Splash Pad - Photo a Day, June 30th

Today was the first "official" day of summer vacation. I say this because the children always finish school on a Wednesday, so the last two days of that week are what I call "free pass" days. That means they get to do whatever they want to do: They can slack off, sleep in, watch all the TV and play all the video games they want. Basically it's their time to just "chill" from a long year at school.

So today they had things to do: get up, get dressed, make your bed and do a small chore. Small chores are things like recycling, putting away a few toys, emptying the dishwasher...that sort of thing.

Today, I handed out BIG chores. Big chores are big stuff...cleaning the playroom (it almost always has toys on the floor), tidying up a bedroom, purging items no longer wanted/needed from a book case...that sort of thing.

Today, the big chore for the boys was the playroom. I made "signs" on three pieces of paper: Put away (and NOT on the floor), Give away (things they no longer played with), Throw away (dollar store junk, broken toys that can't be repaired).

The reward for all their hard work was a trip to the splash pad. I didn't realize that it really wasn't all that warm today, but that didn't stop them. It was only about 21 degrees Celsius (that's around 70 degrees for my American friends), but they didn't seem to mind and we even made a trip to McDonald's for McFlurry's afterward.

Here's the pair of them having a blast making sure all the "fountains" in the splash pad are doing their thing:


(you have to either run by or touch some spots on the wall to activate the "fountains").

They did change into warm clothes when we got home - LOL!

Thanks for stopping by!

Shaving Cream - Photo a Day, June 29th

Scott was shaving today, and Jonathan got this:


Now, to the casual observer, this is just a kid with shaving cream on his nose and ears. To me, it's a childhood memory.

Scott doesn't remember dates all that well (can never remember if we were married on August 30th or 31st, just that it was near the end of the month; for the record, it was the 31st), but he remembers the really important stuff.

He remembers that I told him how when I was a little girl, my sister and I used to sit in the bathroom and watch my dad shave. He remembers that I told him how my dad used to wash the remnants of shaving cream off his face but ALWAYS left some on his ears. He remembers how I told him that my dad used to pretend my sister and I didn't know what we were talking about when we tried to tell him that there was STILL shaving cream on his ears. He remembers that I told him how my sister and I were practically screaming ourselves hoarse and laughing so hard before my dad would say, "OH! That shaving cream!"

And THAT is why Jonathan came out of the bathroom looking the way he did today. Love that man of mine!

Thanks for stopping by!

It was bound to happen - Photo a Day, June 28th

There is no photo today. I forgot. OOPS!

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Busy Day - Photo a Day, June 27th

Whew! What a busy day we had! We had to be up fairly early to make our way downtown to Sick Kids.

No, we didn't have any appointments (though we did stop in and see Marilyn). We were there by special invitation for a super special event!

On our way downtown, we saw this:

Had to laugh as we had just been talking about how "soccer" is really "football" everywhere except North America where "football" is called "soccer" and "football" is "American Football". Lauren was saying how rugby isn't for weenies like those who play "American Football" and wear all that padding - LOL!

When we got to Sick Kids, we popped in to see Marilyn as we always do. Besides, that woman has eyes EVERYWHERE and she would know if we had been at the hospital and hadn't come to at least say hi...so, we kinda have to...not that it's a chore or anything because she is just SO sweet! This time, we brought her some DELICIOUS orange poppy seed cookies that we made yesterday. Try the recipe - YUMMY!

Then we headed to the Rotunda for a little reception before heading into the Hollywood Theatre for a special screening of Kung Fu Panda. Even if you don't have kids, go see this movie - SO cool!

Here's Lauren wearing her "press pass" hat:


We were all given Sick Kids stickers to identify us as those who were attending the show. I suggested Lauren put hers on her hat so that it looked like a press pass.

The movie was absolutely amazing and everyone LOVED it! The Hollywood Theatre was renamed the "John and Myrna Daniels Hollywood Theatre" for their generous donation which will go towards the upkeep of the theater and also ensure that the movies being played in the theatre will be seen by kids in their room at the same time. This will allow children who can't leave their rooms to enjoy the same movies being played in the theatre. How cool is that???

