Looking Back

This past week I went back to my very first blog post. It was November of 2008. Nine years ago. Nine. Years. Ago.

My, how different our lives look 9 years later.

Nine years ago my now 15 and 12 year old kids were 6 and 3. One was in grade one, the other a year away from starting preschool.

Today they are in high school and junior high school. It truly seems unbelievable to me.  

I first started to blog, because I wanted to document and capture our 'every day'. When you're 'in it', the days often sometimes seem monotonous. 

When you have the ability to step away and look back at the every days... 

To see how far you've come. 

How things have changed. 

How your kids have grown... 

I actually had my posts from 2008 through 2012 printed and bound in a soft covered book. I have no idea what company I went through to do this. Believe it or not, there is no company information anywhere on the books.  

With the start of my project life albums, I cut down on my blogging considerably. 

Once I was creating PL albums, I was capturing the 'every days' that I'd previously blogged about. It seemed redundant to blog about it, or have books printed. Especially since I basically had all the hard copies of the photos and stories, in albums in the living room.

I have never wavered on this documenting thing. 

I still love it. As much now, as much as when I first began. 

My kids still sit and look through albums. They have memories of things, that have stayed with them, because they can read about them. The little stories that have made up our days. 

I love working with paper.  

I love working in PSE on the computer. 

I love capturing our stories. Still. 

And, if anyone out there, who's reading this, can tell me how on earth, I created this photo... I would love to know. Because I can't for the life of me, figure it out again... 

All I know is that it was saved as a .gif. But really, how did I get it to look like it was snowing?

I researched everything. All I did was end up with a virus on my computer. [Thanks to Mason, that situation has been rectified]

That's all I've got. Just a little bit of rambling for a friday.

Our Mountain Getaway

We went away for a few days. To the mountains. We got in some skiing and enjoyed some long awaited down time. I sat in the lobby one morning, drinking my coffee, waiting for my family to wake up and join me. While sitting there, I realized something.

I was enjoying the crackle of a fire in the fireplace. I watched as guests came down for breakfast. Early morning skiers headed for the hill. People dressed warmly headed out for a morning walk in the mountains, breathing in that fresh mountain air. As a blend of late 80's music was being piped through the lobby (which indeed made me feel right at home) I realized that one of the things that was making this moment serene and enjoyable was the fact that there was no gigantic TV. 

Everywhere we go these days, everywhere, we are assaulted with TV. It no longer matters where you are, we can't get away from the TV. Sadly, we all turn into zombies, staring at whatever trash we're being shown. We can't seem to help it. We just look and stare.

I for one, am definitely alarmed about this. The generation of kids growing up now, can't seem to be idle. They simply can't. And let's face it, there are many times in our life that we need to be idle. To just be. I think one of the greatest things we can teach our kids, is how to just 'be'.

I'm not saying that my family is the exception. I'm not saying that we are exempt from screens. I wish we were, but we're not. We try to limit 'screen time' in our house. We do great for a little while and then slowly things slip. More and more time gets spent playing video games or watching TV shows of pure rubbish. But we do try.

And having said that, I too have become accustomed to this technology at my fingertips. My phone or iPad. I have to remember sometimes that the rules apply to me as well. I need to just be idle sometimes.

Or read a book. Made from paper. With pages that turn.

But I have to say, it was lovely to enjoy a few days in the mountains with very little distractions.

The lovely wood burning, fireplace, in the lobby of our hotel. Love the snap and pop of the real wood burning.

 Little Miss, Nose-in-a-Book. When she's reading, she's almost in another world.

And here's my teenager... And he does have his device with him. But I didn't get a photo of him just hanging out, and didn't want him to be too left out.

 Playing checkers with my girl. Not sure that we were doing it right, but we were having fun.

We're on Vacation

Christmas vacation, that is.

Our usual routine will be put to the wayside for the next 17 days. T H A N K  G O O D N E S S.

The theme in my life, and many of the people that I know is, the racing of time.

This morning, I actually feel relaxed... I don't feel panicked at all. Not yet that is. That will come. In a day or two.  When I realize everything that I need to do to be ready to head out for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day... 

It's no surprise, to almost everyone who knows me, that I adore summer vacation. Not just because the weather is nice. Trust me, that certainly doesn't hurt. I love summer vacation, because the pace in our life is S L O W.  We usually fit a summer vacation in, for a couple of weeks, which sees me spending more time in a lawn chair, than I would at any other time. It's just a time to relax. To unwind. I know some people don't do relaxation and unwinding very well. I've never had a problem with it. I would even venture to say I'm GOOD at it.

Once the beginning of the school year starts, I most relate to this guy...

It feels like I'm always going.

The beginning of September starts and I think, I will just be this busy until October...

And then when October hits, I think, "things will slow down after Halloween..."




When mini candy bars are being consumed, I imagine, that once November is over, I'll have done all my Christmas shopping done. I'll be finished everything I need to be. I will be able to thoroughly enjoy the month of December. Yes, I decide I'll rush around in November, to have a slow December.

