I love the school my children attend. Besides the super friendly staff and beautiful location, the school has amazing programs that they offer for free. One such program happens on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons right after school. The PE teacher (who has already teaches each grade 3 times a week) stays after to teach various sports in the way play used to be. The rules are explained and boundaries are set, but then the kids just are free to play with lots of kids of all ages for an hour. We have done soccer, ropes courses, broom ball (which we missed out on because of sick kids one right after another), and now we get to enjoy a month long of ice skating at the school before we switch to snow shoeing, and then cross country skiing! I get to come and bring my younger two and we love it. They feel like they are one of the big kids. 
Musically, the kids can be in Pipes and Drums learning bag pipes or two types of Irish drums from a teacher (Mia's teacher actually) who competes frequently and even played for the music on Brave!! Famous connection---I know, impressive ;). And/Or, you can do choir which preforms at such fun venues as the Tree Lighting Ceremony in our sweet and quaint "downtown". The kids haven't selected those activities mainly because I needed a chance to slowly fill up my family schedule to a balanced place. But the one they have signed up for that takes place during the next 3 months is learning about music, art, story, and songs from Africa and Australia from a teacher who spent 10 years as an Artist -in-Residence. And yes, I am living vicariously through them by tagging along when allowed.
Tonight was just the icing on the already amazing cake. Tonight was a family fun night with chili and hot cocoa, ice skating with friends on the the school's out door ice skating rink, a bon fire, and a sleigh ride pulled by beautiful horses and a cute old man who was informative in that silly trivia sort of way. I almost started tearing up while riding along the snow covered tree lined street that looked like we had left all civilization.
I feel so blessed that my kids get these amazing once in a lifetime opportunities.