We finished off the day with our first summer trek to Ontario Place. We always buy summer passes and today was the last day to do it on the cheap. We were only there for a couple of hours, but the kids enjoyed the benefits of no lines, no waiting and riding their favourite rides as much as they wanted. On some rides, they didn't even have to get off until they had had enough.

Colin and Jonathan enjoyed going on Cyclone together:


That's it for today! I'm tired! Thanks for stopping by!

Strawberry Picking - Photo a Day, June 26th

It's become an annual tradition. I can't remember when we started (I know it was before I had Jonathan), but we've been doing it for a good many years.

Every year, the day following the last day of school, we head out to go strawberry picking. We normally go to Kingshott Gardens, but they're no longer growing strawberries. I was sad to hear that, because that's been our farm of choice for a long time.

Today, we made the drive out to Andrew's Scenic Acres. What a drive! 35 km one way - YIKES! The price of gas and long drives do not go well together.

We picked a bucket full for us and Lauren's friend Maddy (who has been coming along for a few years now) picked about 1/2 basket to take home to her family.

Though Andrew's is a long drive, it's worth it because there is a playground there as well as a small pet area where the kids can check out the various farm animals. This year we saw goats, chickens, ducks and rabbits.

This pic has NOTHING to do with the actual picking of the strawberries, but it is the one I am sharing today:


For all the arguing they do and shouting at each other that goes on, Colin still takes really good care of his little brother. He took the time to push him on the swings at the playground today.

Day one of summer break done - PHEW! See you all tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by!

Last day of School - Photo a Day, June 25th

Scott thought I should title this post "The never ending fricking weekend". Actually, I used another word, but decided against it - LOL!

Today was the last day of school. Lockers are cleaned out, teacher gifts have been given, the last bus ride has been had.

The kids all got EXCELLENT report cards! Colin got all A's and B's, Lauren's lowest mark was a 75 and her highest a 98 and Jonathan got all O's and S's (often demonstrates and sometimes demonstrates). We're proud of each of them for all their accomplishments!

Here's little man as the bus pulled off at the end of the morning:


Hope you have a GREAT summer planned! Thanks for stopping by!

Canada Day at Cooking School - Photo a Day, June 24th

Today was the last day for Jonathan's cooking school. Because Canada day is next Tuesday, we celebrated at cooking school today.

The kids made red cupcakes (vanilla with LOTS of red dye) and frosted them with white frosting and red sprinkles. They also dipped strawberries in white chocolate to keep with the red and white them that was going on.

Jonathan had a great time and can't wait to see all his friends next year!

Thanks for stopping by!

My kid got a plaque! Photo a Day, June 23rd

Today was Grade 8 Grad at Lauren's school. 200 + kids and a whole PILE of awards had to be handed out. It was a little long winded (what ceremony isn't), but the kids all did a GREAT job!

Before the diplomas were handed out, the parents were briefed on what the kids had been told at the rehearsal on Friday, "Shake, take and smile". The parents were instructed to "Wait, snap and retreat". It was hysterical. Each of the kids came forward when their name was called, shook hands with their teacher, took their diploma and turned with a cheesy smile to face the parent taking the photograph. SO funny!

In between the handing out of the diplomas, awards were handed out. The kids weren't told in advance who was winning the awards. Lauren won the music award for the core students. WOOT!


That's my girl! Looking TOTALLY stunning...and WAY too grown up!

Thanks for stopping by!

Playing in the Park - Photo a Day, June 22nd

Early this afternoon we decided to head over to the park for some fun...get everyone out in the fresh air for a bit. Scott and the boys took Colin's spiral football while I took photographs!

They had a great time and Scott is SO good natured about chasing after the ball when it doesn't quite reach it's destination. Even Jonathan got a few throws in before deciding to take a break and hit the slides.


We were out for about 45 minutes when it started to rain, so it was time to head home.

Besides, it was time for the Italy quarter final. We're not talking about that...

Thanks for stopping by!

Summer Cuts - Photo a Day, June 21st

It's that time of year again! Jonathan got his the other day and it is S-H-O-R-T SHORT!!! I love the boys bald little heads in the summer - so STINKIN' CUTE!

