lil miss ear infection

Amelia went for her 9 month check up today! She weighs 18 pounds 2 ounces (45th percentile) 29 3/4 inches (>100th percentile) and an ear infection! She has been so grumpy the last few days I should've known! Now she's on antibiotics for 10 days and will hopefully be fully recovered before we fly in 3 weeks!

christmas pics

last week I had my incredibly talented friend, Rebecca over to do some Christmas pictures of the kids. In about 5 minutes flat and she got some great pictures. I'll post them and you'll have to wait till Christmas to see which one made it to the card! My original plan was to make my cards last Friday with some friends up in Canada but then Amelia was sick and Dale worked late. Too early to make Christmas cards - not really - this is the latest I've done in them in the past several years. I love to be prepared way in advance. I find I enjoy the holidays a lot more when everything is done by December. It's also fun to start enjoying my favorite holiday a few months early!

uninvited houseguests!

We had plans with our very good friends Tracy and Martin this week end. When I talked to Tracy on Saturday morning I thought it was a go since Amelia had been sleeping for 14 hours straight and counting... When she finally did wake up she was miserable and her mood didn't improve as they day went on. Dale called to cancel and left a message on their machine. We headed over to Aiden's preschool fall festival and then it was dinner time so we stopped and picked up a pizza. Aiden and Amelia were both cranky. (I was counting minutes until bedtime). I put Aiden's dinner plate on the table and at the same moment the doorbell rang. It's local election time around here and I thought it was another candidate interrupting our dinner. But no... it was our friends (family of four) with all their overnight stuff standing on our doorstep. Not only were we sitting down to eat dinner without them but the house was mess, laundry everywhere...awkward moment.... Nope- these are our great friends. We laughed, told them the story, quickly stuffed the pizza back in the box ( brought out the dinner I had prepared in the morning ) and we had a great time. Aiden was so happy to see his buddy Paxton, Amelia was smiling at Martin and content to be held by someone other than her parents. We wound up having a good visit with our friends but for a moment it was sheer panic....doorbell ringing.

stroganoff meatballs

This recipe is from the best of bridge cookbook series (my Canadian secret weapon).

meatballs
1 pound of lean ground beef or ground turkey
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
3 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 egg beaten
salt and pepper to taste

sour cream sauce
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup ketchup
20 oz of beef broth
2 cups fat free sour cream

to make meatballs: combine all ingredients in large bowl. Mix well and roll in balls of desired size. Place on edged cookie sheet and bake 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, drain and set aside

to make sauce: brown onion in butter. Add flour and mix well. Add ketchup and broth, cooking slowly until thickened. Add sour cream, then meatballs. Place in casserole and keep warm in 250 degree oven until serving. Serve over pasta.

haunted house!

Don't be too scared of the pictures of our spooky house! It wasn't until I moved to the states that I began to really get into the whole Halloween thing. I like to decorate the house with lights and pumpkins and look forward to the adorable lil trick or treaters that ring the doorbell btwn 5-6pm on Halloween. It helps that I have some pretty adorable trick or treaters in my own house. Aiden will be a fireman (surprise!) and Amelia will be a dalmatian puppy! I hope to get some pictures in their costumes this week end! If Miss Amelia is feeling better. She is suffering from her first real cold and is pretty miserable (and so is her mom). I have slept sitting up the past 2 nights because she won't lay down without crying. Her little cry is too much to bear! I think she's past the worst and I hope tomorrow we see more of the sweet girl we know and miss. I don't think she's crawled or played with a toy the past two days. I've enjoyed all the cuddle time but I'm ready for her to be herself again.

4

today is all about the number 4. I had 4 hours of sleep last night. Not a good way to start the day. Amelia was up a lot last night and this morning has a runny nose. I guess that's what was going on last night. Just when I got her settled her brother woke up and shuffled btwn his and our bed for another couple hours. Despite being so tired I would love to lay as lump on the floor I really want to get this cleaning schedule going! So far today:

1. I'm running on 4 hours sleep
2. I've cleaned 4 bathrooms
3. done 4 loads of laundry
4. dealt with a whiny, cranky overtired 4 year old without losing my patience, yet...
5. cleaned 4 kitchen appliances
6. drank 3 cups of coffee and 1 diet coke which makes 4 caffeinated beverages

Well I guess I'm finished whining and I'll get back to my day!

