Life with Boys: 12 days.....

What to say.....12 long days....12 incredibly short days.....
It is with mixed feelings that we prepare to head back home. We arrived Aug 24th, 2011, and after 10 months, we will hop a plane and move back to Alberta. It is harder to say goodbye to our adventure here than I thought it would be. In the last few months, I feel that we have really become a part of this community. The boys have made some really good friends, who they will be sad to leave behind: there has already been talk of coming back for vacations, and Skype dates! I have met some wonderful moms, who I am sad to leave behind as well. I will even miss the teachers at the schools--having helped with the classes all year! I will really, really miss the sunshine and heat!!! Oh, and very few mosquitoes!!
But, I also cannot wait to be home. To see our families, our friends, and do all our normal "stuff". I can't wait to be in a bigger house (more than a 100 sq ft), and for the kids to have some space away from each other!! I can't wait to drive my van, and have a box of Wheat Thins!!! And how nice it will be, to just walk into a store, and get what I want, without prepping myself first as to what words I need!!!
And on that note--wouldn't you know--I think I starting to speak a little bit of french!!! It first started Monday. I dropped Joshua (and all the other boys) back at school after lunch, and as he walked into the school, I realized I forgot his swimming bag at home!! I had 10 minutes to get to the house and back before they left for swimming. I had 2 little boys with me, and 600 M there and back--MISSION IMPOSSIBLE!!!! I quickly ran up to the school door, and threw out to the Jacob's teacher standing there: "J'ai oublié Joshua's sac pour la piscine!! Je cours a la maison très vite." Might not have been perfect, but I didn't get a "Quoi??" And, since my little boys are rockstars--we made it!!!!
Tuesday was library morning at the preschool, and without Todd here to help this week (he got a job back in Calgary--that's right, he has to go back to work!!!), I was going solo!! Which meant, more French! Too bad I am just starting to feel comfortable using the language, and I only have 12 days to go....Oh well--I told myself all I wanted out of this year, was to be able to go back to Okotoks, and be able to help better at the kids French Immersion school, so I think I accomplished that goal!!!
But, I think that is enough blabbering for one day!!! Here are a few, unrelated to this post, photos!! All from the last week!!!

As part of the Fete Committee, I helped 2 other moms build these baskets for the year end festival tomorrow night. This was the first time the school built "Paniers" for raffling off. I think they look great, and have been a big hit. Tickets were for 1 Euro. Notice all the fancy cutouts and wrapping on the baskets themselves--yeah, that was me being creative.....

Another lost tooth! All Joshua wants for Christmas is his two front teeth!!

Fort building at its finest!!

We were joined by two of the other Canadian (from Toronto) families for an afternoon noon at the base of Mt Saint Victoire! A wonderful afternoon, with a lot of great boys!!!