Summer Lovin'

Oh, Mommmmm-eeee...I have a present for you....




Ta-DAA!

Widney Wednesday - Canada Style, eh?

Well, I've been a huge fan of Widney Woman for awhile now and I think her Widney Wednesday's are just amazing. The amount of time and effort she puts into creating these special nights for her kids, and for her friends, to enjoy is just incredible and very inspiring (I'm really going to try and start doing something similar soon). If you haven't checked it out yet, you just have to! She's incredible. Not to mention, she is my friend. We go way back. Waaaayyy back. And while she does live in the U.S. of A. now I am very fortunate to still be in touch with her through her blog. I felt like I knew her kids before I even got to meet them. But, last night I did get to meet them: for the very first time...in person. That is because I was lucky enough to participate in a Widney Wednesday when it went Canadian (Mrs. Widney came back to town for a visit!!).

Her theme was "Widney Dairy" in honour of a local ice-cream store that is a bit of a fixture around these parts. She had a little craft center all set up for the kids complete with construction paper, markers and crayons, scissors, glue, and tape. The kids had a blast creating their own Widney Popsicles which they got to take home. After craft time they began playing volleyball with some of the ice cream balloons and had so much fun just running around together. It was so adorable to see how they all became just instant pals: Widney Woman's kids, The Fairy BlogMother's kids, and The Mommy Project's kids. Too cute.



{Jamie, Maddie, Paris, Widney Woman, and Jazz making popsicles!}




{Jamie, Maddie, and sweet little Paris...hard at work}


After a little cardiovascular exercise it was time to reward themselves at the Widney Dairy Ice Cream Bar. Widney Woman had it all prepared with lots of different toppings for the kids to choose from: Smarties, M&M's, Malteasers, Gummy Bears, and Sprinkles of every size and color. Of course, most of the kids decided to put a little of everything on their Sundaes and they all thought it was the best ice cream ever.



{Jazz - isn't he handsome!?, Cutie-Pie Abby, Jamie, and Maddie enjoying their self-made Sundaes. I don't think they liked being called to pose for a photo in the middle of all that ice-cream eating}.



{Jamie enjoying her ice cream, next to some of her unfinished art work}





{And Maddie enjoying her Sundae. Look at all the toppings! And...who is that in the background? It's the Fairy Blogmother! Caught doing what she does best...lovin' her girlies Abby and Maya}


Sadly, our evening at the Widney Dairy came to and end all too soon. I think Widney Woman will just have to come back to Canada more often. We miss her here...and now our kids will, too!

Thanks Widney Woman.



We had such a great time and it was just so great to see you again.


Hey! Guess what. There is a cool challenge going on right now over at Temporarily Me for Rookie, and not-so-rookie, Mom's alike. They have some really pretty buttons, but I can't get them to work on my page so please CLICK HERE to go check it out for yourself!

Why Didn't I Realize That Before?

Look what Jamie James got in the mail! It's her "Welcome to Kindergarten" post-card and on the back her teacher has written all the details of her upcoming first days of school. Of course, Jamie was beyond the moon thrilled to not only get her own mail, but for the mail to be related to her going to school. Thrilled and beaming ear to ear. And, me? You know what? I didn't even get choked up. I was just excited for her, too. And, you know what? I was a little excited for me, as well.


A change is coming over me!


Maybe it's because I'm expecting another little one to be hanging around the nest soon. Or, maybe it's because Davey is rubbing off on me. But, all of a sudden, I'm actually having trouble remembering what I was getting so upset about. Jamie is so excited for this - no apprehension what-so-ever, so there is no concern there. And, it's only 2 days one week...and 3 days the alternate week - the rest of the time she is still home. And, you know what I just realized...I am going to have one day a week, guaranteed, to myself. O.M.G. The alternate week I will have TWO days to myself. I swear to you that this had not even occurred to me until just a couple of days ago. Why didn't I see that? That is going to be fantastic!


I haven't had a day to myself, where I wasn't either looking after the kiddos...or working...or frantically trying to get an assignment finished...since...since...uh...I actually can't remember that day. What am I going to do with myself? Woooooootttt!!! I'll tell you one thing, this house is going to get super organized. I am going to organize our office, I'm going to get the kids toy room moved downstairs, I'm going to decorate the baby's room, I'm going to spruce up the girls' room, I'm going to have lunch dates with my mommy friends, I'm going to get my hair cut, I'm going to go shopping for cool mommy clothes, I'm going to cook dinner and enjoy it, ahhhh...what WON'T I do?


So, I'll see ya' when you get home from school little Jamie-James. You and Mommy are going to have a GREAT time.

Well, Hello, Peanut!

Today I am 16 weeks pregnant. And, I just had to let you know that I am now feeling little Baby K moving around in my tummy! I am so excited about this, you have no idea. It actually started, gradually, two weeks ago when I was coming home from work. I felt the baby swirl right around. It made me kind of gasp for air a little bit because I was so excited: I just felt the the baby!!! I know that is very early to feel anything but, I think, because of my kind of weird and very superficially placed uterus I can feel things very well and, apparently, very early.



Ever since that day I've been very tuned in to my tummy. I spend the evenings laying down with my hand on my belly just waiting to feel something. And, when I do, I always grab for Dave's hand and make him feel for the movement. "You know this creeps me out, right?" he always says...but I don't care. It's our baby! It's the coolest thing ever.

I remember when I was pregnant with Maddie (our first kiddo) I used to do that all the time and, then, it seemed like Jamie came along so soon after that I was right back to spending my evenings with my hand on my tummy. Now, it's been quite a long time since I was pregnant and there was a very, very, big chance that this wasn't going to happen again. I used to think sometimes about how cool it was to just lay there and feel the baby moving and how much I missed that.

The night before Jamie was born I got Dave to video-tape her moving around in my belly. You could see her turning, legs and knees moving past, so clearly. Now, true...I must admit...I suppose it does look a bit disturbing. It does kinda' look like there is an alien in there or something. I suppose you could say it's a bit creepy...if you are of the squeamish sort. But, not me, I think it is the coolest thing in the whole wide world and I am so happy and excited to be back in that spot again.

I know very well it doesn't last for long. I'm cherishing every second.

See Jamie Ride the School Bus.

This past weekend (while I was at w.o.r.k.) Jamie took a very, very, exciting step in her little life. It was time for her first practice ride on the School Bus!

First she got to take a little class on school bus safety. She got lots of information and some fun coloring pages and watched a little Winnie the Pooh movie on School Bus Safety. She told me that Winnie the Pooh was eating honey on the bus, and you aren't supposed to. And Rabbit had a carrot and she dropped it on the road near the bus and your aren't supposed to pick up anything that falls down around the school bus.

Why?

"Because you will get squished".

Then...it was time for the part she was waiting for! The part she has been waiting for for two years ever since Maddie took her first steps up into the bus. The part that was the coolest part of all! It was time for Jamie to get to ride the school bus!

I'm so excited!!! Can we go now, Dad?

How 'bout now???

Finally! Ahhhh...now THIS is the LIFE!

Better than a roller coaster, better than a Ferris wheel...it's safe to say that was the best ride Jamie has ever taken.

{Wahhh...my baby is going to start school in less than a month! How can that BE?!?}

Chicken Curry in Roasted Acorn Squash. YUMMO!

Oh...you are so lucky. I am going to share with you this fabulous, wonderful, completely delicious and super easy-peasy, yet very impressive looking, dish!!



This is something Dave made for me over a year ago and I absolutely loved it. I could seriously eat it every single week (if not every single day). Then, we proceeded to loose the recipe.



Well, I just dusted off all my old Sandi Richard's "Cooking for the Rushed" cookbooks last week (and ordered a couple more from the library) and what should I find tucked away in the pages of "Life's On Fire", but my recipe for Chicken Curry in Roasted Acorn Squash! Woot!



This recipe was just torn out of the January/February 2007 issue of Men's Health Magazine (that's why it was so easy to loose).



Here is your very simple ingredients list:

1. 1 small acorn acorn squash
2. 12 oz. boneless chicken breasts, chopped
3. 1 red bell pepper, chopped
4. 1 Tbsp mild yellow curry powder
5. 1 Tbsp olive oil
6. 1 med. yellow onion, chopped into 1/2" pieces
7. 1/2 c milk or heavy cream
8. 1/4 c golden raisins
9. 1/4 c chopped cilantro

Here's what you do:

1. Preheat oven to 450F
2. Cut the squash in half. rub it with half the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place on a baking sheet. Roast it in the oven until the flesh is soft and brown, about 25 minutes.
3. while the squash roasts, heat the remaining oil in a large saute pan over medium-heat. When it's hot, add the chicken, bell pepper, and onion. Saute for 3 minutes, then add the curry powder, milk, and raisins. Use a wooden spoon to mix thoroughly {why they specifically state a wooden spoon, I have no idea? I don't think it has to be any specific length of wooden spoon, though...}. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Serve a scoop of the curry inside of the roasted squash. Garnish with the cilantro. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving (if you care): 610 calories, 42 grams of protein, 74 g of carbohydrates, 20 g of fat (only 4 saturated), 17 g fiber, 850 milligrams of sodium.

Verdict:


Well, can you guess? I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this dish. I see now that my picture totally does not do justice to how good it tasted. It is so good that I am drooling as I type about it right n*@w. OH, nko -++ m7 keeeEEEEEEEEEEyBoaRRRRD izzzzzznt""" woR8King proP3rlE n)0w. OOOopps23!

4 MOre WHAT:S COOKING wedNesday pLEEeeeeeeeeeeese g0 H3re!

Family Fun - The Beach Edition (Port Dover).

I've already told you about the fun beach in Port Dalhousie, and the super cool carousel they have there (which the kids get to go on for five cents a ride), that we like to bring the girls to. But, yesterday we decided to check out the beach in Port Dover for a change.

It was a beautiful day yesterday: about 28 degrees and sunny. So, after getting a bunch of groceries (I've vowed to actually create a dinner every night this week with the help of Sandi Richard), we packed up the bathing suits, and towels, and the camera and headed out.

First stop was the obligatory photo under the lighthouse.



Then it was over to the sand to pick out a primo location on the beach. The girls wasted no time getting into the water. Thank goodness for Davey, because that water was waaaayyy too choppy for them to go in by themselves. I didn't even bother wearing my suit this time. The belly is getting way too big and while I actually kind of think it's cute (and brave) when I see other pregnant girls on the beach in their swimsuits, I just ain't that daring.



Off they go!



Wave "Hi" to Mom!

{See how choppy the water is? The girls just LOVED it. They were trying to jump over the waves and they were, apparently, just shrieking with delight. Dave was actually worried about how loud they were screaming - but, unlike when they are just screaming their little heads off in the pool here at home, the sounds of the waves, and the winds, and the seagulls, and all the other kids screaming their little heads off just drowned them out}



Time to come out for a bit...



and work on some sand castles.



The nice thing about Port Dover is that you are facing south at the beach so it is very nice and sunny. That, and it doesn't stink of fish...which is always nice.

After a few more dips in the lake we decided to take a little stroll around town and check out the shops. We got some french fries for a snack and then discovered this really pretty "guard pig" outside a jewelry store.

Then Jamie did some modelling for me by the clock.

Maddie decided to get in on that action and slowly worked her way into the frame.

{If you look carefully you can see that poor little Jamie has given up and is walking away from the clock now...}

Then, as the skies grew dark (as they pretty much have at some point every day this summer), we headed back to the truck. Just enough time left to stop for a cone!

Maddie had "bubblegum" which was a shocker. I thought she hated the taste of bubblegum!

{NO...Dave does not wear a pinky ring! That is just the key ring around his baby finger.}

{You can tell the skies have clouded over because the photos are started to look much better! I like this one of Jamie with her Cherry flavoured cone, which I was gracious enough to help her "clean up" every once in awhile when the ice cream started melting down the sides}. ;-)

And then...it was time to head back home. Our Family Fun Day at the beach was finished.

And so were the girls!

You Did What!?

My Mother-in-Law had the girls yesterday while I was at work and Dave was playing golf. When she returned them home to us they had...TATTOOS!!!

(I'd really like to get one, myself, actually. But, probably only if they hurt about as much as these ones). ;-)

Fish and Chips with Salad: Yum.

I'm back!

Sorry I'm such a blogger-slacker. I blame it on dial-up. It takes so long to get onto the internet in the first place and once I'm there every page takes just forever to load. By the time I read all of what's goin' on in Facebook, and read my friends' blogs, I feel too guilty to spend anymore time on the computer and post my own blog entry!

But, I made something super easy and very nummy for dinner last night so I'm back to share it with y'all (I like to pretend I'm southern every once in awhile apparently).

Fish and Chips with Salad,

as taken from Sandi Richard's book, "Cooking for the Rushed: The Healthy Family".

Here are the ingredients you will need for the fish:

1-1/2 lbs firm white fish (I used halibut)

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (low-fat)

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning

cooking spray.

Here's whatcha' do:

1. Pour your buttermilk into one bowl and the bread crumbs, Parm. cheese, and spices in a second bowl.
2. Dip your fish into the buttermilk, then coat it in the bread crumb mixture
3. Place prepared fish onto a cake pan sprayed with cooking spray. Spray top of fish with cooking spray, as well.
4. Place on lower rack of preheated (to 375F) oven for 15 minutes.
5. When the 15 mins. is up, move the fish to top rack and put your frozen fries on the lower rack. Set timer for 5 more minutes.
6. When timer rings, switch positions of fish and fries and let cook for 5 more minutes.

(As all of this is going on you can get your salad ready and set the table. Sandi suggests sprinkling some seasoning salt on the fries before cooking.)

Verdict:

Really, really, yummy. Dave and the girls and I...we all loved it. So much better than those completely gross and gooey frozen fish sticks you can buy at the grocery store. Nice and light and fresh and just plain old good food. Dave said this meal should go into "heavy rotation" (meaning once per week). Only problem I encountered was I forgot to buy "5 minute fries" so my fries were not done in time with the fish. Sandi says to buy 5 minute fries, but cook them for 10 minutes. Great meal! And healthy! Loved it.

Note on the cookbook: I've said it before, I'll say it again, "Excellent". If you don't have any of the "Cooking for the Rushed" cookbooks you HAVE to get them. I stopped using them for a bit because I was trying to make fancier stuff...and more vegetarian stuff...but they are just so great for keeping you organized and helping you to get an entire meal on the table in a very short amount of time. The books are Canadian, too, and you never have to worry about not knowing what an ingredient is (i.e. Garbanzo Beans=Chickpeas, Scallions=Green Onion, Creme Fraiche=HellifIknow) or if you will be able to find it. Highly recommended!

{Maddie about to give it the thumbs-up}


{Jamie giving it the thumbs, and 4 additional fingers, up!}

Happy What's Cooking Wednesday!

How Not to Tell Your Hubby You Are Pregnant.

The fortune cookie reads, "A wonderful addition to your life will appear in 9 months time".

This is how I tried to tell Davey the big news. I went to the grocery store and bought some fortune cookies, heated one up in the microwave until it was soft and pliable, inserted my own message then folded it back up. I got Dave to bring home Chinese food that night and made the ol' switcheroo when it came time to pass out the cookies. When he cracked his open he totally didn't get that I had made this fortune myself and he thought it was real. He said, "Hey, maybe your pregnant. Or, maybe we're going to get a new truck or something".

I tried again later by putting a big bun in our oven and saying, "Hey, honey, what's that?". He looked inside and said, "Why did you put the bread in there?"

sigh.

Then I just told him!

;-)

{okay...not exactly Wordless Wednesday...but sometimes ya' just have to come out and explain things, I guess}.

Family Fun - The WEEKEND Edition!

Mommy's weekend off was a great one! We had so much fun hanging out with the girls and, luckily, the weather was co-operating (most of the time).

Well, Friday wasn't that great because I spent the whole day cleaning the house and doing laundry [I have about 6 loads that are done - but not folded or put away (of course not) in my bedroom right now]. But on Saturday we all woke up, got ready, and headed to the new local breakfast joint, Cora's, for breakfast.

This place was packed! They must be making a killing. But, I heard many, many, people complain about how cold they keep it (some were saying that they must keep it that cold to insure a fast turn-around as there is always a line-up at the door). Dave even said it was too cold - so, there you go. The girls ordered off the kiddie menu and Maddie had Fruit Loops and Jamie had waffles. The kids get little coloring books and crayons to occupy them until breakfast is served and the price of the kids breakfast is very reasonable: about $4.50 including their drink. They make up for the reasonable kids prices with the outrageous prices for the grown-ups. A juice is $3.50 and my waffles were about $11.00. I got the banana waffles with chocolate hazelnut topping because I forgot to order this dish in Jamaica and it gets such great reviews that I thought I'd try it here. It was inedible. The waffle was completely soaked in this banana cream goop and then there were more bananas and chocolate on top. If it was just the bananas and the chocolate that would have been okay, but that goop that turned the entire waffle into mush was completely gross (I wish I had a picture for you, but I didn't have my camera at this point). So...it was fun to go out for breakfast but $40 for an inedible (to me) breakfast in a cold, and crowded, restaurant is more than I'm willing to spend a second time.

After breakfast, and a bit of running around to get supplies so I can make some home-made bread, we all headed out to the local wading pool. Of course, the skies did turn black and open up with torrential rains as we headed there but, fortunately, we persevered and it did, in fact, clear up by the time we got there. The kids love the wading pool because it is deep enough to splash around in, but not so deep that they need their life jackets or us holding their hands the entire time. Maddie and Jamie like to go there because they always meet new friends to chat with. There was one little boy that came over and poured a cup of water over Jamie's head. Knowing Jamie...she would have clocked him had she not turned around to see how cute he was.

Once we were done playing at the wading pool we headed home for some dinner and then another round of swimming in our own pool. Dave goes in with the girls because the pool has never been above 80 degrees and it is, therefore, just too cold for me. Thank gawd men don't feel the cold (much like children don't) because the girls have so much fun in there with him. I'm a bit jealous that I don't get to play - but I just cannot get in past my knees when it is 76 degrees.

On Sunday morning I woke up to Maddie standing beside my bed with a lovely bowl of fresh fruit that Davey had made up for me. Ahhh. He's a keeper, I tell you. He then brought me scrambled eggs with ketch-up in the shape of a heart on top -- I kid you not. How cute is that? Of course, he will deny it if you ever ask him. I should have got a picture of that too! Ah well.

After breakfast we headed out for our big day-trip to Port Dalhousie.

They have the most beautiful carousel there - very old fashioned with the music playing and everything and it cost about 10 cents per ride. The kids could just go around, and around, all day and it wouldn't cost more than about 5 bucks! Can't beat that!

(I love this picture).

After a few rides we went to the change rooms and got the girls into their suits and headed out to the beach. The sand was so hot you had to wear your shoes to walk on it (I LOVE that) and the water is really shallow for quite a ways out so, again, it is perfect for the girls. They had such a great time and it was so much fun to watch them. Dave and I just sat at the edge of the water on the beach while he tried to get rid of his landscapers boot tan lines, and I contemplated taking off my shirt that covered my bathing suit top and showing off my ever-expanding baby bump (I decided against).

After a fun day at the beach we headed back home for some dinner and, guess what...another dip in the family pool. I'm surprised the girls aren't permanently pruney at this point!

(last pic. before heading home...you can see the girls are freezing - but they would insist they were perfectly warm).

It was a really fabulous weekend. I'm so going to miss the summer.