Play Each Day

A Classic Canadian Activity

2012-02-09T19:18:00.001-05:00

I took the kids out of school this morning to go to Winterlude. We went to Jacques Cartier park and slid on the ice slides, tubed down the hills, met some Canadian Rangers, listened to some tunes, admired the ice sculptures and ate Beaver Tails.

A fantastic morning. Here is the proof (thanks to my neighbour ST-G for the great footage):

Avo and I rode this tube together. We both thought we were going to fly up and over the edge at the end.

A Bacon Mug Filled With Cheese

2012-02-03T12:00:00.001-05:00

I love a good unhealthy snack.

This is just plain crazy:

Crazy Snack Foods

Mission for the Day

2012-02-01T19:29:00.001-05:00

Avo turns to me today and out of the blue says,

"Mommy, we need to go and find a rainbow."

That's as good a mission as any.

Monday Morning in the Gatineaus

2012-01-30T19:19:00.003-05:00

Life is hard indeed. Infinite thanks to the lady who had to stay home and watch the little monkeys.

We went skiing four days in a row (five days total). We both admitted that we were a little tired by the end.

Yes Jam that is a double-tracked trail (both directions) with a skate ski section in the middle that goes on for kilometres and kilometres. Don't cry now, you can come visit anytime - in fact I encourage it.

Stuff Avo Says

2012-01-22T17:51:00.001-05:00

*After washing up all the muffin making dishes:

"Daddy, I'm done. I'm a superhero disher."

*After she got better from a cold:

"I lost my fever papa." (especially cute b/c she never calls JEM papa).

*One morning upon waking:

"Daddy, look, the night's not outside anymore."

*To me after a 40-minute tantrum during which she refused to apologize:

"I said sorry in my brains."

What I'm Hooked on Right Now

2012-01-22T17:47:00.004-05:00

I love what they come up with at this site:

Flavorwire

Treats on the iPhone

2012-01-11T10:33:00.001-05:00

I love when I find new pictures or video on JEM's iPhone.

I found these two treasures recently:

Reading List 2011

2012-01-01T17:17:00.000-05:00

The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett
A Study in Sherlock - Laurie R. King & Leslie S. Klinger
Sister - Rosamund Lupton
Explosive Eighteen - Janet Evanovitch
The Disciple of Las Vegas - Ian Hamilton
Kill for an Orchid - Michelle Wan
One Day - David Nicholls
Ganymede - Cherie Priest
Murder in the Monashees - Roy Innes
A Trick of the Light - Louise Penny
Growing Up Amish - Ira Wagler
Body Contact - Terry Carroll
The Better Mother - Jen Sookfong Lee
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson
Hollywood Moon - Joseph Wambaugh
Street Freaks - Money and Madness at Lehman Brothers - Jared Dillian
Night Vision - Randy Wayne White
A Twist of Orchids - Michelle Wan
Flash and Bones - Kathy Reichs
Letter to a Young Gymnast - Nadia Comaneci
Before the Poison - Peter Robinson
Bossypants - Tina Fey
Black Diamond - Martin Walker
Physik - Angie Sage
Sisterhood Everlasting - Ann Brashares
A Lesson in Secrets - Jacqueline Winspear
Southtown - Rick Riordan
Smokin' Seventeen - Janet Evanovitch
How Bad Are Bananas - The Carbon Footprint of Everything - Mike Berners-Lee
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
What the Dog Saw - Malcolm Gladwell
Naked Heat - Richard Castle
The Master Butchers Singing Club - Louise Erdrich
The Letter, The Witch and The Ring - John Bellairs
The Mummy, The Will and The Crypt - John Bellairs
A Red Herring Without Mustard - Alan Bradley
A Spot of Bother - Mark Haddon
The Water Man's Daughter - Emma Ruby-Sachs
Around My French Table - Dorie Greenspan
Born To Run (A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen) - Christopher McDougall
The House With a Clock in Its Walls - John Bellairs
Red Wolf - Liza Marklund
Patterns in the Sand - Sally Goldenbaum
The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barbery
Hell's Corner - David Baldacci
Kitchen Table Wisdom - Stories That Heal - Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.
State of Fear - Michael Crichton
Patriot Hearts - John Furlong with Gary Mason
The Mapping of Love and Death - Jacqueline Winspear
The Border Lords - T. Jefferson Parker
An Incomplete Revenge - Jacqueline Winspear
Story House - Timothy Taylor
Pardonable Lies - Jacqueline Winspear
Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear
Birds of a Feather - Jacqueline Winspear
Septimus Heap, Book Two: Flyte - Angie Sage
Bel Canto - Ann Patchett
The Lake of Dreams - Kim Edwards
The Custodian of Paradise - Wayne Johnston
Essex County - Jeff Lemire
The Spellmans Strike Again - Lisa Lutz
The Reversal - Michael Connelly
Queen Bees and Wannabees - Rosalind Wiseman
The Best Laid Plans - Terry Fallis
The Bone Cage - Angie Abdou
31 Bond Street - Ellen Horan
Port Mortuary - Patricia Cornwell
War - Sebastian Junger
The Sherlockian - Graham Moore
Fadeaway Girl - Martha Grimes
Our Kind of Traitor - John Le Carre
The Emperor's Tomb - Steve Berry
Bury Your Dead - Louise Penny
Corduroy Mansions - Alexander McCall Smith
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke

Merry Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-24T20:48:00.001-05:00

We are ready for Santa.

Are you?

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-13T19:43:00.001-05:00

As the year comes to a close we find ourselves with an 8-year-old boy who loves hockey, school and technology.

A 6-year-old girl who loves playing with her friends, drawing, swimming, skating and making up crazy stories.

Two 3-year-old girls who love each other so very much, love being silly, dancing and running around as fast as they can.

It's been a wonderful, fantastic year full of fun, giggles and piles of sticky, gooey hugs and kisses (the girls really like jam in the morning and Erik and I get very sticky).

We are all happy, healthy and having a great time in this little house of ours on a marvelous street.

Thank you to all our family, friends and neighbours who help make our lives so much fun and that much easier.

