Happy Mother's Day!

I'm having a restful morning that started with some books being 'read' to me by Lily followed by a terrific breakfast from Mike :-) They're at swimming so I've got some time to post some photos and to send out a great big Happy Mother's Day to all of the women who have made such an incredible impact on our world!

Life has been hectic in the Pilon-Szala household. Lily is in full potty training mode complete with two treats every time she uses the potty. At first I was against it, but I am now converted! She is doing really well with it and daycare has said that she is now ready for underwear (perhaps too much information for some of you, but you other Moms you know what a big milestone this is!). The pregnancy is going well. My students are very mindful about me being pregnant. I have one student that shouts out to the class 'Quite down, you're upsetting the baby' when the class gets too rowdy. They've already started to think up names for the baby :-)

I have accepted an offer with the Thames Valley District School Board for a full time teaching position starting September 1, 2009! It was a terrific feat as 65 of us interviewed and only 6 of us received offers in a year that the school board announced that there would be absolutely no hirings! A huge relief for our little family! I don't know where I'll be teaching but my students, principal and colleagues at my current school would like me to stay. Since I'll be on maternity leave for nine or ten months, it really doesn't matter, so long as I've got a class to go back to work in. I'm really enjoying working with the intermediate students so I'm hopeful that's where I'll get to stay.

For those who don't know, my younger sister Connie, aka Kid has been deployed and is now serving a tour in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Thanks to technology we get to hear from her and she still gets to see photos of family, especially her 4 year old Whalen and 2 year old Cora.

Enough with the writing and on with the photos!

Happy Mother's Day! I love flowering trees but they agrivate Mike's allergies so I just have to admire them from afar!
Mike and Lily tilling the garden.

Mike surveying our plot for our community garden.

While getting my garden ready for my Mother's Day Gift (Mike gave me a carte blanche to plant what ever I wanted in my five beds around the house, AND he'd plant it all :-) we uncovered an ant colony!

Lily is pretending that she is Mommy and she is seriously mocking me and the method that I need to employ to get myself out of these chairs! She's lucky she's cute!

Alex truly enjoying his Sunday afternoon - baby white donuts AND bubbles! What's a kid to do with so much excitement!?

Alex and Lily playing in Alex's water table.


I'm enjoying blowing bubbles for Alex. Lily has decided to run around Matt's yard like an ape!




Alex is enjoying his Babybel cheese :-)

As part of our fundraising efforts for my school's Grade 7/8 Trip to Québec I've mentored 7 students on how to make beaded jewelery. They made the necklaces over their lunch hours for the months of March and April. We then auctioned them off last Friday at the school's auction night. In total they raised over $230 :-)


Cora, Connie and Lily at Connie's Bon Voyage gathering

Cora is so much like Connie it is unreal!

What a handsome husband I have!!! :-)
Lily LOVES her 'Whalen-Guy'


Whalen is sitting and thinking....

Our lovely little girl and her awesome sunglasses!

Connie eating her 'bon voyage' cake. She left for for her tour in Afghanistan on April 28th.

Cora is very excited about the story she is reading to us.
I kind of think they look related!! Cora is on the left and she's four months younger than Lily, on the right.


Donna and I hanging out :-)

I think Whalen is trying to eat Connie's ear...

Family Photo.

Connie tried desperately to get a group photo of her, Ollie and the kids. This was three days before she left for Afghanistan and she really wanted a good photo.

Connie and I at the bowling alley.

Connie, Mike and Lily at bowling.

Lily giving Connie a Kiss Bye Bye.