playday

It's so hard to believe that we are down to the last couple days of school - once again, it seems like it was September 'yesterday' and we were starting at a new school, commuting every day while we waited for our house to be finished etc! Grade two and kindergarten are behind us and will not happen again, in this household, until the 2010-2011 and 2012-2013 school years! Crazy eh!? Anyways, with the end of a school year usually comes a few fun activities. Ethan and Jackson have both been on field trips, the kindergarten class had a year-end celebration last week, today was playday (it was called sports day when I was in school) and on Friday Ethan's class is having an outing to the local spray park... here are some playday pictures, when the families got to join the students for a picnic lunch:

Mr. Independent eating a popsicle (I knew I'd be very unpopular if I didn't order him one too!)

Daddy and Ethan

Liam

Daddy and Jack

PS: Happy Birthday to my Dad :) Hope you're having a great day! Don't work too hard...

Monopoly Madness

At the end of our 'Father's Day' the boys really wanted to play a game with daddy & they chose Monopoly Jr., which has the same ideas as Monopoly but on a WAAAYYYY different level. There are no real-estate fees and bickering, you simply place a lemonade stand on a lot if it's empty... first come first serve! You can get 'chance' cards, however, that can boot someone off and then it becomes your lot UNLESS they have a stand on each spot (two) of that colour and then it becomes like the almighty Boardwalk & Park Place, and your lemonade prices double to a whopping $10! (if you have stands on a property 'set' then it is yours to keep) The boys REALLY need to learn to be better losers - talk about misery if they even had to pay someone else money or if their stash looked like it was getting lower (of which there are $1, $2, $3, $4 and $5 dollar bills). Liam was the happiest player and gladly handed out money as he was told... when it was time to collect, he put it on the appropriate $ pile and kept all his money in order! Ethan is a terrible sport for games, if he isn't winning! Jeepers! In the end, Miles won with $41, Jackson $40, Liam $30 and Ethan ended up with $7 :) We then declared that it was BEDTIME!!!!

Daddy going BONKERS with all the whining!!! Happy Father's Day dear...

a HAPPY pose :)

Ethan running outta loot

Liam just happy to be included! (but doing well)

Monopoly Jr. (click on picture for a close-up)

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful dad's (and dad's to be) out there! Hope you have a great day & know that you are loved & appreciated!!! Our plans have changed a few times... we were going to a farm about 20 minutes outside of the city, for Miles hockey wind-up BBQ but it has been postponed, due to low attendance. The boys were quite upset because there is a pool & they remember the fun they had last year! It will hopefully be rescheduled later in the summer. Then... Miles got an invite from someone he's recently met, to go golfing, with their oldest boys tagging along. Miles & Ethan were going to go do that, however the weather has changed those plans too (and obviously the original BBQ plans would have been cancelled as well). We had another HUGE thunder, lightning & rain storm last night, which has continued on to today, leaving puddles everywhere! The boys gave daddy all the treasures they made in school and at mom's group on Friday, as well as a couple games (one Wii and one PSP) and coffee in bed! I think we're going to go check out a sale at our furniture store and possibly go out for lunch or supper! What are your plans today???

Walk a Little Slower Daddy

"Walk a Little slower, Daddy," said a little child so small.

I'm following in your footsteps and I don't want to fall.
Sometimes your steps are very fast, sometimes they're hard to see;

So walk a little slower Daddy, for you are leading me.
Someday when I'm all grown up, You're what I want to be.

Then I will have a little child who'll want to follow me.
And I would want to lead just right, and know that I was true;

So, walk a little slower, Daddy, for I must follow you!!

- Author Unknown

last game... take two

Jackson's last day of soccer was Wednesday... we have a tourney this weekend and then we're done! Swimming this summer and then on to hockey in the fall... I helped the coach out a bit with this team and was responsible for keeping track of kids coming and going off the field! I don't feel like I was worthy of the 'assistant coach' title but nevertheless they made me sit in the team photo :) GO PANDAS!!!

last game...

Now that the sun is finally starting to radiate some heat, our soccer season is coming to a close! It's been a terrible season as far as the weather goes but the boys have enjoyed their games that weren't cancelled due to rain, wind & snow! Trust me, there were a few... Liam's last game was last night but he will play one tournament game on Saturday. Jackson's last game is tonight and then he has a tourney game on Friday night and another on Saturday morning. We should be getting our team pictures back sometime soon too. Liam is one of the main go-getters on his team. He has had a couple off-days just like the other kiddos but lately no one seems to want to play, so Liam is out there almost the whole time! Last night he kept coming to me and saying, "I tired!" and I would give him a drink & send him back out! Since the participation was getting soooo pathetic, they decided to put the parents out on the field with the kids! Liam and mommy each got a goal and after running around for a bit, mommy could relate to the 'I tired' pleas :) On the way to soccer last night, Liam was in the backseat and he told me, "we do counting... one, two, free, go psychos!" :) GO CYCLONES!!!

