another holiday...

another wreath. I went downstairs to tidy up my craft room while Amelia napped today and started a garage sale pile. I noticed a lot of the stuff I had never used and still had the price tags on. I decided to make quick July 4th wreath before I got rid of it and voila. 10 minutes and pile of old craft supplies and I have something new to celebrate the fourth.

muffin tin lunch

I saw this idea online last week and thought it looked cute. Something to break up the boring lunch routine for the kids. Aiden thought it was fabulous and Amelia didn't throw it on the floor (that's a good sign).

three's company

It's just the three of us this week end. Aiden is hanging out at my parents for four sleeps! We were trying to think of something we could do while Aiden was gone and we decided we could clean the house and keep it that way! I love that Aiden can use his imagination so vividly but a huge mess comes along with it. Dale and I spent a good part of the day cleaning the house top to bottom and sorting and purging toys ( I married the right guy for me!) We also had the first crop of radishes and strawberries from the garden. Dale took his girls out for pizza at La Fiamma and we caught the outdoor concert at Boulevard tonight. What a great summer day.

a glimpse

into the future. Last night we were at a concert in the park and Aiden ran into a girl from preschool. They were excited to see each other. They both seemed a little awkward and Aiden was standing with his hands in his pockets not knowing what to say. Dale and I were sitting behind them on a blanket and we realized that in a few years (hopefully 10) we would see him doing the same thing with a girl he has a crush on. It made me smile but also realize how quickly they do grow up.

cute kids cards

I was inspired by a card kit I found online to make these cute kids cards. All you need is scrap cardstock and a bunch of different sized circle and hole punches. Aiden and our friend Jaycie had a fun time putting them together. These adorable cards were made by a nine year old!

tequila lime chicken

marinade
1/2 cup tequila
1/4 cup lime juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp chili powder
sprinkle of salt and pepper

4 chicken breasts

combine marinade ingredients, add chicken breasts, marinate in fridge at least 3 hours or overnight, grill, enjoy!

aquarium

Yesterday we headed up to the Vancouver Aquarium. Luckily, we arrived before lunch and it wasn't too busy. The baby beluga was born a few days ago and everyone wanted to have a peek. We were able to see the baby swim with her Mom outside but the line up was over an hour long to watch under water ( definitely not worth the wait in my opinion. Amelia loved to stand up at the fish tanks and watch the fish swim by. Aiden's favorite was the snakes " but really everything was my favorite, Mom." Amelia really liked the "puppy" aka sea lion. When we left the aquarium the line up was out into the parking lot! If you look closely in the pictures Amelia is wearing a fish print dress and I did that on purpose because I'm a dork like that. The pictures are terrible quality but it's so hard with the tanks and dark lighting.

say what?

It's been a long week in our household. Amelia has another ear infection and is not sleeping at night. This is in turn makes me very grumpy. I need at least 6 hours sleep or I turn into a grump. Wednesday she slept through the night so I thought yesterday would be a good day to tackle some errands. As soon as we got inside the store I realized it was not going to go well. Amelia was screeching and trying to escape the shopping cart. I was only there to get one thing so I headed directly to the shelf loaded up and headed to the register. Aiden is asking for something and Amelia is continuing her squawking arching her back routine which I'm ignoring. I overhear another customer at the other register make a comment about "...the Walmart baby". I could feel my face getting hot and myself getting mad. Granted she is screaming and has snot running down her face but really that's rude. She makes the comment again to the other cashier ( I think the cashier ignored the offensive comment the first time) and I look up and make eye contact with her. I have no idea how I am going to handle this because my kids are with me, I'm sleep deprived, etc. She makes the comment about the (cute) Walmart baby one more time and I realize in my frazzled states she's saying Hallmark baby. What's a Hallmark baby? I have no idea but it's nowhere near a Walmart baby, right?

popsicle ideas

This morning I made a batch of smoothies and put them in popsicles molds. It made 7 1/2 popsicles and then I came up with the genius idea to top the half full one with yogurt. (don't you love it when you are so clever so early in the morning?) Aiden is very excited about making popsicles this summer and I thought I would share a few ideas I came across online:

freeze applesauce (or flavored applesauce) in popsicle molds (Amelia would love these!)

add sprinkles to softened frozen yogurt or ice cream and pour into popsicle molds

watermelom popsicles ( I always have leftover watermelon)
1 cup of each cubed seeded watermelon chunks, juice and water mix in blender and pour into molds and freeze

pudding pops
make a batch of pudding add crushed cookies or sprinkles if desired, pour in popsicle molds and freeze

margarita popsicles
if you have leftover margarita mix, pour into a popsicle mold and freeze ( make sure these are properly labeled!)

