cookie decorating....

Decorating gingerbread men yesterday...

Wednesday and Thursday

This week is going fast!

Yesterday we went into town for Parentlink....it was nice to see Samantha and chat and have coffee.....circle time was fun as the children all had musical instruments and got to follow Samantha around the building singing Jing Bells...they all played hide and seek too :)

After parentlink we went to the mall to buy some felt....we also had lunch there again :) We got home just in time to meet Susannahs bus and we beat the bad weather back from town....literally by minutes....by the time the bus pulled up, the weather was soooo nasty!

Chris went to a birthday/ leaving party last night....straight from school. It was held at Birch Bay Ranch (the place where Susie and Laurie are going to summer camp next year) and the party included a sleigh ride and decorating gingerbread houses.

Laurence went back to his friend Chris's house (JQ's Nephew/ cousin....relative of some kind lol - I don't remember exactly and the Son of Abigails dance teacher!) they were working on a science project together which included setting off fire works and videoing it...he's going there again today after school. They have kindly offered to drop him home on their way out this evening :)

Lloyd left work early last night but because of the bad weather it took him 1 1/2 hours to get home! The roads were soooo bad out there and many trucking companies took all their fleet off the roads....many cars in the ditch around the place and collisions etc.....not good.

Lloyd was ill last night - he had chilli for lunch yesterday but didn't eat much of it as it didn't taste right - well it made him sick :( poor thing.....but this morning he didn't feel too bad so he still went into work! Good thing too as he just called me to say he was taken out to lunch (again - this happens a few times a week) but this time it was to Ruths Chris steak house!!!! OMG that is sooooooo NOT FAIR....I've wanted to go there since it opened!!! It is soooo expensive (they do a $99 steak there and you have to pay for all your sides separately! Its in an old bank and they still have the old vaults and everything in there......anyway I am soooo green with envy but he's promised to take me there for my birthday :) Many people won't eat there because they only servce American beef and not Alberta beef!

Oh and the Mayor of Edmonton was at the table next to his! Geez...yesterday he walked down the street with Angus Watt (financial guy from Global tv) and today he lunches next to the Mayor lol!!!!!

He bought me cheesecake from there though and its in a little Ruths Chris bag so I will look forward to that tonight!

But then Lloyd won't be home until around 9pm as he is going to a leaving party/ dinner after work at Druids pub downtown.....what a job he has!!! party, party, party!!!!

Not that I can complain really...this morning was breakfast with Val and we had a few extras today - I invited Lucy - the lady that did the crafts at the Christmas party......and Val brought her daughter and her GRANDSON!!!!!!!! Yes, I got to see the new baby!!! And Vals littlest guy was also there - and he barely recognised me as its been so long since I saw him! :( Oh and guess what Lucy's Moms name is....Jane Emma!!!!!!! How funny is that?????? :) And Lucy was telling us how she was named after a scullery maid who practically raised her Grandmother! :) I love stories like that!

Grace was as wonderful as ever! She set Abigail to work putting creamers on all the tables and one guy having his breakfast kept stealing them all from Abby - it was funny :) Sam just ran about the place causing chaos as always - and stealing fortune cookies while Grace was distracted :) I hope Grace knows how much we appreciate her!!!!

After breakfast I was going to go straight home, but I decided to save Lloyd a trip to Walmart tonight, and I went instead......Chris and Laurence are taking part in a secret santa swap and Chris told me LAST NIGHT at 9pm!!!!! that he needs the gifts for tomorrow!!! So I ran in and got some nice things for him to give out....I ran in to 'toxic friend' who actually didn't seem so toxic (although this is why she IS toxic...because she is always so nice and this is how I get sucked into it all again...so I have to tell myself do NOT email her...do NOT arrange to meet up again....DO NOT do anything except be friendly when you run into each other......anyway we chatted for a while and she gave me some good ideas for the gifts I was there to pick up.

I bought Lloyd a box of Ferrero Rocher as he keeps saying he wants some every time the commercial comes on.....and I bought some more buttons :)

Then we headed home and the children did their archeology dig things....now they are watching a movie waiting for Chris and Susie to get home...

Easy supper tonight - vegetable spring rolls with rice......easy peasy....then I think I will sew or scrapbook Glendas latest dare....

Tomorrow Lloyd has the day OFF woohoo!!!!! :) Can't wait :) 3 day weekend!

Have a great evening everyone!

Gingerbread men......

Chris and Laurie were out yesterday after school, so we picked Susie up from the bus stop and then the three here all sat at the table and decorated gingerbread men :) As you can see Sam ate more than he decorated...and left a lot of it stuck around his mouth :)

Little Archeologists....

Sam and Abigail passed some time this afternoon digging for treasure......you can read more about that and see the pictures over on my homeschooling blog :)

Feathered friends....

