Back to School and Activies

GOOD MONDAY MORNING EVERYONE!  Actually AFTERNOON!  A little slow today!  Hope your August was as stellar as mine with the incredible sunshine we experienced here in Alberta.  Exciting to be back this morning around the R & R Hot Stove after taking a break to reconnect with some of my greatest fans aka my eleven grandkids (9 bio and 2 adopted) aged four to eighteen! 

    My oldest grandson Gavin is off for an exciting new adventure in Northern BC as assistant captain of the Mackenzie Mountaineers hockey team!  Winston (7) and Maxym (11) two major hockey fanatics will be donning their hockey skates in Calgary AB this fall while Maddox (8) will be shooting baskets for his team in his great love of basketball! London (14), Prentice (10) and Stella (9) are still twirling and leaping high as incredible young dancers and London is extending her athleticism to volleyball as well! Olivia (12) is going to be trying a new activity as an Army Cadet which will give her a whole variety of activities to experience while Emmanuelle (10) my horse crazy girl excelled recently in an Equestrian Jumping Competition. Viviane (7) loves her biking and skateboarding while our youngest grandkid Alexis (4) tells us she has plans to be a UNICORN and is pursuing that route. How privileged I am to be a Grandmother and so great to spend individual and together time with my kids and their families as writing and promoting Gross Misconduct Hitting From Behind has been a major focus for ‘Old Granny’ for some time.   

    Here’s to a great fall for each and every child as schools return to a new ‘normal’ and where every child is deserving of having a great school experience.  Hats off to all the teachers returning to the classroom this month and taking care of our precious young Canadians confused by all the turmoil we have witnessed in the last two years! Hats off as well to all those engaged in children’s activities to expand the skills and abilities of children in extracurricular activities underway now that September has arrived! Such activities can make a tremendous difference in the lives of young children where they develop and hone new skills and abilities outside the classroom.  

    Years ago, when my husband and I followed our dream of building a log house and living in the wilds of Northern Alberta, we make a conscious decision that our kids would not only have the benefit of such a wilderness experience but would not be denied participation in any extracurricular activities because of our choice to live 30 km from our closest community.  Needless to say, we were ‘on the road again’ a lot but that too was a chance to connect with our Kolbuc team members…excepting of course when I would arrive home having forgotten to collect one kid or another!  Needless to say, my husband NEVER forgot a child.  He had put that task in his Day-Timer unlike his wife who could never be sure where she had placed that ‘lovely’ gift from her husband.  However, the many activities our kids pursued as kids is reflected in the skill set they all carry as adults and as parents.  Kids who have the privilege of developing skills outside the parameters of classroom learning develop different abilities.  Being a part of a team with good leadership in place can also augment academic achievement and can truly change the course of a child’s life.  Learning to work together toward a common goal.  Learning to “pass” rather than always shoot, developing skills with others passionate about the activity – learning the Together Everyone Accomplishes More concept. Cheering on teammates both alike and different than you.  Developing skills in getting along with others.  Celebrating communal victories and working through defeat to move forward in a quest to be a better player and teammate each practice……….  And seeing your team members working just as hard…. Nothing like it particularly when outstanding coaches with excellent skill development and mentoring practices become a critical part of the toolkits of all those volunteering to provide leadership in sport.   

My OUTSTANDING TEAMMATES- TRACY STARK, STACY CROSSLAND  and friends are busy promoting activities to raise money for the R & R Memorial Foundation now known as the R & R Empowering Society which has been built to provide assistance for children and families needing a hand up in the funding such empowering activities for kids. The organization has expanded to include assistance with not only sporting activities but other areas of interest for children as well as centering on educational pursuits to END the abuse of women and children in our society.  Please refer to the R & R Legacy page on Facebook for further information on such events. AND PLEASE REMEMBER if you are looking for a read for your Book Club please just connect with us and we would be pleased to meet your needs!

                                                                                                                            LOVE Sandra