do you like Amelia's new walking toy?

so does Aiden!

superheroes ...

eat macaroni and cheese too! Aiden saw this costume today and asked if he could get it - don't all four year boys need a superman costume? He's been running around the house all day trying to get his cape to fly. He keeps looking backwards to check and I'm just waiting for him to run into a wall or something!

impressionable minds

Aiden was building a fort in the family room this morning and I asked him to get his bathing suit on for swimming lessons. He replied "I just have to put a layer of sheet moss on top which you can buy at your local florist..." Martha Stewart was on tv and had just made a topiary where the comment must have been repeated! I know some people won't believe me but I never watch Martha except for today.

pan seared sesame ahi tuna

I bought some ahi tuna steaks at Trader Joe's but have never cooked tuna before. I tried to find a recipe online but no luck. So I tried to recreate a restaurant meal I had once ( the only time I've eaten tuna that wasn't sushi or out of a can) Aiden and Dale really liked it too which is always a bonus!
a package of ahi tuna (Trader Joe's frozen aisle)
cajun spice or some hot seasoning
sesame seeds
2 tsp sesame oil
Heat sesame oil in frying pan, sprinkle tuna steaks with cajun spice (or salt and pepper) and sesame seeds, pan sear for approx 2 minutes each side ( I cooked mine closer to 4 min each side) because I didn't want to serve the family rare fish. Serve with rice and stirfry vegetables ( I had a little wasabi with mine) but it tasted good without it!

party girl

I noticed the blog has been a little "Aiden" heavy the last little while. Here's a few pics of Amelia at recent birthday parties.

Amelia stayed dry and warm inside with her great grandparents while we went on the field trip! Lucky baby!

a lovely day for...

a preschool pumpkin patch field trip. Not really, 42 degrees and pouring rain. We donned our new rain boots (finally an excuse to wear my cute boots!) and raincoats and headed to McPhail's farm. There was a quick animal tour, quick train ride, quick hayride to the pumpkin patch and quick pumpkin selection- do you see the theme? I think there were more dads than moms on the trip today (smart moms). On the way back to school Aiden was wet,cold and miserable so we stopped at the drive thru Starbucks for hot chocolate. When I asked Aiden what his favorite part of the pumpkin patch was he said "nothing, it was raining." When we got back to the school we had 45 minutes left in the classroom so I hung out and watched them eat lunch. They all folded their hands and said grace together it was so cute! I really enjoyed sitting back and watching Aiden interact with the other kids and the kids were really cute and funny. I think being a preschool teacher would be a fun job. Well maybe just for one day!

I made this frame for Aiden's room about a year and half ago, ordered a 5x5 picture to go inside it about 4 months ago, put it all together today. There's also Amelia's frame that I haven't ordered the right size photo yet. I am trying to finish up some minor projects around the house this month. The picture of the shoe is my "lady hammer" that I used to hang a picture in the kids bathroom. Reminds me of my single days before I had a garage full of tools and a husband to tackle all my fix its! It's kinda fun to feel handy! I know, I know it's only a picture but still...

ps: I had to wipe my dresser down with my pyjama sleeve before I could take the picture of the shoe. I seriously have to start my cleaning schedule!

good night

I called home from work last night to say good night to Aiden.

me: "Good night Aiden, I love you!"

Aiden: "Good night Mommy, I love you more than worms."

I guess some things do need to be said out loud.

housekeeping schedule

I'd like to share my housecleaning schedule that I used to follow regularly before I got pregnant. I think it's time to pick up a notch around my house - I'm tired of crumbs, fingerprints and dust everywhere I look. The schedule is great because it's divided into weekly,monthly,quarterly and annual cleaning tasks. A clean house makes feel calm and happy. Lame but true!

Sorry I thought I could make an attachment to this post. Apparently not. So, if you are interested just email and I will send it to you.

pumpkin patch

It was a beautiful today and we headed out to Stoney Ridge Farm. I think it is one the best pumpkin patches ever. We had a great time visiting with the farm animals, wandering through the corn maze and finding the perfect pumpkin out in the field. Here's a few pictures from our fun day!

Seattle

Yesterday we headed down to Seattle- and for the first time ever didn't get lost! This is a big deal with Dale and I. We can usually make it to our destination but heading back to the freeway we make a wrong turn or somehow get lost. Our trips usually turn downhill quickly and by the end of the day we agree it's a navigation system or marriage counselling! But not yesterday!

