families and children than we had time to explore.

We lunched
























We watched movies





















And we explored.




















It was great to just hang out and have some quality time with little miss Lily.

The museum itself explores traditional areas of science but also has some interesting galleries devoted to images which in turn are linked to an exhibition all about light, as well as a fascinating exhibit devoted to extraterrestrial life. According to several prominent scientists, the immense size of our universe and the sheer number of planets that possess the building blocks of life indicates that extraterrestrial life is most probable.

I LOVE that.

Two alternative intergalactic worlds have been constructed in a virtual reality animation with postulations regarding climate, and local flora and fauna. The animation is projected from the ceiling onto an immense waist height platform which we could move around and touch the images to manipulate the display. Very cool; scientific eye candy. We, needless to say, were there for quite a while.
























Plus Lily got to say hi to her FAVORITE guy…(besides her Daddy that is)….E.T.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Finally








The children have been accepted at the International School of Hannover Region after MUCH telephoning and more than a little wrangling on my part.
Because of course anyone who knows me knows I give up after the first try and I am NOT AT ALL PUSHY…

*ahem*

It seems that though our kids academic status did not pose a problem, the school was pretty much chock a block full to capacity…which did not bode to well. The program at the International School is quite rich as compared to most other local schools. The children will study Music, Art, have Phys Ed, (anyone over there griping about your kids education realize that YOU HAVE IT GOOD) and another language. They do something cool called “Unit Study” which essentially is take one subject and learn everything about it applying all areas of study. I liked the idea. I must confess the school at first glance was a little too glossy for me as I tend to prefer things a little bit more basic with a bit more of a mixed bag regarding the student body. But hey even though it is my life’s quest; it’s never perfect!!!

There is also a Montessori School in Hannover and the kids were able to go there as well, but the only draw back to that was that the school is only in German, as well as the fact that the school is VERY small and VERY new. From a stimulation and sensory perspective it would have been the perfect place for Lily, but for Riel?? We had to ask ourselves how much we wanted Riel to struggle to play catch up in German when we knew it is not likely a language he will continue to use.

So in the end after much angst…since we never REALLY felt like we had enough information to make a good decision and since one never really knows how the kids will fit in we decided that the more robust curriculum in a more established school in English might be the best bet, for now and even though we love the tenents of Montessori.

My little compromise for myself (and the kids) is to try to get my hands on some Montessori Method books and try to do some of the sensorial work at home.

I feel a great sense of relief at having made that decision as pretty much the rest of our life in Germany hinges on the geographic location of the school since Hannover is a bit gridlocked and G*d forbid we end up in the wrong spot. So now we can make some decisions regarding housing. We will rent as we have been doing in Dijon, as buying is a difficult proposition not knowing the area or the real estate market well enough not to get caught.

We have seen lots of houses and apartments, and I must confess it is a bit discouraging (like everywhere else I guess) first the process of understanding what is available for what money and where. There is a little too much burgundy tile and icky 70’s shag around for my liking…

I will be glad to know when we will actually box up and go and where we will all be laying our heads. Finally.

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

More Stars


I few months ago we decided (that would be unilaterally ME) that we needed to implement some sort of system to allow for discussion and encouragement of the tasks that we face around here on a daily basis.

So we implemented the "Star" system. You can check it out on a previous post here.

It has been fabulously successful and I must confess my kids have mastered most of the things on the list so well, with all the positive reinforcement, we have pretty much outgrown it. My kids have been bugging me to revamp the list of things that can be done well to earn stars because they loved it so much. One or two stars get rewarded for each thing during the day done well and can be traded up for all sorts of good things.

Both the kids and I loved the fact that at the end of the day we got to connect in a really nice way. I loved the fact that no matter how cruddy the day had been I was able to help them end on a good note and give some positive feedback about all the stuff well done. It provided a great opportunity for us all to feel as though we were making some progress mastering the things that typically had become sore spots.

Riel and I sat down and chatted about what else we could add to the list in a more general way and this is what we came up with going forward.

I think it looks pretty good.

I am looking forward to talking to them about some of these topics in a concrete way.

Star List #2

CONSIDERATION= Showing kindness and thinking of others
Unsolicited act of kindness like sharing
Showing empathy by comforting
Letting other’s go first
Helping others

RESPECT= Showing others we value them
Listening attentively by focusing our attention
Letting others know we hear and understand with eye contact
Letting others know we hear and understand by responding
Letting others do the things they need to do by giving space

Dignity=Letting other’s know we value ourselves
Talking about our feelings
Making sure we use appropriate words to be understood
Keeping a positive attitude
Not arguing

Manners=Showing we respect others by using polite behaviour
Saying please and thank you
Using cutlery properly
Allowing others to speak
Keeping our elbows off the table

Responsibility=Taking care of ourselves
Getting up on our own, Getting dressed on our own, Making our own beds
Figuring out what we need and asking for what we need
After an activity putting what we used, the things away
Organizing our things for the next activity-thinking ahead
Taking care of our own stuff

BEING PART OF THE TEAM=helping out
Making a meal
Helping with a meal
Cleaning a bathroom
Setting the table
Clearing the table
Offering to help

Aren't you glad you don't live at our house!!!

What we have been up to...