Saturday ramblings....

The girls each have a friend sleeping over tonight....Abigail and her friend have set the tent up in the front room and are 'camping' for the night :)  

Susannah has her friend Maddie who used to go to her school, staying over.  

Laurence is staying at his friends house in town.

My afternoon was spent driving here there and everywhere dropping kids off and picking them up, but they are happy and have had fun.  Sam has been busy playing Minecraft.

We also called in at the library as Susannah reserved another two books from the series she has been reading.  I can't believe the speed at which she is getting through the biggest books!!  She has a real hunger for books as the moment!  I love it :)  

Abby and Natasha have been making 'worry dolls' tonight and are now playing a few rounds of 'Spot It'....Susannah and Maddie played a game of Othello and I played some rounds of 'Spot It' with them.  

Tomorrow we are going to have cinnamon buns fresh from the oven for brunch and then we are heading out in the cold to the Festival of Trees, the Snow Globe Auction and the Celebration of Lights...before dropping the friends home and picking Laurence up and heading home....

And then that will be another weekend done

xxx

five questions.

1. Do you have a go to song that always puts you in a good mood?

Fisher - Beautiful Life

2. Are you a real Christmas tree kinda person or do you go with a real fake one?

Fake.  They don't dry out and leave a mess everywhere.

3. What are you thankful for?

So many things - but especially being born with a 'cups half full' personality.  I tend to be a very positive person and this has done me well throughout my life :)  

4. Which fashion fad from the past do you wish you could wear today?

I had this lovely pale grey with faint pastel checks in it dress...I called it my skating dress...It was from Tammy Girl.....I loved it...I must have been about 10 or 11.  It was soooo comfortable and pretty and sweet :)  

5. Do you wait until the "low fuel" light comes on before you fill up the gas tank?

No not always....depends what my plans are, the weather, what I'm doing, where I'm going....if it's raining then i'll wait...or if its dry but I know it's going to rain or be cold tomorrow I will fill up sooner - or if I hear prices are going up....or if I'm going to be running about a lot the next few days I will fill up...or if Laurence is with me it's nice to get him to do it ;)  

Pampered Chef!!

Last night I met up with Sharon for supper, before heading to a friend of her's home for a Pampered Chef/ Lia Sophia party.  

The girl that did the Pampered Chef was great and created a really yummy buffalo chicken dip and then made this amazing trifle (above) from graham crackers, bananas, lemon, cool whip and vanilla pudding, and melted chocolate.  Yum!!!

The Lia Sophia lady used to teach at Glen Alan school, so we talked about that for a long while as well as issues regarding discipling children these days (or rather the inability to).  

I really loved some of the jewelry there, but $100 for a bracelet or $108 for a pretty piece of costume jewelry....I just can't fathom paying that.  

I won the door prize last night from the Pampered Chef girl - yay!!  I won some bamboo spoons :)  

I think I'm going to have a Pampered Chef party in the new year....

It was a fun night and I'm glad I made the effort to go despite a long day and a migraine - thankful for Advil pm which helped me sleep off the migraine last night!!!

Thank you Sharon for inviting me last night!!

xxx

Homeschool field trip.....

Yesterday we had another field trip at the science centre.  Sam and Abby both had classes to take.  Sam took 'Bubble Bubble' and came out with a beautifully scented picture created by soapy coloured bubbles.  He seemed to have had fun making all kinds of concoctions that created bubbles.  

Abigail took a grade 4 class - Umbra Penumbra - which was about light and the eclipse etc etc.  She enjoyed her class too.  

While there, we also went to the star theatre and watched a show all about the planets in our solar system.  It was show that was a little like a tv quiz show, and we all got to shout out the answers when questions about the planets were asked!  It was really interesting and I think we all learned quite a bit!

We also met this cute little guy:

Who turned out to be a Horseshoe crab!!

They are arthropods (have exoskeletons) and are considered to be 'living fossils'!!

Very interesting looking creature!!

Wednesday tag....

1. What song reminds you of a specific time in your life and what is it about that song that makes you remember?  Sooooo many songs remind me of soooo many things.....a few specific ones would be:


Come on Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners - this song always reminds me of Youth Club in West Coker.  I won a dancing contest to it and got to pick a chocolate bar from the tuck shop (haha)  I chose a Taxi - my favourite!!  The Simon Greenwood and I had to dance together because we both won.....grrrrooooosss!!!  hahahaha!!  So not cool!  


Lucky Stars by Dean Friedman - this song was a BIG favourite of mine and my cousin and I made dances up to it all the time :)  


Careless Whisper - reminds me of when my friend Kirsty died - they played the song at her funeral.  It also reminds me of so many school disco's of that time as it was always the last song played at the end of the night - the slow dance for dancing with the boy you ended up with :)  


2. What's something you've given up on?   Getting money back from three people I thought were friends who turned out to be extremely thoughtless selfish individuals who used me :(


3. What's something you'll never give up on?   My children and fighting for what I believe is their best interests.


4. If you had to cook something from scratch in the next hour what would it be?  Either a cake or bread....or maybe jam tarts...or a pie of some kind.  maybe I'd make a chicken dish to go in the crockpot.  Hhhmmm or maybe flapjacks (oatbars).


5. Have you started Christmas shopping? Decorating? Listening to Christmas music?  I have done most of my Christmas shopping and feel pleased with my progress.  I like being prepared like this and knowing December won't be as stressful.  I have a few decorations up already but no trees up yet - maybe next week.  I haven't started listening to music yet, but the children have - and they've watched a few movies too - as soon as the snow arrived they started to get excited!!


