Apr 30, 2009

End of year Facilitator meeting

Yesterday we had our end-of-year meeting with Abigails homeschool facilitator. It went really well and I am really pleased with our school board. I have to say our Facilitator is the best one we have EVER had!! She just put me completely at ease, was so relaxed about everything.....so easy-going. Telling me that she doesn't expect any child to be at a certain grade level at any age and she just expects them to be going at their own pace - so long as they are progressing in the right direction...

She told me not to push writing (which is COMPLETELY the opposite of her teacher at school and is EXACTLY what I NEEDED to hear and is absolutely just the best news EVER)!!

...trust me as a homeschooler meeting a new facilitator you just NEVER know what to expect and you don't know what they will expect or how 'schooly' they will be or anything...

She told me she thought I'd done an amazing job of homeschooling through renovations and doing so many activities and crafts in my bedroom with no kitchen or place for studying or crafts etc....that changing our original education plan was completely fine and we had done plenty!!!

It went fine - we are all set to finish the year NOW if we want :) Yep - school is DONE :)

Or we can continue the year until school is out......

Or we can school all year round....

But like I said to her, the kitchen has been out of use for so long, I am just excited to be able to use it at last, for science experiments, crafts, baking, writing, painting etc etc etc......so I just plan to do all kinds of things with the kids there and less 'book work' anyway!!!

We will be outside so much more now the weather is better and many more field trips so there would be less book work anyway and now the pressure is off to do less writing I am much happier. We read more in Summer as we all take part in reading programs at the library.

I don't think 'homeschooling' ever stops :)

I'm looking in to horseriding lessons. I want to get easels for painting so we can go and paint around the acreage and out by the lakes etc around here.

I registered Abigail for next year, so thats done! Funding will be $715. I have no clue how to spend it! I've spent a little already but not much! I'll take Abby to Education Station and Michaels and go crazy :)

Art Classes...

Abigail started art classes last week and has been enjoying them very much. The first class was on 'acrylics' and they painted a colour wheel and then had time to free paint on a canvas. thery also learned about a Russian artist. After the class we went to Michaels and she selected the materials she had used in the class and we are going to spend time working on more acrylic paintings.

This weeks class was on drawing with charcoals. They studied Picasso amongst other artists....then they studied portraits and learned how to drawer a face. They drew a self portrait and then had some time to do a free drawing - Abigail did a horse.

I will take some pictures of her work later and add them! She is loving the classes and I will definitely be signing her up for more!! the teachers are wonderful and Abigail loves being at Smeltzer House surrounded by all that history!

While she is at the class I go for coffee with my friend Jennifer, who is involved with organizing SHINE. I'm planning to join SHINE this year and go along to some of their field trips, workshops and park days. I think Abigail needs this and I need the push! Jennifers pretty good at encouraging me to do more and Abigail loves her children :)

Stable....



So this is what I wanted to buy....a stable block.....it would be ideal...nice and small..big enough for three small horses...ideal for the front paddock.

Sadly they were sold on the first day - for $20,000 each!!!!! I actually think thats a LOT for an auction! You then have to pay to have them moved and then for the concrete foundation and they aren't made THAT well!! So now we have a picture of them we'll just get Denis and Tim to make us some!!!

But we got talking to the lady behind the counter and she breeds horses and she's invited us out to her farm as she knows someone who has some horses that might be suitable for us - broken horses suitable for the children to ride....

Susannah and Laurence can ride, so I'm going to set Abigail and myself up with lessons in the next few weeks and we're going out to this lady's farm to see the horses.

Canada's Largest Auction...




Last night was date night...we went to Moxies for dinner down at South Ed Common. The food was really nice and great service - we got there early and there was no line up - I think everyone else had gone to Milestones for their 'date night' special (you order and your date gets theirs free) as they had people lining up out the door even at 5:30pm!!!

After dinner we drove down to Nisku to the Ritchie Bros auction house to see the huge auction there - Lloyd had registered a few days ago as he was interested in the prices of the track hoes...he knows he will need one eventually so he was interested to know what they will go for at the auction. I knew there were cars, golf carts and diggers, helicopters etc there but I had no idea there would be log cabins and stables there! It was really interesting to walk around and see everything! I really had a great time and we had so much fun! We went in the auction rooms and listened to the auctions taking place - they were selling lots of wood at the time for $900 a lot - there were people online in Saskatchewan going up against people in the room....really interesting to watch! Very fast!