Our first stop was Children's Hospital for Aiden's check up regarding his birthmark. I have been so confident that Aiden's birthmark though large isn't a big deal. We saw a new dermatologist and she wants to do some additional testing. Aiden has a small squishy area on his back and they want to ultrasound it. It's most likely a lipoma (no big deal) but just to make sure it isn't his birthmark making the tissue grow larger. Also, one of his thighs measures about 2cm bigger than the other and she wants an orthopedic specialist to do some leg measurements that are really accurate. So we will have to head down for another day as soon as we get an appointment. Nothing scary but a little reality check there may be some issues with his port wine stain.

Next we headed to my all time favorite shopping destination - University Village! It has all my favorite shops in one place. Per usual, I only made it into a few stores and spent too much money so it was time to move on. I love the Pottery Barn Kids store and was able to find some adorable items. this

Amelia's first birthday party decorations are now taken care of. I know it's four months away but I love to be prepared!

Then it was onto the Rainforest Cafe at Southcenter! Aiden's favorite place! He has talked about it at least once a week since we were there 15 months ago. The pictures turned out horrible because it is so dark in there. Both kids seemed to enjoy the animated animals and thunderstorms. Our little girl seems to be a brave one!

Chili

Now that weather has turned decidedly fall here's one of our family favorites for a cozy dinner
1 pound of lean ground beef or turkey
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 each of red or green pepper
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans drained
1 can black beans drained
1 can baked beans
1 cup corn
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
dash of cayenne powder or hot sauce
sour cream,shredded cheddar and chopped green onions (optional)

brown meat, add onion, cook until softened, add peppers cook 2 minutes, open all canned goods (this recipe fills up your recycling bin fast!) pour sauce,beans, corn and spices into pot. Simmer for at least one hour. Serve topped with sour cream,cheese and green onions if desired. Corn bread and green salad make it a meal!

playroom vinyl

I finally put the lettering up in the playroom!

amelia...earhart?

healthy dessert?

Aiden was trying to lick his ice cream bowl after dinner tonight. Dale asked him what he was doing and he replied.. just getting all the salt and minerals my body needs. Seriously, where does he get this?

banana bread

Here's the recipe Rebecca!

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine softened
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas mashed (3-4)
3/4 cup yogurt plain or flavored
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup walnuts/pecans (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of 2 loaf pans. Mix sugar and butter until well blended. Stir in eggs. Add bananas,yogurt and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients except nuts. Mix until just moistened. Stir in nuts if using. Pour into pans. Bake for about an hour until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

organizing recipe books

Today I was trying to re organize my recipe books and realized I have way too many and only use a few. I have my cookbooks behind a closed door because they always looked so messy but the closed door doesn't make the problem disappear! I went through the books and only kept the ones I really like. I've had a huge cookbook for 12 years that the I only use for the banana bread recipe . Copying the recipe down and placing it in a 3 ring recipe book I now have the recipe with out that big book taking up space in my house. so my organizing tip is if you have a lot of cookbooks and over time you find you never use the book or only a few recipes from it. Copy the recipes and get rid of the books! I'm thinking a cute recipe book project would be fun! Anyone interested in some cookbooks?

Amelia at 8 months...

• this little girl is so sweet


• she smiles at everybody


• waves


• crawls everywhere


• listens to the word no


• stands to play at the train and coffee table


• loves her brother


• says dada and hi (she said mama first but has stopped)


• has 2 teeth


• eats any vegetable and fruit


• tried plain yogurt this morning and liked it


• likes to chew on electrical cords (scary)


• if she hurts herself she cries louder and longer than her brother ever did


• loves bath time
• loves to pull hair
• doesn't like the stroller but likes the bike trailer

Happy October!

Had a great week end- minus my cold! The class was fun and I can't wait to finish the project! I had such a fun time out the girls on Friday night - it's so fun to laugh that hard!... Excuse me is this your bar of soap? ...Saturday we ate and shopped our way up and down Robson Street. Our hotel room was on the 25th floor so we had a great view of the city. Yesterday, we hung out in a tattoo parlor for awhile while Tracy got her nose pierced and then headed home to be the responsible people we are the other 51 week ends of the year!