Go Liam!!!!

Attempt at a motivational chat! Liam - leave your shorts alone!

Liam in action

Get the ball...

The parental forces called in to help :)

no words...

I came home from Jackson's soccer game on Monday night and when I got inside, the closet door was open, boxes were scattered about & Cole was there jibbering... I thought it was his mess, so shut the closet door & carried on into the house. Jackson took off his socks & shin pads and then E&J were getting ready for bed but we all had no clue where Liam was. Miles finally said, "Liam's calling you & it sounds like he's in the office..." So I went to the office bracing myself for whatever mess he could have created, but it was empty. As I turned to exit, this is what I saw:

I have NO IDEA how he managed to get up on to the shelf in the closet. Even with his assortment of boxes, I don't think it would have been high enough!!! All I can think of is that he got ahold of something and shimmied the rest of the way up with his bare feet on the wall??? Where's a surveillance camera when you need one! :)

golf, a picnic & weather issues...

On Sunday, Miles was in a charity golf tourney put on, each year, by one of the local Catholic Churches. He always puts in a team of four players (staff or staff significant others) - it's a Texas Scramble format, everyone gets prizes and supper is included. Since Brent was in the tourney with Miles, Chrystal & baby Hayden came over to hang out with us. (Chrystal is our employee who's on mat-leave right now) We had plans to take a picnic to the park but at that very moment, the skies opened & there was rain, thunder & lightning! Ethan was most disgusted that this ruined our picnic & park plans but everyone else was quite content with a picnic on the porch!

The picnic-ers :)

Cole eating his yogurt... he's VERY independent now! (not always as good thing)

Liam eating cheese

E&J with our little Hayden friend - a very happy baby!

Ethan showing you how very wet it was... instant MUD! The thunder & lightning was incredibly loud & bright...

From our deck, we can see the gazebo by the 5th hole (or tee box if that's what it's called??!!) and there were at least six golf carts parked, while the guys huddled inside to wait out the storm. Chrystal had been talking to Brent, who told her that the tourney was called off due to the weather but that they couldn't blow the horn, as discussed, because it wasn't working. She then ran over to the gazebo and told these guys that they could head in!!!

Hayden - 10 months old

Our picnic nibbles

homemade playdough

I thought it was about time that I actually did a craft or something with the boys, so today we made HotWheels Jello Jigglers (quite disgusting as it is two pkgs of jello to only one cup of boiling water - very sugary and full of 'goodness' for little boys!) We then made playdough. I had picked up five different KoolAid pkgs, hoping to make five different bright fun playdough colours but... I didn't have enough 'cream of tartar', so had to use a different recipe (the KoolAid one near the bottom) and mix two colours together. I am now officially out of salt in my house too - had to pound out a salt shaker even, to get the last couple granules! This first recipe is my fave - the texture and consistency is nicer, it's less messy and doesn't dry out as fast. The second one is not made over the stove and calls for 2 cups of boiling water. It then tells you to knead the dough... I highly recommend that you don't do this within 8 minutes of pouring as boiling water tends to be very hot! Hello?! I tried around the 5 minute mark and yep, it was still REALLY hot! I posted other recipes that were listed too - there's a couple you shouldn't try if you have a peanut allergy but they look fun, although making cookies might be just as easy :) ENJOY!

Kool Aid Playdough (my fave)
Ingredients:
· 1 C white flour
· 1 C water
· 1/4 C salt
· 3 TBSP oil
· 1 rounded TBSP cream of tartar
· 1 envelope of unsweetened kool aid, any kind, but it needs to have a color

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan.
2. Wisk together until smooth.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it forms a ball and sticks to the spoon. (Don't use the wisk for this part).
4. When its ready, put it on wax paper and let it cool. It should not be sticky at all.
5. When its cool, knead it a few times and play!
6. You'll notice that the kool aid makes it smell wonderful and adds the color.
7. We like grape, orange, and lime the best!
8. You can color this with food coloring if you want, but it just won't smell as good.
9. Store this in a zip lock baggie or air tight container in the refrigerator between uses. It will keep a couple of weeks.

The green playdough is from the above recipe (my fave one)

Our mixes... the outside dough recipe yields more but is way too dry

Ziploc Storage works great :)

Home Made Playdough
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tarter
2 cups of water
1 tablespoons mineral oil food coloring
Directions: Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until stiff. Allow to cool, then knead.

