Curling Club

Henri had his first monthly curling lesson on Thursday. All the moms were knitting around a table in the lounge so I decided to go in the rink area instead and give curling a try. Our coach has over 40 years of curling experience. He has coached provincially and even competed at the national level. It was lots of fun, but also A LOT harder than it looks like on TV! Keeping your balance while pushing the 'rock' is quite tricky. Trying to keep up with the fast-moving rock to sweep in front of it while not falling over is an even bigger challenge. I only bruised one knee... Maybe I should take up knitting instead! Henri said he liked it and is looking forward to next month's lesson.

Region of Waterloo Landfill Tour

Waterloo Region recycles more than 38,600 tonnes a year, the equivalent of 7,600 adult elephants! Henri was impressed at how quickly the staff sorted the recyclables and was interested to find out what type of items they turned into such as the picnic table found right outside the building.

Mountsberg Conservation Area

Henri had a great time with his friends during Thursday's homeschool activity, which was a field trip to the Mountsberg conservation area. The guide taught the group through games and hands-on exploration about the wide variety of wildlife who depend on marshes (and other wetlands) and the importance of preserving them.















We forgot our rubber boots at home, so navigating through the marsh was sometimes tricky!






Henri was also interested in learning about various species of wild birds of prey. The conservation area is home to several rescued/injured birds.

Yellow Fish Road

Henri went to his homeschool friends' house on Wednesday to learn about the Yellow Fish Road program. Storm drains are meant to collect and drain rain water from roads exclusively. The collected water is then usually directed and released untreated into the nearest body of water, so pouring any contaminants (such as detergents, oil, etc.) down storm drains has a direct and cumulative impact on local water ecosystems. After painting the yellow fish logo using a stencil next to neighbouring storm drains, Henri and his friends distributed door hangers to help inform local residents on the subject. The kids seemed in a 'science' kind of mood so afterwards they did experiments with litmus paper to test the ph level of various common household liquids such as milk and lemon juice. This was followed by yet another game hammering special rocks which once cracked, revealed interesting crystalline interiors.

Feed The Children Packing

Henri's field trip on Tuesday was organized by the homeschool group's 'Difference-makers' co-op. We went to Guelph's Feed the Children's warehouse to assemble boxes of food for people in need. Not only did Henri have lots of fun with friends before, during and after the packing event, it also served as a reminder of the importance of appreciating how fortunate we are, the awareness that many are less fortunate and the value of doing what we can to help.

Here is FTC's mission statement: Canadian Feed The Children exists to reduce the impact of poverty on children. We work with local partners internationally and in Canada to enhance the well-being of children and the self-sufficiency of their families and communities. We are an independent Canadian registered charity, providing a bridge between those who can help and those we support together.

I was surprised to learn that they send many shipments to food banks in the northern part of Hamilton, which is one of North-America's poorest jurisdictions!

Erin Hill Trail Hike

After spending too much time indoors over the past few days recovering from a cold, Henri was eager to take advantage of the lovely fall weather to do some exploring on Sunday morning. We ended up going for a short trail hike up the hill behind the village of Erin. It is only 10 minutes from home yet amazingly we had never climed it before!

Erin Fall Fair

Our local Erin Fall Fair put on a great show to celebrate its 160th year on Thanksgiving weekend. Henri has had fun going to the fair since he was a toddler, but he seems to enjoy and learn more each year from the experience.

















Here are a few photos Henri took during the fair: