It's Friday it's Friday

Yep and still I'm excited about that. I used to get so excited about Friday's because it was the last day of school. Now it's the last day of school for my kids.YAY! We get to sleep in later then 630am, and we get to go bowling, and whatever else happens in the afternoon, but first, it's Friday!
I have a Date tonight. Hubbie and I are heading out for a date. I'm not sure if we're seeing a movie or eating. I think the movie would be a good plan, we have a coupon.Got to love the coupons. Even with coupons and a gift card from Christmas, I'm still asking myself which movie is "going outworthy" so I'm waiting for the Hubbie's list of ideas, and I'll veto. So far nothing worth watching, is the choice.
Today I got the bulk of the groceries, and that was only the things I could lift alone. I'll have to send Hubbie out for the flour and some other heavy item I decided wasn't worth busting my hernia more before the surgery for. I should be able to cook for 2wks now. There were some 'decent' sale items actually, for a change, and I bought meat. I usually leave the meat buying to Hubbie too, because he eats more then the rest of us but this time I just did it. I didn't buy a lot of fluff either. The boys are currently enhaling the grapes I bought. How many grapes can a MJ, and AJ eat? about 2.5lbs if I left them to it. I'll have to rescue them so the TJ gets some too. While in town I took pictures of the roads too. Some of the stop signs are currently burried but it's melting the snow is melting.
Oh and the cake... well my hubbie asked who invited Arthur, since I resorted to chocolate icing vs black.

My Favorite Part of Winter

When I think of Winter I think Christmas, Valentines and just when February Blahs hit, I get BIRTHDAY!!! My baby is now 4! He's a little boy now. There is no more 3yrs old (or this many fingers in air) there is no more 2 there is no 1 or newborn. The last 4 years have really flown by. I can't though imagine my life without my 3 boys. I can't remember not having 3 boys in my life, 3 great boys that make me laugh, cry, shout,and giggle. I can easily tear up at the site of tiny boy shoes or boots, and Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars, and even loveys that keep them company at night. Since this is MJ's Birthday, I'll have to keep the tears focused...

I'll have to run through all the new things that MJ is up to lately.
He's printing his name it goes like this "MOMMMMM What comes after H?" and then I say "A" and he says "What's next?" so then I say "E" ... and then we're done after the next letter. He then says "Look it's ME!" he's signing all his art work and he can make the number 4. The Letter E no longer has more then 3 sticks on the side, C is a bit of a wiggled line but it's a C, and this week they are all going together in one line with the last letter on the bottom.
He's been potty trained for more than a year now and hasn't wet his bed in about 9months.
He's in a Twin Bed now. We moved him over from the toddler bed in November, we left it in the room for when we have company though, and he can still squeeze in while his brother takes his bed.
He's a thumb sucker, now I say "you're 4" last week it was "your almost 4..." so eventually this comfort will move along. He does it most when he's falling asleep, or bored! so that would be a hint for me. Mom no more bored.
He's still got a blanket that must follow him all over the house. The Blanket is a thin Twin size comforter! It has a small hole in it from a scissor incident.
His favorite things have to be in his bed at night before he falls asleep. He wants his Rollover Pup, but he has to be "off" so he wont wake him up, his choice. Beside that dog is a black lab pup, still has a tag on it on a silver ribbon that says "to M...... From Santa" beside that pup is Pluto, this Pluto was TJ's from when he was a new born, MJ says "It's mine now". He sleeps on a McQueen Pillow and then there is Mickey Mouse on the his left. So I tuck him in, try to give him a kiss "I don't like kisses" and he's off to sleep. Easiest really of all the boys for sleeping. He just seems to enjoy sleeping.
Mornings, he's wants to be just like the big boys, so he'll get dressed if they are getting ready for school but if he's still in bed after they leave, it's a PJ day. He loves his warm PJS and a cuddle.
He's Blond like his Daddy and sometimes I can see Hubbie in his eyes and in his expressions. It's small glimpses. We have some pictures here that my in-laws gave me of the Hubbie baby, and wow! it's that same look, and very much like his Grandma.
Some days we go out to play in the yard, be that snow piles, or sun and sand piles. He loves going outside, and he loves going for the Groceries. He likes picking out his favorites and will easily forget the other family's favorites. He's my fruit and veggies eater, so we don't forget them with him on the job.
Today we will Celebrate his 4yrs with a Cake, a Mickey Mouse cake. I went out last night and picked up the supplies. I'll see how it goes.I completed the baking, and have the shape done, and the chocolate flavor he requested. If it turns out... I'll post you all a picture, if it doesn't we just wont mention it, and I'll do the sneaky Grocery store bakery switcheroo.
This morning Grandma Called (my mom) to say Happy Birthday and he opened his card while she was on the phone. It's just so much fun to see him and his reactions. 4 so far I'm loving it.

Snow... it keeps happening

This morning I join you from the comfort of my warm and cozy house. I have for your viewing pleasure added a peak at what lays outside in my back yard. What you can' see my back yard? wait I'll move into the bathroom and take the picture from there, and get around that big pile of white. And it's still snowing. The picture of the abandon chair, is from about 8am,it's higher since. I had to recharge the camera batteries.



In other news. I got a call today, I'm going in March 11th to get my Hernia redone. Everyone say it with me "third time's a charm". I'm still working out details for kiddies, babysitters, and husband time off work so he can care for me. This will be our Vacation. How exciting is that, I'll definitely be doing the "lay around and do nothing" vacationing.

OK I'm resorting to a Meme, :)Canadian Foods

I found this over at ....http://michellesamom.blogspot.com/ , so I"m going to follow along

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Post a comment here linking to your results

Maple Syrup & Poutine's 100 Canadian Foods to Consume

1. Arctic Char
2. Ketchup flavoured chips
3. Wild Rice Pilaf
4. Caribou Steak
5. Gourmet Poutine
6. Screech
7. Beaver Tails
8. Maple Baked Beans
9. Bison Burger
10. Bumbleberry pie
11. Nanaimo bar
12. Butter Tarts (I used to work for a bakery, and ate too many of these weekly)
13. Cedar Planked B.C. Salmon
14. Wild Blueberries (we had these in the field behind our house)
15. Pure Local Cranberry Juice (I've had pure Cranberry juice, but I can't say if it was local or not)
16. Chocolate from Ganong or Purdy’s (I live in Ganong world)
17. A cup of warm cider from your local orchard (every fall... one of my favourite treats)
18. Caesar
19. 4 of the following types of apples (Cortland, Empire, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Spartan, Greensleeves, Liberty, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Honeycrisp, Golden Russet, Idared, Gala)
20. Freshly foraged mushrooms
21. Dinner cooked by Michael Smith, Susur Lee or Rob Feenie
22. Fondue Chinoise
23. Dish created from a Canadian Living Magazine recipe (my Aunt gave me a subscription for a wedding gift, great idea!)
24. Peameal Bacon Sandwich from St. Lawrence Market in Toronto (we used to buy it from the grocerystore in ON)
25. Lobster bought directly from a boat in a Maritime harbour (yep, I'm from CB)
26. Handmade perogies from your local church or market (My husband's Polish Aunt makes them the best!)
27. Alberta Beef at an Alberta Steakhouse ( I was 9!)
28. Leamington Tomatoes
29. Roasted Pheasant
30. Wild Game hunted by someone you know
31. Ice Wine (YES! did a whole marketing report for College on this stuff and that means we needed research materials...) :)
32. Habitant Pea Soup – entire can
33. Any Canadian Artisinal Cheese
34. Bannock (my mom's)
35. Tourtiere (didn't like it)
36. Flapper Pie
37. Jellied Moose Nose
38. Saskatoon Berries
39. Fish and Brewis
40. Screech Pie
41. Fiddleheads(found in the back yard, didnt' like them..)
42. Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich
43. Flipper Pie
44. Montreal Bagels with Smoked Salmon
45. Toutins
46. Jam Busters
47. Bakeapple Pie
48. Bridge Mixture (sold this in Primary (that's K for the rest of Canada) for a fundraiser and was instantly addicted)
49. Canadian Style Pizza (bacon, pepperoni. Mushrooms)
50. Shreddies
51. A cone from Cow’s Ice Cream
52. Lumberjack or Logger’s Breakfast
53. Jigg’s Dinner
54. Rappie Pie
55. Pemmican
56. Lake Erie Sturgeon Caviar
57. Belon Oysters
58. Brome Lake Duck
59. Beer from a stubby bottle.
60. A beer from Unibroue or Phillips Brewery.
61. Salt Spring Island Lamb
62. Fry’s Cocoa (do not eat this dry...oops, I was 5!)
63. A bag of Old Dutch Potato Chips (they re not as good at Humpty Dumpty and even though there seems to be some kind of "togetherness" I still prefer the HD,)
64. Every Flavour of Laura Secord Suckers
65. Chicken Dinner from St Hubert’s or Swiss Chalet
66. Hickory Sticks
67. An entire box of Kraft Dinner
68. Candy Apples (NOT caramel apples)
69. Corn from a roadside stand
70. A meal at Eigensenn Farm (where?)
71. Okanogan Peaches
72. Berkshire Pork
73. PEI Potatoes
74. Something cooked in Canola oil
75. Figgy Duff
76. Blueberry Grunt
77. High Tea at the Empress Hotel
78. Fresh maple syrup hardened on the snow
79. Oreilles de Christ(is that ears of christ?)
80. Nova Scotia Beer Warmer
81. A cheese plate containing Bleu Bénédictin, Friulano, St. Maure and Oka.
82. Black or red currant jam
83. Maple glazed Doughnut from Tim Horton’s with a Large “Double Double”(this is only recent, I never order coffee out and now coffee and I no longer speak)
84. A glass of Mission Hill’s “Oculus”
85. Alberta Pure Vodka
86. Chokecherries
87. Canada Day Cake
88. Boulettes
89. Canadian Iced Tea
90. Mead
91. Fricot
92. Grandperes
93. Local honey
94. Creton on toast
95. Glen Breton Rare
96. A whole box of Smarties, where the empty box is then used as a kazoo(before I was all holy breasted mother, I used to ask relatives to bring smarties to us in the USA, )
97. Grilled cheese made with Canadian Cheddar
98. A meal from Harvey’s
99. Lake Erie Perch (not big fish fan)
100. Red Rose Tea
If you are unsure of what the item is, look it up! Please pass the list on to your friends and fellow bloggers - whether they are Canadian or not.