We wish you all a magical holiday season and hope the New Year is the best ever.

Love,

Erik, Darcy, Max, Marley, Camryn and Avery

If you are interested, here are some pics from 2011:

Marley at the end of last December with perfect packing snow

I bought a new skating/skiing helmet
Maxman promptly stole it and wore it

The girls in February

Camo last March recovering from pneumonia in CHEO

Family breakfast

Hanging out in April

Someone's mom made him a Jedi robe

A street party butterfly in May

This was during Maxman's soccer game

They were unbelievably happy

June 2010

Playing in the 3ft wide pool

We had fun at the beach

Lots of fun at the beach

He turned 8 and is almost as tall as some moms at school

A rare picture of the two of us

One of us is usually behind the camera these days

They turned 3!!!

We made these stars this year

They are beautiful

We decorated the tree and drank hot chocolate

We are now ready for Santa

iphone pics

2011-12-13T19:36:00.001-05:00

No Wrapping Paper

2011-12-09T12:58:00.001-05:00

IKEA sells fantastic wrapping paper. I have been waiting all year to stock up for Christmas and for the rest of the year's events like birthdays, etc....The paper is not always holiday specific and it's great quality.

I just went to the biggest IKEA in Canada. It has no wrapping paper and will not be getting any before Christmas. They also don't have one single Christmas decoration or gift bag.

The credit card and debit machines also went down while I was there.

We left with two frozen yogurts.

Random Bits and Pieces

2011-12-05T18:48:00.000-05:00

Painted some chalkboard bits in the kitchen today. The kids are all very excited about it. So am I. JEM suggested painting all the cupboards black. Carefully buddy, that could happen tomorrow if you aren't careful.

Christmas celebration is well under way. We have made many, many snowflakes. We open and read a Christmas book every night from now until Christmas Eve.

JEMs Movember moustache is long gone - Yippee!!

There is no snow here. It just keeps raining. This sucks.

A very good friend started working for an MP today on Parliament Hill. I am very, very happy for her. She is going to be fantastic.

Avo has been wearing a red and black dress lately. She calls it her ladybug dress or her rockstar dress depending on her mood. When it's rockstar dress, she has moves to go with it. It's highly entertaining.

I put up the Christmas lights last week. They look great. Even better than last year. Turns out if you accidentally use half your Christmas tree lights as well as the regular amount of lights on your house it looks great. Gonna have to buy some more lights this year for the tree because they are not coming off the house.

I made French Onion Soup today - it is delicious. So, so, so good.

p.s. In case you were wondering, Elf is just as funny as always so don't worry.

Made Me Laugh So Hard Today

2011-11-22T19:45:00.001-05:00

Embarrassing Darcy Moment

2011-11-17T20:14:00.000-05:00

The sewing machine started acting up lately. Instead of going super speed it would only go chu-chunk....chu-chunk...chu-chunk.

I used it but knew I needed to get it fixed.

I took it in to the Sewing Machine Hospital (that's actually the name of the store).

The sewing machine doctor plugged it in.

It went really slow.

The doctor reached up to the front of the machine and moved the speed toggle from the left to the right.

The machine was fixed.

Yippeee!!!

There was nothing at all wrong with it other than I hadn't read the instruction manual very well.

Oops.

Movember

2011-11-17T14:33:00.001-05:00

This is what Movember is all about (taken directly from the Movember website):

"During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in Canada and around the world. With their “Mo’s”, these men raise vital funds and awareness for men's health, specifically prostate cancer.

On Movember 1st, guys register at Movember.com with a clean-shaven face. For the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts.

Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November. Through their actions and words, they raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health."

Jem and my brother Jam are both participating this year. Go boys!!!

Jem is growing his Mo with some men from work. They all started growing full beards for the first two weeks of November. On Monday they held an auction at work and their co-workers bid on their Mo's. People pooled their money and bought the various men. Once they had been bought, their co-workers got to choose how they would shave their Mo's.

The co-workers had to choose one of the nine styles below:

Jem's co-workers donated $80 to buy his Mo and picked the "Police Officer" for him:

We have all agreed that it is not the best look for him. I would have chosen the Musketeer personally.

All in all, his division raised $1000 for Movember in one afternoon. They all had a very good time.

Yesterday morning someone had pinned a picture of Tom Selleck from Blue Bloods to Jem's wall.

My brother Jam has been also doing a fabulous job of growing his Mo. Check out his progress at:

http://mobro.co/jamesgillespie

Happy Movember!

Autumn in Ottawa

2011-11-13T18:26:00.000-05:00

Kitchen Dance

2011-11-13T18:20:00.000-05:00

Sometimes they just have to dance like chickens in the kitchen.

Halloween Night and a Puppy Dog

2011-11-13T18:15:00.002-05:00

Witches, Cinderella with Antennae and Katara

2011-11-13T18:12:00.000-05:00

A Winnipeg Jet and a Vampire Cheetah

2011-11-13T18:07:00.000-05:00

Help Me Out

2011-11-12T17:10:00.000-05:00

Someone please solve this crime - it has been driving me crazy for years now!!!!

Mysterious Crime Story

Lest We Forget

2011-11-11T11:49:00.000-05:00

Highway of Heroes

Best Thing I've Ever Found Online For Sale

2011-11-09T15:29:00.000-05:00

This company is called Apple Saddlery. They sell everything you'd usually find at a place that calls itself a saddlery.

Jam and Ponin this is for you because they also sell these:

Zombie Axes

Wise Words

2011-10-25T12:49:00.000-04:00

I read this the other day and realized how wise it is. I think about these words often and every time I do I think about how very true they are.

"I love you with all my heart, but not all my time."
-Emma Lou Thayne (her pledge to her children)

The Talk

2011-10-19T18:54:00.000-04:00

I was in the car with Maxman, Camo and Avo yesterday.

Maxman says to me from the back seat, "Mom, when I die..."

"You'll be very, very old." I interrupt.

"Um yeah, so when I die..." he says. I am not prepared for this conversation and have no clue where this is going.

"...I want you to make sure and bury me with my wallet. I don't want to give my money to anyone. I want you to put it with me. Why don't you get a nice box and put my wallet in that and put that with me."