Colin, at one point or another, over the summer requests a Mohawk. I just love it. He looks adorable, especially when it's spiked.

Here he is just after Scott was done with the cut...covered with hair - LOL!


Thanks for stopping by!

Picnic in the Park - Photo a Day, June 20th

School is winding down in Southwestern Ontario. Today, Jonathan's kindergarten class had their end of the year picnic. The parents arrived at the park and waited for the children to arrive.

And then? PANDEMONIUM!

There were at least 4 classes there...and possibly 5. In all, there were probably 100 children - YIKES!

Jonathan played nicely with all his friends and had a great time. He enjoyed the slides, the climbers and the swings.

This is one of my favourite pics from our outing.

Hope you have an AWESOME weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Note to self:

Two pounds of potatoes makes a LOT of gnocchi! Three medium size freezer bags worth.

It's all frozen and in the freezer now. I found a recipe for a roasted garlic cream sauce, so I'll be trying that out in the next week or so.

I did try some gnocchi with butter, salt, pepper and a little garlic powder and they were WAY yummy. They cook up really fast which will come in handy for crazy busy days and you can cook them from frozen too - BONUS!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cooking Lesson - Photo a Day, June 19th

So as I was picking Jonathan up from the bus stop after school, I was contemplating what I would have for lunch today.

Later on, I'm going to be making gnocchi and I need 3 egg yolks for that. I don't want three egg whites sitting around, so what's a girl to do? Make an egg white omelet of course! And that's just what I did...my own recipe even...made it up as I went along.

Last week at the farmer's market, I bought some fresh spinach. I've been using in salads (YUM!), but I wanted to do something different with it.

So, I took about two cups of fresh spinach, washed it up and wilted it in a small pan with a pinch of salt. The water that is left on the leaves after the washing combined with the salt is more than enough to get a nice wilt.


(Note to self: clean stove top, including elements and rings)

While your spinach is wilting, chop up some tomato. I used about 1/4 of a beefsteak tomato, to make about 1/2 cup. It was a bit much, so I saved some for a repeat performance for tomorrow's lunch.


I had some leftover green onions from the taco dinner we had last week, so I just used those. I'd say about a 1/4 cup. Again, there was a bit much in the container, so they'll be used in the repeat performance.


At this point, my spinach was nicely wilted, so I removed it from the pan and set it aside.

Next came the cooking of the egg whites. I used the same pan as I used for the spinach with a little cooking spray thrown in to make sure the egg whites wouldn't stick.


I used a small pan because most times I just like to fold my omelets in half. If I'm just making a cheese omelet, then I'll fold it in thirds, but for this one, I wanted just a 1/2 fold.

Once the eggs were pretty much done, I started piling on the toppings. I also discovered we were out of "good" cheese (the one that comes in blocks) and had only the sliced stuff that the kids use for their sandwiches. I discovered a small piece of fresh Parmesan which I grated up and added on top of the other ingredients. Now, the Parmesan wasn't a BAD choice, per se, but I think the omelet would have been a bit tastier with mozzarella or maybe even cheddar.


(Note to self: Buy plain coloured plates if you're going to keep photographing food!)

So, there you have it. My lunch. It was REALLY yummy...though could have done with maybe a little pinch of salt at the end for seasoning and DEFINITELY some pepper. I'll try that tomorrow.


Spinach, Tomato Omelette

3 egg whites
2 c. fresh spinach leaves, wilted
1/3 c. diced tomato
2 tbsp. diced green onion
1/3 to 1/2 cup of shredded cheese - use your favourite kind

1. Wilt spinach in small pan, remove and set aside.
2. Dice tomatoes and onions.
3. Cook eggs.
4. When eggs are almost completely cooked, add toppings and shredded cheese.
5. Fold omelet over and let cooking finish over minimum heat.
6. Remove to plate and enjoy!

Don't ask me calories, I have NO idea! I do know that it is fairly low in fat based on the ingredients. You could lower the fat even more by using a reduced fat cheese or even leaving the cheese out altogether - but who wants to have an omelet with no cheese???

Hope you enjoy your omelet as much as I did. Let me know if you tried it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Under Counter Clutter? CONQUERED! - Photo a Day, June 18th

Done and done! I finished up the last two cupboards under the sink in the bathroom.

