Friday Night Skating

Friday nights around these parts are being spent skating.   It's a nice way to wind down a week of work and school.   We skate in circles, we tell stories, we make plans, we joke around, we laugh, we hold hands, and we hold each other up.  I think to myself as we go round and round that we are so lucky to be skating and letting loose. We're lucky we have one another and these moments.   It's the four of us against the world.  To make the night last longer, we follow it up with fancy hot chocolates at Starbucks, then we slowly drive home in the dark.  We dump our skates in the foyer, and we change into our pyjamas and get cozy under blankets and watch movies.  The teen is not in these pictures as she is the one snapping away because on this particular Friday night, her feet were sore, and if you've ever argued with a teenager, you would know it's pointless. :)

Here's to five more days 'til our next skate.
N

Gingerbread House

Holy moly cannoli.  It's snowing hard and crazy.  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . .

And speaking of  Christmas , we can check off decorating a gingerbread house. Done.

 

Now I'm going to have to dig out the driveway, so that I can get out to play soccer.   Bleh.

N

Party Down

 Sleeping in.  Check.

Big ol' cup of coffee for me.  Check.

 Hanging with her favourite cousin.  Check.

 Clown?????   CHECK!

 Crafting ornaments with ice cream cones.  Awesome check.

 A decorated tree.  Not ours.  We're deferring that one until tomorrow.

Verbally telling Santa she wants an ipod touch.  (Letter has been mailed - but she's still not getting one.) Check.

Sneaking in her one glass of pop for the month. (Please ignore what I think may be my Grampa's beer bottle in the bottom left-hand corner.)  Check.

Home safe and sound and high on sugary pop and chocolate balls and molasses crinkles.  Check.

Happy? Check.

N

Family Meeting

Inspired by this post, I called a meeting of the minds - big and small.  We compiled a list of all that we want to do and see in December.  Once we got started, there was no stopping us.  Here's our holiday agenda in no particular order although some thing naturally come before others:

• decorate a gingerbread house
• get a tree
• decorate the tree
• baking extravaganza (the littlest likes these and the eldest likes these)
• build a snowman
• wrap gifts
• go ice skating (LOTS) in the park, at the market, at Storybook, at the arena
• craft night (I admit that this suggestion got plenty of groaning, but I persisted)
• listen to lots of holiday music
• watch holiday movies
• clean and sort and donate
• two school Christmas concerts
• tour of lights
• two family turkey dinners on-site and two family dinner off-site
• playdates up the wazoo
• pizza and bowling night
• low-cost/no-cost gifting
• wearing our pyjamas and sweats for days on end

Oh yeah, and it's Friday!  I must go make a new banner.

N

Pass the Dutchie

Today we went "home" to see Sinterklaas.

The littlest and I rather enjoyed ourselves.  I had no idea about this Dutch tradition of Saint Nicholas.  Despite being one part Dutch, growing up we celebrated a Christian Christmas on December 25 with Santa sneaking down the chimney - very American.   My goal this Christmas is to skip the shopping malls, and instead we will spend quality time with family and friends.  There will be lots of ice skating, online shopping, wintry hikes, movie nights, board games, exploring other traditions, baking bonanzas, crafting, visiting, laughing, feasts, pyjama parties, and tobogganing.   Doesn't that sound perfectly fun?

N

What's in Your Fridge?

During the week, I am the last person home each day, and for the most part, dinner is usually being put on the table as I walk in the door.  This is an absolute blessing.  For the most part.  Mr. J is very skilled in cooking tuna noodle casseroles (after many years of mishaps), warming up frozen dinners, and slow-cooking roasts in the crock pot.  He is a lover of rice and convenience.  And he is the king of the barbeque.  The girls are more than pleased with what he has to offer.   But every now and then, I will rush home a bit early before he wakes up, and I will start dinner from scratch.  I'll root through the fridge and dig up all the vegetables and place them on the counter.  I'll pull out a grapefruit-sized lump of bread dough and throw it on the stone to rise.  I'll heat up the oven, and chop veggies to my heart's content.  Sometimes, I'll end up with a salad.  Other times, an omelette.  More often than not, a soup.  Today it was cheese omelettes for three of us, noodles for the littlest, a romaine salad with all the goodies above, and a potato leek soup for tomorrow's dinner.  I find so much satisfaction from these impromptu cooking extravaganzas.  I also appreciate that my little family doesn't rely on them happening consistently. :)   'Cause sometimes I come home pooped!   Now if only getting homework completed was just as easy . . .

N

NOTE: Those wack-a-doodle carrots were yanked out of my friend's garden on the weekend, and they are perhaps the sweetest carrots I've ever had the pleasure of tasting.  I ate half that bowl raw.  I wonder if she needs me to visit this weekend coming up.  Hmm . . .