Winter... 3wks 6days

Lastnight we had another storm, you know SNOWWWWWWWWWWWW, and well this is the update that I'm sure has you all Glued to your computer monitors.




I also have of your viewing pleasure a picture of one of these chairs without snow, all warm and cozy in my dinning room, waiting for spring.



I took this one this morning before the boys went to school note boy in corner, and also note that the counter is the same size as the chair. I have a very difficult time believing that spring will arrive on it's designated time. You would think given that I've been a Canadian for thirty... (grumble along) years, that I'd realize that spring is a figment of my imagination. My years in NH where my neighbours pulled out their kid book on April 27th, 2001 have spoiled me. I will confess I'm a wuss now. Yep A wuss! I have no tolerance for a long 5-6months of winter. I want my sun, not too much, cause I assure you I can complain about sitting here sweltering in 35-40C weather as well. Yes I'm sure the word wuss went through your mind, again. I did though, go walking out in this weather lastnight. When the snow as still falling, I was out there Treking to the store to buy a local Paper. It was cold, then I came home and pushed aside some of the snow to the front door. I think you all must be as tired of snow as I am of writing about it, but really what else is there to talk about? it's Winter!

Today is a learning day for me

I'm going to try my hardest to learn how to post a video. Bare with me peoples, this may take me some minutes that may turn into hours. I'm a slow learner with this computer stuff but I'm learning constantly. Oh and for Valentine's Hubby refurbished me a Laptop, I must say I LOVE second hand stuff. I also got a second hand office chair with nice wheels that wont damage my livingroom floors like my old kitchen chair was previously doing.
We took the boys sliding Sunday at one of the local parks. there are 10 outdoor rinks in town during the winter. We decided to go to the one that also had a hill for the kids to go sliding/coasting. This gives choices, and less crying. This also worked out because the ice was only in "fair" condition. The sun was shining yesterday and temps got up to +2 or 3C. Hubby took our 3 boys and 1 of my friend's girls sliding. My friend and her other daughter went skating. The crunch of the ice was a bit difficult but we skated. I think next year I'll retry my outdoor rink idea. I did it 3-4yrs ago, wait I think I even blogged it... let me find that it was February 2006 but the pictures got deleted from Photobucket. I wonder if I could even find them here on a disc and put them back into the post. That year we didn't get a lot of snow, so it was easy to keep the ice clear. This year? wow the snow.
So I'll try to get you some video today of Hubby going down the hill, he took the camera with him. ha! it's a riot. I had helmets for the kids, they didn't wear them. I'm a bad mom!