It was a fun date night and just what I needed after a day of facilitator meetings and worrying about Val and her family!!! (sorry Val lol)

Saying goodbye

I can relax a little now I've heard from Val :)

It's been a very difficult few days for her family - and I know it will continue to be difficult for them as they have said goodbye to their youngest little foster child - he has moved on to a new home after 2 and a half years. I have only ever know them with him so it was very hard to say goodbye for us too. Abigail and I spent Tuesday afternoon with Val and 'Z' at Kidz Quarterz. I'm very glad that I had to rush off at the end for Sam because a slow goodbye would have made it even more difficult!

Anyway - I spent all day yesterday thinking about Val and her family and wondering how they were doing. I know Tuesday night was very difficult for them, but I believe yesterday went smoothly (as difficult as it was). So many things will remind me of Z around here.....Sams little car on the deck....my bowl of Christmas tree baubles (I forget what you call them)....even the birds arriving back in the Spring will always remind me of him now I think :)

On a brighter note, this weekend Vals Grandson arrives for a few weeks with Grandma and Grandpa (Grandad??) and I know Val is looking forward to THAT distraction ;)

I wish the little guy all the VERY best for his future and I really hope he is in his forever home very VERY soon. I think he was very lucky to have 2 and a half years with a wonderful loving family.
X

Apr 26, 2009

Can you spot me with Susie in the pool?????


Just little dots almost BUT......I have my arms outstretched......waving at Lloyd and the iphone!!!!!

Bungeeeeeeeeee!!!!!



Every so often thy stop the waves and everyone turns to watch someone bungee jump off the platform above!!!!!! Fool!!!! hahahaha!!!!

Fun at the Waterpark.....






Today we went to the Waterpark - it was for a fundraiser for CAZA - Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums. We got 12 tickets and took a friend of Laurences and 4 friends of Chris's.....because there were so many of us we rented a Cabana so we could all keep our bags and clothes in there and have the bathroom close by and some chairs and a table etc etc.....We were there by 9am and had a great morning in the pool. We had exclusive use of the pool until 11 or 11:30 or so and then it was opened to the public.

Lloyd and I got out with the little ones around mid day but left the older ones in the pool. We went to Boston Pizza for lunch. Laurie and his friend met us around 2pm but Chris ended up staying at the mall and in the waterpark for the afternoon and is getting a ride home later.

Oh and NO sniggering at me in my bathing suit ;)

This was my first time at the waterpark!!!! Have to say I had a great time!!! I've been to better ones though!!! The water palace in Croydon was better - and the big one near Birmingham........forget the name lol.......but I love swimming and pools and waves and water....so it was great!!!! Lloyd pushed me down a slide and I went sooooo fast OMG!!!! And Laurie went down the red slides a few times!!!! No way was I going down that!!!!! lol!!!!

Apr 25, 2009

Paper bag mini album....








This is (a selection of pages from) the mini album that I made at Stacey's Stampin Up party last night - Tess and Cathy taught the workshop (wonderfully!) and it was sooooooo much fun. I loved the kit that Tess gave us, as it was so bright and cheery and full of Spring colours!!! Basically we were given the basics of the bags and the kit, and shown how to put the basic mini album together ina variety of ways (with ribbons or with rings) and then we were left to our own devices with all of Tess's amazing tools!!! We had several hours to PLAY!!!! We could be as creative as we liked and do whatever we liked so all of our albums turned out differently.......there were punches, die cutting machines, all kinds or tools and gadgets and gizmos to use and try out!!!

I finished off my album today at home and I think I might use mine for Easter pictures!!! :)

Earth Day atc's...


atc's for an earth day swap...using recycled items and including a fact about myself saying one thing that I do for the environment - I mentioned that I am a beekeeper!!

Birthday card....


Here is the birthday card I made for Stacey yesterday.......

Apr 24, 2009

Play Doh Creations!!!!!




Sam adores playing with his playdoh!!! Here are a couple of his creations form today! Sponge Bob Square Pants, and a snake with googly Eyes!!!! :) Oh and he also wrote out his name which I thought was fab - but I didn't take a picture of that! He shaped each letter of Sam!!! :) Abigail was very impressed :)

My week....

Sunday - We headed to South Edmonton Common to kit the kids out in new clothes and shoes for Spring and Summer. I even found myself a cute tshirt for Earth Day ;) The shopping was exhausting but fun! The kids loved it though! We had lunch out and then headed home. I took Chris to the golf course for his orientation session - he starts officially next week and thinks he's going to love it there :) Lloyd spent the afternoon emptying the basement ready for the work to start down there this week. Susannahs friend Madison came over to play. (Madison just moved here and has moved to a house close to our mail box which is really handy as its close enough that Susannah and her can play together regularly) Lloyd got a fire going and the kids made Smores. Lloyd and I had jacket potatoes on the fire for a late supper but the kids didn't want a supper after their lunch out and were happy with sandwiches and smores!

Monday - Abby, Sam and I had lunch out on the deck on Monday which was really nice - it's lovely and sheltered out there so that even when it's windy it is nice and warm and sunny. We can sit and talk and eat our lunch. Val Emailed that she had had some bad news, so I gave her a call and told her to come over for coffee (and some distraction and chat)!! We spent the afternoon outside on the deck and out by the sandbox while the kids played with the rocket launcher and in the sand, and then we took a walk round the back field and through the woods. The weather was warm except for the wind which was cold. I caught the sun - too much on my face - which is worrying me a bit. I seem to be catching the sun too fast already this year and my face is tanning waaaaay too fast! (The only part of me on show so far this year really - apart from a couple of days when I've worn a tshirt and then I end up with tshirt lines fast). So Lloyd is trying to find out if it's my drugs and the high dose I'm on. Whether they make you photosensitive and more likely to burn. Monday night Lloyd and I had to go to Home Depot and so we went to Starbucks too for a yummy London Fog and drove home the scenic route and stopped off to see a really old car thats for sale. It's beautiful on the outside but turns out the inside is just nasty......what a shame!Oh and I had made these special orange juice lollies in the holders Samantha gave me last year which have straws on them where you get to suck the melted juice at the bottom - they were a big hit!!

Tuesday - I took Abigail swimming while Sam was at PreK. She is practicing her swimming on her back and floating on her back. The weather was GORGEOUS 21c. After swimming and when we got home, the girls cycled to the mailbox together. Sam and I walked down to the pond together and sat there and watched the frogs swimming across the pond and jumping about and making circles and listened to them get quiet and then noisier and noisier....Sam got REALLY good at spotting them! This weekend we will get new nets so that we can go pond dipping again. Dollar store nets tend to only last one summer around here ;) Tuesday evening we were just outside because it was such a lovely evening - hard to believe the weather was going to change!!

Wednesday - Earth Day!!! I took 26 Juice Boxes to school for Laurence as it was our juice day at drama club and didn't remember until I woke up and Laurie had forgotten too! He remembered mid morning too lol but by that time I had already dropped them at reception ;) Then I took Sam and Abby to Save On Foods with their own Reusable bags including Sams from his book 'Me and My Bag' which Abigail continued to read again and again in the car on the way there......We tried to buy Earth Friendly items there but that didn't prove easy as I said they could choose something for lunch and sadly everything they wanted didn't come in earth friendly packaging (sigh)........BUT it was recyclable thanks to Strathcona County's wonderful recycling program so thats good I guess! We did ONLY buy what could fit into our bags or could be carried!! We came home and all that days 'schoolwork' was Earth Day based. In the afternoon we had some fun playing with some messy crafts though by building a volcano and erupting it with baking soda!! Wooooooooosh! Then Abby and Sam played with cornflour. Those pictures are all on the homeschooling blog if you want to see them! Susannahs friend Cassie came over after school and stayed for dinner. I drove her home around 7:30 and went in to see her new kitten 'Abby'. Very cute!

Thursday - Abigail started art classes at a local community centre. They are homeschoolers classes and she loved it! The first class was on 'acrylics' and they painted a colour wheel before painting a canvas. Each class lasts an hour and a half. While she was in the class I went to McDonalds with my friend Jennifer and her little boy. Abigail is going to teach Sam and I what she learned in the class, so we bought the materials yesterday. After her class we drove to Millennium Place and had lunch, then took Sam to PreK, but he knew we were going out for coffee and cake so he started crying (he's never done that before) and it was awful. He clung to me and in the end we decided that the teacher would take him and snuggle with him and if he was still upset she would call me but of course he was fine very quickly! He LOVES school and has never been upset before! It was just because he knew we were going out!! Abby and I went to Second Cup on Baseline and met Rhonda for tea and cake! We sat and chatted for ages....I got told I was as bad as her husband for not noticing her new glasses, hair colour and cut ;) Sorry Rhonda lol!! Ran in to Michaels for a few things...back to MP for Sam who was back to his happy self - gave him his turtle cookie :) Headed home......date night with Lloyd Joeys was busy, Boston Pizza was busy grrrr We normally go out on Wednesdays which is quiet AND we normally go early but the workmen left late so we had to leave later.....we ended up going to Kelseys but got a table straight away and the food was served fairly quickly and was fine so all was good! Popped into the scrapbook store (as it was soooo convenient hahahahaha - then ran to Winners and got myself a new swimsuit for Sunday. Finally went home where I decluttered the linen cupboard.

Friday - my plans so far are: lazy-ish day at home followed by Staceys party tonight!!!!! Susannah has a party tonight that she is going to straight from school. Hers is a camp out/ survivor party!!! Have to say I am VERY glad that Staceys party is NOT a campout/ survivor party hahahahaha :)

New rink design....





Yesterday while we took Sam to PreK we stopped to watch what looked to be a group of students painting designs on the floor of the nursery rink at Millennium Place. It has been closed for maintenance and trade show for the last month. It was interesting to see it without ice and see them painting the the floor. Then after PreK they had finished painting and we saw them taking pictures of the 'students' (I'm assuming here) and they were starting to spray thin layers of water on top of the paintings and allowing it to slowly freeze! It was cool to see how an ice rink is built up slowly in layers!

The new design is of a race track with racing cars :) Sam and Abby are excited to go there and have a go at racing each other!!!

Apr 22, 2009

Picture fun!



Solids and liquids..



Playing with cornstarch and water...first with very little water then slowly we added more and more water.....

Volcano....



A mini volcano we created :)

Happy Earth Day 2009....


I hope that however you spent today, you spent a little time thinking of our Mother Earth, your footprint on this beautiful planet of ours and how you can reduce that footprint - even if, like in the story below, that reduction is just in a small way....

A story for Earth Day.....

The little boy walked dejectedly down the cracked sidewalk. His backpack was heavy and his feet were slow. He stayed to his path, pausing every now and then only to pick out a new can or wad of paper to kick as he went along his way. His heart felt as heavy as his backpack as he opened the door to his house and went inside.

His mother was in the kitchen, taking brownies out of the oven. She smiled as she turned around but stopped when she saw his face. "Tyler, what happened? Is everything okay?" "Nothing is okay, mom. Nothing will ever be okay again." He stood in the middle of the kitchen as his mother came over to the kitchen table. "Sounds like you had a rough day, Tyler. Is there anything I can do to help?" "That's just the thing, Mom. We can't help. There's nothing we can do." He sat down at the table and put his head in his hands. His mother sat down and waited a moment until Tyler began to speak again.

"Today, in science, the teacher was talking about Earth Day and the environment. Earth Day is supposed to be a day when every person promises to do something to help take care of our world. Mrs. Green was telling us how many companies are not careful about how they get rid of their industrial waste. She said that our world is getting dirtier and that many animals and plants are dying. She wants us to think of something we can do to help and I thought all the way home and there is nothing I can do. I can't stop the companies from polluting our air and water and I can't save all of the animals! There is not anything that I can do to make a difference."

His mother sat for a minute, thinking. "You sound like this really concerns you and that you have put a lot of thought into it, Tyler." Tyler nodded. "Let me tell you a story that your grandfather told me. I don't know where he heard it, but I think that it might help you think about your problem in a different way." She began, "one morning a man was walking down a beach that was covered in dying starfish. The tide the night before had been especially strong and thousands of starfish had been washed up on shore, too far up for them to make it back into the water by themselves. The man shook his head as he trudged along thinking what a shame it was that all of those starfish would die on the beach.

He came upon a boy who was throwing starfish back into the ocean as fast as he could. He was out of breath and it was obvious that he had been at this task for a while. "Son," the man said, "you might as well quit. There are thousands of them. They are washed up all over the beach as far as you can see. There is no way you can make any sort of a difference." The boy did not even pause in what he was doing. He kept bending and throwing but as he did, he spoke to the man, "I can make a difference to this one, and this one, and this one." And the man thought, and he knew the boy was right. He began to help return the animals to their home, smiling at how life's biggest lessons sometimes came from the smallest people."

Tyler stared intently at his mother. "But he did make a difference, didn't he? To every starfish that he threw back in?" His mother nodded, smiling. He sat for a moment, thinking about what his mother had said. "So, what it means is that even though I can't change everything, I can make a big difference by doing the little things that matter?" "That," she said, sliding him the plate of brownies, "is exactly what I am saying." Tyler grinned and took a brownie from the plate. "That gives me an idea." His mother smiled even bigger and said, "I kind of thought that it might."

The next morning on the way to school, his feet hardly touched the ground. He told his teacher the story of the starfish and his idea. Mrs. Green thought it was a great idea, and decided to let Tyler share the story and his idea with the class. Everyone got to work immediately, cutting out the large green leaves.

On Earth Day, there was an assembly and everyone in the community was invited. Many of those gathered were startled to see the large brown tree trunk affixed to the auditorium wall. They sat, puzzled, and waited for the program to begin. A boy, dressed up to look like a man, walked across a stage filled with starfish. The play went on as Tyler and his class told the story taking place. When it was over the audience applauded as Tyler stood at the podium.

"We were all thinking, and it was frustrating because we didn't think that we could do anything. The problems seemed too big for us to do anything about them. But we decided that together, even the little things we do could add up to mean a lot to our world." The kids began passing out the green leaves and pens to the audience. "We want every person to think of one thing they can do that could make a difference to our world. Even if it seems like something small, it will matter."

The audience began writing, and soon the tree was covered with the green leaves. Tyler and his class read many of them as they attached them to the tree. "I will walk to work." "I will use both sides of my paper to save trees." "I will have my pet neutered so there won't be any puppies born that won't have a home." "I will plant a tree every year." "I will start recycling my newspapers." Tyler thought, and bent to write his promise on the leaf. Soon, the tree was beautiful and green and covered with the Earth Day promises. People were laughing and talking as they left, thinking of what they had promised to do.

When the dismissal bell rang, Tyler got his backpack and began the short walk home. As he reached the sidewalk, he pulled an old grocery bag from his backpack. He began picking up the trash as he made his way home, instead of kicking it . He smiled all the way, thinking of the difference they would make.

Apr 18, 2009

Free at last!!!!!


Today we moved the bees out of their winter home in the workshop and let them out for their first flight since early November!!!! It was wonderful to see them flying at last, to be able to have a good look in the hive and check on them...and to be able to see how much honey and pollen stores they have left. I will be updating the bee blog in the next day or but thought I'd do a quick post here now!

Apr 17, 2009

Yes!!!

Chris is going to make a documentary on the Gender Reassignment surgery and the fact that the Alberta Government has removed funding for it!!! He has joined the Facebook group and asked people on there to chat with him about their thoughts and experiences and if they'd be willing t be interviewed.

I hope he does a good job. I'm going to suggest he contacts his Dad (a psychotherapist) for this thoughts on how being unable to have the surgery could affect someone too!

3d shapes....



Today was a lovely lazy morning....we sat on the bed and homeschooled from bed :) We studied 3 dimensional shapes and learned all about cubes, cones, prisms and pyramids!!!

It was wonderful to hear Abigail and Sam thinking of how these simple coloured shapes relate to the real world!!! I would ask them to think of where they could find rectangular prisms in the real world and they would think of things like 'the buildings where Daddy works' and 'long trucks'.......and for cones of course 'ice cream cones', 'party hats', 'carrots'.......and so on......

