Nov 28, 2006

Sam sick last week.......







The top two pictures show sam sick last week and the bottom two show him when he was improving!

Christmas Craft afternoon






The children (and me - didn't know Laurie was taking that one lol) at the Christmas Craft Workshop on Saturday.....one of the pictures shows Susie winning the door prize too......

Field trip

Yesterday was the field trip I had planned for the local homeschoolers......to the museum. The roads were so nasty I was worried about driving into town but I took it slowly and took the Range roads instead of highways......the junctions were so slippery though because of the amount of snow......

Some of us met at McDonalds first for lunch...it was crowded there though.......then we headed to the museum. It was such a great afternoon....first of all we all sat in the Village Square while Starr (the museum manager) gave us a talk about the history of the museum...

Actually, she started off by telling how wonderful Chris is...what a great volunteer and how she didn't know children like him still existed....so polite and helpful and friendly! She said he was a credit to homeschoolers and before Chris she had not met any homeschoolers and didn't know much about homeschooling, but thanks to Chris she now sees how wonderful homeschooling can be! And she wants to encourage more homeschoolers to volunteer at the museum and use the museum for field trips because of the type of children homeschoolers are!!!!

So after a talk then we did a rain dance that went along with a First Nations tale about a frog! That was fun! We then split into groups and each group got to spend ten minutes or so in each part of the village.

We started off in the old school room....WOW is the bell ever loud! It would sound out across the farmland when the children were walking or riding horses to school. We got to write on the old slates with slate pencils (NOT easy!!)

We tried on the old fashioned softball mitt and goalkeepers padding and we felt the strap for naughty children ;) and we learnt about the red cross checklist for pioneer school children......whether they had brushed their teeth, drunk milk, had a weekly bath, used a handkerchief etc etc.......

We then moved into the old Church and the Barber shop.......Susannah sat in the chair with her head in the old hair dryer.....we learnt that the Barber would also pull teeth!!! :) I also learnt that my children didn't know what an ash tray was!! Isn't that great???? :)

After that was the Pioneers kitchen.......we learnt how to light the stove and the morning routine........imagine having no heating except in the kitchen on a day like today!!!! The children would fetch water from the well..........and all that before breakfast on a cold day like today! We saw the 100 year old ice cream scoop! the tiny fridge box (no room for cookie dough!!!)

After that was the First Nations room...the teepee where we got to play with all kinds of toys, held a piece ofMammoth tusk found by the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton (wow imagine those walking around here!!!) and we got to try various tools they would have used for skinning animals, grinding berries etc etc we got to play on a drum made from hide too and learnt that you can embroider with colourfully dyed porcupine quills!

Next was the blacksmiths shed with all the tools, we learnt about the machine that makes rope, how to shoe a horse and all about wooden cart wheels................then the farmers barn where Susannah tried milking a cow and we learnt about old farming techniques in the area........then on to the animals of Alberta, the fossil room where they all got to hold the dinosaur bone..........then the old firestation and police cells!!! Then we headed to the general store which is actually a real store from the early days of Sherwood Park...the children got to play with some old toys, use the cash regsiter, try on some hats etc and look at how different the old packaging was.........it was great that so much of it all was 'hands on'!!!

After that we all met up again in the village square where we listened to the gramaphone and learnt a song about being a bum!!!!! :) I'm a bum, thank goodness I'm a bum, give me a hand out to help me along'.......................

Then it was free time to look around th emuseum so we headed to the Remembrance Day dispplay to see the collectiuon of dioramas they have there....a local man has been making them since he was 8 and he is now 57!!! They were amazing....so real!!! I'm glad we saw them before the display ends!

The roads on the way home were nasty and we skidded a few times but were ok.....I was glad to get home and to get Lloyd home too!

The children wantt o make dioramas this afternoon..........and Abigail wants to make one of the First Nations toys we played with yesterday!

The weekend

This last weekend was mainly spent curled up with Sam still sick...but Lloyd and I did get out for a while and got caught up with some Christmas shopping.......

LUCKILY, the Christmas craft workshop from the week before was postponed until this last weekend, which meant I was able to take the children to it after all!! We had so much fun. Abigail and Susannah both won door prizes!!!! We made so many crafts.....I loved the little snowmen we made especially....but we also made wreaths, traditional Dutch crafts, festive notebooks........and the homemade cookies provided were delicious :)

As a family we also curled up and watched some movies....The Polar Express and Nanny McPhee.......What a FAB movie Nanny McPhee is!!!!! Wow!!!! I LOVED it! Just brilliant and yes I bawled my eyes out to it.......Lloyd and I also wtached The Lake House again...Lloyds new favourite movie I think as he put it on again last night :)

Sunday was Lloyds Dads birthday - Happy Birthday Chris! So Lloyd and the children phoned to say Happy Birthday. They are coming to visit in about 3 weeks time! My Mum phoned too - she was watching the Abba reunion on tv and had just come back from my Nephews Christmas school Fair. My Nephew is 5....Santa gave him a dinosaur egg :)

I am happy that we have got a lot of the Christmas shopping done now...I also bought my Christmas cards and sat and wrote them on Saturday.

Lloyd started putting up the crown moulding in the sitting room...it looks great :)

Not posting

I haven't posted in a while. I haven't been motivated or interested to be on the computer much or to blog.

Its very cold here right now....this morning is -28c.......but the windchill is at times -40c (windchill is the temperature it actual feels like) and this means 10 minutes and you can get frostbite.......it means no playing outside...it means your nostrils freeze as soon as you step outside...which actually feels as though you have lots of bogies/ boogers in your nose...it's a weird feeling!

The poor dogs are fed up because they can't go outside and play for long. And I haven't taken them for a walk since last week.

We normally get this weather for a couple of weeks at the end of January.......NOT November!
It hasn't been this cold in November for 10 years here.

Anyway....I will try and add a few posts but mainly because I have had so many emails and PM's from people saying they miss my blog! I was going to stop blogging but we will see how it goes and how much time I have......

It's Tuesday.....the roads were so nasty yesterday that I am staying home - which is good because Lloyd took my truck keys to work with him by accident lol - and he also has my purse in his car so I guess I can't go anywhere anyway ;)

Nov 18, 2006

Sunset time again...........









Last nights sunset for you!!

Nov 17, 2006

Thank *&$@# its Friday!!!

Its Friday...and although I have a busy weekend, I am glad the weekend is almost here......I have a photo shoot this afternoon and then three this weekend......we are going to a Christmas ornament making workshop tomorrow afternoon......I then have to edit all the pictures from the shoots and get them onto CD for Monday/ Tuesday.........

Chris annoyed me this morning. He said its Rock and Ride night and that a week ago he invited his girlfriend to go again and said Lloyd would take and pick up.....

Last month the agreement was that we would do one way and this girls family would do the other....as Lloyd did both ways last month.....but also Chris didn't even mention that it was this week...so he tells me this morning...I ask if Dad knows and he says 'I think so'........well NO he doesn't know!!! Lloyd didn't sleep well last night either so does not want to be driving at midnight tonight so we have said he can only go if this girls family can pick up afterwards......I can't see that happening somehow!

What have we been up to this morning? I have cleaned the bathrooms, vacuumed the entire house and washed all the floors....Chris dusted........Susie cleaned baseboards and the bannisters, Laurie fed the animals and watched Sam while we cleaned.....Abby is in bed not feeling well (grooooooan)

Now the boys are busy doing something in the basement......Susie is reading stories to Abby and Sam on my bed and I am taking a break to have some breakfast before moving on to the next chore......

I need to charge up my batteries for my camera.....I need to wipe clean the memory cards and check my lighting for this afternoon...I also need to go out and clean up after the dogs before the clients arrive.......

I am having a snow fun playdate on Monday - lots of people coming to sled, play and have lunch...BUT now they forecast warm weather until Monday so we might just have a slushy mess :( so I may have to postpone!!

We didn't get to watch Click last night as we sat and watched 'Last Holiday' instead...which I really enjoyed...its a really simple fun movie...you don't have to concentrate much and it was quite sweet :)

Nov 16, 2006

stuff about me

RED

1. Closest red thing to you: poppy from Remembrance day
2. Last thing to make you angry: stupid payphone at Glen Allen Rec
3. Do you have a temper: yes!
4. Are you a fan of romance: yes

ORANGE

1. Closest orange thing to you: rechargeable sony battery
2. Do you like to burn things:
no3. Dress up for Halloween: no
4. Are you usually a warm-hearted person: yes
5. Do you have anything against redheaded people: yes - something from my past lol
6. Are you usually full of energy: some days I am, some days I'm not....

YELLOW

1.Closet yellow thing: duplo brick
2. The happiest time[s] of your life: the whole of 2005
3. Favorite holiday: Christmas
4. Are you a coward: no
5. Do you burn or tan: both

GREEN

1. Closest green thing to you?: duplo block
2. Do you care about the environment: YES
3. Are you jealous of anyone right now: no
4. Are you a lucky person: yes and constantly grateful for that.
5. Do you always want what you cant have: no
6. Do you like being outdoors: yes
7. Are you Irish: not at all but I've been to Ireland!