Back of the cupboard is bath and body, front of the cupboard is face stuff! I won't show you the middle cupboard...no one needs to look at feminine products - LOL!

Thanks for stopping by...and following me on this crazy journey!

BOO YA BABY!!! Photo a Day, June 17th

O.K., so it wasn't pretty...and they did wait till the last game in the round robin to pull it out of the hat...and they did have to rely on Romania losing to the Netherlands today...but they did it!!!

My Italians pulled it off and made it through to the quarter finals in the UEFA European Cup.

BOO YA BABY!!!!


I taped the game so I could watch it with Scott when he got home from work and watched the Netherlands/Romania game this afternoon.

I was REALLY annoyed at the announcers of the Netherlands/Romania game because they were telling the viewers what was going on in the Italy/France game. So, I knew ahead of time what the outcome would be. It didn't make for a very exciting game but at least it was fun to watch. Scott knew Italy had won because he said I was WAY too calm when he got home from work; if they had lost I would have been FUMING - LOL!

You should have seen the kids as I was watching the game this afternoon. At one point they ran for cover as I was cheering VERY loudly for the Netherlands (had Romania won, the Italians would have been out no matter the outcome of their game against France). The Dutchmen pulled it off and now Italy goes through.

They play Spain this coming Sunday at 2:45 pm...so, umm....yeah...don't call me! LOL!

See you all tomorrow! Thanks for stopping by!

One cupboard at a time - Photo a Day, June 16th

Having kept the kitchen all spic and span for a few days, I decided it was time to tackle the bathroom, but just one cupboard at a time. There are three and trust me: trying to do all three would not have been a good idea - way too much stuff equals way too overwhelming.

So for today, just one:

Off to the left of the photo are some essentials including cotton swabs, toothpaste, rubbing alcohol. The basket in the back holds Scott's "kit" for when he travels with all the shaving essentials, etc. as well as his clipper for his and the boys hair. The basket in the front is for first aid, including a hot water bottle inside Mr. Teddy.

The oust is for...well...you know -LOL!

One step at a time the clutter is making its way out of the house.

Thanks for stopping by!

BPS and Father's Day - Photo a Day, June 15th

I played with paper!


I completed the first LO in Baker's Dozen over at BPS. It's pretty simple, but I like it...and hey it's done! That's four more photos out of a box an onto a page.

For Father's Day, Scott wanted to do whatever he felt like. That meant I took the kids to archery (not a problem) and he stayed in pyjamas doing what he never gets to do - play video games.

Before I left to take the kids to archery, I left some post it notes around the house. One said good morning, another to head into the kitchen and still another that said, "Need a jolt? Turn me on (teehee!)" that was pasted to the coffee maker (already filled and ready to go). He really liked that one.

When we got home from archery, I offered to make breakfast/brunch/lunch for him, but he had already decided what he wanted and was making it for himself.

For the rest of the afternoon, he played video games. We all pretty much just did our own thing...which was O.K. with everyone. I got to do a LO and the kids were engaged in their own activities.

I made a roast beef for dinner, complete with roast potatoes (Scott's favourite), green beans, baby carrots and gravy. Oh! And Yorkshire pudding even! Go me - LOL!

It's almost time for bed, so one last pic:

He's still having fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

29 and holding - Photo a Day, June 14th

Today's my birthday! I decided that I like being 29 - teehee! Of course, that would mean that I had my eldest when I was a mere 16 years old. Not inconceivable mind you, but highly unlikely!

I think I'm going to adopt my dad's philosophy of celebrating the anniversary of a certain birthday. He chooses to celebrate the anniversary of his 39th birthday.

Me? I'm not so fond of being 39, so I'm going to celebrate the 10th anniversary of my 29th birthday. Doesn't that sound much more appealing???


Jonathan made me a "paper present" on which he drew a sun, some rain, a lightning bolt (we had a storm last night) and a moon. Scott got me some gift cards to my favourite spa and my favourite movie of all time (the Princess Bride). Jonathan wasn't happy that I didn't have anything to unwrap from him. He was SO sad!