Then suddenly, it's December. I have a ton of shopping done [which was really awesome and I actually had the majority of it done] I still have key items to find... And I'm having a hard time finding said key items.  I begin to panic, ever so slightly. I agree to a cookie exchange, because it sounds like such a great idea, at the time, [it did turn out great, I have 5 different types of baking things to add to our plate]  We have a snow storm, the roads are terrible, I'm grateful you don't have to leave the house, but I realize I need to do some last minute running around, because my kids are off in a few days. Then the reality hits that if my kids are going to be home, I need to sort and wrap gifts because you can't very well do that when they're around. I have to ensure there are an even number... Because after all, someone might notice if there's a discrepancy... And I realize that I forgot about teachers gifts, so I find myself making another 120 cookies the night before school is finished, so they can be given out as gifts. I have to get my kid to a ridiculously busy theater, in the middle of the afternoon, for a birthday party and opening day of the most anticipated movie of the year, then get home and realize, I haven't got my pot luck item ready for the ringette party you're attending...

From September, until now. In a nutshell.

So yes, this morning I have 17 days ahead of me and I'm calm. I'm not worried about what I need for Christmas Eve or whether I have what I need for Christmas Day dinner. No... Today I'm calm...

Random Rambling and PL2015 - Week 27

Now that the kids are back to school, and night time comes, I seem to lose all momentum and find myself sitting in front of the TV.

First of all, it's hard to believe that the kids have been back to school for 3 weeks. Already it feels like summer was in the very distant past. So far, We've only had one bus pass mishap. The pass was forgotten on the bus. (I can only assume he wouldn't have left it there on purpose) A junior high student, called us to tell us she'd found it.  I'd had the foresight to jot down our phone number on the back, along with Mace's name, and it definitely worked out in our best interest on this day. This 4th day of school... Day 4 people. The "we will buy you the first bus pass of the month, and then you're,on you own for the next one" lecture seems to have helped a bit. So far he's kept track of it.

We've also gotten very familiar with the rinks again.  Back at it. Blankets. Wool mitts. Fleece. LOTS and LOTS of fleece.


And of course, I'm spending a ton of time at the school again. I'm currently doing my last stint as volunteer coordinator. This is the busiest time of the year. I might have attempted to high-five the school secretary, the exact moment when I realized I won't be doing this again next year.

Our poor Libby is wondering what on earth has happened. She went from having us home all the time, to me running in and out repeatedly throughout the day.

Guides is back up and running as is Scouts. The boys have already been out camping. Things are hopping.

I'm still feeling lucky to be a stay at home Mumma. I'm ever so grateful to be supported by my hubby.

I also followed along with Ali Edwards a Week in the Life. I did get the pictures all printed and put in the places/order I want, but there are a lot of finishing touches to do. I actually ordered Ali's kit this year. I'm pleased with how it's looking. I just have to find the time to finish it. How do people do it all? I don't even have a job to try and wrangle around. Yet I still fall behind.

And that's it. Up to speed. What's happening right now.

Oh yes, which brings us back to the part where I lose all my momentum and don't want to do anything. But zone out in front of the telly. Because by the time kids are in bed, good nights are said, and threats start up, the 'if you come out of your room again' type scenarios, it's well after 9 pm. Usually between 9:30-10:00 pm. Who wants to start a project then? Not me. I'm exhausted... The start up of school, the early mornings and just the hustle-bustle of life, is just as hard on me as it is on the kids.

Here's week 27:

This was a great week, our first full week off school for summer vacation. We made our first trip to the library. We hung out on Nose Hill. We celebrated Canada Day downtown. We went to Lake Louise and hiked up to the Agnes Tea House. [I also marvel at how I took a photo of the kids, where it looked like were were the ONLY ONES at Lake Louise] And believe me... There were hundreds of people there. Too many...

Sahlin Studio Products Used:

Foundation add on kit

On vacation

And I'm having a good time.

We've had a few sweltering days.

We've had a few chillier days.

I chuckled when I logged in this morning. At the header I have on top of this blog. Because the winter scene I have up there couldn't be further from what the weather actually is.

I got all techie. I forwarded phones from my iphone to my iPad, attempting to add a few summer pics. A few lake photos.

Turns out though, that I'm no techie at all. Because I can't get pictures off my iPad. I can't get pictures off my iphone either. Because I tried that too. Well, that's not completely true. I could get this picture off my iphone. Again, not at all what the weather we're experiencing right now. But, looking at photos of Calgary and a recent hail storm, could have been taken on Tuesday apparently.

But the thing, about this picture. How did I make it snow?

If I could remember, then obviously I could probably put myself back into the techie category. IF I COULD REMEMBER.

On VAY-CAY. Having a good time. Header picture and picture above in NO WAY REPRESENT the weather we're experiencing.

Oh.

For future reference. Trying to do a blog post on an iPad sucks.

Oven Update and PL2015 Weeks 6 & 7

The new oven arrived. And was installed. It wasn't quite as simple as taking it out of the box and removing plastic of course. Is it ever? There was at least one trip to the hardware store involved. There was a jigsaw involved. There was the 'shaving down' of the existing wood involved. But it's in now, its working. And we made our first brownie. The kids are ecstatic. I'm ecstatic. Everyone is happy and the crock pot has been put away for a little while.

Onto some Project Life Pages.