I use an empty yogurt container in the freezer and place any fruit that's too ripe to eat or juice from canned fruit in it and then I'm ready when it's time to make smoothies or popsicles!

father's day 2008

We brought Dale coffee in bed and I had to post this picture of him. What says Dad more than crazy bedhead. I remember being mortified going out with my Dad on Saturday mornings with his crazy hair! We went to Dale's favorite place for brunch, Bob's, and enjoyed some deep fried french toast ( gotta love America!). We realized about 9 seconds after we sat down that Amelia is not at a good age for restaurants. All she wanted to do was wander the aisles and try and sit with other families. I think we made record time and were out of the restaurant in under 30 minutes. We spent the afternoon on the boat and enjoyed the beautiful weather. A nice bbq and special Father's Day cake rounded out a perfect day. We only have pictures from the morning because Aiden had 'packed' the camera for his underwater explorer pretend play and couldn't remember his special hiding place. I love the imagination this kid has but I'm frustrated with all the my disappearing items.

cowgirl

horse parts

"Mom, do you know what this is between the horses ears?"
"Umm, no."
"It's a sensory indicator!"
I guess horse camp was money well spent.

ta da list!

Putting my to do list online definitely worked. I finished up all those projects in no time. It's funny how you avoid things because you're sure you'll fail or it won't turn out how you want it to. I took the plunge and it was fine. I have to remember that my family doesn't have same expectations that I think I should have for doing these little projects. My plan is to tackle Aiden's room to do list in July. I'm hoping by spreading the projects out I'll be more effective.

our garden

Our garden has sprouted! We simplified this year and we just have peas and beans ( what's better than watching your kids munch on fresh vegetables in the backyard) some radishes, strawberries and rhubarb. I think we will have enough strawberries for jam this year. Dale keeps complaining about the rain because he can't use his irrigation system. I have faith we will see sun yet!

cowboy Aiden

You've got to love a five year old imagination. Aiden was stuck inside all day and made the best of it. I was sewing in the basement while Amelia napped. Imagine my surprise when I stepped out of my craft room to find a cowboy loading up his horse for a great adventure! It might look like a fireman costume to you but Aiden assured me he was a cowboy with "shins" (chaps).

on the bright side

I really want to complain about the horrible, cold grey weather we are having this June but instead I will focus on the positive aspect of our unfortunate weather situation:
- my face will retain it's youthful appearance without those pesky damaging uv rays
- I haven't had to deal with wearing shorts ( my least favorite wardrobe item)
- I don't have to scramble for the sunscreen before the kids step outside each day
- I'm not shaving my legs every day
- the grass is very green
that's all I got.

blue sharks season ends in...

a mud bath. Aiden had his last game of the t ball season yesterday. The lovely weather we have been having continued... non stop rain. Luckily five year olds don't care. My parents came down to watch and were a great help in chasing a certain one year old from one end of the field to the other. Aiden really enjoyed his first sports team experience and is definitely looking forward to many more. After the game the kids enjoyed cupcakes and juice boxes, kid heaven.

her first dance performance

I finished up Amelia's tutu t shirt and wanted her to try it on. She loved it! She climbed up on our bed (love this climbing stage) and started her little routine. Ta da! Heather, maybe she's imagining how a rainbow would dance?

painted plant pots

Last year when we were cleaning out our garage I got rid of a lot of extra plant pots. I had two plain terracotta ones left and had the idea of letting Aiden paint them. Aiden doesn't like to a lot of crafty things but he is generally obliging when it comes to a paintbrush and an object. We used regular craft paint and when it was dry I sprayed a craft sealer to protect his artwork from water. I love seeing his work each time I use the front door!

to do list: June

Looking around each room in the house I have uncompleted projects. I am hoping by dividing them into room by room projects they'll finally get finished. (putting them out there for everyone else to see is also part of the motivation!)
I started in Amelia's room:
1) put photos in her growth chart
2) put photos in her 12 month accordian book I made 14 months ago
3) finish her one year handprint tin
4) finish sewing the roman shade for her room ( I started 6 months ago)
5) finish her tutu t shirt
6) organize her closet
Anyone want to join me with your own to do list?

bruschetta chicken

I found some inspiration for this online but simplified the recipe a bit, still yummy.

4 chicken breasts (you could marinate in a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh garlic if you like. I was running behind and just brushed with olive oil and balsamic while grilling)

2 tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
4 fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
pinch kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
4 slices of mozzarella cheese ( I used cheese strings split apart)

Chop tomatoes, finely chop garlic, finely slice basil leaves, combine in bowl, add salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Stir together, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Grill chicken, place mozza cheese on chicken just before finished cooking, when cheese is melted, remove from grill, add tomato bruschetta mixture on top of each chicken breast. Yummy, easy and a little different!

my girl

Today Aiden started his little horse camp at preschool. It's only been a few short weeks but it was fun to have some one on one time with Amelia again. We went for a walk and then had a sweet little story time just the two of us. I am savoring every minute of it. I love both my kids like crazy but it is so nice to have that personal one on one time with the youngest.

what was I thinking?

The other day I bought Aiden a pair of giant pretend feet that make noises with each step( wouldn't you spend $3.99 to make your kids day?). I also bought Amelia those really cute shoes that squeak with each step. They have interchangeable bows to match different outfits, very cute. But then I was driving home and wondering why I thought buying noisy shoes for my kids was a good idea?

my new handyman

Aiden decided the dryer needed a lil fixin the other day. He brought his tool box into the laundry room and Amelia and him spent a least 20 minutes passing each other toy tools and banging on the dryer. It even got a (pretend) red paint job. And all this hard work cost me one dollar. "Everything I do costs one dollar, and I have a store and everything costs a dollar"... sounds like a future dollar store entrepreneur!