Some chickadees outside my kitchen window this afternoon...there are about 5 of them out there off and on but I can only seem to get a picture of two at a time :)

Presents :)

Val surprised me with some gifts today :) The top picture is a bag of 'nuts and bolts'...a Sibulak family favourite and Christmas tradition I hear ;) this mixed snack smells incredible - its all garlicky and delicious and I have been nibbling bits throughout the afternoon :) YUM! I am a bit of a garlic addict so this suits me VERY well :)

And the ornament is so so sweet and is already up on the tree :) And I love that it's dated and named :)

THANK YOU VAL!!! That was so thoughtful of you - especially as I know how crazy busy and stressed you are right now!!! And now there is another Canadian food that I can say I have tried and I know what it is :)

The Gingerbread house album.....

This album is one that I made for Lloyds Mom and Dad. Last year they spent Christmas with us and one of the things I remember most is the day we had a gongerbread house competition - girls against boys! So the album is based on that!

Terry - I'm so glad you and Chris liked the album - I had fun making it! But for some reason I put 2007 on the front and inside wished you a good Christmas for 08!!! It was ready to send and thankfully Lloyd forgot to take it to the post office - so I was showing it to Laurie and he noticed I had the dates wrong so I quickly changed it to 06 and 07 :)

Main tree...

I can't seem to get a picture of this that shows what it really looks like - some of the baubles are green and some are gold...the ribbon is green and gold and there are little bunches of fir cones and flowers in green and gold attached throughout.....but it just looks like a green tree with gold baubles which isn't what it really is.

Lloyd hates it - he says it needs some red lol and I don't like it much because I wanted brown ornaments and couldn't find any anywhere :( so its not what I wanted lol...and we can't find a tree topper that goes with it - I am soooo fussy lol....but it will do ;) it still looks pretty with the lights on :)

My Mantel garland...

So I bought this in Zellers today and just plonked it up - so it still needs 'tweaking'....but as soon as I find the right things to go in it, it will be done :) Ideally I'd like some little fir cones attached to it...and maybe some sticks of cinnamon and some dried orange slices or something.....hhhmmmmm this weekends projects!

This picture just reminds me that we need more pictures for our walls!!!!

I made my friend cry today....

...and I'm happy about it!!!!

I gave Samantha her little tag book today - the one I made about friendship...and she LOVED it and started crying :) I'm so glad she liked it!

Then I got home to a phone message from Lloyds Mom to thank me for the little album I made her that arrived today - I will post pictures of that later - now that its safe too :)

Right now we have the fire lit, Christmas music playing on the tv....right now its that song that goes pa rump a pum pum....or whatever lol - and the children are decorating gingerbread men cookies :)

It is snowing a LOT outside :( in fact the weather is downright NASTY. It's nice and warm but that has made the snow all wet and sticky and nasty and its very windy out...the roads are a mess....I was glad to get home but will be even happier when Lloyd gets home - he's finishing earlier to miss the traffic - but the boys are both at parties so we have to go out on the roads again later to collect them :(

I found a swag in Zellers and now have that over my mantel - it's not great but it looks better than it did without it :)

Ok I have to take a few piccies and then will add them - drive carefully everyone - stay safe!

I'm loving this!!!

www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5213261

I love this sellers work at Etsy! The cup cakes and the Christmas puddings are just so gorgeous!

I'm a little obsessed with felt right now :) I think I'm going to be busy making tags and cards and scrapbooking embellishments out of felt for the next little while :)

Lloyd!

Quit reading my blog and do some work!!!!!!

Then I may THINK about making you mashed potatoes ;)


Love you!

X

My Tuesday....

Susannah had her ultrasound this morning.....Lloyd took the morning off and took her so I didn't have to take the children with me :) It went well...the radiographer took 30 pictures of everything from her heart to her kidney and liveer as well as her stomach and bowels....now we have to wait 3 days for the results...

Susie had to have totally fat free food all evening yesterday and wasn't allowed water after 5am so after the ultrasound, Lloyd took her to Timmys for breakfast.

Lloyd came in for a while when they got back and offered to take the rest of the day off but it seemed silly to just have part of a day together - so he has taken Friday off instead :) Woohoo!

After Lloyd headed off to work, I made the most of Susie being home, and went out for a walk with the dogs child free :) I took my camera and grabbed the opportunity to get some pictures of the frosty morning. It was lovely out - not cold at all :)

What else have I done today? Some more sewing, some laundry...two loads so far.....and Abigail has been making Christmas ornaments using buttons and popsicle sticks - a craft from Sams Chirp magazine!

I said I'd go out sledding with the girls once Chris is home to babysit...Sam can come ouot for a while but I doubt he will want to stay out for long so if Chris is home he can watch him for a while......

Thats my day so far!

Jack frost......

The hoar frost from last night settled on the basketball net.....to view these properly click on each image to see the larger picture!

See!

Rosie will pose where I want her to AND smile for the camera :)

Shame her coat is so messy lol - she has a really thick coat and because of all her swimming all summer long it gets full of matts constantly!