Week 6:

Winter came back this week. We've had an unseasonably warm winter, so it's hard to complain when we actually get some snow, but I do... Thankfully it didn't stick around for long. Girl Guides did a Yoga night at the local Ivivva Athletica store. My sweet girl has never been too interested in fashion and names, and going to a shop like that certainly made me grateful. The boys went on a scout camp, so we had a girls weekend, and I finally watched Frozen. Can you believe that was my first time watching it? Loved it. Miss Libby watching her girl build a snowman out front. Playing Star Wars Monopoly. I'm such a debbie-downer when it comes to game playing, but if you can get me to do it, I usually end up having fun.


Week 7:

Barry at work in his office. I tend to focus more on the kids and myself in our album. [Of course, every vacation we've taken since the kids were with us, looks like it was just him and the kids, as I'm always behind the camera] I'm making a more conscious effort to have shots of him sprinkled throughout the book. Grade 4's to the Olympic Oval to learn to Speed Skate. Boys cleaning up dishes in the kitchen. An invite to the worlds largest coffee date. Photo shoot of Lisa's baby belly. This was one of my favourite photos.  Valentine's flowers. And a sad little ditty about an oven breaking down.

Sahlin Studio Product Used:

Week 6:

Charmed - Sampler Kit
4x6 - Photo Template Layouts
3x4 - Photo Template Layouts


Week 7:

Hello - Sampler Kit

Oven Update

As I type this, I'm waiting for the arrival of our new oven...

 

It's going to look like this, only in black. 

Am I the only one in existence who doesn't care for stainless steal?

Because we wanted black, it was considered a 'special order'. So there are perhaps a few of us out there, who'd prefer black to stainless. That makes me feel a bit better at least. A bit...Not thrilled about having to wait weeks for it, however.

Today marks nearly 5 weeks since my old oven crapped out. 5 weeks. I was pretty gung-ho at first. I picked out recipes, and we had a fair number of crock pot meals. The weather has been pretty accommodating too, so we've done lots of grilling on the BBQ. But we've also had our fair share of cereal for supper. Yes, you read right. Cereal. The kids think they've died and gone to heaven when they get cereal for dinner. And I think I've died and gone to heaven, because I don't have to prepare a dinner... That will be coming to an end though, very soon. 

First order of business. The kids have made me promise them the first thing I would make is a brownie. I know they'll both come home from school today, disappointed. They will have assumed that the oven is here, and they'll have their little mouths watering for brownie. 

They will have to wait another day though, our oven is due to be delivered somewhere between 4 - 8 pm. So, in my mind that will be about 8:15 - 8:45. Because I don't know if we've ever been first on the delivery schedule. I'm pretty sure we're always the last ones to be delivered to. In any case, super excited about baking/cooking in our new oven in the very near future!

Meal Ideas...

So. Our oven died. It died on the 14th of February. It worked fine the night before, and then when I went to use it the next morning and... Nothing. Nada. Over. Done. Died.

I was pretty bummed out, I had planned on making these Ranch Roasted Chick Peas. I'd opened and 'shelled' 2 tins of chick peas, and THEN realized I couldn't 'roast' them. I could have salvaged them, made hummus. I contemplated that for a couple of weeks, and recently, just threw them all away. Sadly, the chick peas were on their way out. Past the point of no return if you will. I just wanted to try those roasted chick peas.

Since our oven died on Valentine's Day. I wasn't able to make a brownie for my family. Which was what they had requested. The only thing they wanted. It was kind of devastating around here. For my family. Me too if I'm being honest... I don't know that I've ever turned down dessert.

We did go shopping, and found and bought a new oven. Which will be here on the 18th of March. Once it's here and installed [fingers crossed] it will be 3 days short of 5 weeks. Without an oven.

Because naturally, there were no ovens available and it had to be special ordered. Of course it did. Because it's a smaller sized oven. Not the norm.

So here I am, 3 weeks into having no oven. And I'm tired of my crock pot. And my kids are tired of my crock pot. And then it got cold, so grilling food outside quickly became a chore. And though the toaster oven on our counter can do chicken pieces and pizzas, it doesn't do great with 'meat'.

And then, I got a book from the library, that I'd reserved months ago... This one: Sally's Baking Addiciton, and everything in that book looks so yummy, but I can't make anything. And suddenly, I have an overwhelming urge to just 'bake stuff'.

So poor me...

Yesterday I was 2 weeks away from getting my new oven.

I can't wait.

Oh. I just remembered, I have a WOK. I haven't used that yet!

Can you say Stir fry...

That's what the next week will consist of!

24 Hours Was All it Took

We looked forward to Easter last week. The kids got 4 days off of school. I'm always thrilled, when there are extra days off school.

Friday, being Good Friday, we had a lazy morning, we debated going on a picnic. Or rather, I debated going on a picnic. We haven't been to Elbow falls in a while, and I think we need to get there, before it's inundated with people...

Mason took one look at me, and one look out the window, and suggested we wait until the weather was a bit more willing to cooperate...

You see. It snowed.
Again.
A lot.
Again.
But this time, it was okay, because we only had the white stuff on the ground for 24 hours. It was a mixture of rain and snow for quite awhile, it wasn't really accumulating. Perhaps a bit on the grass, but the roads were fine.

Until they weren't.

We made a trip to Home Depot, Barry tells me that's his happy place, but I'm only good for about 20 minutes...[Thankfully we had a Tim Horton's run to look forward to after I endured more time than I wanted to at Home Depot] By the time we got home, it was snowing. Like. Crazy.

Again.

