Sunday afternoon....

Family dinner for our birthdays.  We wanted to go to East Side Marios as Susannah had never been there, but when we got there, we found it had been closed down - not sure if it is closed for renovations or closed entirely s the signs inside and out are GONE - just some interior and renovations signs outside and lots of fencing.....

Disappointed, and hungry, we headed to the closest place - Boston pizza.  

Boston pizza have a fundraiser for Valentines Day - they have heart shaped pizzas as well as heart shaped cards you can drawer on for $1 and they put them up on the wall, so each of the kids had a heart to draw on:

I caught it on camera :)

My 50,000 visitor lol!

Breakfast at Denny's....

Yesterday while Abby was at art class, I took my two middle boys to Denny's for brunch.  I've never seen Sam eat so much!  He finished off all of his own breakfast and then tucked in to the rest of Laurences and THEN he ate all of my toast...I was just telling the server that I was done and he grabbed the plate of toast that I hadn't touched and said "I'll have that"....the server laughed and said "Good on ya".....he ate it too!  This is a boy who really doesn't eat much!!!  I guess he was hungry!!!

Hangin' out.....

Laurence has been off school for the last couple of days....and his favourite hang-out when he is home, is the big comfy chair in my craft room!  He says it's because the signal is good for facebook for his PSP, but I think it's cause he gets to chat with me ;)  

Bargain of the week :)

I picked these little shelves up at Dollarama this week.  They go sooooo well with my room and especially match my cupboard in my room.  $2 each!!!  Lloyd was really impressed with how sturdy they were - and he really does NOT like Dollarama lol!!  :)  

I just put these things on to take the pictures lol....haven't decided what to use them for yet :)  but they're sweet little shelves.  they have them in other colours too - I just wanted them to match my cupboard and room!

Random Dozen

1. Do you use the labels various charities send you as “free gifts?”
I don't remember getting any????  Maybe I support the wrong charities...but World Vision seems to send us seeds and we tend to get sent Christmas cards etc instead from other charities..... are labels a US thing?

2. What is your favorite time of day (or night) for skywatching?
sunset, but I also look out just before I go to sleep, to see if I can see the stars.

3. What is the most adventurous you've ever been with trying a new food? 
 I've tried snails and caviar.  Since watching them being cooked (twice now) I would try prairie oysters if offered.  

4. Have you ever heard a rock sing? (Trust me, there's a reason for this one!)  
does whistling count???  they whistle in the heat of the fire...

5. If you could learn a language you don't presently speak, what would it be?
Spanish

6. Al Capone's tombstone read, “My Jesus, Mercy.” If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
I wouldn't bother.  I think it's all a waste of time and money.  throw me on the bonfire and save the money.  then use the money for a holiday/ party!!

7. If you were a famous musician who was known by one name, like “Cher,” “Sting,” or “Jewel,” what would it be? It doesn’t have to be your first name, but it can be, if you’d like.
Janemma

8. Have you ever been inordinately “into” a television show?
Every September we buy Greys on dvd and watch about 3 episodes a night until we're through.  Does that count?  Apart from that we don't watch tv really.  I guess I liked Brookside many years ago...or Grange Hill as a child - and Fame!!!

9. When you sneeze, do you go big, or do you do that weird “heenh!” sound that makes people think you’re going to blow your brains out? Any other variation we should know about?
I just sneeze....Lloyd sneezes about ten times and sounds like a motorbike lol!

10. Do you still read an actual newspaper that you hold in your hands, or do you get your news elsewhere?
I read the local free paper when I manage to pick one up.  Otherwise I just watch the local news on tv.

11. Are you a good speller?  
Mostly.  Bad at typing though!

12. At what time each day do you start thinking about lunch?
2pm

Kitty....

Li'l tiger....

I could hear the cats playing on the stairs this morning so I went to check, and I found they had taken a new ball of wool from my bag downstairs....had undone it and managed to get it all up the stairs, into the girls bedroom and all back down the stairs....oh boy they were having fun!  My lovely pink wool! 

Sigh....I guess Kitty tired himself out ;)

Sam and Abigail still call him Boots, so he remains the cat with two names :)

What are you reading???

I am reading THIS and I agree that it's wonderful :)  roll on bedtime when I can get lost amongst the pages again :)  

Leave me a comment and let me know what YOU are reading!!! 

Still knitting.....

I'm still knitting :)  Susannah and Abigail have now started to knit too!  We went and chose new wool on Saturday.  I have two scarves in progress now - the pink one and the turquoise and lilac one - so I can have a change in colour when I feel like it ;)  

Susannah is doing a darker scarf in shades of blues and lilacs and greens but dark.  Abigails is yellows and golds.  

Drinking glasses...

So behind...lots to post about...but i'll leave you with these for now.

drinking glasses with a difference ;)  

Go Canada!!!

Couldn't resist snapping a picture of the girls by this display of packs of Coca cola in Safeway this morning!!  How wonderful :)  

I hope to see a lot more displays in stores and businesses in the next two weeks as the Olympics get closer!!