As you see, Daddy is also teaching consequences, if your sled stops in the middle of the hill, MOVE! someone else is going to come next!, please excuse his sailor oops moment. I was not at the hill at this point, I was over on the rink.I would have insist he wait or gone and moved the MJ in child from the path!, They,the city, made a great track really, it's very well done. They also upkeep the skating rinks. That's a lot of work but I'm impressed that the city takes "It's winter, might as well enjoy it" into account here. It does make it fun for the kids, and the parents and when it's not -42C with the windchill, it gets you out and active. Hubby is a down hill skier, me I'm not that kind of daredevil.

Happy Valentine's Day Bowling with the boys

Today is our usual Saturday morning rush here. My boys and I and hubbie are off bowling. The boys are all involved in bowling and we the parents help. The younger boys and I are together and have a pretty good time. They really seem to enjoy it and it's time out of the house and seeing other kids. My oldest is with the YBC, And he's on the Bantam league. He seems to like it and it's time with other kids, that aren't his brothers. Sometimes your brothers are not your best friends.

I'm sitting here in my pjs trying to get my brain moving over tea and some blog reading. It gets me a small taste of adults brains and then I'll go be surrounded by kids. The Best part of my bowling is that the parents are bowling with the kids so we can help the little ones learn, help them take turns and intervene when there is only 1 green ball and 3 boys that want to use it for all 3 balls.
The kids learn to share and take turns, the moms/dads/grandmas learn to parent in public. Yes use your indoor voice, understand that other parents have rules too, understand that some parents have no rules. Today we get to wear red for Valentine's. I will have to find my red top, and my pink fleece. The alley is a tad bit cool. I'm still in my pjs, the tea is almost gone. My eyes are almost open, I will enjoy myself, oh and there's a slice of pizza! Off I go to the cold cold van. BTW Do you think bowling counts as lunges?

Well I must seriously be wintered out?

Last night I went to bed relatively early, about 10ish after watching NCIS. It was a good episode. I didn't find anything else to watch and when your eyes are closing over while your watching tv, it's time for SLEEP! I unsnuggled myself out of the sofa blankets and resnuggled myself into bed. I slept like a rock, no one wanted to get up to go to the bathroom, no one called out in pain from growing pains so it was 635 when the alarm went off I got up sat on the side of the bed and then hubbie said the magic words, I'll drive AJ in! Today TJ is home sick so AJ would have had to get ready and walk to the bus stop alone. I like this plan, it means 35more sleeping minutes.
I went right back to sleep! Zonk gone! I guess I must have really went to sleep hard because I started to dream. The Dream is where I've realized winter needs to end now.
In the dream I started out in the house, doing whatever, it was snowing outside, hubbie had cleared the driveway with the snow blower. We had another person in the house, teen, I can't quite place her, but she was leaving to go somewhere. I said I'll help shovel you out.. so shovel shovel... I'm out on the front walk shoveling behind where our screen porch door swings open and I see 4 boys coming up my lawn and driveway and a truck. The person in the truck starts pushing my extended cab truck (I have a van but whatever) out of it's parked spot. I'm getting angry, I said "Go away, I don't need any help, and your scratching my car" and then I kept saying it over and over, I threatened to call the police for trespassing? they didn't leave. The person comes out of the big truck she's a heavy set woman and she's got a cake box (bakery kind you know???) and says "that will be (can't remember) dollars minus the 20% for having it cleared before we got here. I then took my shovel, which was one I remembered from my child hood, with the steel pan and had it right up to the woman's Throat... and the alarm went off! How Dare they touch "MY" snow?
Yep I think my mind is too preoccupied with snow. Abandon chair btw has some snow shrinkage going on, you can now see the "bumps" where the snow is higher from where it fell on the arms of the chair. 5wks and 1day to spring...

