Five Greats

Another fabulous week has come and gone. We had some great highlights. Check it out.

1. Flowers

Out new house has a little, but lovely garden. This week, I came home to find my housekeeper clipped a few flowers, to brighten the inside of our house as well.

2. Girls' Night

A great evening filled with friends, food and laughs.

3.  Teacher Conferences

Ethan's teacher had great things to say about my boy. So we celebrated with milkshakes. 

4. Blue Jays

We may not be at home, but that doesn't mean we're not as excited as everyone else over our beloved Blue Jays.

5. My Boy

The Grade 4 students had their first Interhouse. This one was on athletics. And I just love this shot of Ethan. He ran the 200m, and even though he came in third, you can see the joy in his face as he crosses the finish line. 

Witches of East End - Melissa de la Cruz

Meet the Beauchamp women. They are witches, who are forbidden to use their magic.

Joanna is the mother. She has the power to heal. For centuries she has been forbidden to use her powers, but when a little boy falls ill, she goes against the council's orders, and heals him. Soon, she starts helping others, and even brings one back from death.

Ingrid is the oldest daughter. She has the power of foresight. Having lived a quiet life as a lonely librarian she feels compelled to help her friend, suffering from infertility. Soon, word gets out that she can help, and women come to her for help and her "magical knots".

Freya is the wild one. She's fallen in love with Bran and is engaged to be married. But she's drawn to his brother. And her happiness spills over to her work, as a bartender, where she begins making magical potions that allows others to fall in love.

It would appear all is well, despite them using their magic, until things in their little down go bad. An elderly couple is attacked, a young girl goes missing, the waters are polluted and people are getting extremely sick. Is this the work of the witches? Or is there something more evil out there?

Chef Ethan

Ethan has started cooking classes again this term. Last week, they made a fruit salad, vegetable salad and a vegetable soup. It was great seeing Ethan try new foods, and even decide which veggies would compliment each other in a soup.

This week's class was about roasting vegetables. The kids were introduced to herbs and spices. Fresh and dried. They were then asked to choose 3 fruits they wanted to roast and 3 vegetables. These were then split into two, and different herbs and spices were used. I love how the teacher has the students choose the fruits, veggies, herbs and spices.

The next day, Ethan decided he was in charge of the side dish. Ethan decided we were going to have carrots, cauliflower and zucchini. And we would have some rosemary to add some flavour.

Busy chopping

The veggies

Carefully washing the rosemary

Adding the rosemary

Out of the oven. Dinner is ready!

Thank you Ethan. The veggies were great!

This Makes Me Happy

One of the things I love about our school, is the service learning. Students in Grade 5, and up, are asked to take part in at least one community service activity. There's also a lot of service learning, and connections made within the classrooms.

For several years, one of the service learning programs, has been a friendly exchange between our students and students from the Buguruni School for the Deaf. Students from both schools, have enjoyed a special relationship. Our students have been involved with the Buguruni School for several years and a successful exchange programme is in place. IST students enjoy visiting the school, learning some sign language, playing games and football together. Buguruni students also come visit IST and enjoy sharing food, watching Tinga-Tinga tales, creating arts and crafts and...well...playing football!!!

A few years ago, as part of their personal project, one 10th grade student started a Henna Painting initiative. Many girls from Buguruni have joined the Henna Artist Group.

This year, many of these girls will be graduating primary school. This past Friday, they came to IST to have an art sale. The money earned from the sale will go towards either their secondary school education, or even the possibility of starting up small businesses.  I showed up shortly after it began, and was stunned, to see most of the paintings had been sold!!! While sad to miss out on some great art, I did manage to get one (as did Ethan) and the sight of these gorgeous paintings and these beautiful girls made me happy.

Five Greats

1. International Chocolate Day

Sunday was International Chocolate Day.

Our friend, Katy,

celebrated the day with an amazing chocolate-filled

menu.

2. Bagamoyo

Ethan had his first overnight field trip.
He had a great time.
And when he came back the next day,
he went on a playdate.
Guess my boy is growing up!

3. Kheer
Once a month,
my mom makes this incredible
Indian rice pudding.
I love it!
Scott thinks it's too sweet,
and Ethan ....
well...
I don't often share it.

4. Chicken Soup
I'm sick.
Which is no fun.
When Scott's sick,
I'm around.
When Ethan's sick,
I'm here.
When I'm sick,
the world continues.
But I went into the Deli
and whined to our dear Sam,
and she informed me she made chicken soup.
Yum!

5. Licorice Tea
When you're sick,
you don't feel like doing much.
And while I know I should drink a lot of water,
I just don't feel like it.
This is when licorice tea is great.
You stick a tea bag in your mug,
and all day long,
you keep topping it up.
Perfect!

Kiss of a Demon King - Kresley Cole

While it sucks being sick, the upside is all you do all day long, is sit with a cup of tea and read.

And read is exactly what I've been doing for the last couple of days.

Meet Sabine, Queen of Illusions. Her main goal in life is to survive. After dying many times, and being brought back to life by her sister Lanthe, survive seems make sense. Unfortunately, she is also the half-sister to Omort the Deathless (like he cannot die). Sabine and Lanthe are at his service since he has given them a poison that causes a painful death. Asides from the antidote, the only way to stay alive is to take the poison continuously, which he provides, as long as they do what he says.

Omort's latest request, is for Sabine to capture and seduce Rydstrom, the demon king. But Sabine has plans of her own. She plans to use Rydstrom to help her over throw Omort, and gain her freedom.

Meet Rydstron, the deposed demon king. He is finally within reach of his goal, the killing of Omort and recapturing his throne. However, on his way to meet an accomplish for his quest, he is captured by Sabine and her illusions.

And so the battle of wits begins.

Will Rydstron escape? Will he seek revenge? Or will they realize they really have a lot more in common then meets the eye and work together? But, can they trust one another?








 

International Chocolate Day

Did you know that September 13th is International Chocolate Day? Not many people know it. But our dear friend, Katy, from Salt, well, she knows. And she loves this day. Her restaurant celebrates Chocolate Day in style!

All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt

- Lucy Van Pelt in Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz

Salt in probably our favourite restaurant. And Sunday breakfast is the best. But when you add Chocolate Day + breakfast + Salt you get OMG delicious!!

Chocolate is cheaper than therapy and you don't need an appointment.

- Catherine Aitken

Check out some of her chocolaty goodies she offered.

I could give up chocolate but I'm not a quitter.

- Author Unknown

Ethan enjoyed his breakfast of a gooey chocolate brownie. And it had huge chocolate chunks. Heavenly!

Chocolate is a vegetable. 

Chocolate is derived from cocoa beans.

Beans = vegetable.

I opted for a tart. A salted chocolate tart. I mean really, how can you resist? 

I never met a chocolate I didn't like.

- Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation

Now, with all these chocolaty options, how can one choose? So we didn't. Ethan opted for dessert. Check out these cookies. Aren't they divine?

Nine out of ten people like chocolate.

The tenth person always lies.

- John Q. Tullius

Now that Ethan and I have gorged ourselves on a wonderful chocolate filled breakfast, we would like to wish you all a Happy International Chocolate Day!!!