Scott had to go out and pick up some ingredients for the quiche I requested as a birthday dinner, so I asked him to "secretly" pick up some President's Choice chocolate (same as Toblerone) and have Jonathan give that to me as a gift. Besides, I bought some fresh strawberries at the farmers market yesterday, so a fondue seemed like a good idea.

Scott brought it home and Lauren helped Jonathan wrap it. Then he took some paper, a marker and a glue stick and added his own touch to the wrapping. So darn cute and TOTALLY made me cry.


Thanks for stopping by!

Baker's Dozen - Photo a Day, June 13th

I started a class at BPS last week. Stacy Julian's sister Darci is teaching it. Yes, she is just as cute as Stacy.

The first few days of class consisted in gathering supplies that we put into an egg carton after having decorated it:


We aslo gathered some photos to use in LO's. Darci has been emailing us assignments...I haven't started those yet. I'm hoping to find some mojo in the next few days and get started on that...ever the procrastinator - LOL! I even waited till today to get DH's Father's Day card done - YIKES!

Hopefully next week some of my photos will be pics of LO's from Darci's class.

Thanks for stopping by!

Overwhelmed and Undervalued - Photo a Day, June 12th

Yesterday was NOT a good day...in fact, this week has not been very good either...and neither was the end of last week.

Everything seems to be a chore...yes, even the fun stuff isn't fun anymore.

And this wasn't how it was supposed to be...it just wasn't.

Growing up all I ever wanted was to be a wife and a mom. That's it. No lofty ambitions (though for a brief moment I had visions of being Canada's ambassador to Spain). I went to University because I could, not because I had to for a career choice. I majored in Spanish (hence, the ambassador thing) and I got my Bachelor of Arts in the three years that it was supposed to take.

At the time, I lived in Montreal and as soon as I wrote my last exam (April 21st, 1991), I couldn't wait to pack up and join my fiancé (now DH) in Mississauga, where we still make our home.

I took one look at our DD (Lauren) a mere 0.8 seconds after she was born and KNEW that I would not be returning to work. I didn't want day care raising our daughter. She was born with a congenital heart condition to boot, so there was no way I was going to trust a complete stranger with her anyway.

It was a struggle at first getting used to one salary, especially after DH took a HUGE pay cut to change companies (short term pain, long term gain) but we did it and still are...that short term pain really did pay off.

Then came along DS # 1 and DS # 2, 4 years apart (like we'd planned). DS # 2 was also born with a congenital heart condition (not genetic) and we started on a road that included LOTS of hospital visits, lots of tests and his first open heart surgery when he was just three days old. Last November, he underwent his third open heart surgery.

Most days, I do pretty good, but some days are "find a corner to cry in" days.

There are five of us still living in the same condo we bought in 1992 and it's CROWDED. 982 sq. ft. is not conducive to 5 people and all their stuff. We want to buy a house, but need to sort out the clutter in this one before we can sell. I know that some might say, "Well, just do it", but it's not always that simple. I do my best, but it's hard to keep things under control when there is just SO much stuff!

And it just wasn't supposed to be this way! IT JUST WASN'T!!! Being a wife and mom is supposed to be a fulfilling job. It's supposed to be what makes me happy...caring for kids, caring for DH, doing laundry, cooking...this is what I signed up for...what I've always wanted to do. Well, if it's what I've always wanted to do, how come it sucks?

Yesterday was a "cry in a corner" day. I knew it was coming, but was powerless to stop it. I cried my heart out while DH listened to me and did his best to help me through it. We went online to find some resources for Stay at Home Moms (there are lots out there) and I got started (in my head at least) working out some ways to make this better. I want to be happy doing laundry, doing dishes, cooking dinner, etc...I just need to find a way to make that happen.

As we were writing down websites, Scott wrote at the top of the page:

TODAY IS THE DAY I CHANGE

I thought that was a pretty powerful statement. No one can change for you, you have to be/make the change you want to see. This morning, I had an "Eleanor Roosevelt" moment. She said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your permission". That was my moment. No one can dictate how clean/tidy my house should be, unless I let them. No one can make me feel like a "bad" housekeeper unless I let them. No one can make me feel like a bad mom, unless I let them. And as of right now, I'M NOT LETTING THEM!!!