Little girl, was in her glory. She loves the snow. [Though I promise when I say, she's actually physically said, OUT LOUD, "Enough already"] It was the kind of snow that was the perfect consistency for snowmen. It was quiet and serene. It wasn't too terribly cold. So she put on her boots, got a hat and mitts, and created her masterpiece:

 The next morning, was bright and sunny. The snow began to melt almost immediately. You could hear it running down the house, in the eaves, down the gutter. You could hear it dripping from all over. That's such a joyful sound... Birds chirping, snow melting... One of my favourites for sure.


By dinner time, less than 24 hours after this wonderful creation was made, this was all that was left of it.

First off, there was that precarious tilt backwards... Surely he was going to fall over. Nope. Just his head fell off... And then he was gone. Just like that.

We're now well into April. So ready to be done with the snow. Want to see green grass, and lovely coloured blooms on trees. Ready to see flowers begin to emerge from gardens. We get so ripped off when it comes to spring.

Keeping our fingers crossed that this is the last snowman of spring.

How do they do it?

It's no surprise that not only do I love scrapbooking, but I'm pretty much smitten with all things crafty... I have what might just borderline an obsession with Pinterest... Seriously, all things lovely, in one single spot... Be still my beating heart...

And of course, I follow a lot of my favourite bloggers. Lots of my favourite scrappy girls. And while I get ridiculously inspired, by the stuff I see, at the same time it tends to make me feel inadequate at this memory keeping gig.

I know. I know. I scrapbook. I record our every day. I have over a year and a half worth of our 'every day' recorded in albums... For the most part, I'm caught up to date on pictures I want to scrap. And still, I feel like I have so much more to capture... I see mini albums, trip albums, summer albums, and I feel deflated.

I am a stay at home Mum, to two school-age kids. And I do NOT home school. Nope. My little munchkins are out of the house for 7 hours a day, and I can not fathom how these other ladies find time to do all the scrappy things they do. I do my very best to keep up to date with Project Life, but I do fall behind.

My days consist of spending time at the kids school, volunteering. I realize that this commitment will slow down slightly, as they get older and venture into Middle and High Schools [thankfully, for the girl, that's a little ways off yet] I have a house to keep clean. And sometimes the clean house falls to the very bottom of my priority list.  I have laundry to do, on a continuous, never-ending basis. And yes, the laundry piles up. I try to sort of menu plan and feed my crew homemade meals during the weeknights. And yes, we run low on groceries. Sometimes we even run out of milk... I will be the first to admit, that when Friday night rolls around, I do NOT. WANT. TO. COOK. I attempt to get to yoga once a week [knowing it should be more than once a week] and I'm involved with a walking group and walk with them once a week. Sometimes I venture out and meet girlfriends for coffee, but I will be honest, my days are busy.  It seems like I'm in a rush to pick the kids up from school every afternoon. Each day at 2:55 pm, I'm not exactly sure where the day has gone.

Then comes after school. We are busy. Mason is in hockey. Any hockey mum out there knows that is one crazy erratic schedule. From week to week it's never the same. We can have hockey from once a week to 3-4 times a week. Mason is also involved in Scouts. Madelyn is a Brownie. There seems to be something going on, that we have to plan for, most nights. A free night on the calendar is heavenly.

So the long and short of it is, I'm envious to those ladies out there, who capture even more minutes than I do. The mini albums of summer time. A recent trip. And I will continue to pin them to my boards, and one day, might even get around to doing one...

End of School Countdown

Can you believe that it's June already? That means, for our little family, we are in countdown mode. As of yesterday, there were 19 more 'school days' left. As of tonight, we're down to 18. Eeks! I can already see how this month is going to slip away from me.

Last week and this week, I've been volunteering at the pool to help kids get changed/dressed for swimming lessons, with Madelyn's grade 2 class.

Next week, I'm heading out to our 'Second Annual Yoga Retreat' with the same group of ladies I went with last year. I'm looking forward to so many aspects of that little get-away.

The day after I come back, we're hosting Barry's family for the celebration of May/June birthdays.

The week after that I'm helping out at the school with the Grade 6 Provincial Achievement Tests.

That takes us to June 21st... Ay, yi, yi...

I like to do teacher's gifts for the end of the year. This year, both my kids have had terrific teachers. I couldn't be more happy actually. So, I want to put a bit more thought into our year end gift. I need to put my thinking cap on. Of course Pinterest is all a flutter right now, with teacher appreciation ideas. I have seen an idea or two, that has caught my attention. I just don't want to break the bank... There is a lot of team teaching that goes on at the kids school, so I struggle a little bit with what to do. Both grades 2 and grade 5, have 4 classes each. That's 4 teachers per grade... So that would be 8 teachers gifts. That's crazy... I can't afford 8 teacher gifts.

On another completely different note, this past weekend was Madelyn's basketball wind up. It was a parents vs kids day.

I know nothing about basketball. I have picked up a tip or two in the last 10 weeks, but it's a game I really have no clue about. I showed up at the event, with my runners. I did get out of the warm up, thank goodness, but I didn't get out of the drills and the 3 on 3 games...

When I told Madelyn that I might just watch, she said "But Mummy, I want you to play. I just want everyone to see how awesome you are".

Melt.

And so, I played.