Thanksgiving

Yesterday while the turkey cooked all afternoon, we went for a long hike in the woods as we do every year.  Despite being a third into October, the sun was shining, and it was quite hot.  I wish I had worn a light cotton skirt and a t-shirt instead of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.  Thankfully I left the sweaters in the car! :)  And today is just as warm again.  The littlest had to run back home from the park to put her shorts on.  It's all so lovely!  The colours of the leaves, the leaves sprinkling the ground, the smell of turkey leftovers, sipping on cinnamon spice tea, and knitting in the sun.  The girls are out playing with their friends.  The house is so quiet.  It's making me a bit sleepy.

 It's been a while since I've posted any finished knitting!  Last week I did finish another Meret beret for a gift, and I am only a handful of rows away from finishing a third Mara shawl.  These are two excellent patterns that I am destined to repeat knit.  After some thought, I realized that I do have some stand-by projects to which I keep coming back.  I'm thinking the clapotis, anything Elizabeth Zimmermann, the purl bee cowl,  the mittens from Knitting Pretty . . . 

Here's a few freebies on my to-do list:

• a Very Braidy Cowl
• Pebble Vest
• Lacy Shell Cowl
• Simple Yet Effective Shawl

So much gift knitting to do!

Here's to another week.  Cheers!
N

Country Fair

We woke up silly early this morning, and despite the family moaning and the rain pouring down, we went to our first ever country fair.   On the way, we stopped for rainboots and umbrellas as only we would do. We sat on bleachers and watched a sheep show that was out of this world, paraded through deep and muddy puddles squealing, oohed and ahhed over the handcrafted exhibits, petted handspun alpaca, ate black bean brownies, admired pumpkin twins and award-winning indian corn, and laughed at crazy clowns zooming around on motorcycles.  Country fairs are where it's at.  Even when it's raining cats and dogs.

I returned home itching to bake and knit and search local farms for sale.  Never hurts to dream my Amish dream a little. :)

N

Holiday in the City

We're back from a little trip to the big city.  We learned lots of new things and remembered lots of what we already knew.  For instance, when we chicken out, we chicken out together - we're solidly afraid of heights and speed.   Our dreams of eating at a nice restaurant may never be realized - our attempts are amusing at the very least, and our next visit  promises a free appetizer.  Rather than be wasteful, Mr. J can eat thirty Swedish meatballs.  After a year, I've finally learned to appreciate having two cell phones thus being able to locate where the other half of us are.  We all snore to some degree.  We have the ability to write a Family Guy scene in almost every situation we find ourselves.  The littlest is hooked on all things Katy Perry and can eat some form of french fries for every meal.  Both girls would like to dress as Egyptian queens or Greek goddesses for Halloween next month.  We can't seem to escape raccoons.  I still want a sheepskin, but not in an animal-killing way. 

There was lots of laughter and fun, but I think the four of us agreed that we can now say we've been there, done that.  And man, we were pleased as punch to be back at home and in our own beds. We would make horrible rock stars.

N

Family Game Night

The girls made a board game, and the littlest insisted on a Family Game Night.  She's always scheduling family activities because secretly I think she's in love with us.  I also think she has a future in event organization.  One thing with having children far apart in ages is that it can be a challenge to find common ground.  At the same time, the benefit is that they complement each other when teaming up on a project like this.  The littlest loves drawing and cutting, and the eldest loves writing and organizing.  Surprisingly we didn't have to drag the teenager out of her bedroom when it came time to play.  Thank goodness, too!  She was the only one who knew the answers to the green cards!   Playing this game was a buttload of fun. We all laughed and joked and smiled for an hour.   I wish that when my children grow up that these are the times they remember, and not the times mummy was mean and said 'no' to soda pop. (I realize that I've probably been 'meaner' than this, but honestly this is the stuff that really bothers them.)

In regards to my natural shampoo trial, I lasted exactly four days.  First day, I immediately noticed and appreciated the healthy amount of natural oils that had returned to my hair.  It felt great and crazy healthy.  Second day, my hair was put up in a pony tail.  Third day, I washed it, and this time, my hair felt thick and heavy.  Weird, but okay, I guess.  Fourth day, I felt the back of my head, and it was so oily.  I curled my hair around my hand, and it STAYED.  Um, cool if I was having it styled professionally, not cool to leave a stain on my pillow.   So, if I was to make a recommendation on this particular recipe, I would say it would be great used maybe once a week.  It's a bit frustrating, but I am not ready to admit defeat yet.  I will keep my eyes peeled and see what I can find.

Happy Winds-day!
N