I've heard about FlyLady on numerous occasions...even joined the site once or twice, but I think that unless you are REALLY ready to commit, you aren't going to "play" along. It's like the saying "you have to hit rock bottom before you can claw your way back up".

Today, I am ready to fly...and I started by shining my sink and taking the kitchen back!


And now, you'll have to excuse me...I have laundry to fold and some ironing to get done...

Thanks for stopping by!

Park Fun - Photo a Day, June 11th

Jonathan was asking to go to the park today, so after the first soccer game of the day was done (Portugal beat the Czech Republic) we headed out.

The weather was perfect - not too hot and not too much wind - so that was great! Jonathan played on the slides for a little bit and then wanted to go on the swings. It's amazing how much he's changed his love for the swings since the first time we went earlier this year. Now he's all about going as high as I can push him - little dare devil!

Here he is just before hopping off to hit the slides again!


Thanks for stopping by!

Pyjama Party - Photo a Day, June 10th

Jonathan had cooking school today and it was Pyjama Party Day. Jonathan has been talking about it since I signed him up.

So, when I picked him from the bus stop after school, he was eager to change into his PJ's and did so right in the car - SO CUTE!

The kids in the class made Breakfast Tarts (like a quiche, REALLY yummy!) and a fruit and yogurt parfait (also really yummy!)


After the cooking was done, Sandy (the instructor) read them a "bed time" story (Where the Wild Things Are) and then they had a little pyjama fashion show. Only three of the kids wore pyjamas, but they all participated in the fashion show. Parading kids are just so darn adorable! Here's Jonathan in the fashion show:

What a cutie!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Which Mom are you???

Which TV Mom Are You?

My Result: Marge Simpson

You are Marge from The Simpsons. You may not share Marge's blue bouffant, but you do share her animated style of mothering. Sometimes the pressures of maintaining a happy home may push you toward the edge, but at the end of the day, you believe in your children wholeheartedly, even when they're being rather, um, spirited.


You encourage your kids' creativity and individuality, whether that means watching them perform the saxophone or helping them raise exotic lizards. You may sometimes say things that sound like old-fashioned parenting clichés, but when it comes down to dealing with domestic disasters, you can be a pretty together, modern mama.

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=tvmomogt&c=50652

VIVA ITALIA! Photo a Day, June 9th

I'm a soccer freak - I'll admit it. I wasn't always this way though. I only became a soccer freak back in the summer of 1994 during the 1994 World Cup.

My boss at the time was such fun! He'd let us (the office staff) slack off and watch the games in his office and serve cappuccino (I kid you not). The only condition, was that you had to cheer for his team:



And that's how it all started...my addiction to soccer. Now, the good news is, even though I'm addicted...it's only every two years. I don't follow soccer year round and don't claim to know the ins and outs of "friendlies" and various other matches. I do know what offside means, what being "fouled" means and that a yellow card is bad, but a red one is worse.

And I still cheer for Italy, much to Scott's and Lauren's chagrin as they are both England fans (though Lauren is still miffed that England let Beckham go - she's still bitter about that).

I don't have any Italian blood in me...not a drop. But that doesn't matter. I still cheer for my Italians despite the fact that Baggio missed a penalty kick in the final game back in 1994 resulting in Italy losing to Brazil. In 1998, Italy didn't even make it past the quarter finals (they were beaten by France) and in 2002 they didn't even make it past the round of 16. It was sad, but I didn't switch teams...despite DH making fun of my Italians.

In 2006, my loyalty paid off! Italy took the title! WOOT!!!

Now, this is my first year watching the UEFA cup and it's been good so far. I've got my score sheet at hand to keep track of who wins what and I'm monopolizing the TV (sometimes) for the good games. So...at 2:30 this afternoon, don't call me. I'll be settling in to watch my Italians beat the Netherlands. According to Scott (and several announcers), Group C is the "Group of Death". We'll see how that plays out...

VIVA ITALIA!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Archery - Photo a Day, June 8th

Having collected his three quivers, Colin is ready to shoot again!

