School's out!

It is finalllllllly the last day of school! We have finished Grade 7, 5, and 2.

The kiddos with their awards! The boys (coincidentally) each earned the Truth award for embodying the principle. Calista earned Honours with Distinction and the Grade 7 Music Award. So I'm bragging a little bit.

Calista wants to be a an author or a marine biologist when she grows up. She said the best part of grade 7 was lunch and her best friends are Vanessa, Karen, and Olesia.

Her favorite class was band and she doesn't really have any regrets for grade 7 because it was a good year.

Next year, she's excited for seeing her friends again in grade 8.

If she could be any animal, she'd become a cheetah and she's looking forward to seeing her cousins this summer at the beach!

Craig wants to be a chemist when he grows up so it makes sense that the best part of grade 5 was the chemistry unit in science. It wasn't perfect, however: "We had only one little lesson about the periodic table, though it makes up all of chemistry..."

Craig's best friends are Maddy, Mateus, and Steffan and his favorite subject was science! Don't tell him otherwise.

He has no regrets for grade 5 but is not excited for the PATs in grade 6.

If he could be any animal, Craig would stay a person, probably because he's looking forward to playing lots of video games and going to the Ape Caves this summer.

Caleb wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up and the best part of grade 2 was the obstacle course on fun day with the French Fries of Doom.

His best friends are Oliver and Jackson and his favorite subject was science.

Caleb also has no regrets for grade 2 and is excited for a nice teacher in grade 3 ("because I had a really nice and kind teacher this year!")

If he could become an animal, he'd be a friendly T Rex that only attacks bad guys.

Caleb is looking forward to spelunking in a cave this summer.

Bring on summer!

First Day of School, 2023/2024!

First day of school! 

Grades 7, 5, and 2. 

Yup, that's right. Grade 7.

Junior high, can you believe it? Instead of her bus picking her up across the street, Calista now has to walk a couple of blocks. It's still not far, but it gives her some independence... and me some Mom-anxiety. 

Calista is ready for the challenge, though. And the challenge of a new school and switching classes with TWO-minute passing periods! 

I decided that, for the first day, I'd drive Calista to her bus stop and continue on and drive the boys to school. Their backpacks are so heavy that first day! So we got everyone in the car and headed the few blocks to Calista's bus stop. When we got there, I decided to check the bus delays app... and discovered her bus was 90 minutes late. Well, that's not going to work. Um, what can I do instead? It's too early to take the boys to school, and if I take Calista to school first, they'll be late. I decided to drop off the boys at their bus stop (early) and hope they didn't get into trouble, then run Calista to school.

Does this look like a face that would get into trouble at the bus stop?

Definitely not! Actually, he did really well. Being the oldest Rasmussen at the school means he's got some responsibility for his little brother that he didn't really have this year, and he's doing great.

He's sad summer's over, but happy school is starting again. Craig loves sharing his knowledge and trying to know more than his teachers. If he can correct their mistakes, even better!

Caleb was a bit of a wild card, but he waited with Craig at the bus stop very well (and I remembered that Kyler was working from home and so could run out and check on them, so I have a reliable source). 

Caleb started ADHD medication about a week before school starts, so I'm hoping that helps him be able to be successful and do awesome at school this year. 

Maybe he'll grow as much as "Piney" did over the summer!

All in all, a successful day. The morning didn't quite go as planned, but I got them all where they needed to be in the end.

Going back to school is exhausting.

Grade 6 Graduate

My beautiful girl is officially done with elementary school and had her Grade 6 Grad. 

She is smart, strong, funny, talented, and ready to start junior high.

Calista received her "Diploma de Excelencia Académica / Certificate of Excellence" from the Spanish Embassy for completing Grade 6 in the ISA Bilingual Program. We're proud of her!

Calista volunteered to give a speech and did fabulous! She seemed so calm and collected, even if she admitted afterwards her legs were shaking! She was nervous but not afraid: she knew she could do it because she's given talks in church.

Getting her certificate from the representative of the Spanish Embassy.

We're pretty proud of this kiddo!

Calista has thrived and come into her own. She auditioned for the talent show at school and was the closing act. 

She was nervous but did great (a common theme).

And her friends were pretty proud of her, too!

Her favorite part of grade 6 was being with her friends, while taking the PATs were her least favorite part (although she rocked them!).

Calista is looking forward to being in junior high. She's kind of scared but it's going to be fun.

Also, note to event planners: black frosting is never a good idea! 😂

Calista and Craig go skiing!

Traditionally, my kids' school has done 2 ski trips every year, for the older kids. Because of covid (always...) Calista has only gone one year, even though she's in grade 6, and Craig hasn't gone at all. 

But this year, we are finally getting back to normal. Which means two days at the ski hill!