Wednesday's, what do you want to hear?

Today is one of those days, when I'm trying to get myself moving, get everything done but well I only have 1/2 a kids school day to do it and I end up sitting here. It's snowing, again! when does it stop? I'm not sure yet. I'll have to update abandon chair picture before the snow changes over to freezing rain and it's all packed down. Recharging my camera batteries would probably help that step along. First finding the camera. More signs I need to clean my house more...schedule..hmmmmm I think I read or talked about schedules this week, maybe it's time to get one?
Wednesday are my escape night. I go out every Wednesday night to get to my ww meetings and find out how I did food and exercise wise in my strive to get back to my lifetime goal. My baby is almost 4 now, I have to stop calling it baby weight. I was going to give up the weighins, yep was going to just say well I made it here I'll stay here but I missed the meetings, I missed forking over my 15.00 to talk to adults! Hubbie is almost tired of hearing my questions about his day. So anything new at work? Talk to anyone? and off he goes to walk to the coach and zone me out. I think the kids are zoning me out too. "Did you talk to any teachers?" "What did your teacher wear today?" "Did you go outside for recess, or stay in?" "did you say hi to the bus driver?" all adults you know, they even get to talk to more adults lately then I do. They get to go out in the real world and see and deals with adults. Wednesday is my turn, I'll go out, I'll see people that are working on their goals just like I am, and I'll get to talk about adult topics! not my kids, me and other adults. :) OK every once in a while there is mention of the Baby weight, but I'm now vowing to stop calling it that.
Yes I'm a smilies addict can you tell? I've been typing out there into the internet world since about 1992, so :) are part of the picture. My smilies used to have noses, :-) or Bigger Grins:D but now I'm down to a :) and a :P, and yes I am almost always sticking my tongue out when I do that :P.
So now I"m off to move laundry around, so it looks like I've done more than sit here reading Twitter, FB and everyone else Blogs all morning. 2hours! I've got 2hours to get it all done!

It get's Better!!!!

Just heard the news. The Groundhog/Woodchuck in the NB Mactaquac Park has NOT seen his shadow. He is a much smarter animal I'm sure. I'm not a bit happier. OK now MELT snow! Melt! NOW!

Grumble grumble

I'm here listening to the radio, the dishwasher, and the TV has cartoons going; the man on the radio just told me that "Shubenacadie Sam" has Just seen his Shadow. The news is in 6 more weeks of Winter. I will hold that woodchuck/groundhog to his word. If I see snow 3days before March21st, you know I'm going in after him!!! I'm so done with winter this year.
I should though look at the positives, I did just spend 2hours yesterday going sliding/coasting with my kids on the front lawn. The boys love it! Mr7 is not my snow bunny but when he gets out there he has a good time, he's the child that feels cold first, he insists on wearing long johns from October until about the first of May!!! Mr9.5 is trying his hardest to get from the top of the hill, over the ditch, and the snowbanks on the sides of the roads, and into the street! I wonder if he'd like to go into training for the Luge? or Bobsled? He builds ramps, he lifts his sled into the air as he flies over! It's quite impressive actually. Now Mr almost, very soon like 23days 4, well he's just getting to the point where he can't sit on my lap to go down anymore and he's working on his bring the sled back up the hill skills. He did a face plant into the snow yesterday, comes up the hill with the sleigh to tell me "MOM MOM MOM!!! I got got the snow all ova my face, isn't that funny?" sooooo it's a good way to look at a cold situation. I'm not longer enjoying the cold situation. We've been back in Canada about 5.5 yrs now, I'm over the "fun" of snow! we always lived where there was snow, but maybe it's my age?
In other news, the abandon chair is still about the same point there were flurries yesterday so it was just enough to replace the settling of the last round of snow. I think another storm is coming this week, so that woodchuck is probably right, but whyyyyyy couldnt' he just stay a sleep? then no one would see his shadow. How btw does he see his shadow when the sun isn't shining? hmmmmm?