Yeah, that is not at all what I thought he was going to say.

Then Camo starts. "Mom, when I die I want all my money with me."

A whole bunch of little Scrooge McDucks is what I have.

Overnighter

2011-10-13T18:45:00.000-04:00

Riding the train to Montreal this Saturday with four fabulous women and no children.

Will be lingering over coffee. Lingering over dinner. Lingering over drinks.

Lots of lingering and no parenting - yippee.

Can't hardly wait.

How You Can Tell...

2011-10-10T20:11:00.000-04:00

...the third and fourth kids from the first and second kids.

When you are the third and fourth kids and they ask you if you know "Head and Shoulders" or "Twinkle Twinkle" at dance class you say no.

This is because your neglectful mother hasn't taught them to you. She has however exposed you to this:

Foster the People

And, at three years old, you have been singing it at home all week.

That my friends is how you tell the difference.

CROSS COUNTRY

Maxman had his very first cross-country meet last week. He was fantastic. All the kids were fantastic. I was so happy all afternoon cheering everyone on. It was inspiring.

The mass start - elbows up.

Coming in to the finish.

Sprinting to catch the guy in front of him.

What I Learned This Week

2011-09-30T18:56:00.000-04:00

Took Maxman to the orthodontist for the very first time this week.

The consult was lovely, the office was lovely, the location was amazing, the doctor was fantastic. The quote was $3800.

We went to another consult with someone else three days later.

The second consult was lovely, the office was nice but very busy, the location was not desirable for us, the doctor was fantastic. The quote was $2200.

I learned that you need to shop around when picking an orthodontist. I did not know this. I did not know that prices varied this much. I naively thought it was like going to the doctor or the dentist. My dentist gives me a complete breakdown of costs every time I go.

Lesson learned - pass it on.

First Day of School

2011-09-24T18:08:00.000-04:00

The first day of school was almost a month ago now.

The kids all like their teachers, classrooms, etc...

p.s. The satellite is all over the news tonight and some may have fallen in Canada (read the previous post for explanation).

Toothpaste stain on the front of her shirt

This is his mowhawk

She thought she was going to school too.

Camo did not have a mowhawk just a ponytail right on top of her head.

How The Old Brain Works

2011-09-24T17:59:00.000-04:00

Was talking to a friend on the phone the other day.

Midway through a sentence the phone went dead and there was only static.

I tried to call her back a number of times and there was no answer.

My first thought (seriously this was my first thought):

I was worried she had been hit by space debris. It's been all over the news lately that some satellite pieces are coming down today.

Turns out her battery died and she couldn't call me back.

Never a dull moment in my brain.

Jogging around the yard

2011-09-08T18:45:00.000-04:00

Doesn't everyone jog with swim goggles on?

Gymnastics

2011-09-08T18:36:00.000-04:00

So cute I almost ate them:

Great House Guests

2011-09-08T18:32:00.000-04:00

Moffsy and Dutch were here for two whole weeks.

We play, play, played!

Some noteworthy things that happened:

Moffsy introduced our whole street to geo-caching.
Camo and Avo grew to love Jack and even touched him.
We took Moffsy to a pub with a Bible of Beer. Yeah, she was really in to that - she drank Long Islands.
We found Le Roi de la Biere. It is an incredible place. Dutch and I walked in circles and giggled the whole time we were there. Ask him about it.
Camo asked Moffsy the day before she left if she would leave her iPad.
Camo got all her carving gear on and went and carved with Dutch one day and didn't stop talking the whole time (this is noteworthy b/c she really didn't speak to him much otherwise).
Moffsy got a pedicure the first day she got here - thank goodness, that toenail was crazy.
Hops & Barley also got a manicure/pedicure thanks to Moffsy.
They pretty much spoiled us rotten and we miss them lots and lots.

The girls giving Jack some love.

Camo and her carving buddy.

How We Pass the Time

2011-09-08T18:22:00.000-04:00

The little blond friend down the street gave Camo and Avo dance lessons the other day.

There was highland dance and there was ballet.

Please note that none of them are currently enrolled in any kind of dance class this was just a spontaneous lesson based on what they think happens.

I just get to sit back and enjoy.

Big Smart World I Need Your Help

2011-08-28T20:36:00.001-04:00

A friend was driving to the Maritimes this summer and stumbled upon a strange man-made rock formation. It was not part of a park, or part of someone's yard and there were no signs indicating what it was.

If anyone knows what it is please let us know.

Some suggestions so far: wedding location, and sacrificial site.

photo courtesy of K. Wilker

Shotgunning

2011-08-28T20:29:00.000-04:00

Maxman and his friend play a car game.

When they see a car they like they say, "I shotgun that black Mustang." and then that car is added to their imaginary car bank.

They do this all the time and then say things like, "I have 4 Hummers in the bank. I have 6 Mustangs."

The little girls have paid attention and if you listen carefully you'll hear Avo say, "I shotgun that GMC over there."

Hilarious!

There's No Gas

2011-08-28T20:21:00.000-04:00

I love, love, love her sweet little voice.

Good Things

2011-08-28T10:18:00.000-04:00

Meat and cheese (this doesn't do justice to what we ate) with lovely friends last night on a super patio.

Breakfast this morning at Fil's.

Life is good.

More Summer Fun

2011-08-13T19:42:00.000-04:00

Would you be at all surprised to learn that strangers touch her hair on the street on a regular basis?

We were at the Beach

2011-07-26T21:40:00.000-04:00

It was a hard, hard week as you can tell from the pictures:

I call this my Corona shot.

Max thinks he looks like one of the Sand creatures from Star Wars in this picture.

This picture was taken at the other lake. Yes, I know, life is so hard we had to go to two lakes before coming home.

JEM and I had babysitters so every morning we ran this way down the beach as far as we wanted.

Then we turned around and ran back this way down the beach. Life is hard I tell ya.

My Family Kills it at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival

2011-07-26T21:31:00.002-04:00

Super proud to say that I am related to the zombie killer!!!

One Rockin Sweet Review!!!

