Random Car Conversations

Usually these conversations happen when I don't have our video camera around but Ed and Eliana were in a silly mood this trip home and I got to capture a bit of it.  I know it is a little long but some of Eds comments just got me giggling...

My Recipe for Mister Linky

Popeye Pasta


This is a super easy, super yummy pasta.  My kids even eat it - they are suckers for feta cheese so that helps!  From start to finish this recipe will take you as long as it takes noodles to cook!!

OK - Ingredients: olive oil, garlic, 2 lg tomatoes, 1 bunch spinach, balsamic vinegar, feta cheese and any type of noodle

Olive oil, garlic crushed and minced, tomatoes roughly chopped.....med heat

Once tomatoes start to soften just a bit add the roughly chopped spinach

And a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar  - Note that noodles are cooking in the background!!

Cook just until spinach wilts - take off of heat

Spoon over pasta and add feta on top and some pepper to taste....YUMMY!!

Ok its time to share....

Yup thats right  - its time to share your favourite on the go recipe.  Here's why...I have run out of ideas and instead of scouring the web for recipes I thought why not ask all of you.


So I know for myself - I am short on easy, healthy supper ideas for those nights when my creativity and energy only gets me to the Kraft Dinner and hot dogs category.


I also figured that I must not be the only mom (or dad!) that runs into this dilemma so if we each share one favourite recipe hopefully we will end up with a nice little stack of ideas :)


SO here's how to get involved.....Mr Linky is a cool little widget that is gonna help us out.  


FIRST: Write a blog that includes the recipe you would like to share
SECOND:View your blog and copy the address that is up in the address bar (make sure it is the address to that specific blog post)
THIRD:Copy the post address and paste it here into the mr linky box along with your name and they everyone can easily check out each others recipes! 


I Look forward to seeing lots of yummy recipes  :)

Taking Time to Count...

So here are a few numbers for you 


My house is approximately 1100 sq feet...which suits us just fine.
We have 3 bed rooms, a sunroom, a living room and a kitchen...again just hunky dory.
Yesterday morning I made about 10 dozen cookies (by accident - I doubled one ingredient and had to catch up with the rest)
And yesterday our mom bookclub group met at my place....
I did some counting yesterday and realized there were 9 moms that came - which is a great sized group...
And 18 children (all 5 and under)
LOL
We tried to send them to play in the bedrooms and some of them did - but I don't blame the ones who spilled out I am sure they would have been trampled.
We moms tried to squish in the sun room so that the kids would not have to run through the middle of our discussion but I think my love seat would have had to squish about 5 people on it so that idea went out the window.
So there we were 9 moms in the middle of kid hurricane valiantly try to talk over all the noise and screaming...we eventually gave up and settled with visiting in little clusters because you seriously could not hear across my little living room.
Now remember earlier I said I had been baking cookies right? So add to this whole scenario that the house temperature was   roughly what is needed to cook a turkey and I think you'll have the jist of our morning book group yesterday.


I love that the ladies in this group are so relaxed that they didn't even bat an eye at the craziness of our situation but made the best of it  - ate cookies - and some yummy dessert some other moms brought - and somehow made walking through a hurricane look easy.

MMMM Thanksgiving.....turkey how do I love you - let me count the ways

That may be my longest title yet - but can you blame me?  Turkey really is oh so good - I get to this time of year and find myself wondering why we only do it twice.


Anyway off of the turkey brain....
We also had an awesome weekend of spending time with my family....and of course because everyone was home at the same time (FINALLY)


It became a major photo op.

A Surprise 75th Bday for my Gram brought out my dads two sisters

My Grams was tickled pink by the surprise

Mom and Dad helped me play around with the setting on my camera

Timer + Two Kids + Mommy and Two kids running back and forth to reset camera = fun family photos

I got my exercise this day  - once again playing the start the timer and run game "The Girls"

"The Boys"....thankfully I did not slip off my precarious perch on the tractor hood

Uncle Jimmy with Gabe 

It really was a great weekend - besides my Grandma's 75th birthday we also celebrated my Dad's 50th on Sunday and of course Thanksgiving on monday.

Yup I think it is safe to say I have started gaining my winter insulation. 

Gabe's Revelation...

So I just had to share this cute little conversation I had with Gabe the other night...


Gabe was talking with Eliana and I tuned in just as I heard


Eliana: "I am  a girl Gabe"


Gabe: " I girl too"


Eliana: "NO your NOT Gabe - your a boy - I a girl"


Gabe: "NO" (starts crying)


So I grabbed him and put him on my lap.


Me: "Yes you are a boy Gabe...thats good you are boy, that is the way that Jesus made you"


Gabe: "Oh" (a few sniffles as he stopped crying - then he looked at me meaningfully) "Jesus make you a big huge one mommy?"


"Yup Jesus made me a big huge one"'

So Alive and Half Dead...

I know that my title is quite the paradox but it sums up so much of my life right now that I had to go with it.

Last night was my first night in just over 6 weeks that I have gone to Brazilian Jui Jitsu.

I have realized that for me - Jui Jitsu represents and greatly contributes to my health and by no means is my physical health the greatest beneficiary.  Mentally, emotionally I feel SOO much better after class - I feel de-stressed, revitalized and ready to face life again. 
**BLISS**

Of course my definition of bliss in this case is getting rolled around for an hour and a half - but it just felt so good to be in class again.
Until this morning - "Hello achy sore muscles - I missed you???" 
So alive - half dead.


I also have been busy preparing for a wedding trade show in a few weeks, as well as trying to meet the deadlines of the various photography projects I have on the go. It is awesome being busy, it is awesome having new opportunities to grow not only my business but also myself. It is challenging and exciting and I am grateful and eager to continue to learn, not only more in the field of photography but also in business. BUT of course there is a flip side to all of this (just because I am as human as they come) I am finding myself with elevated stress levels and more things on my 'to do' list than may be possible....So alive - half dead


I am working back in the school district again - thanks to Sarah who has taken on the somewhat chaotic schedule of casual child care. I don't know if working in the district really infuses me with life filling passion (although I do enjoy it) But it does add some pennies into our account so I guess with this one I will rate it a '3/4 alive - half dead"
Half dead because who in their right mind wants to work casual on call!! 

Another Date Night Hijacked

I was happily surprised when early last week Ed suggested a date night friday for us.  Our kids have had the foot and mouth virus and so I have been stuck at home more than I am used to and I was so looking forward to it!
Ed planned for us to go out and watch a movie while my sister stayed and watched the kids.
Sounds awesome right!
Come Friday afternoon though things started to unravel.  Gabe who even while being covered in a blistery rash around his face, feet and hands had been quite content to play happily began to fuss.
Then fussing turned to screaming...that horrible cry that lets you know they are not just whining - they are in pain.
We turned to tylenol....which really did nothing.
By midnight I was concerned enough that we took him into the ER...and at two in the morning just 5 minutes before the doctor came in...Gabe had one of those crazy poops.


And once he was cleaned up - he settled down.  He let me hold him, instead of pacing the room saying oww oww.


The doc confirmed that he was ok aside from the foot and mouth virus...the pain that I had thought was from blisters was actually a tummy ache.
It reminds me of that quote,
"when you hear hoof beats you think horses  - not zebras"


Oh brother. Anyway so our date night was not realized this week but we decided instead to go on a family date on Sunday to go check out the salmon run happening at a local river.  Very cool


I will post those pics as soon as I can :)