Sam spent ages afterwards building castles with the shapes and when Lloyd came home form work Abigail got the shapes out and showed them to Lloyd, remembering all the different names (thankfully YAY)!!!

Mr and Mrs quiz....

Print off two copies of this page. You can play this with your partner, who should fill in his/her page before you compare notes against what you have put. Or you can arrange to ask the questions at a party in front of everyone......

1. Where was your partner born?
2. What colour are his/her eyes?
3. Is your partner a tidy person?
4. Does he/she like cooking?
5. Does he/she like sport?
6. What is their favourite TV programme?
7. What was your partner's first job?
8. How much does your partner earn now?
9. What newspaper does he/she read?
10. What is his/her favourite place?
11. What will your partner avoid like the plague?
12. Did he/she have a happy childhood?
13. How many children does he/she want?
14. Does your partner like children?
15. How does your partner vote?
16. What would your partner grab in a fire? (apart from you!)
17. What time of day is your partner at his/her best?
18. How does he/she like to rest?
19. What is your partner's greatest fear?
20. What do you wish you knew about your partner?
21. What is your partner's best feature?
22. If your partner could be anyone famous, who would they be?
23. What is your partner's speciality in the kitchen?
24. Where would your partner most like to go in the world?
25. What's the most embarrassing thing your partner has ever done?

Summer camp!

We got Laurie and Susie in to the weeks they wanted at Summer camp this year :) We finally got confirmation - yay! :) We kind of assumed we would get the weeks we wanted but you're never sure right? But yesterday we got the letters confirming it!!! Woohoo! So now we just have to wait to hear if Chris is off to his film camp or not (he's undecided still) and then we can decide what we're doing for our trip and when....

Susie and Laurie are thrilled to be off to camp again though - Susie is doing the same horse riding/ kayaking/ zip line/ typical 'Summer camp' as last year with a different theme, but laurence is doing a teen camp on a different week and instead of horse riding it has a 'get a grip' edge to it and is all to do with climbing and zip-lining ;)

A message to my Son....

I am very frustrated and angry about what the Provincial government have done regarding removing funding for gender reassignment surgery. I totally understand about the chiro being removed - $53 million is a lot of money to save. $700,000 however is PEANUTS to the Provincial government. I know this - I have insight into the health and Wellness side of things including funding and where that money goes. I know a little about budgets. $700,000 is pocket money! This decision is ridiculous and in my opinion TOTALLY discriminatory and pointless.

They have picked a minority group that most people know nothing about and care little for and a subject most people are ignorant about. For most people this subject is something to laugh about.....or something to do with perverts or always homosexuality or some weird or strange sexual oddity. How sad.

But imagine spending your whole life feeing like you were born in the wrong body - the wrong sexual body. If only you could afford to have the operation to change it.......

Why should that option only be there for those who can afford it?

Why should everyone else be destined to suffer from depression, suicidal thoughts...in fact often costing our health service even MORE through mental health services than they would if they HAD the reassignment surgery!!!!!!

I've been talking to my oldest Son Chris about his thoughts on this subject and what his friends (Generation We) think about it all - trying to get them to join the Facebook group supporting changing the governments decision etc. Sadly he was quite unresponsive to my anger at the government - I wish he was more passionate!! He is film maker and I was hoping he could use this topic to make a film or DO something! Sometimes I think he doesn't realise the power he holds in his hands when he holds his camera!!!!

I left this on Chris's Facebook page today.....I know he will delete it later....but I tried....again.......

http://sherwoodparknews.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1521488
See - now they have cut this, people with GID will have more mental health disorders, may become depressed, suicidal and may end up causing the health service MORE. $700,000 is PEANUTS to the Provincial Gov. compared to the $53 million they are saving from cutting chiro. I think it's extremely discriminatory and your generation should not be allowing this to happen (remember Generation WE).

This isn't an issue to laugh at :( This is peoples lives. As a film maker you have POWER!!!!! Use it!!! Be the POWER!!

Apr 16, 2009

Relaxing in the sun!