This Made Me Laugh Till I Cried - For Realsy

2011-07-14T19:50:00.000-04:00

I'm not kidding. I couldn't stop laughing while I was reading it.

I am still laughing right now in fact.

I would totally do something like this and if anyone wants to plant one on my front porch I wouldn't be at all upset.

Seriously when she talks about the chicken having a shiv I was a goner.

Laugh till you cry

Humidity

2011-07-11T19:57:00.000-04:00

Do you live somewhere where when they say the temperature is +29, it actually means it's more like +37 when they factor in the humidity.

I live somewhere like that. I took a shower this morning and 13 hours later my hair still hasn't dried completely.

You learn pretty quickly not to leave damp laundry in the hamper. Wanna know why? Because your clothes grow black mold that cannot be removed.

This makes it sound like I live in the deep south doesn't it?

On a happy, happy, happy note the CUPCAKE FAIRY visited again today!!!!! I thought the visits were over. I was wrong. Oh how glad I was to be wrong. They were maple syrup and candied bacon cupcakes - Crazy!!

Happy Birthday Max

2011-07-03T01:52:00.001-04:00

He is 8 today!

He is fantastic!

He is a joy to be around!

We love him! His sisters (all 3 of them) love him soooooo much. And so do JEM and I.

He had a lovely blog post written about him by someone who is fantastic and a joy to be around. Read it here - Max is Great.

He is going to a ball game today with some friends and will get his presents first thing in the am.

He will be getting gifts from Uncle Harry, Uncle Buck and Uncle Louis. It is going to be a good birthday if you are Max.

p.s. I learned the coolest, neatest, perhaps best camping/camp fire tip of all today. Apparently it is hard to bake over a campfire. I have never tried, perhaps b/c I have never had the patience to wait for anything longer than a marshmellow cooking on the fire.

A VERY experienced camper told me that if you want to bake something dessert-like in a fire you....

cut the top off an orange. Scoop and eat the orange. Pour your batter in the orange shell. Put the top back on, wrap in tin foil and place in the fire. It bakes in the orange. This would have blown my mind when I was a kid.

The Last Hurrah

2011-06-27T14:34:00.000-04:00

The only KFC left in the neighbourhood closed a couple of weeks ago. It still had the bucket outside on a pole.

We walked past the other night and think that the employees were having fun on their last day at work:

The Great Cookie Challenge of 2011

2011-06-20T20:49:00.001-04:00

I decided to organize a Fun Run on Father's Day.

Why? I don't know but it sounded like fun. I like to play and this seemed to fit the bill.

I sent out the invites. Almost everyone said they could come. I scored some cheap matching t-shirts and then strung cookies on string for medals. Note: Kids LOVE cookies on a string. They were a big hit.

We had 1km, 2km and 3km races. We had a timer and name tags and multiple parents running in each group. The youngest ones were 2.5years old. The oldest kids were almost 14. There were about 32 kids running and one dog.

IT WAS AWESOME. There was giggling, grinning, and lovely happiness all around.

Thank you to everyone who came who pitched in. People brought snacks, took video, took group pictures, held finish line tape, made a banner, filled dixie cups with water and were generally amazing.

I highly recommend it. A very kind friend took a bunch of video of the event and just threw this together for us (thank you Mr. RBC).

This and That

2011-06-17T08:25:00.000-04:00

The Cupcake Fairy visited again this week. This is the best gift ever!!! Thank you to whoever came up with this wonderful idea.

This month's cupcakes were lemonade and were delicious. We shared with all our neighbours b/c that's what the cupcake fairy would like us to do I think.

Ottawa Race Weekend was about a month ago. A big group of us put on metal tinsel wigs and cheered on the runners. We made the cover of the neighbourhood paper. Most of us looked just like this:

Note: if you go out to a friend's house for drinks and then eat a big piece of chocolate cake around 9:30pm don't expect that you will be able to go to sleep once you get home. What was I thinking?

Good Clean Fun

2011-06-09T21:35:00.001-04:00

We were at soccer last night. There was a crazy storm about an hour before the game.

The baseball diamond was wet. The baby girls met another little girl and she taught them how to play in mud puddles.

They had so much fun. People from all over the park were watching them. Some couldn't believe we let our kids roll in the mud. Some thought it was wonderful.

Thank you S.T-G for the above pics.

Thank you MJM for the above pic.

They were rewarded for all their hard work with popsicles.

They complained a bit on the way home that they were dirty. They complained a lot more when they got home and were put in the tub. One dress washed up really well. The other dress really needed Noni's love.

This is Eli. She is clean. She is cute. She is wearing white. Her mom would not have let her roll in the mud with that sweater on. She is wearing kick ass glasses. I love her.

Success

2011-06-05T21:18:00.001-04:00

We just finished a great street party. Face painting, pinata, bbq, drinking, dancing, music, bouncy castle, mom's in the bouncy castle, water balloons, biking, painting and more.

We did the Hustle - a lot of us.

I made WHITE SANGRIA for the party. Click on the link. Make this drink. It is so tasty and refreshing and addictive. Everyone loved it. Now to find another excuse to make it.

Want to know what it's like to party on Ross Avenue. My neighbour put this time lapse video together:

Bike Parade 2011

2011-05-29T13:16:00.000-04:00

It was so much fun. Thank you to Lady K for all her hard work organizing such a nice event.

We all got free bike bells and had a grand time parading down a city street to Artspark.

There was Obi Wan Kenobi. If you look closely you will see two light sabers taped to his bike. There are Star Wars cars taped to his spokes.

There was also a beautiful butterfly (she won a prize for her bike costume). She had antennae on her helmet a gorgeous butterfly costume (thanks Aunt S. for the hand-me-down) and butterflies taped all over her spokes.

The little girls scooted all the way to the start of the parade and did the whole parade. They were so cute I almost ate them up!!!

Bike Parade 1981-Style

2011-05-25T12:05:00.000-04:00

The kids are going in a bike parade on Saturday.

I asked Moffs and Dutch to find the pics of one of the bike parades Ponin and I did back in the day.

She was a little Dutch girl and I was Little Red Riding Hood.

Enjoy!

