Yummy - I'm happy :)

So my first attempt was a success :) The pie not only looked fabby but tasted fabby too - thankfully! I'm so happy with the results :) Lloyd and I are having ours a little later but the children have all had theirs :)

A final goodbye.....

......to summer

Sam wanted to take his bucket and spade (pail and shovel) with him on our walk this morning but he gave up after a few minutes and left them on the path.....it's not really sand box weather any more.....

Pastry Chefs....

A and S used up some of my leftover pastry this afternoon and made mini apple pies!!! They were delicious :) They were going to be jam tarts until I saw that we have no jam!

Oh and A. is wearing the necklace she made this morning :) it's made from cord and cuut up drinking straws (Ikea sell them really cheaply and in soooo many colours that you can make great 'beads' with them)!

Ready to eat :)

My pie is done :) it smells incredible - hope it tastes as good!

Sam and Abby used up the leftovers of my pastry - so head over to my homeschool blog if you want to see their results! Abby has decided that afetr watching Ratatouille several times, she wants to be a chef ;)

A dusting...........

A romp through the snow.......

Amber and Rosie both love the snow.....I'm still amazed at how different my girls are.....considering they have exactly the same parents, Rosie's coat is so much fairer and thicker than Ambers.....Ambers is so fine and golden in comparison.....

Yes Dad I'm still alive!!!!

Lol....I don't blog for a few days and my Dad things I'm ill!

This morning we woke up to snow.....it was so pretty watching the snow fall and as the news reported several cars in the ditch, we decided to forget about going swimming....Sam was so excited about the snow that we got up and dressed and headed outdoors before breakfast!

After about half an hour Abigail had had enough - she licks her lips and they get sore in the cold, so she went back indoors and Sam and I continued through the woods with Amber and Rosie....

Home made apple pie

I have always been useless at pastry...so my goal this winter is to get GREAT at pastry....my first attempt today is using Marthas favorite pastry recipe - which is also REALLY simple! Its the Pate Brisee recipe.

I used the pastry to make an apple pie....instead of a sheet of pastry to cover the pie, I cut out lots of Christmas trees and layered them around the pie....Martha uses circles for hers......then I brushed the top with egg yolk and heavy cream....it's in the oven now and smells GOOD!!! I am hopeful that this pie is GOOD!!!

We are eating it after dinner - Lloyd will have his with English custard...I will have mine with vanilla ice cream, and the children can choose :)

Want to teach pre-school?

I'm looking for a preschool teaching assistant...to teach preschool 2 days a week from January.....you can bring your child with you....

You need to be good with children (playgroup/ preschool experience would be ideal but not essential) Be happy to sing, read and play with the children.....be willing to have fun....be loving and kind to the children and inspire in them a love of learning....be willing to get messy with paint, glitter, arts and crafts...and be willing to help clear up afterwards! Feel able to get into the spirit of holidays and occasions like Valentines Day, St Patricks Day, The Olympics, and get involved in topics such as Bugs, Our Community, The Seasons, Space.....

You would need to be motivated and keen, reliable, have clean police/ social services checks. Be a team player.....

Most importantly you have to be able to work with me :) Tuesdays and Thursdays. Approx. 8:30am until 3:30pm. Pay is not great but I promise the job will be fun and varied....and very satisfying....seeing these little children grow into little people ready to enter Kindergarten with all the skills they need!

This preschool is based in the rural area of South Cooking Lake - a 12 minute drive from Sherwood Park....15 minutes from The Whitemud.....easy access from Anthony Henday, Highway 21 and Ellerslie Road.

A walk to visit the horses...

This afternoon we took a walk over to our neighbours to visit their horses...this is a favourite past time of A's......

My little monkey...

A on the monkey bars this afternoon.....

Finally some donations....

After 40 letters hand delivered to businesses in the local area, finally two companies have donated items to us for the Christmas party - Costco and Laura Secord :) I have to call a few businesses back on Monday and Michaels want me to contact their head office in TEXAS!!! (????) but at least I have a few things to take to the next meeting! I've also printed out Christmas song sheets and letters for the parents of the younger volunteers....

I was worried I wouldn't get ANYTHING!!!!

Natural Beauty....

Pictures of our land and the land it borders....we are so lucky to have all this beautiful space to walk on - never seeing anyone else....this is also where I run - in privacy and peace....sometimes with my ipod and sometimes with just silence :)

Even this morning at 1a.m. I was driving home from Sherwood Park and it was such a wonderful feeling to leave all the lights and noise of the town behind me and drive out into the countryside....we are so fortunate. I feel so grateful that we made the move when we did....it's beautiful out here....this land is home to such amazing animals and birds...deer, moose, porcupine, Blue Jays, woodpeckers, coyote, Fox, Chickadees, Hummingbirds (in summer).....and in a few weeks (days perhaps) this land will look even more beautoful, covered in glistening powdery white snow :)

Scenes from our walk....

I think the walk has helped make today feel like a Sunday :) which means tomorrow is a bonus day lol!

By the fire....

Lloyd kept the fire going to warm Sam and I up :) I loved Sam's little red nose and cheeks..he looks so cute!