When you're in Toronto, look up. Look way up. It's kind of hard to miss what used to be the world's tallest tower. Regardless of how many times I see it, I can't help but admire the CN Tower every time I am in the downtown area. But I don't always look at it closely enough. While on our way to the Toronto FC soccer game last month. I snapped a photo of the CN Tower since it was such a beautiful day with gorgeous blue skies. It wasn't until I downloaded the photos onto my computer that I noticed something I hadn't before.

Do you see them? A group of brave souls leaning off the edge as part of the CN Tower Edge Walk. It looks pretty scary but I hope to try it one day. In the meantime, I will just enjoy the views from afar, thank you very much. I leave you with a view of the Toronto cityscape taken from the BMO Field.

Halloween is right around the corner. Want proof? Just pop into your local supermarket and you will undoubtedly find Halloween candy throughout the aisles. Sheesh! But hey, if you can't beat 'em, might as well join 'em. So I'm following suit by throwing up some costume photos for this week's Wordless Wednesday. Why? Because I found these ones from a couple of years ago, way back when my kids still had their baby face and loved dressing up any time of year. I think I need to print hard copies to post in my office for my daily dose of smiles.  

What can you do with a Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Stampin' Up! stamps and some design paper? How about a handmade greeting card with pink butterflies and blossoms?

Okay. I'm not really a Sportsnet Broadcaster but I did get to feel what's it like while at the Rogers Cup semi-finals this past weekend. They had a truck on site with a green screen and teleprompter. There was no run-through so this was my first time reading the lines. Not bad, I say. The video link was emailed to me within minutes. It's amazing what you can do with technology these days!

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This upcoming school year will bring with it a lot of uncertainty and unanswered questions. Teachers will be taking strike action in the form of enhanced work-to-rule, our school will be saying goodbye to cherished staff members and we will be reorganizing class locations throughout the school. On a good note, we will also begin implementing Google Apps for Education and, while I have a Google Educator certificate, I am still trying to envision how to deliver new French curriculum within thirty-minute French periods while equipping students with the 21st century knowledge and skills they need to succeed. I will admit that I put a lot of pressure on myself to do everything I can to be a better French teacher but there are those rare moments when I think how easy it would be to quit teaching altogether and pursue a different avenue. No more report cards, no more marking, no more late nights planning the perfect lesson. But then I think about that card I wrote to my grade 6 French teacher, the one in which I thanked her for inspiring me to pursue a career as an FSL teacher. You see, I never chose teaching. It was never just a job. It was my calling, and it chose me. 

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These photos were taken with the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3, which I am currently test-driving.

You know what I miss? Making my own cards using my Cricut. So when I was asked to make invitations for my nephew's first birthday, I couldn't resist. My sister-in-law chose the dalmatian cut from the Create a Critter cartridge, which was perfect because the hat has a number 1 on it. Aren't they just adorable? Head on over to my craft blog dianasdesigns.ca to find out how I made them: Cricut Create a Critter Dalmatian Invitations.

I found this photo in my stream today. My guess is my son was playing around with the Photo Booth on my iPad. Either that, or he had a growth spurt and oddly resembles Jay Leno.

After having bumped into Sylvia Duckworth at the World Congress of Modern Languages in March, I have had the great fortune of attending two of her workshops. Both times, I have learned a great deal on educational technology such as using iPads and Google Apps for Education in the FSL classroom. She is not only a wealth of information, she is an amazing French teacher who was recently featured in the June issue of Professionally Speaking Magazine. She has inspired me to obtain Google Educator certification and I've just recently registered for the GAFE Summit happening here in Toronto this October. I have learned SO many great ideas and teaching strategies that I can't wait to implement in the classroom thanks to Sylvia and, especially after watching the Great Teaching video featuring Sylvia Duckworth, I am even considering registering for AIM Language training. To this day, I cannot thank her enough for everything she has taught me, including how to use the Tayasui iPad app to draw sketchnotes. The sketchnote above is my very first one. She truly is my hero!

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Sharing an old Thinking of You Butterfly Card I made a few years ago. A lot has happened over the past week and I've been thinking about those who have been directly affected. Makes me realize how life is short and all those other clichés. But really, life is too short. Especially when you dwell too much on the negative instead of focusing on the positive. For me, my craft space where I make my own greeting cards is my happy place. I think I need to spend more time there and try my hand at another one of these shape cards. The butterfly cut is from the Cricut Indie Art cartridge and the circle shape card is from the Cricut Wild Card cartridge. I embossed the circle using the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder and added a couple of little extras.

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Have you heard of Cavalia Odysseo? It's a theatrical experience like no other. The show pushes the limits of live entertainment by blending the arts of equestrianism and acrobatics with high-tech theatrical effects and live music all under one giant big top. Odysseo by Cavalia is the world's largest touring production and it is currently playing right here in Toronto. This two-hour extravaganza is so incredible, they have added additional performances to meet strong ticket sales. 

Even though I am already counting down to summer vacation, there is one break I could live without. The kind that involve x-rays and emergency rooms. Last Friday, my son fell while playing at a neighbour's and broke his collarbone. Luckily, the pain pretty much subsided after that first night. He is more heartbroken that he can't participate in sports and that he will have to wear a sling all day long for the next six weeks. I have a follow-up appointment at the fracture clinic later this week for a checkup. 

Have any of you had the misfortune of breaking your collarbone? Or do you have children who have broken it? I am still confused as to what his limitations are. The paediatrician, who was impossible to get a hold of, simply recommended no contact sports for the next six to eight weeks. Does that mean I should let him play outside during recess? I know he will be careful but what about the hundreds of kids playing basketball or soccer throughout the playground? My fear is that it will take just one person running into him, causing him to fall, for him to injure his collarbone before it even has a chance to fully heal. What do you think? I would really appreciate your suggestions. 

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Last weekend, I was lucky to have attended the World Congress of Modern Languages Conference which took place in Niagara Falls. It was a chance to learn and collaborate with educators from across the globe, an opportunity that doesn't come around very often. Next year, the conference will take place in New Orleans. I'm not sure I will be able to make it out there but can you imagine how amazing that would be? The place is rich with culture!


While I ruminate on how I could possibly make that happen, you should watch this video taken during Friday night's reception. It shows Etienne performing one of my favourite songs "Aller" while conference attendees attempt a simple line dance for the first time on stage. Myself included! Avoir II is still my favourite and funny enough, it happens to be Justin Bieber's go-to French song, too!

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Over the March break, the kids and I were invited to spend a morning at Wizard World Fun Park here in Toronto where we were able to enjoy an exclusive media preview of Mario Party 10. My Nintendo Kid Reviewers have both loved playing Mario Party 8 and 9 so they were eager to see all the new features. My son really seemed to enjoy it and thought it was neat that you could play as Bowser to prevent Team Mario from stealing the Star. The game still has the traditional Mario Party mode as well as new features, boards and mini-games, my son's favourite. It was our first time playing a game on the Wii U console and I see why my husband is bugging me to trade in our old Nintendo Wii for an upgrade. He's a big fan of Mario, as am I. I've always had a thing for Italian men in overalls...

By the way, if you're thinking of throwing a Mario themed party or are just looking for some fun printables, check out the Mario Party 10 Party Planner site.