Reasons Why You Should Make Friends With Your Neighbours

2011-05-23T07:08:00.000-04:00

1. Sometimes they come over at 7pm on a warm Saturday night with a pitcher of vodka lemonade they would like to share.

2. Sometimes they invite your big kids over for a hot tub/Star Wars movie night and then share a bottle of prosecco with you and another neighbour.

Seriously, get out and meet yours today.

My Future

2011-05-18T19:57:00.002-04:00

When I grow up I want to be either the Mentalist or Coach Taylor.

I figure I've got until the little girls start school to decide.

Cupcake Wishes Can Come True

2011-05-09T14:22:00.001-04:00

A while ago I posted this CUPCAKE WISH.

IT CAME TRUE!!!!

I came home this morning and there was (I am not kidding here) a BOUQUET of mini cupcakes at my front door from the CUPCAKE FAIRY!!!! In all seriousness the company is called The Cupcake Fairy.

(They are vanilla chai cupcakes with cinammon buttercream icing and are to die for)

So, to whoever out there who answered my call and made my wish come true - THANK YOU. We love it, and my neighbours loved it too (we shared a little).

Now, because I am such a lucky girl and am surrounded by so many wonderful, kind and lovely people I don't actually know who my cupcake fairy is.

But, know this cupcake fairy - you are AMAZING AND A SUPERSTAR. I believe that good karma is returned so whoever you are you should be getting something extraordinary sometime soon.

Also, please know that we will be paying this SUPER KIND gesture forward in some way.

Really, this might be the world's most perfect gift. It made my whole entire day.

p.s. in case you are interested this is the story of the Cupcake Fairy who baked the cupcakes at my door:

CUPCAKE FAIRY STORY

To All The Mothers

2011-05-08T07:47:00.000-04:00

Happy day to you.

Mostly to my own super-mom who not only tried to teach me to knit, weave, spin and sew (the sewing part actually took), but also taught me to plumb, hammer, drywall, plaster, drive standard, how to apply for a loan from the bank. She taught me how to swim, how to dive, how to windsurf, how to use a drill, and many, many more things that have made me who I am.

She has also taught me, on occasion, what not to do, e.g. do not take your huge cacti outside for the summer where they will thrive and get bigger because then you can't get them back inside for the winter.

Thanks mama I love you.

Max and his friend SSTG had a sleep over last night. At 5:30am I heard them whispering in the kitchen.

They made me breakfast in bed. It was ready at 6:20am. I had butter and jam bread, blackberries, milk and ice cream with chocolate chips.

Outdoor Coffee Table

2011-05-07T19:14:00.000-04:00

I have three pallets in the backyard right now and think this is brilliant. I recently bought wheels just like these but am using them for my living room coffee table.

I don't know where I found the picture so can't attribute it (sorry picture-taker).

I think this would look great in the Cranwill's backyard (Ponin - go to Princess Auto for the wheels).

Summer Plans

2011-05-01T11:23:00.001-04:00

We are going to the beach again this summer.

The kids are all very excited.

This is what the beach on the West Coast of Lake Huron looks like in the spring. It's okay to be jealous.

So Sweet You Want To Eat Her Up

2011-04-29T16:22:00.000-04:00

"I love my daddy the most in the whole world."

Avo - 2.5 years old

Dryer Repair

2011-04-26T20:30:00.000-04:00

The dryer was working one night. The next morning it just stopped.

I NEED MY DRYER.

This sucks.

I called my mom. She said I had to start trying to fix it and then go from there.

I have repaired my washing machine (read this if you are interested to know how).

So, I went online. I searched various things and found something that sounded right.

I found a video on YouTube on how to repair your dryer when the Thermal Fuse and Cycling Thermostat need to be replaced.

I did the test just like he recommended. Yup, that was my problem.

I went to Reliable Parts (www.reliableparts.ca) and bought my parts for $50. They are amazing and have everything I have ever needed to repair things in the house.

I came home and watched the video two more times.

I fixed the freaking dryer. It works.

My mom said Grandpa Cal would have been proud of me. I told her that's exactly what I'd thought.

Rain Soccer

2011-04-26T20:19:00.000-04:00

Hops & Barley started soccer tonight.

The last time she played on the same team as her friend N. it poured rain for at least half the games.

She and N. are on the same team again this year. So this means it rained and it poured. Now the thunder and lightning did not start until a good half hour after we got home.

The kids never complained. They played hard, they giggled, they cheered each other on. They were an inspiration. Go Wildcats!

We should all adopt this attitude it would make the world a better place.

Hanging out on the play structure. Check out our new purple sand underneath.

Cuddling on the couch.

She brushed and brushed her hair until the curls disappeared.

p.s. Go and vote on Monday. If you don't I will hunt you down and make you explain yourself.

Classic Children's Television

2011-04-17T09:38:00.000-04:00

Two kids from the eighties.

One junkyard.

One plane that lands in the back of the junkyard piloted by a creepy puppet named Pilote.

One talking pineapple.

Some really high-end animation.

One rock band made up of skeleton puppets - Les Squelettes.

EQUALS:

Téléfrancais

The kids LOVE this show.

Maxman watches it at school and they all beg to watch it at home. Let me know what you think.

It's totally wacky and reminds me of things we used to watch in immersion in Manitoba.

p.s. I especially liked the episode where the kids try and go camping and get lost in the forest that is haunted by a bunch of ghostly skeletons.

Spring Rain

2011-04-10T17:39:00.000-04:00

The weather has been so nice this weekend. We got a bunch of yard work done and JEM had some help:

New Tenant

2011-04-10T08:39:00.003-04:00

JEM went to bbq steak last night.

He came back inside and said we couldn't bbq.

I thought we were out of propane.

That would have been the easy answer. No, a squirrel has made its nest in our bbq.

This has made me feel squirmy all night. I don't want to move the bbq, what if it jumps out at me?

I don't want to clean it out, JEM thought there might have been babies. Ackk!!

This situation has me all twitchy and freaked out.

He needs a new bbq anyway. I'm thinking of abandoning the bbq to the back corner of the yard and wishing the squirrel well. Plus the squirrel had to work really hard to get all that grass and fluff up the grease trap hole.

