Chat-A-Thon Thread

[bargain_hunter_lola]

Ice cream? He'd be in heaven! lol

He just had lunch though, no ice cream. Maybe this afternoon.

[MrsSunshine]

wow Lola.. what a fantastic Mama you are.. for doing all that for your kids.. we just got very lucky when we moved here.... it just happened to be smack dack in the middle of everything .. literally 2 blocks from everything..from daycare/gradeschool/highschool to stores.. even fire.. i don't think i could have planned it better.... doesnt' mean there aren't things i'd like to be closer to though..

[MrsSunshine]

well im off for abit. i need to do something here. even to myself.. um shower i mean.. so if ya see me on here before noon. kick my butt off k

[sheetsofemptycanvas]

My little guy is in SK... he just started last year but because of his age (he was almost 5 when he started) he had to start in SK instead of JK Lola, you are so lucky that you had so many options for schools! Because we're out so far in the country there wasn't a choice unless I wanted to send him to a french school, and that would be even farther away. He's been picking up some nasty language on the bus lately so I'm even more unimpressed If I could drive him and pick him up every day I would but that won't work once I start working again.

[bargain_hunter_lola]

Thanks MrsSunshine!

I usually get a lot of slack from friends and DHs family. They think I'm a little too involved. They don't get why we just didn't enroll DD into whatever school, they didn't think I needed to scout out all 3 but I'm happy I did. Makes it easier!

So cool that you're so close to everything! Handy! We fairly close to most things, especially since we were used to living in the country. lol

[sheetsofemptycanvas]

My little guy is in swimming lessons, he goes every Saturday and he loves it! My oldest DS can take lessons through the school he goes to in Ottawa so I've talked to his Dad and he will be taking them when they start

I have to drive almost an hour to take little guy every week... middle of nowhere=me lol

[bargain_hunter_lola]

I took the bus in elementary school and I remember it well. I didn't want my kids on a bus.

We were lucky when searching for a house. There were only a few neighbourhoods that I wanted to be in. We found the perfect house in my 2nd choice area. And it's super close to the school!

Plus I can walk them because I'm not working, so it works out well.

[bargain_hunter_lola]

My little guy is in swimming lessons, he goes every Saturday and he loves it! My oldest DS can take lessons through the school he goes to in Ottawa so I've talked to his Dad and he will be taking them when they start

I have to drive almost an hour to take little guy every week... middle of nowhere=me lol

DD took 2 sets of lessons but then we stopped when DS was born. Just too much going on. I've been wanting to put th both in for awhile but DH is away too much and I can't do both since they are too young. Really hoping to get DS in for intro lessons while DD is at school.

I think it's so important for them to learn and safe too!

[bargain_hunter_lola]

Speaking of swimming, we have decided to take down our pool this summer. I'll be glad to get a lot more yard but tearing down the old deck, ripping out the pool and the filling and sodding is going to be a PITA.

Anyone have experience with that type of thing? Any tips?

[sheetsofemptycanvas]

I love swimming and I want my boys to be able to enjoy it as well. Plus, my Dad is getting a boat this summer and wants to take the boys fishing with him so knowing how to swim is a MUST! He's over the moon to have grandsons to take fishing, especially after having two daughters that never wanted to do it lol.

[Darth Penguin]

I feel for you on the school bus sheets. Penguinette 1 leaves at 7.20 and gets to school at 8.30. ON her way back the bus is 4 pm but she has to change twice getting her home for 5.35ish. Her school hours are 9.20-3.50.

[bargain_hunter_lola]

I feel for you on the school bus sheets. Penguinette 1 leaves at 7.20 and gets to school at 8.30. ON her way back the bus is 4 pm but she has to change twice getting her home for 5.35ish. Her school hours are 9.20-3.50.

Oh my gosh, that's so long! I hated being on the bus for 40 minutes as a kid, I couldn't image an hour and a half! Insane! Really cuts down your time with them each day too!

[Natalka]

Hiya! Oh, back to school after Christmas break is always exciting for kids!

About school and buses - we moved to Saskatoon when Milan was four, so he went to Ukrainian pre-school two mornings per week - it was all the way across the city, so I drove him.
Where we were living, there is a Catholic school just a few blocks and a park away - a public one, too.
However, we wanted him to go to the Ukrainian bilingual program, which was at a school far across the city, so he had to take the bus.
Well, he just loved being on the bus!

Then I think it was when he was in Grade 6, the program moved to a school a lot closer to us, probably a 10 minute drive. However, busing was still offered, so he went on the bus. Of course, it meant a shorter bus ride, which was good.

Our school division has a policy where a child can be on a bus only for less than an hour. Plus, they do pick-ups and drop-offs in reverse order, so sometimes the morning ride is longer, sometimes the afternoon one.
When he was going to the school farther away, he was picked up at just after 8 a.m., school began at 9.
He always preferred having the longer bus ride in the morning, then to be one of the first to be dropped off at home.

[Natalka]

When I was growing up in a small city, we were six long blocks from school. Walked, yes - even when -40 temps. I remember so many times walking and crying because it was so cold! Dad worked, mom stayed home, but didn't drive.

High school was a lot farther away, and we walked or biked.

Busing was only for kids from farms.

[sheetsofemptycanvas]

Oh Darth, that sucks!! She has to change buses?

I hated riding the bus when I was a kid too. Lots of things can happen without the bus driver ever knowing it. As soon as I'm working and can move out of here I'll be moving to town so the kids can walk to school.

Natalka, my Dad always talks about walking to school and I can't imagine it in the winter... I'm a big baby about the cold so I'm sure I would cry too!