The kids have been taking archery lessons on Sunday mornings. Normally, I am NOT the one that takes them. When I found out the start time of the first lesson (8:30), I made sure Scott was willing to take them, because Sunday is my sleep in day! After today, there are only 2 weeks left and he has taken them to each and every lesson, except for today.

He's got some time sensitive stuff to get done for work and he was up till almost 4 a.m. today, despite the fact that I told him "Don't stay up all night" before I went to bed (early) around 9:30 p.m.

Now, I don't normally reward stupidity (who the heck stays up that late knowing they have to be out the door at 8 a.m.?) but he took REALLY good care of me yesterday as I was suffering the after effects of too much sun at the Bread and Honey Festival. I did put on sunblock, but missed a few spots and let me tell you - OUCH!!! He spread aloe gel on my upper back/shoulders whenever I asked and even brought me some ice to help with the sting and dissipate some of the heat. He's a good honey!

So, I decided I would be a good honey too and let him sleep some, because he had to go into work AGAIN to get some more stuff done. CRAZY! He spent more time at the office this weekend than he did at home - SO NOT FAIR!

The kids have a great time at archery. Lauren is thinking of taking a "Robin Hood" camp this year where she can perfect her archery skills and even learn some fencing! Toting my camera got me into the class so I could take some pics and even an invite to do some shooting! I haven't shot in YEARS (like at least 25 or so!), so I begged off. But Scott (the instructor, not DH) said he would give me some brush up lessons next week (I'm taking the kids because it's Father's Day) and have me shooting in not time - COOL!

That's it for now! Hope you all (all 4 of you - LOL!) had a GREAT weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

Shark Boy and...well...Shark Boy - Photo a Day, June 7th

O.K., as promised...today's pics are from the Bread and Honey Festival.

Before the start of the parade, we spied a clown that was doing some face painting across the main street. Lauren went across to find out the cost of the painting and it turns out the clown was being sponsored by the TD Bank, so all the painting he was doing was free! SWEET!

Lauren got some flowers painted on her arm and Jonathan went across to join her. He wasn't sure what he wanted so the clown asked him if it could be a surprise. He ended up with this SUPER CUTE shark and every time he opened his mouth so did the shark - LOL! SO CUTE! So, Colin and I went across the street next and had some of our own painting done. I got some flowers on my arm and since Colin really liked Jonathan's shark, he got the same one. They both looked so adorable sitting there opening and closing their mouths. LOVED IT!

The weather cooperated and the sun shone all day long. Unfortunately, I missed a few spots with the sunblock and got some NASTY burns on my upper back. Scott has been good enough to be spreading the aloe gel on the burns whenever I ask. Thank goodness for such an amazing hubby!

The kids had a great time! There was a pirate on the kids stage that caught Colin's fancy. At the end of the show, he shot off a "canon" and the kids were able to collect some plastic coins as souvenirs (something for the scrapbook). Colin also participated in the spelling bee that they had going on and spelled two level 3 words (worth 15 points each) correctly. I was VERY proud of him!

Jonathan was THRILLED to be able to see Markus again. We just love his kid friendly music. We have seen him so many times that he knows us on sight now. How cool is that?

That's it for today. Hope you all had a wonderful day and that the weather cooperated for whatever activity you had planned.

Thanks for stopping by!

Favourite Season - Photo a Day, June 6th

I used to think that fall was my favourite season. I've changed my mind. I have a new favourite season. It's called "Farmers Market". "Farmers Market" is the season that starts on the first Friday in June and ends on the last Sunday in October.

Today marks the beginning of "Farmers Market" and I am just absolutely thrilled! The produce (for the most part) is locally grown which is good considering the price of gas lately because if it's locally grown it doesn't have to be trucked in with a fuel surcharge added to a head of broccoli. A few weeks ago at Superstore the managers "special" was broccoli - $2.49/head thank you. I think not! So, I couldn't wait for "Farmers Market" season to start.

Jonathan and I went up to the mall after he was done school. The market is located in the north west parking lot of our local mall, so it's not hard to get to. Not much to spend on gas either as it's only about 3 km away.