It really is a cute squirrel. It's a red squirrel. You don't see many of those here. There are the big grey squirrels and those seriously creepy, freaky black squirrels that still freak me out after 8 years. I kind of feel like we should protect this red squirrel and give it a chance. I know, now I've gone crazy.

Maxman and JEM just went to look at the nest, it is impressive how much work this little rodent has done in such a short amount of time (about 3 days since we last used the bbq). Maxman thinks she's pregnant (we all think she's a girl squirrel).

UPDATE: JEM checked today and there were no babies so he removed the nest with a shovel and put it in a box in the back corner of the yard. Then he turned the bbq on high and burned the rest away. He is very brave.

Yes, Oh Yes, It's Springtime

2011-04-05T20:12:00.000-04:00

Cruising the 'hood with the chiclets.

Did I Ever Tell You...

2011-04-05T16:36:00.002-04:00

About the time I found a cheque in my driveway (for $5,000.00) and returned it.

That same day I really wanted some wine but couldn't get to the store.

Later that day the person who lost the cheque brought me a bottle of wine.

Good karma baby.

Well...I haven't done anything extra-good today, but I sure would like someone to show up with some cupcakes (extra icing please).

There, now I'll just sit back and wait.

Thank you.

p.s. Avo really wanted to go outside to bike but wouldn't leave her soother in the house. She had a massive tantrum and is now asleep on the front hall carpet with her coat, shoes and bike helmet on. It's 4:30pm, this is a really bad time for a nap.

Look What I Found at Superstore

2011-03-30T10:44:00.000-04:00

Was walking down the cheese aisle today and bent over to get the usual no-name brand of cheese.

I noticed a new brand beside the no-name and couldn't believe it. This is what I found:

Pine River cheese at the Superstore in Ottawa. How fun is that.

Pine River is where we go to get ice cream and cheese in the summer at Blair's. Now I can get the cheese all year round and think of the beach everytime.

House Gremlins are Dreamy

2011-03-29T08:54:00.000-04:00

To the House Gremlin who re-mounted the fixture in my dining room - THANK YOU.

JEM and I didn't do it and have no idea when it was fixed.

We suspect Moffs, but can't figure out when she had the time.

If you don't already have a House Gremlin, I highly recommend you get one - they are fantastic!!!

It's Monday

2011-03-28T08:08:00.003-04:00

The sun is shining.

The kids are all quietly watching morning cartoons.

I am sipping yummy coffee.

It's spring.

Life is good!

Hops & Barley - taken many moons ago - it's a happy spring picture.

Update to March is Kicking Us Around

2011-03-24T19:12:00.000-04:00

In the last 24 hours 3 of the 4 children have been vomiting.

Oh yeah March, nothing like kicking someone while they are down.

Now, today also happens to be the birthday of one of the loveliest ladies ever. So, it can't be all bad.

C'mon April just a little bit quicker now.

A Little Inspiration

2011-03-23T19:11:00.001-04:00

I am in awe and inspired at what Lance can do.

I met Lance many years ago when he was working with my sister.

I watched while he created the Whoville village he has on his website.

If you are looking to be amazed at what someone can do, stop by and take a look:

Cardinal Designs

The Muppet Theater is unbelievable!!!

March Kicked Us Around A Little

2011-03-23T12:16:00.004-04:00

But we have emerged victorious.

Take that (insert karate chop) crazy month.

Two of my very favourite people in the world have birthdays in March, and one of my very best friends in the whole world got married this month (She got married outside at a lodge and arrived at the altar via dogsled). Aside from these three events the rest of the month was pretty darn sucky.

A very good friend had a successful surgery that went well but it was a stressful time.
There was a major disaster in Japan that is still unfolding.
Camo ended up in the hospital for 7 very long days with RSV/asthma/double pneumonia - happy spring break.
Hops & Barley and I ended up on antibiotics for walking pneumonia.
Now the house smells. I have invited 4 friends in to help me identify the smell. We have all decided it's not gas, but beyond that can not decide what the smell is.
*UPDATE* the smell was identified. It was the garbage can in my bedroom. It smells like chemicals. JEM and I think that years of peepee diapers have reacted with the plastic of the garbage can. Yeah, we don't really know why, but it is outside now and the house doesn't smell anymore.
Two days after Camo came home from the hospital the neighbour boy broke his collarbone.
My sister-in-law's lovely dog Bear died.

April really can't come fast enough.

Thank you to all our friends and family who helped out this month. We couldn't have done it without you.

One thing that JEM and the kids all agree makes everything better - JAM TOAST:

The Perfect Dinner Tonight

2011-03-10T20:14:00.000-05:00

Tried this recipe tonight. It was everything I wanted and more.

I have been very disappointed lately by a couple of recipes I've tried that turned out poorly. One involved mushrooms (one of my favourite things) and JEM still talks about it. We were both scarred.

I love, love, love when a recipe lives up to expectations. This was quick, easy and so, so tasty:

Beef Noodle Bowl

Lately

2011-03-08T09:19:00.001-05:00

There are no pictures of the big guy because he hides from the camera right now. I told him that when he is older he'll give me a hard time because there are no pictures of him, at which point I will remind him that he would dive behind trees and couches if someone tried to take his picture so it really isn't my fault.

How Many of you Would Watch This Channel?

2011-02-23T18:48:00.001-05:00

"Swiss Chalet to fire up 24-hour rotisserie chicken channel"

Avatar

2011-02-21T17:44:00.001-05:00

The animated series - not the movie.

If you haven't watched it - find it and watch it. If you need other reviews talk to Jam or Ponin, they will set you straight.

The kids are playing Avatar right now. Maxman is an earth, metal and water bender. Hops & Barley is a metal and blood bender. Avo says she is a seven & six bender. Camo says, "my water bender."

Forgot to mention that half of them are playing Avatar in nothing but underwear. I guess they sort of look like Aang.

Too much fun here and no one has gotten hurt - yet.

What Was Said This Morning

2011-02-15T08:42:00.000-05:00

The little girls are fighting over something.

