Funny Faces

The girls and I did some craft work this week...we haven't really been as crafty since they do a lot at school and when the girls are home they are often happy just playing with toys and pretending etc. We did potato stamping and the girls loved it.

One day Katie say she wanted to look at her Facebook...it took me a startled minute to figure out that she meant this book. (and not another more well known Facebook)  This book has empty faces for colouring and putting stickers on to make funny faces.

Yesterday we had a special day...the local JDRF put on their KidsnUs conference...a conference for families facing Diabetes.  A chance to learn from sessions and connect with resources and families that also have diabetes.  It was a pretty interesting conference (some speakers were better than others) but the best part of all was that they provided child care ALL DAY for the kids.  Supervised by nurses and nursing students and put into age specific groups. The girls has SO MUCH FUN.  I can't even think of the last time they have had this much fun.  They did a bunch of colouring and other crafts, got balloon animals and face painting done by Shriners clowns and watched a movie in the late afternoon.  Ben and I did have to run down and test and provide insulin at snack times, but really, that wasn't a big deal.  There was also lunch provided and we all ate together.

We didn't really meet any other families like us...with a 3 yr old with diabetes...though I think they might have been there.  I would suggest that next year the conference do some more formal networking between similar families...its hard to exactly relate to all the families with teenagers.  But it was nice knowing that all those families know about living with diabetes...watching food, waking to do night testing etcetc.  And there was a very interesting heated discussion (at one of the concurrent sessions) from the government and school boards about diabetes in classrooms...and it seems that while there is no current legislation requiring certain care for students with diabetes, our city school boards are making a decent effort for accommodation.  I do feel for some of the parents in smaller cities, as it sounded like they weren't feeling very supported.  A good, if long, day overall!

And in other big news...I have agreed to start teaching in Sam's preschool classroom.  They had lost a teacher and were in need of someone and I was sitting in the hall the whole time anyway so I offered my services (no movement on them wanting to learn to test Sam).  There was some talk of moving Sam to the older class, three days a week (and we tried it and she did fine) as thats originally where the need was, but the head teacher has recognized that we would rather stay in the 3 year class (two days a week) and so we will.  It's an unexpected change for me...I wasn't really looking for work at this time, but I think that for various reasons, it will work out very well.  Sam seems to enjoy sharing her class time with me and isn't too clingy (which I think the teachers were worried about)...frankly, sometimes, (I was in class a few days this past week and the week before) I don't even get a chance to see her much during class.  This, plus the usual rush of getting Katie to school has kept us feeling pretty busy.  

Katie had an all day field trip last Friday to Prairie Gardens.  She had so much fun, even though it was a bit of a cold and rainy day.  I found it very very strange to have her away all day, but managed to survive.  

Winter is coming...we have had a bit of snow and the temperatures are CHILLY.  I'm not sure I'm quite ready for it.  Are we ever?