Go Canada!!!  :)  

Random Dozen

1. How good are you at delaying gratification? 
Not very good at all...I have VERY little patience....sigh....

2. Maybe a marshmallow wouldn't be too difficult a temptation for you. What food (or anything else) would be most tempting?  A Cadburys Twirl......


3. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being saintly) how patient are you?
2

4. Have you ever waited for something in life only to be disappointed upon realization of the goal/object/etc.?
Nothing that I can particularly remember...I'm sure there are a few places we have been or restaurants/ foods etc that we have tried because people have raved about them but we just haven't thought they were very good...but nothing really sticks out in my mind




5. Are you a person who takes shortcuts?
Sure, sometimes....if it doesn't matter.  but only when it doesn't matter.  


6. Which line is hardest to wait in?
The one for the bathroom ;)


7. Did you wait to discover the gender of your unborn child until its birth? 
Yes for the first four but we knew with #5.  I asked for #3 and they said they couldn't tell us but that we might get a 'nice surprise' hinting that it was a girl after two boys.....


8. Are you more patient with children or the elderly?
Depends on the person/ situation.  I don't think age makes you less/ more annoying....


9. Did you ever sneak a peek at a present?
Only by accident and it made me sad that I knew one of my gifts so it put me off ever wanting to sneak at a gift.  I just 'came across' a gift as a child.....it wasn't hidden well.....and it ruined the surprise for me.  I warm my own children of how it can really ruin the surprise if they know what it is!


10. What is the longest you've ever waited for anything?
29 years - the age I was when I was finally with the man I was meant to be with.

11. Who has more patience, you or your significant other? 
DEFINITELY Lloyd!!

12. Which of the following songs about waiting is your pick for the best?

A) Anticipation by Carly Simon
B) The Waiting by Tom Petty
C) Right Here Waiting for You by Richard Marx
D) Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James


C!!!  Richard Marx...lol!  I loved that song when it came out :)  how sad am I????  :)

Friday fill-ins.....

1. Wouldn't it be easy to just stay home today and get Lloyd to pick something up for supper BUT I'm heading out with the kids in a little while and I know we'll have fun.
2. Life is better than ever!
3. I love the taste of oven roasted potatoes in gravy.
4. It's lovely curling up by the fire in the living room.
5. The first thing we're going to do is get hair cuts tomorrow.
6. The sound of the snow melting and going drip, drip, drip; Such a welcome sound of Spring.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to beating Lloyd at another round of Planet Earth, maybe playing dreidel with the kids, tomorrow my plans include hair cuts, picking up more wool, library.  Laurence is off to WEM for the day Chris is off to a party  and Sunday, I want to relax and watch the snow, take a walk with DH in that same snow and if the snow isn't too bad we are heading out for a family dinner to celebrate my birthday and Susannah's birthday!


Find your Friday Fill-ins HERE

It's oh so quiet....

My iphone has been very quiet today......normally it doesn't stop, with texts from Lloyd, Emails from Lloyd and phones calls from Lloyd.  Just little hello's and 'I Love You's' through the day....silly messages and even houses he has found in whichever city in the world he has decided we are moving to next (lol).....he calls me in between every meeting and is often texting me during meetings....

Today though he is in one LONG meeting...ALL day....and he's an active participant ALL day.....walking about and doing whatever he has to do and has to be on hand to answer questions at this big meeting....and so my phone has been quiet apart from at lunch time when he called me :(  

I miss him.  Glad it's the weekend :)  

Banana Bread

I blame Rhona for endlessly mentioning Banana bread and banana bread muffins on her blog recently!!! Yesterday I had a bunch of bananas that needed to be used up, so I decided to make a couple of loaves of banana bread.  Not that we needed any more cake in this house with all the celebrations we've had.....sigh....but if I put any more bananas in the freezer Lloyd will go CRAZY!!  Lol!

I used the following recipe and it is AMAZING!!!  I actually doubled the amounts and it came out perfectly - I love that you just throw the ingredients into one big bowl and mix it up - no need to separate the dry from the wet etc and I also LOVE the mix of white chocolate and milk chocolate chips!!!!  Mmmmmmm this is a REALLY good banana bread!!!

Because I baked two loaves, it took a while longer than the recipe says before the pick came out clean...

It's been a huge hit here and is still moist and yummy this morning - the kids have had some as a morning snack....(sounds better than saying breakfast right????  Lol)  

Total Yumminess.  

I'm sorry I totally can't remember where I got the recipe from...I just googled banana bread recipes and wrote one down :(  But if this sounds like your recipe then THANK YOU  - it's FAB!!!!

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3 bananas 1/2 cup butter 2 eggs 1/2 C milk Chocolate Chips 1/2 C white chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350
2. Combine and mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Place batter in a greased bread pan (bottom only) or in muffin tins.
4. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan. Complete cooling on a wire rack.

Makes one good sized loaf