Not very gracefully. I'm certainly NO athlete. I didn't show up to basketball totally prepared [a sports bra would have been a good idea] and I didn't expect to have a full sweat on by the end of the hour and a half, but I did. And my little girl beamed from ear to ear. [Even though we got split up and were on different teams].

She on the other hand, did fantastic. A few of the other parents commented on her 'tenacity'. I mean, she can barely get the ball up to the net, let alone in the net. But what she lacks in getting the ball to the net, she makes up in defense. When I played against her, she was like a little pitbull. It was nearly impossible to stop her... She's got drive, that's for sure, and she is going to get that ball away from you. 

Keep it up little girl, who knows, maybe basketball will be your thing!

I laugh at the bottom left picture, because she was so fast. Seriously... You didn't have a chance when she was coming at you. None of the pictures Barry took were clear, because she never stayed still long enough. [I was wow-ing the crowd with my awesome dribbling, top right picture]

This is Why...

I scrapbook. 

This is why I document our every day. 

You have no idea how heart warming it is, to walk into the room and see your kids, both of them, sitting on the couch, looking through albums.  I don't scrapbook every single picture. I try to document main events. I wish I had more time and supplies at the ready, but I'm afraid I don't. I wish I could pump out a layout each and every week, but that doesn't happen. I wish I could be more spontaneous, capture even more memories. But I'm doing what I can do. My kids love looking through these, when I walk into the room and it's silent, and both are sitting reading... Stories about them... Stories about us... It makes me so glad that I keep fairly up to date, and reminds me once again what I love so much about this hobby.

My New Splurge

I spoiled myself last week. I splurged on a new lens for my camera. I've been wanting to do it for quite some time, but just haven't gotten around to it. Have I mentioned how much I love my camera? I do. Love it. Having said that, these days the iphone gets used way more. Way. More. Though the quality of the pictures doesn't compare to that of my Nikon, it's certainly pretty good. And I have my camera, phone with me all the time. All. The. Time. It's funny actually, because 90% of the time I identify the iphone as my 'camera'. "Did someone see my little camera?" "Mason, please pass me my little camera" "Hey... is that my little 'camera' ringing?" I joke. Sort of. I knew I wanted to have the 'iphone' for 2 reasons. The first naturally being, the making and receiving phone calls.  The 2nd reason, for the camera. [Not to mention all those camera apps you can find]

It didn't take me long to figure out that receiving and sending email was a delight... [Once it got set up properly that is]

I'm also now a member of the texting world... I realize that's not new just to the iphone, but it's certainly new to me. I didn't do it on my last phone, so I've come leaps and bounds.

But by far, the thing I love most about my phone is the pictures. The taking. The editing. The sending. The sharing. Love it. Absolutely love it. So, it's maybe no surprise that I have 6 different camera apps and 7 different editing apps on my phone. [For the time being that is... There's a new editing app out, that I'm suitably impressed with, PicTapGo. It might be on my phone in the very near future]

I have one game app. Angry Birds. And I've never played it. It's the one app that I have, so that in an emergency situation, I can hand the phone over to my kids. And I can count on one hand how many times I've done that. That's right. One hand. Yes, I'm that Mum. It's my camera iphone, and no one else's... Yup, that's the way I role people, and guess what, my kids seem to be okay with that.

Any way, I digress... This was supposed to be a post about my fancy-schmancy new lens. Back to that. I took a photo class 2 years ago. Learning how to use my fancy new camera. Getting out of auto and into manual mode, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah...  One thing that stood out most from that class, was them saying to get a lens that would be able to get the smallest f-stop possible. My other lens, a 18 - 55 mm had a depth of field range from 3.5-5.6. I wanted a smaller depth of field.

I found a 50 mm lens on sale in a recent flyer. It has a depth of field of 1.8. I have been coveting it for quite some time, so when I saw it was $40 off, I couldn't resist. [I  know there is also a 50 mm that offers a depth of field of 1.4, that's initially what I kind of had my eye on, but this lens was too good a price to pass up]

I've been using this new lens over the past week. I have 14 days to take it back if I'm not satisfied, so of course, I needed to try it out.

I have to say, this little lens, has found a new home. It takes some getting used to, because in the past I've always been able to zoom in and out a little bit. This is just one fixed setting, 50 mm. So if you're subject is too close, you physically need to move back. But the depth of field, is exactly what I'd hoped for. [You know, your subject in focus, and the background blurred] It's lovely. So it will remain. Here are a few shots.

 There it is! Welcome!

Blurry cupboards in the background

Focused on his hand, so slightly blurry face and background totally blurred.

Don't think these two will fit in the same chair for much longer.

And lastly, this is just a great picture, celebrating Gigi's 96th Birthday yesterday. 

But it was using the new lens. Mason didn't come fast enough to get included. He was busy playing with another little cousin. Perhaps I can photoshop his little head in the picture somehow, because now it seems like he should have been in there with us.

Born in the Wrong Era

I have a sneaking suspicion I was born a generation late. I would have fit in perfectly with the thrifty, make the most out of everything, stretch a dollar generation. I love cooking/baking things from scratch. I love the idea of canning [all sorts of things and especially fruits and vegetables] I like making my own jam. [My strawberry rhubarb jam is absolutely de-lish, if I may say so myself] I like to plant things in my garden in the spring/summer to hopefully be consumed and created in my kitchen when it's harvested. [At this point in time it's only tomatoes and herbs] I love the idea of making my own bread, though it's not something I've done an awful lot of, but when I have done it, it's been good.