I look over and say the following above the sound of their screaming:

"No. Avery you can't have both the knives. You give Camryn one of the knives."

Yup, that's how we roll.

Hops & Barley and the concept of space

2011-02-09T12:55:00.000-05:00

Hops & Barley thinks she can fit anywhere.

If she is walking beside you and a telephone pole is looming in front of her she never moves. She waits until she basically hits in then squeezes in even closer to you.

If you are sitting on the couch and there is open space beside you she will try and squeeze between you and the arm of the couch instead of sitting where there is room.

This happens all the time and it drives me mad.

She also tries her best to squeeze into shoes that are too small and has been wearing the little girls' clothes a lot lately.

The other day JEM and I heard small cries for help from the other room. She had tried to put on the following backpack:

See the baby doll wearing the teeny tiny back pack? See how small it is?

Here is Camo standing next to the baby back pack for perspective.

When we found her, H&B had managed to get both arms into the straps and had somehow gotten the straps wiggled up to her elbows with her arms behind her. Then she got stuck. It was pretty funny.

Anyone out there think she learned anything from this? If you answered yes you would be wrong.

Camo Blue Eyes

2011-02-09T12:46:00.000-05:00

How Things Change

2011-02-03T16:53:00.004-05:00

One of Maxman's spelling words for the week:

flash drive

That word didn't exist when I was in Grade 2.

I know how I feel, how does this make you feel?

UPDATE: Just found out from Maxman that the teacher didn't assign that word, Maxman added it himself to the list. Adding your own words to your spelling test list (i.e. making more work for yourself), that is a whole other story.

Happy Birthday To Me

2011-01-30T19:31:00.000-05:00

Pictures from my birthday (my 37th not my 38th like my mom thinks)

Chocolate cake and happy faces.

This was my piece.

Maxman

Playing 'puter games before school.

Hanging out together.

Painting

2011-01-30T19:24:00.000-05:00

A couple of friends have black china cabinets and front foyer cupboards. I really like the results.

I decided that I needed to paint our built-in bookshelves black. They should have been black all along.

One down

Getting the other side ready

Black vs. White

I don't know why I didn't do this before. They needed to be black. I love them.

Snow Fort Building Tip

2011-01-30T19:19:00.001-05:00

JEM came up with this one.

Use your plastic shopping bins to make the blocks. We have about four of them. Pack the snow in nice and tight, wait a little while, flip them over and voila. They make perfect blocks.

JEM has spent a good part of today outside building the snow fort. The kids have not been around while he's doing this. It's/he's pretty cute.

Baby Sister Frustration

2011-01-21T11:16:00.000-05:00

Hops & Barley is currently trying to do a craft. She doesn't know what she's making yet, but it involves some cardboard boxes and a lot of tape.

The little girls are extremely interested in what she is doing and are hovering around her like little bumblebees.

Hops & Barley finally sighs and says to them with frustration, "Arghhhh, you're ruining my success."a

Something You Probably Don't Know About Me

2011-01-19T14:00:00.002-05:00

If you have ever sent me a Christmas, birthday, Valentine's, etc....card, written me a letter or mailed me a postcard - I HAVE KEPT IT.

I have a huge hat box that has been collecting cards, letters and postcards for years now.

I had to go through it today and cull some things out. It was hard.

Some things I kept:

Every letter anyone has ever sent me.
Every postcard anyone has ever sent me.
A number of clever cards (if you send me a particularly funny card, I will keep it).
Every Halloween card Ponin has ever sent me.
Moffsy actually wrote me letter years ago, I kept these, they are rare.
A letter from Aunt Ina (written to my mom, but she gave it to me).

Some things I found:

Some birthday cards from elementary school (these are old now).

A birthday card from Nandy (sent by N.)

A card from my old gymnastics coach (I quit when I was 10 years old).

An uncashed cheque in a birthday card JEM's dad sent him in 2001.

Two American one dollar bills tucked in another card.

It was an interesting walk down memory lane this afternoon.

Thank you to anyone who has ever sent me correspondence in the mail, it was much appreciated.

Learn From Me

2011-01-11T12:26:00.001-05:00

A month ago I decided to touch up all those little scrapes and scratches in my bedroom.

I went to the big hardware store and asked for a sample size of the paint colour.

I learned the Ralph Lauren doesn't make paint anymore but they looked up the formula for the colour (Lancaster Blue if you are interested) and mixed up a little pot for me.

I went home and went to town. Paint, paint, paint. Touch up here, touch up there.

Waited for the paint to dry and the colour to lighten a little. IT NEVER HAPPENED. Now my room looked like Camo and Avo had painted it.

So, I went back and bought a big can of that paint.

Today, I spent the morning painting my room. I put the baby gate up, told Marley she was in charge and went at it.

Three walls down, one to go. It looks just like before, only fresher and cleaner.

Lesson - do not paint match and then use this paint as touch up paint, unless you have that little formula tag they stick on top of the cans. Even then, if your paint has faded it will not match.

Christmas Eve and Stain Remover

2010-12-28T20:42:00.000-05:00

The annual Christmas Eve pajamas

This year Maxman decided that along with the usual cookies and beer, that Santa also needed some useful things. He decided that a screwdriver and stain remover were what Santa needed. So there they are.

Our tree on Christmas Eve.

Mysterious Christmas Beast

2010-12-25T12:54:00.000-05:00

Did anyone else wake up with one of these in their house?

This Is Our Christmas Card

2010-12-20T18:41:00.001-05:00

We had a great 2010. We all played hard. We all had a pile of fun and we are all very much looking forward to 2011.

The little girls started off small but they are not so little anymore.

Hops & Barley is still full of giggles and sillies.

Maxman is not taller than JEM yet, but he is getting there fast.

The big kids and little kids still give me lots of snuggles.

Avo loves pockets. Having pockets in her pants or coat makes her very, very happy.

Camo has lots more hair now and it is so curly. Curlier than anyone else's in the family.

Crazy dancing

Bike trailering

Maxman hitching a ride to school.

H&B on one of her first real bike rides without training wheels.

Swinging together on our new backyard play structure (thank you neighbours).

Our basement looks much better now. This was probably the worst day.