After grocery shopping this evening, Lloyd and I drove home via the range roads again and took one of our favourite routes along a road that is edged on both sides by large ponds/ marshes and bullrushes. In amongst the marshes, on the drier area, Lloyd spotted something and stopped the car, reversed and told me to grab my iphone!!! He had spotted two moose lying down and relaxing in the sunshine! They were too far away to get a good picture and this was the only camera I had. I didn't want to get out of the car as I didn't want to disturb them - they looked so relaxed out there in the evening sun!

I hope you can make them out in the distance - two dark blobs lol! We haven't seen any moose on our own land for so long - we think the work on the house has kept them away!

Click on the picture to make it a little bigger.

Apr 15, 2009

Laminating!



Today we have been finishing off some table mats and laminating them using a laminator we bought a couple of weeks ago (thanks Tara). You can read more about this laminator and how we got it, on the homeschool blog (link to the right). The children are really enjoying seeing their projects being laminated and protected!!

Let me know if you need an invite to the homeschool blog - it is updated regularly despite what it says to the right!!

Crackled paint!


This ATC is just one I made to play around with the Tim Holtz Distress crackled paint I bought last week - have to say I am LOVING it!!!! It is soooooo easy to use and the effect is so great :) It's a one step crackle paint and dries really fast! You can even use your heat gun to make it dry even faster! LOVE it!!!! You can ink over it, wipe over it and then stamp on it too! SIMPLE!!!! :)

Anglophile ATC's


These are two atcs I've created for an Anglophile swap I'm taking part in - the ATC's are just a part of this swap though.....I plan to send special extras with my swaps as the person I am sending to LOVES anything to do with England :)

Bunny pot....



This is the little Avon rabbit pot that that I found at the thrift store last week. It's a 1983 Avon pot. I paid $3. for it. I thought it was gorgeous and have it on my scrapbooking shelf in my bedroom at the moment where it is safe. I just think the rabbit is so sweet.

In the future it will come out at Easter and go somewhere in the kitchen each year as the green trim matches my kitchen :)

As a collector of old Avon perfume bottles (I have a lot of them stored in England still) I couldn't resist snatching this up!

Abigails home made table mat


Recently Tara mentioned that her Daughter had a small laminating machine that she LOVED, and recommended this machine as a great resource for the home and for childrens crafts and hobbies.....Tara uses one in her daycare setting also with the childrens projects there and I thought this sounded fabulous! I checked out the laminator at Walmart and thought it was a brilliant idea!!! thanks Tara!!!

We finally tried it out yesterday when Abby made a table mat with her favourite theme - horses!!! I think we will be laminating a LOT from now on :) it worked really well :)

Brazilian sweetened condensed milk cake


I baked this last night - a recipe I found on the 'Eat Me delicious' blog. It has a really simple but strange recipe and I thought I'd give it a try as I had the ingredients. Instead of a ring pan I baked it in a loaf pan for 40 minutes (until a skewer came out clean).

I think it's one of those cakes you either LOVE or hate......Sam really wasn't keen but Abigail LOVES it - Lloyd really liked it too!!! Even warm out of the oven and he doesn't normally like them warm....

This cake doesn't have the normal texture of a sponge cake. It's hard to describe! I think it would be nice sliced with tinned fruit though!!! :)

I'm loving baking and cooking in the new kitchen - just a shame I only get to use it at night and that I still don't have counters yet! Can't wait for the work to be finished and to have it to myself ALL DAY and have lovely quartz counters to work on and a huge island :) And to be able to bake with the children each day :) We have so many plans and so many recipes saved that we want to make! So many experiments we want to do too! We even have plans to make paper - there are some fabulous paper making kits at Michaels we want to get that will get us in to paper recycling and we can't really start doing that until the island is done - but Susie and I want to start doing that as soon as the island is done - we were looking at it all last week and choosing the sets we want to get and talking about everything we want to get to get us started.......the frames etc so we can start making sheets of recycled paper and card stock together :)

Anyway, here is the recipe:



1 can (395g) sweetened condensed milk
4 eggs
120 g all purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
50 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF; generously butter a 22cm* (9in) ring cake pan.

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until risen and a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean (about 35 minutes).

Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before unmolding.

This mornings sunrise

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