Don't be misled here, there are many things I love about where I live, RIGHT NOW. I would be absolutely lost without my Washer and Dryer. I have absolutely NO desire to wash/ring/rinse/hang things to dry. No thank you. I can't imagine not having a microwave. No, it's my very best friend in the event I have forgotten to defrost our dinner. I don't even want to be without my electronics. However,  I love the idea of getting back to the basics.

In fact, I just feel, deep down, the need to get back to the basics. In fact, the other day I made my own pumpkin puree. That's right. I cooked a pumpkin, then scooped out all the lovely pumpkin flesh, then put it in my food processor and pureed it. I now have 2 cups of pumpkin puree, that's going to be made into something delicious in the next few days. It was a lot more work, than simply opening up a can of pumpkin, but in the end, I find such a satisfaction knowing that I made it happen!

 

The toughest part about my living, a generation too late, is that Barry doesn't always understand my reasoning behind things. He thinks I'm crazy to buy a little sugar pumpkin, to bake, scoop and puree, only to turn around and put it into a muffin recipe, when all I have to do is take the lid off a can. He just can't understand why I want to go to so much work to make jam, or can stuff... The time it takes, compared to picking up a jar of jam or pickles. 

I guess I just like knowing, what I'm eating. What I'm feeding my family. Now having said that, my family is pretty particular, and Barry doesn't even like things that are pickled for heavens sake... 

I imagine using my canner like a pro [though I've still never attempted this] making bread on a weekly basis, that the kids adore, and being a master at clean eating [tag word for 2013]

That's all I wanted to say. I"ll let you know what I make with the pumpkin!

Another thing that has changed...

I went to my very first dance, in Jr. High School. I guess I would have been in Grade 6, because I went to Jr. High from Grade 6 to 9. It was an after school 'Shag'. The gym was dark. Loud music played. The boys stood on one side of the gym, and the girls on the other. It took a while before even the girls, danced together.

Last night we went to the Halloween Hop at the kids school. I was first introduced to this when Mason was in Grade 1. At first I thought it was INSANE, to be having a dance so early in life. But it was a family dance, so all the 'family' came. 

Since being shocked a number of years ago, this has become a highlight for these kids each year. They LOVE it. The lights are off, there are flashing lights, the music is loud [and good] The kids are all dressed up in their costumes. Everyone dances. There is a concession stand with drinks and snacks [because even for the kids, snacks play a major roll] 

Last night, I was thinking back to my first dance, where I probably never danced with a boy for at least 2 years, and I watched this unfold...

My little Butterfly Girl and Batman...  Grade 2 people... I don't know for sure, but I have a feeling when she gets to her first junior high 'shag' she won't be standing up against the wall. Nope, not this one. Enjoy.

Breakfast Talk and Future Thoughts

Currently, in grade 2 Madelyn is working on a unit called Small Flying and Crawling Animals. This couldn't be a better fit. Seriously it's as if it were hand picked by Miss Madelyn herself. Seriously, small flying and crawling animals... Be still her beating heart. They have divided into groups, she chose the bat group, but agonized over the decision because she had to choose between that, bees, spiders or ladybugs. 

She has spent the better part of 6 weeks learning all sorts of trivia, about all sorts of critters. She has taken a grasshopper to school, and held it under the smart board, in her hand, so that everyone could get a good look at it. She's taken a found moth wing to school. She collected information on crickets and took that to her class to share. She's even working on a little project at home, to take in for her teacher. Just because.

Her class room has also had a tarantula, a scorpion, meal worms and pill bugs. Guess who got to pet the tarantula? Guess what the tarantula ate? Crickets... [I think that was a bit hard for this hardcore bug lover to learn, but hey, she also learned about the food chain...]


Yesterday morning, as I was getting the kids lunches made, and they were sitting at the kitchen table eating their breakfast, I was privy to the following conversation. [Madelyn was feeling badly, because the critters were heading back to where ever it was that they came from...]



mg: "Mason did you get creatures in your class room when you were in Grade 2?"
mk: "No, nothing like that."
mg: "I'm going to miss them"
mk: "Things have changed drastically since I was in Grade 2, Madelyn.
mg: "How?"
mk: "Well for example, do you know the Grade 3's got to make brownies? Yeah... They did. They got to make brownies because it has something to do with Rocks & Minerals.
mg: "That's neat."
mk: "Yeah. Because do you know what I got to do in Grade 3? I got to smell sulphur"

Had I been sipping coffee at that time, I think it would have sprayed out my nose. It was just so funny to hear them talking like that. And to hear Mason say how DRASTICALLY things have changed in the past 3 years...

Imagine my horror, to how things have changed... Now in school there are ipads and mac books. Mason has accounts set up, and can check home work / hand in assignments and find out quiz results from home. Back in the day, we had spelling tests, he's got spell check. Back in the day if you were bullied, it happened Monday through Friday. Now if you're bullied, it happens 24/7. He wants to use the computer. I'm just so not cool with that. The kid is learning how to type. It's a different world out there for sure, so when he tells me how drastically things have changed over the past 3 years, I can't imagine how they will have changed 30 years from now.

