disappointing evening............

So we decided to go out for date night anyway.......we found out that scholars choice is having a 20% off night in November so we decided not to go there as we need to buy a lot when we go....so we headed to the Olive Garden....NO spaces in the parking lot...not even down by Red Lobster......so we head down to The Keg....................NO spaces in the parking lot.....geez its cold and rainy why the hell is everyone out on a Wednesday night?????????????

So we drive back up to the Olive Garden...wait for a space and go inside to ask how long the wait is....20 minutes for a table but food will take 45 minutes after ordering because the kitchen is short staffed! We don't like to leave the children too long and didn't want to end up rushing our food so we didn't stay...ended up going to Montanas which isn't great food but was quiet and we could go straight in......

So we sat playing hangman on the paper table cloth etc etc and we ordered...the food was ok.....very fast which just shouts to me that its all ready made and not made especially for you.......

It was nice being out with Lloyd but just felt like a flat evening after driving around and trying to find somewhere to eat......we should have just gone in to the Park..................

To top it off, I really wanted a nice dessert but I didn't like any of the ones Montanas did......so we stopped off at Tims on 75th and grabbed a cheesecake to share at home....

Get home and the kids are all still up so by the time the chickens are fed and the children are put to bed...well any romantic thoughts seem to have slipped away lol........

I love date night, love being with Lloyd but tonights just wasn't great :(

Sometimes this Alberta boom really sucks because you want to go out and enjoy the evening but the restaurants just have no staff so everywhere is busy!!!

I think we will have take out at the weekend ;) gotta do something to make up for tonight!!!

Halloween decor...........

Susannah made these room decorations this afternoon...she followed directions from www.enchantedlearning.com and did really well...they look great :) Enchanted Learning is a great site even if you don't homeschool.....lots of crafts, printables....and info on every occasion you can think of...on places, people, animals, events..........

A job for the girls later...............

I think the girls need to work on tidying their room.....which believe it or not, they did yesterday...and it was beautiful...but it doesn't take long before it looks like this again!!! How??????? HOW??????????????????????

growing crystals

Laurence growing his 'magic rocks'............

can you believe.....

Still nothing for DS for his birthday from his Father.................not a card...not an Email....not a letter................not a phone call................

A-hole!!!!!!

Wednesdays busy-ness............

So its been a busy but quiet and constructive day all in all....and its only lunchtime! Lloyd isn't feeling well right now so he went into work later today and had coffee in bed with me before leaving.........of course I kept suggesting (ok NAGGING) that he should stay home and rest with me ;) he just kept laughing and saying it was nice that I didn't want him to go to work but........ ;)

So he left for work just before 9am and I sat in bed reading my Homeschooling Horizons magazine.....FAB magazine!!!! great articles YET again!!! Including one on Leo Gaumont from Education Unlimited!

After I finished reading I got up and decided to head outside for an early morning walk...it was a gorgeous wintery morning out here.......NOW its snowing heavily with big fluffy flakes.....but this morning the sky was that silvery grey and everything was glistening..........

Once we got back from our walk and the girls had had hot chocolate, we started reading Aesops Fables while the girls coloured pictures of the Fables and made 'story spinners'.

Laurence set up an experiement with one of his birthday gifts...growing crystals......Chris continued working on his psychology tests...........

They had lunch.....I haven't yet. Susie printed off some Spanish things from Enchanted Learning....a book about Spanish names for part of a house and a Spanish dictionary.....I printed off a book about Fall for Abby to colour and practice riding Fall words.

Now Sam is sleeping and Laurie and Susie are outside sledding, Chris is curled up in the chair playing Rush Hour...he has been writing my homeschooling magazine as there are interesting articles about homecshooling High school in there and about homeschoolers in the movies....... Abigail has been watching Franklin which made her decide to start a 'club' so she made badges for us all and has built a fort in her room (pics later!) she is now working on her Fall book!

It is date night tonight but we may postpone...it depends on how Lloyd is feeling and on the weather too as the snow is coming down heavy right now......

I wnat to go to Scholars Choice so if we do go out I may suggest that and then dinner at the Olive Garden.....although Lloyd keeps joking that he wants to go back to Alberts for that seniors dinner!

And a year goes by.......................

A year ago today we moved into this house.......this gorgeous little Cape Cod house on our very own 16 acres of Canadian countryside..............

We have been here a year!!! It feels like we've been here forever though and the other house is but a distant memory.....this felt like home the moment we saw it and I LOVE it here......my gorgeous, lovely home :)

Out for an early morning walk....................

Susannah and Abigail were with me on this mornings walk...................

Enjoying the snow......

My girls Rosie and Amber love the snow......they dig into it with their noses and race through it having a blast!!! :)

Gems of the woods..............

This morning I decided to take my camera with me when walking the dogs....I'm so glad I did as we went through the woods and found so many icicles and crystals to photograph!! They are just beautiful!!! Everything was sparkling in the early morning sunlight! A great start to the day :)