Home Made Playdough (2)
1 cup flour
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of salt
2 tablespoons cream of tarter
1 tablespoon of oil
Directions: Cook this ingredients until it forms an item in the pan. Pour it out onto a tupperware lid. Cover with damp cloth. Add food coloring if you like. Store new playdough in the fridge in an air tight container. It is non-eatable playdough.

Peanut Butter Playdough
3 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
4 cups powdered sugar
4 cups powdered milk
3 1/2 cups corn syrup
Directions: Mix ingredients by hand. Can decorate with sprinkles, M&Ms etc. It is eatable.

Salt Playdough
1 cup water
1 cup salt
1/2 cup flour
Food coloring
Directions: Mix ingredients in pan. Add food coloring. Stir on low heat. When it thickens remove from heat. Put some on waxed paper or floured surface and roll out. Cut out objects. Air dry objects few days. Store un-usedportion in air-tight container. It is non-eatable

Oatmeal Playdough
2 cups smooth peanut butter
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups powdered milk
2/3 cups honey
Optional -Rice Krispes, Coconut Sprinkles, chocolate chips, Red Hots, etc.
Directions: Mix ingredients until combined. Wash hands. Lay down wax paper. Store in air-tight container.

KoolAid Playdough - the other one I tried but don't really care for
3 cups flour
1/2 cups salt
2 KoolAid packages
2 cups boiling water
Directions: Mix dry ingredients together. Add boiling water. Knead on floured board. Can add flour by sprinkles until desired consistency. This playdough will last for a long time when stored correctly. *Note: they obviously missed the 'allow to cool and then knead' part...

Numnum Playdough
2 cups of honey
3 cups of peanut butter
3 packets powdered milk
Directions: Stir all ingredients together until smooth. Add more powdered milk if desired. Is sticky and eatable.

Cloud Playdough
1 cup water
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 cup flour
Add a few drops of food coloring to water
Directions: Combine water, oil and flour in a large bowl. Knead well. Add more water if necessary in small amounts until the dough is soft and stretchy. Cloud playdough should be used on a washable surface as it is very greasy

Coffee Playdough
4 cups unsifted all purpose flour
1 cup salt
1/4 cup instant coffee
1 1/2 c warm water
Directions: Dissolve the coffee in the warm water. In another bowl, mix the flour and the salt. Make a well and add 1 cup of the coffee water into it. Mix with a fork or with your hands until smoother. Add more coffee water as needed: dough should be smooth not sticky or crumbling. Store in air tight container. When you're done making figures, bake in oven for 1 hour at 300 degrees or until hard. A coat or 2 of shellac keeps it well preserved for longer lasting gifts.

Fruit Playdough
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 tablespoons cream of tarter
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
3 oz package sugar-free fruit flavored gelatin
Directions: Mix dry ingredients in pan. Add the water and oil. Stir over medium heat until mixture forms a ball. Pour onto a sheet of wax paper.

LIVE all the days of your life...

A quote on my 'Family Organizer' calendar says: "May you LIVE all the days of your life" - Jonathon Swift. Today just proved how short life is and how much we need to truly LIVE each day as if it were our last. Today, my sweet cousin lost her precious husband. Many of you will remember that I just posted their wedding photos from November 10th, 2007 and now on June, 10th, 2009, he's suddenly gone....

In Aaron's 31 years, he LIVED life - he enjoyed cooking, restaurant critiquing, reading, writing, a good debate, theology (and sharing his love for God with others) and of course his beloved Silja. If you ever wanted a recipe or a computer or whatever else you can think of - you asked Aaron & he would get what you needed, or answer your question, right down to the last little detail!

My heart goes out to Silja and family and to Aaron's family, in which he was the youngest of 7 siblings. You will be missed & I can only imagine the conversations going on in heaven right now :) As Silja later stated, "Aaron loved a captive audience!"

Here is a quote from Aaron himself: In the end I want to be known not for money, power or intelligence but for my deep love for people and for having changed many lives. I believe it is my destiny to affect a whole generation of people. Now to see how that comes about...

And one of his favourite quotes (of many) "You must be the change you wish to see in the world" - Ghandi

School Days - two decades worth!

This past weekend was Miles' 20 year high school reunion, so we loaded up the trailer and headed west! Since we were the closest to both the reunion AND Costco, we volunteered to do the massive grocery shop! Because the numbers were lower than anticipated, we didn't qualify for meals at the campus dining hall. It all worked out well though and we had a great weekend, despite the rain & chilly weather. There were 18 grads in total (from a class of 97 students), 9 spouses and about 18 kids... throughout the weekend, we had campus tours, a firepit, a banquet, breakfasts, subway lunch, a trip to a nearby tourist attraction (The Tunnels of Moose Jaw) which was very interesting and numerous chances to mingle and chat. Two nights in a row, some of the grads even headed into town for some late night visiting at some favourite hang-outs! We did have a fun trip to the park planned too but that little visit and snack had to be indoors instead, due to the weather.