I just hope that I can keep up with changing technology. So for the next few years at least I don't get the eye rolls and the 'Mum how would possibly know that?' questions... I've always thought I'd be a cool, hip mum, but maybe I won't be... Oh you kids, I need you to know, that ALWAYS, it's your best interest I have at heart.  I don't EVER want you to have to deal with any of the horror that seems to run so rampant. Don't EVER think you're not good enough. Don't EVER do something because some one says you have to, to be cool. ALWAYS know that you can turn to your Dad or I, no matter the situation. We are here to go to bat for you, FOREVER.

Up the Hill

I took the kids up to Nose Hill a few nights ago. The three of us were going for completely different reasons. I wanted to take some pictures and fiddle with my camera. Madelyn wanted to fill her bug catcher full of grasshoppers, and Mason wanted to walk up to Turtle Rock. [I don't know if that's what it's actually called, but I've been going up there since I was a kid, and that's what we called it. Plus, it actually looks like a turtle...]

We all got what we wanted out of our adventure. I snapped away like a crazy lady, Madelyn chased and caught bugs, and Mason got up to Turtle Rock.


I don't know if I've mentioned it or not, but this has been the Best. Summer. Ever. Now, in my mind, fall has be slotted into that category too. It's been the best Summer and Fall EVER.  Since school started, they have worn shorts [or in Miss Madelyn's case, capri pants and dresses/skirts] nearly every day. I can't believe how nice it's been. The leaves are now in full changing mode. In a few weeks, [or days, depending on the wind] all the leaves will be gone, and we will officially know that winter is on it's way... Each day that we can enjoy this nice weather is a blessing. I got up to the hill too late to take nice leaf changing colour pictures. As you can see, the sun was just about to disappear over the hill.

I seem to have an obsession with sun flares... You might guess that yourself after looking at these photos. 
 

Of course, once we got up to the rock, Madelyn scurried up it, while mason seemed content to hang out below.

 

 Or, maybe lean against it a bit.

Kind of love these silhouette type pictures of the kids. Not totally black, but dark enough to see the outline of them.

 

 

 He eventually climbed up and found the perfect resting spot.

 

We had fun, we usually do. Even when Madelyn fell and skinned her knees on the way down, she was in good spirits. She had a bug catcher full of grasshoppers after all. [Though today at school she fell and re-skinned them. Only a little bit worse. It warranted a trip to the office to have bandages put on] She was feeling pretty sorry for herself when she got off the bus, but then remembered those darn grasshoppers that she had to feed, and all was okay...

End of the Month

Last week my parents took the kids camping. And then something unexpected happened... Barry surprised me with a few days in the woods. He booked us the same two nights in Kananaskis. What a treat. What would I have done, had he not? If we'd stayed home?  Laundry [which is mounded up nearly as high as I am] Wash the floors [which are currently in a most embarrassing state] Dust [ick] Sort through toys [easiest to do when the littles are away, because then they don't try to rescue everything I'm trying to get rid of] We would most likely have gone out for dinner at least one of those nights... And we may or may not have used a movie gift certificate we've had for AN ENTIRE YEAR NOW, and still not used...

Instead though, we got to get away for a few days. It was fab.u.lous.

Off they go...

We headed towards the mountains on a beautiful afternoon... Hardly a cloud in the sky.  We took our mountain bikes with us. And truth be told, I could have SO EASILY been talked out of taking our bikes... In fact, I might have tried to resist by saying something along the lines of "how on earth will we store them once we get there? We can't leave them on the truck. I'm sure they don't want us wheeling them through the hotel" And for some reason, Barry not to be discouraged, actually called out and found that we could store them in a secured spot within the building.  Good on you Honey, cause I would totally have talked you into just sitting in the pub... And let's face it, it wouldn't even have been that hard to do. Sad, but true.

Until we got there, that is.. It was so nice. The weather was AMAZING. It was so quiet. Going for a mountain bike seemed like exactly the thing to do. Now here's a little background info, before we were married, and long before kids, we used to mountain bike, in the mountains. A fair bit. When we got on that trail, and started out, and after my heart lurched into my throat from the first sign [because I have the most ridiculous, nearly debilitating phobia, about running into a bear] I was okay. I rang my bell A LOT... I, under NO circumstance, wanted to come across a bear enjoying berries somewhere along our path. But we did the trail, which only ended up being about 5 km [off-road] and my heart was racing, and I was breathing heavy, and I thought.... "Oh yeah.... I love this...."  And I do love it. Everything about it. It was exactly the same realization that came upon me when we got back on ski's last February. Oh yeah... I remember this now.... This was something I loved to do...

 

 

  How lucky we are, to have this an hour from our doorstep.

 

 We made it to Ribbon Creek, [below the village] and stopped to rest and of course, take pictures. When we finally made it back UP the mountain [which we did... huffing and puffing, but without walking] we ditched our bikes, and headed to happy hour at the pub.  

Because it was Thursdays, there were plenty of specials and hardly any other customers.

Believe it or not, Thursday night we sat on the rooftop patio, marveling a the weather. Finally around 8 pm when the sun went behind the mountain it began to cool off. In the middle of the night, and were woken by thunder and lightening, which didn't last long, but was pretty spectacular sounding as it rumbled down the mountains. It began to rain, and didn't stop all night long. In the morning, we woke to snow on the higher elevations. I have lived here my entire life, and I still can't believe how our temperature can fluctuate 20° in a matter of hours. Needless to say, I was not well equipped for the cold/drizzly/rain temperatures, but my plan ahead golfer husband had all the gear we could possibly need in the back of his truck.