BLUE

1. Closest blue thing to you : pen
2. Are you good at calming people down: yes
3. Do you like the sea: yes - I miss it terribly - can't wait until January!!
4. What was the last thing that made you cry: The Lake House
5. Are you a logical thinker: no not really - I lack patience!
6. Can you sleep easily: sometimes

PURPLE

1. Last purple thing you saw: my 12x12 paper holder
2. Like being treated to expensive things: I like being treated to ANYTHING...cost doesn't matter!
3. Do you like mysterious things: yes
4. Favorite type of chocolate: skim
5. Ever met anyone in royalty: yes...well, I've seen them but not been introduced ;)
6. Are you creative: yes

PINK

1. Closest pink thing to you: a file folder
2. Do you like sweet things: yes
3. Like play-fighting:with DH ;)
4. Are you sensitive: sometimes - depends on time of the month
5. Do you like music: yes but I also like peace

WHITE

1. Closest white thing to you: math u see manipulatives
2. Would you say youre innocent: no
3. Good at keeping the peace: sometimes
4. How do you imagine your wedding: vegas with DH probably ;)
5. Do you like to play in the snow: yes
6. Are you afraid of going to the doctors or dentist: DENTIST...not Doc

BLACK

1. Closest black thing to you: keyboard
2. Ever enjoy hurting people: NO
3. Are you sophisticated or silly: neither
4. Would you like to go to space: yes - would love to see Earth from up there!
5. Do you have a lot of secrets: no
6. What is your favorite color: turquoise
7. Does the color you wear affect your mood: no but the clothes I wear do!

Veggies



I love vegetables......ALL vegetables......I was just out in the kitchen chopping veggies with Susannah and I just HAD to take a picture.......aren't the colours of vegetables so bright and vibrant and gorgeous? How can anyone think vegetables are boring and dull or horrid???
So anyway here are my veggies from tonights dinner...ready to go into the rice when its almost ready.................We are having my special savoury brown rice with the garlic veggie balls from Costco!!! Yum!!!! We cook the veggieballs in a sweet and sour sauce.....
The vegetables on tonights menu are broccoli, carrots, yellow and orange peppers and grape tomato's..................I may get some corn out too............
I love the smell of brown rice cooking.................mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
So what vegetables are on the menu for you tonight???????

my new friend.....


He looked so cold out there on his own....and if we can have a pig in the house then we can piggin well have a snowman too! He can just cuddle up with Ken and I tonight and watch tv :)

mmmmmmmm


Mmmm nothing like a hot cup of INSTANT coffee to warm you on a winters afternoon....
..........is there Rod???????????????

the raisin hunt

I know its in here somewhere............Lloyd dropped a raisin in here and I'm hungry and my cupboards are bare...................



Yikes!!


If thats how big the batteries how #*%$# big is the vibrator??????

sleepyhead

I am so sleepy!!! Someone slap me!!!! I know its because of lack of sleep last night but I still feel as though its been a waste of a day. I can't wait for Lloyd to come home.......

On the subject of husbands....sometimes I can't believe the things people post on websites about their husbands......the personal things!!!! Yesterday my chin hit the floor when I read a certain post.......I told Lloyd about it last night and he couldn't quite believe someone would post that either!!!!

Chris finishes work soon and then Lloyd will be picking him up and coming home.......

I soaked in the bath for a while earlier.........Laurie and Susie watched Click but are not allowed to tell me anything about it....Lloyd and I are watching it tonight! They did say it was funny and sad though!

I have a photo shoot tomorrow...the client coming sounds so excited which is lovely!

I work well and am motivated when I am under pressure from a deadline....the house is a total tip right now, but tomorrow morning I will clean it from top to bottom because I HAVE to :)

This week has been a bit of a flop 'schoolwork' wise.....and now nothing will be done until Wednesday next week...we really do need to DO something!!! But there just always seems to be more insteresting fun stuff to do.......or days like today when we accomplish NOTHING.......

I am feeling blah right now.....this week has been very blah.......hmmm Susan are the blahs catching????????

Pella windows

Someone (was it Kathy??????) asked about Pella windows.....Pella are the company we are going with for our new windows...we have looked at many different companies but we love the quality and workmanship that comes with Pella windows...

http://www.pella.com/products/windows_patiodoors/Detail.asppath=/products/windows/doublehung/designer

This (above link) is the style we are having throughout the house...

http://www.pella.com/products/windows_patiodoors/BowBayDetail.asp?path=/products/windows/bow

This (above) is the bay window which will have a deep window seat and will overlook the pond/ sledding hill.

Not sure about the bathroom window but it will be large and level with the top of the bath so you can soak in the bath and look out of the window!

I like that Pella does the retractable insect screens.....and I love their between the glass window 'fashions'.....we will need that on certain windows because the sun hits certain places during the day......

Anyway the website tells you all about their windows, how they are made etc etc.......

Our windows right now are really ugly and VERY draughty..they are the original ones from when the house was built and desperately need replacing........as does the furnace.....kitchen....bathrooms.....

Lloyd jokes that this place should be named the 'money pit'....... ;)
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