Other 'noteable' facts....
While Miles was backing the truck up to hook up the trailer, we got a screw in the tire and were losing air by the minute! OOPS! The joys of new construction sites! We got the trailer loaded ASAP, thankfully found a neighbour with a compressor and headed to Fountain Tire, in hopes that they would stay open for us (5pm - yikes). Thankfully, we got there in time, got the tire fixed and made it to our destination by 6:30pm, just in time for registration - it wouldn't have mattered if we were late because registration went on for a couple hours but... we had the cake, the drinks and everything needed for the first evening gathering! Phew - it all worked out!
Then... Cole refused to sleep in his bed with the side rail on it! He would have nothing to do with it at all. Nothing - get the picture!!! I would rock him to sleep and then lay him down, I climbed in bed with him and he fell asleep with his head on my foot - each time he would wake up the second I moved. He was sooo tired he was almost delirious but extended sleep just wasn't happening. I had thought about bring the playpen but in our rush to vacate (due to the tire issue) it was sadly left behind. Someone who lives on campus offered me hers but I said, "Oh - we'll see how tonight goes and maybe I'll grab it tomorrow night" - if only I could have called her at 2am!!!! Sooo.... then I just brought him into our bed and he eventually flopped on top of the covers, in the opposite direction and fell asleep... until Miles came back later. He then started crawling to the edge of the bed to see daddy, only daddy wasn't really paying attention, Cole couldn't see the edge of the bed and you guessed it - an almighty CRASH! Arghhhhh! We eventually calmed him down and he settled restlessly back to sleep, between us.... until 6:30am, when he proceeded to hit me on the head for an hour! Oh my goodness was I tired by this point! At 8am I went next door to the building where we were having coffee etc, to tie us over until the big brunch, to plug in the coffee perculator... morning had come - no rest for momma! On night two, I definitely borrowed the playpen (that was a no-brainer), separated Cole's bed (the bottom bunks divide in half for storage purposes) and set the playpen up there! I'm happy to report he slept ALL NIGHT LONG! Guess he still desires the security of sleeping with wallsaround him :) Good to know before we set out on a week-long camping trip or something!!!
Another piece of interesting info... one of the girls that Miles graduated with, grew up in the house across the street from where we used to live (our last house) and was the first grade one class at the school where Ethan went to kindergarten and grade one! Small world... or 'useless information' as my hubby calls it!

First Night - heading on a campus tour to see all that's changed over the years!!!

Followed by a fire pit & time of visiting

On the campus tour - Jackson checking out some high tech math equations

Mr. Appleby BBQ-ing in the rain (one of the teacher faves who just retired last year)

A peek into the archives :)

Centerpieces for the banquet - in borrowed pottery mugs (handcrafted by one of the grads - he had some beautiful pieces on display)

The lovely purple and yellow/gold school colours

The 18 grads in attendance

... with spouses

Mingling

"You should see the other guy" - the result of Cole's early morning nose dive! The first day his nose was just puffy & red but by day two it was looking way worse!

Hanging Baskets

A teenage granddaughter comes downstairs for her date with a very shear blouse on and no bra. Her grandmother just pitched a fit, telling her not to go out like that! The teenager tells her "Loosen up Grams. These are modern times. You gotta let your rose buds show!" and out she goes. The next day the teenager comes downstairs and the grandmother is sitting there with no top on. The teenager wants to die. She explains to her grandmother that she has friends coming over and that it is just not appropriate.... The grandmother says. "Loosen up, Sweetie. If you can show off your rosebuds, then I can display my hanging baskets." Happy Gardening!!! (sorry, I couldn't resist!!!)

What do Angel Tiger Eye Violas, Strawberry Super Parfait Dianthus, Strawberry Daddy Petunias, Giant White Bacopa and Wojo's Gem have in common? Yeppers - they were all united together in my hanging baskets! I decided that since I don't have lush lawn, lovely landscape, lilacs or lilies this year, I'm gonna hang some baskets between the pillars of my wrap-around porch... the flower kind of course! About a week ago, Jackson helped me plant and they unfortunately have yet to be hung! With the weather still dropping to freezing and frost warnings, they have been demoted to the garage on a few occasions... I was excited to have enough plants left over to fill three other pots as well!