The first was in January. In Edmonton, we never quite know what weather we are going to get, but it was a beautiful day to go skiing. 

I got to go to the local ski hill, too, helping kiddos get on their boots and get up when they fell. None of the kids, except Calista's grade, had been able to go before, so it was a bit chaotic. 

I was so proud of Craig and Calista: they worked hard and kept trying, even when they fell or got frustrated. 

Craig did so well. 

I half expected him to refuse to go back out after his lesson/lunch, but he went down the hill again and again.

And Calista did great, too, but I was less worried about her.

They both loooooved it.

The second day on the ski hill was 2 months or so after the first. It was fun to see how much all of the children improved in just 2 sessions.

And, since the kids were all more experienced, I decided to try being in skis for the first time. Ever. In my whole life. 

I managed to stay upright and move around a bit. 

After a while I made the choice to quit while I was ahead, turned in my skis, and go back to paying attention to the hill full of children. 

Craig  went down the littlest hill over and over. 

He could have gone on the next biggest but he didn't want to and that's okay. 

He was getting his money's worth on the little hill.

Calista practiced turning and met her instructor's requirements to try out a real run.

The look of a girl who went on the chair lift and down the green run.

Mostly successfully.

I am so grateful that field trips are back on to provide this experience to my kids and so many others. I am also very grateful that I have the flexibility to go with my kiddos! I know that if I worked, we would have more money and be able to afford more and better things, but I also know that we are very blessed to be able to afford life without me working. And I love being available for my children. 

Christmas bells are ringing!

As always, one of our big starts of the Christmas season was the kiddos' Christmas concert. 

This year was in person (yay!), making it the first - and last - year that Kyler and I have no children sitting with us in the audience. How freeing!

Craig did the introduction for one of his class' songs.

And Calista has been looking forward to this year for a while now: probably 6 years! 

She finally got to play the handbells! She was so cute, telling me her hair had to be back so that she didn't get any oils on the bells, and nodding to her friend Christian whenever it was his turn to play a note.

They all did great, even if they won't smile and pose for me. Sigh.

And with the concert out of the way, it's time to prepare for the big day itself!

Christmas eve brought pajamas, obviously.

And, also obviously, Christmas morning brought cinnamon ring roll.

I got up pretty early to make sure we have breakfast before church. Definitely worth it, though, to make my great-grandma's recipe. 

We all got dressed in our Sunday best.

Not a bad looking crew, I think!

After church, it was back into pajamas

to open presents

and start using them!

They're learning the rules and also how to lose with grace.

With Christmas over, we were then able to enjoy the rest of the break from school/work.

We went on a couple of different snowy walks and sledding, too.

And when weather was decent, 

we also just had time to relax and play outside.

When weather wasn't as decent, we went to the library

And used our Christmas gift from Ken and Maria:

Year-long passes to the Science Center!

My favorite part of Christmas break, though, was in the calmer, quieter moments. 

Kyler decided to read aloud The Hobbit to the children. They were into it.

Except when Caleb fell asleep in my arms. Still, even he liked it. "I hope the dragon eats Bilbo!" Caleb said. "Or he gets burnt to a crisp."

The kiddos (with help from Kyler and I) even re-wrote the lyrics to "Whistling In The Dark." Presenting, for the first time in public,

"Riddling In The Dark"

A Hobbit came up to me and said I'd like to exit your cave

Before the goblins catch me and send me to an early grave.

What has it got in his pocketses, not hands or knife or string,

I lost the game and that Thief, Baggins, he stole my precious ring.

(Chorus)

There's only one thing that I know how to do well

And I've often been told that you only can do

What you know how to do well

And that's be you,

Be what you're like,

Be like yourself,

And so let's have a wonderful time

And get on with riddling in the dark.

Riddling in the dark

Riddling in the dark

Riddling in the dark

Riddling in the dark

Riddling in the dark

There's only one thing that I like

And that is riddling in the dark.

A spider came up to me and said I'd like eat you whole

And chew you with a side of dwarf within my webby bowl. 

We were trapped like flies but it was time to save the day.

I take my sword and chop them up: few of them live today.

(Chorus)

A Hobbit came up to me and said I'd like to take burgle your hoard 

And give it to some hungry dwarves, sitting outside, bored. 

But I'd rather go out and burn the town sitting on the lake.

To not inspect my armored chest would certainly be a mistake. 

(Chorus)

Riddling (riddling), riddling (riddling)

Dark (dark), Dark (dark)

Riddling  (riddling), riddling (riddling)

Dark (dark), Dark (dark)

Riddling (riddling), riddling (riddling)

Dark (dark), Dark (dark)

Riddling (riddling), riddling (riddling)

Dark (dark), Dark (dark)

Merry Christmas, everybody! I hope you felt the love of your Savior and that no one stole your precious!