 

Chilly, but the views are still spectacular. 

 

Later that day, I was treated to some Spa time. Lucky me...

 The next morning, we again woke to perfection. Hardly a cloud in the sky. We drove to the golf course before heading home, to check out the pro shop... This place is absolutely breath-taking. I even took a few pictures of my sweet heart, as he longingly looked out towards the course. [He played the day before, in what felt like sub-zero temps, hence my spa time] He hasn't golfed as much this year... I haven't golfed at all this year, which is comical considering last year I joined a weekly league... My heart just wasn't in it this year I guess.

How could you ever tire of this view?

 

 Us.

 Getting away for a couple of days was so nice. Just what we needed. So important to re-connect with one another. We don't do it often enough. Our date nights, once a month, were successful for Jan/Feb, then seemed to peter off completely... It sounds so easy, but it's hard to fit it in somehow. [That and a $10 an hour sitter...]

We've got to try harder to get here more often. [away from the city, into the mountains] I keep saying it. I mean it. I'm passionate about it, and then I can so quickly be talked out of it, or not push for it hard enough...  This cycle has to change.

Defeated...

Now this is just a hunch.... But I'm pretty sure this isn't going to get me mother of the year award...

My dear children... I don't want to be the person depicted in the picture above... But I fear I  morph  into her too often. She points her finger and furrows her brow... She speaks very loudly on occasion... [Some might consider it yelling] It's frustrating that there is another member of the family who only seems to get motivated once 'yelly mummy' morphs onto the scene. Another member of the family sits back sadly... Because he doesn't like conflict.

I am going to do my best to get the happy and joyous checks... Because that's what I want you to remember. I don't want you to remember mad and sad. I'm going to try very hard to tame yelly mummy... I will do my best. You see... I am trying to do my best each and every day.

I love you both beyond measure. Even when I'm scowling, always know, I love you and would do anything for you.

Picture by Mason.

Random Tidbits

It's been awhile since I've done one of these. I saw these random questions and thought I should do that... What makes me really mad though, is I wanted to add a picture of myself in this post, and I don't have any recent ones. None that are good any way. And I promised myself that with this new phone, I'd capture myself more. Clearly I need to work on that...

This is the one I'm going with. I'm a total wimp and don't like the cold and the kids insisted on going to the park. So I bundled up and went along.

Age: 42.

Bedsize: King, is there any other kind?

Chores that you hate: Washing the floor…No wait, cleaning toilets… No wait, dusting… No wait... ;-)

Dogs: I’m totally a dog person, but after 14 years of marriage, we still don’t have one. We have kids though, and they’re way more responsibility… But I’m getting closer and closer to the idea of a four-legged friend, every day .

Essential start to your day: Coffee and either a bowl of cereal or oatmeal.

Favorite color: This year I’m loving orange and navy.

Gold or Silver: Silver, all the way.

Height: I’ve always said 5’ 4”, but I don’t know if that’s 100% accurate…

Instruments you play: Just my voice.

Job title: Which one to choose from… Wife, Mummy, Daughter, Sister, Niece, Auntie, Granddaughter, Daughter-in-law, Godmother, Friend, Homemaker, Baker, Chef, Crafter, Driver, Photographer…[I'm sure there's more]

Kids: 2. Lovely in every way. I’m very blessed to have one of each.

Live: Calgary, Alberta. I suspect I’ll be here my entire life.

Mother's Name: I still call her Mum, but if she’s not paying attention, I get it by saying “Candy”.

Nicknames: Candycane, by Barry. Can or Cand. Really though, Candy just isn’t that long. [But I have to admit I shorten everyone’s name, whether they like it or not]

Overnight hospital stays: Thankfully, the list isn't long. When each of my kids were born. Mad was a 1 night stay, Mason 3 nights. [There were baby not eating and latching issues with him] Also, one night when I was a teenager and got my tonsils out.

Pet peeves: Drivers that don’t give you a thank you wave, when you let them in. OH, and people that press the cross walk button and JUST START WALKING… C’mon people, isn’t your life worth more to you than that???

Quote from a movie or tv show: "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope!"

Right or Lefty: Righty.

Siblings: my little brother, who towers over me.

Time you wake up: I’ve NEVER been a morning person… Ever. But lately I’m waking up around 7:15 am, that doesn’t mean I hop right out of bed, good gracious NO. But my body naturally wakes up then…

Unusual: The amounts of journals I have, at any one given time... And they've all got something in them. It's silly really...

Vegetable you hate: I’m pretty open to most vegetables… I love brussel sprouts and turnips… But one thing that scares me, is cooked spinach… I like it in salads, but all steamed and wilted… Nope, not sure that’s right at all… [Even with the butter added]

What makes you run late: Miss Madelyn. Getting her anywhere on time is a challenge.

X-Rays You've Had: Lucky me, all that comes to mind is the dentist.

Yummy food you make: My kids often request my own homemade ‘Vietnamese [Pork & Noodle] Dish’, my sweet heart often requests my Buffalo Chicken Dip.

Zoo Animal: The otters, maybe I'll come back as an otter. It looks like they have so much fun.