Dad still gets lots of cuddles too.

Big girl biking.

Beach fun.

Backyard campout.

Ice cream in the hot, hot sun.

They paused briefly and I snapped a picture of them together.

Now they are two!

She plays hockey now just like her brother and her dad.

Christmas request - a pink hockey jersey.

Halloween - the first year the little girls went out and got to eat some candy.

The clan.

Maxman, Avo, Camo, Hops & Barley

Silliness is all around.

Maxman

He is 7 now. He is in Grade 2. He loves hockey and reading and is very tall.

Avo and Camo

They are almost 2.5 and think they can do everything the big kids can do.

They are best friends and giggle really hard when they are alone together.

Hops & Barley

She is 5 now. She is in Senior Kindergarten.

She loves to play with her friends, draw, make up stories and is a very cool kid.

Maxman on our neighbour's backyard rink (thank you again neighbours).

Playing with his buds.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Beautiful Animation

2010-12-19T07:59:00.004-05:00

My brother found this animation and passed it on. I am now passing it on. It is beautiful:

Ryan Woodward - Thought of You
http://conteanimated.com/the-animation/

If You Take Them....

2010-12-18T19:24:00.001-05:00

...to enough hockey practices and games, apparently they teach themselves how to skate.

This was the first time they have ever been on skates. I held their hands for the first while then they told me, "No, I do it myself."

When they got home Avo told me, "I done skating with the big boys."

Camo fell right after we first got on the ice and then proceeded to get back up on her skates all alone. Maxman and Hops & Barley couldn't do this for the longest time.

That is Marley skating by showing me how she can skate on one leg.

They have made this so easy on us.

Yes, that is me cackling at my girls all falling within seconds of each other.

Question To Readers

2010-12-15T20:11:00.003-05:00

Maxman got an assignment sent home yesterday.

We have to do it over the holidays (got some issues with this).

It's a photography assignment that is very detailed and involves having pictures developed and getting an album (also some issues with this, but I'm dealing with it).

At the end of the assignment it says, "Did you check the Rubric?"

What the criminey is a Rubric? I have also discovered that I don't like saying this word, it's awkward.

The title of the next page says "Photography Assignment Rubric". Okay, but I still don't know what RUBRIC means.

So, I googled it. I know now what it is. Perhaps if I was an educator I would know this term.

The question is, do you know what a rubric is?

Green Santas

2010-12-14T13:34:00.000-05:00

The big kids have been wearing these Green Santa outfits (sewn by Moffsy and me) since Hops&Barley was 9 months old.

The little girls have found them and Camo loves hers. She slept in it the other night and she woke up twice crying, "My hat. Where my hat?" So I placed it back on her head and she fell back to sleep.

The hat still fits Maxman and H&B wore one of the tunic tops to school yesterday. They are magical.

We received this book as a gift this year. It is fantastic. I sing it all the time:

A Porcupine in a Pine Tree

I heard Liza Minelli singing a Christmas song on the radio this morning. Turns out it was actually Diana Krall. Do you think she'd mind I thought it was Minelli?

Not In Pen!!! Update

2010-12-06T19:58:00.001-05:00

Maxman's teacher read my note about the pencil thing and told Maxman:

"Si tu n'as pas un crayon a la maison, tu peux faire les corrections avec ton crayon a l'ecole."

She did not accept my excuse.

So, she's going to play it that way.

Pen vs. pencil....to be continued....

Not In Pen!!!

2010-12-05T19:29:00.000-05:00

Maxman has a great 2nd grade teacher.

He learns a lot and his writing has improved enormously.

She is a perfectionist and expects that of the kids as well.

Maxman has an agenda that comes home every day and if he makes mistakes in his writing (of the date for instance) he has to correct it at home.

His correction came back again the other day and she wants him to re-write his perfect capital "E" again. When I say he has to re-write one letter, I mean one, single letter.

"Why do you have to re-write this, it's fine?" I ask (even though I'm pretty sure I know why).

"Because I did it in pen," he says.

Just as I thought.

Yes, he isn't allowed to do his homework corrections in pen. A one-letter correction I might add. With the consent of his mother I might also add.

You see, we don't have a freaking pencil around right now. The little girls or Hops & Barley use them all the time and I can't find one bloody sharpened pencil right now.

So I had to write a note to the teacher saying that Max would be doing corrections in pen sometimes because his little sisters keep stealing the pencils in our house and we don't have one available.

I wonder if she'll accept that excuse?

Admission

2010-12-02T13:49:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I really don't like books that other people love, love, love.

I recently finished reading Jonathan Franzen's book Freedom. I had to force myself to finish it.

I really disliked it. I found it tiresome to read.

I also couldn't read his other book The Corrections. I didn't even get a quarter of the way in.

The other one I didn't finish - The Time Traveler's Wife. Oh, I just couldn't do it.

Anyone out there have a book they just couldn't finish?

The Gang

2010-12-02T13:28:00.001-05:00

December 2010

The little girls were sitting behind Max on the couch this morning, mixing their "cakes"

They are so freakin cute - I really do like them an awful lot

Just because they are so cute tonight for dinner they get berry shortcakes. Whole wheat biscuits with frozen mixed berries and a little home-whipped whipped cream. I'll eat thai food later. Now everyone will be happy.

Something I've Never Been Able To Do

2010-12-02T13:25:00.000-05:00

Get them to nap with me at the same time. He has magic in him I swear:

Night Out

2010-11-25T08:35:00.001-05:00

We went to a house warming party last Saturday night.

I took my little brother who was in town for work.

We had a fantastic time.

We drank, we ate, we chatted, we visited, the hosts rolled up their living room carpet and we danced.

Then just when I thought it couldn't get any better the midnight shwarma arrived.

Three Sisters

2010-11-25T08:29:00.000-05:00

Maxman was trying to draw before school this morning.

First one sister joined him on the bench at the table.

Then the next one did.

Finally the third sister joined him.

He lasted for about 15 minutes and then:

"I just can't work under these conditions," he said.

I don't blame him.

He has now moved to the living room and is drawing on a kitchen chair.

The first sister has now migrated to join him...