We picked out some gorgeous looking strawberries (everberries - ones that bloom early and stay later - are already in season - YUM!), some asparagus (I wish asparagus season was longer!), some mushrooms, some cucumber, some tomatoes and even some farm fresh eggs. He loves checking out all the produce and the various other goodies the vendors have up for sale (honey, pies, bagels).

We didn't spend much time as it is STINKIN' HOT out today - with the humidity factored in, it's 41 degrees Celcius; that's 106 degrees Fahrenheit for my American friends. So umm...yeah...HOT!

Here is little man checking out some sample tomatoes. Of course he had to pick it up and ask me what it was. When I told him it was a yellow tomato, he promptly put it back down and I found myself eating a piece of yellow tomato. Not bad...tastes just like a regular red tomato!

Tomorrow's photo will likely have something to do with the Bread and Honey Festival that we'll be attending in nearby Streetsville.

Hope you have a STELLAR weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Game Boy - Photo a Day, June 5th

He went to school, he came home, he had lunch and then this:

He just LOVES playing his video games!

Lilac SHRUBS? Photo a Day, June 4th

Yep! Didn't know they existed! But they do and their fragrance is even STRONGER than that of the lilac bush.

Because we live in high rise, we park underground. The good news is that there are "windows" (grated openings) where the fragrance comes through. So, every time I go down to the car, I smell the lilac shrubs - YUM!

Please forgive the quality of the image. My computer is acting up and for some reason not recognizing my CF card (yes, I've tried rebooting). I had to pull the images with the CF card in the camera, but that wouldn't pull the RAW images that I shot. Not sure what's up with that. So, because it wasn't in RAW, I didn't get to tweak it as much as I would have liked.

Thanks for stopping by!

Five Days a Week - Photo a Day, June 3rd

This is what I do:

And it's starting to pay off too! While I haven't seen a whole lot of weight loss (only about 5 lbs), I am starting to see some results in inches lost and my waist is starting to reappear - WOOT!

I have a goal of 2 dress sizes by Vegas. Scott is taking me to Las Vegas at the end of July and I want to be down 2 dress sizes. I'm confident I can do it, so GO ME!!! BTW, does anyone know how many pounds equals a dress size???

Thanks for stopping by!

Photo a Day in May

O.K., so it's not May...and I'll admit, it definitely sounds nicer when it rhymes, but what are you gonna do? May got away from me...and while many of my blogging friends did a "Photo a Day in May", I'm hoping to pull off the same in June.

So, the pic for June 1st wasn't mine, but it was taken on the first, so I'm counting it - LOL! (Pic of DD in the post below this one)

Today, you get this one:

Lilacs have to be my absolute FAVOURITE bloom (Apple Blossoms are a VERY close second!) and since we live in a high rise condo, I don't have any. BUT, there are some growing on the grounds and you can be sure that when we buy a house (soon!) that one of the first plants going into the backyard will be a lilac bush! The colour matters not, I just LOVE the fragrance! It's a shame they don't bloom for longer, so I enjoy them while I can.

Hope you had a GREAT day and thanks for stopping by!

When did this happen???

This:
is my DD. That dress she has on? My sister lent it to her to wear to her Grade 8 graduation. Does she look 13 to you? No...me neither. Who in the heck gave her permission to go and get all grown up? There is NO WAY that was part of any deal I had when she was born 13 1/2 years ago...

I know one thing for sure though...I've been blessed with beautiful, thoughtful, wonderful young lady and I am the luckiest mom in the world.

Cropping with the Gypsy Chicks

Yesterday I went over to my friend Steph's house to crop with some of my bestest girlfriends! I got to hang with Tiiu, Brigit and Birute (and Steph of course) and had a great time!

There was LOTS of food (what crop is complete without it?), lots of laughs (there always is) and the company was WONDERFUL!

Didn't take any pics (didn't bring the camera) and can't show you what I did because it's part of a mini album that I am making for someone super special and since he reads this blog, well...

This LO:

is part of the mini album, but he's seen it already, so I can share it with you again, though I did make one tiny change...can you tell what it is? If you can, leave me a note here and if you get it right, I'll send you some goodies! Not sure what yet, but it will likely be scrapbooking related!

Thanks for stopping by!