6. What do you know about your parent's wedding? It was on Boxing Day 1959.  I know what my Moms dress was like as I wore it when I played a Bride doll in a brownie concert.  I believe my Aunt was sick or something on my Moms dress at one time???  So maybe my Aunt borrowed my Moms dress???


7. I can't believe  how fast this year has gone and how much we have accomplished.  It has been an amazing year with such exciting and fun experiences.  New friends coming into our lives.  It will be fun  and exciting to see what the NEXT year brings!!!  

Friday Fill-ins....

And...here we go! 

1. As you can see It has been another eventful week in the life of me :)

2. The Christmas season of festivities begins very soon!

3. I love to buy things at Goodwill and alter them to suit my beautiful home.

4. I already have almost all my Christmas gift(s). 

5. What's up with all the grouchy people around at the moment?  Geez we all have problems but seriously - life is too short!!!  get over yourselves!!

6. I like to keep my journals and pens beside my bed so they are right at my fingertips in case I feel like writing and time......

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going out with Sharon to a Pampered Chef and something else party (can't remember what the other thing is lol), tomorrow my plans include going to meet a lady at a BBQ at the Harley Davidson store to give her a canvas for a silent auction she's holding, picking Abigails friend up for a sleepover, grabbing some groceries and Sunday, I want to take all four girls and Sam to the Festival of Trees and the Celebration of Lights then head home for a quiet evening!

Our Thursday....

A winter storm blew through our area today - even though it is officially still Fall!!

The school buses didn't run in our area, so the children were all home for the day.  I had paperwork to do  this morning and then some chores to do.  Lloyd swapped his evening to have the children until tomorrow evening because of the bad weather, so I made supper and put that in the oven (hash brown casserole - but made with tuna instead of ham.  To be honest you couldn't even taste the tuna and the kids didn't even know it was in there until after they were finished and I asked them what they thought - and then they told me they thought it was ham!!  So that was quite a good way to get them to eat tuna fish!!)

I vacuumed my bedroom and bathroom and the children did theirs too.  All the laundry is done and I got caught up with all my receipts etc for the upcoming classes.  Downstairs was dusted and the kitchen cleaned :)  

This evening Sam and Abby have been doing Origami - making paper cranes - as well as cutting paper snowflakes, making paper aeroplanes (flying love machines as Sam calls them as he draws hearts all over them).

Susannah is sat with me by the fire.  Rosie is with us lying on the floor by the fire too.  Sam and Abby have now gone to watch Kung Fu Panda.

I am going to have an early night after I get Sam and Abby showered.  I might work on my 'Journal Your Christmas' book for a little while - I did the cover last night.  I want to start it this weekend when we go to the Festival of Trees.  I never wait until December 1st as our festivities always seem to start in November!  

Tomorrow we are off to the Science Centre for another Homeschool Day and more classes.  Then the children are off to their dads for the evening and I am heading out for a Pampered Chef evening with Sharon :)  Yum!!

My book worm....

Susannah is getting through about a book a day....her head is ALWAYS in a book, and while I LOVE that she has FINALLY fallen in love with reading, I must admit that there are times when it drives me crazy that she won't put her book down to do anything else....nothing else gets done...she doesn't talk, she doesn't want to go anywhere or do anything UNLESS she has finished her book and needs another!!  And if you dare to disturb her midst-chapter she is like a bear being woken mid-sleep!!!  GROWL!!!!!

My gorgeous girly....

Scenes from the Mall..

We stopped off to wave to Santa on the way to the parking lot...he asked the children why they were upstairs and not down with him....Abby said she was on her way down....but we will do that another day when she wears a nice outfit for a picture :)  

I loved this store window display, so Wintry and icy looking:

Field trip to the Apple Store!!

Today we headed to West Edmonton Mall for a field trip at the Apple Store there.  It was such a great morning!  The children were split into three groups and could choose which activity to do - movie making, poster making or music making!  Then they all got to switch!  

At the end they got to print out their pictures and posters and put their movies and music on to cd's to bring home.  They were also given t-shirts to keep!!  All this and the field trip was free!!  The staff were really great and said ours was the easiest field trip they'd ever had because we all just went on in and got on with things - they are used to having to set everyone up and do everything for people - but we all just got on with everything and were more independent than school field trips and summer camps of kids who go to school.  

They told us they can tailor trips to anything we would like - all we have to do is call them up and let them know what we would like.

After the field trip a few of us headed to lunch together:

Then it was off downtown for a quick drive...Abigail's friend came with us for the ride.  We headed to the General hospital to pick something up for a friend, before heading out to their house for coffee.  We stayed there for the afternoon (much longer than planned - as always!!) and the children enjoyed playing with their new kittens.  

Home to see Susannah and Laurence.  Supper was an easy Jacket potatoes after a busy day.  Laundry done.  Sam coloured in his new Lego club magazine that arrived in the mail.  I signed him up a month or so ago and he was thrilled when it arrived!!  Then Sam and Abby disappeared outside sledding until just after dark!!  They do so love having their own sledding hill :)  Rosie loves the freedom of running outside with them too.  It makes me sad that their Father would take that from them.  Take this life they love JUST to get at me :(  He just doesn't understand.....

Oh well....I am making sure they make the most of every moment they have this place :)  

We have had a winter storm warning come through.  15cm of snow forecast tonight and tomorrow with blowing snow.  I am glad we have nothing planned until Friday!  We have everything we need here at home.....we can just stay snuggled up here in the warm.  

Today was a great day filled with friends and fun!!  

I hope yours was too!!

Early morning fog patches...

We were up and out early this morning for a field trip, and although it was a beautiful sunny morning, it was also a little foggy in places....it left a lovely eery effect as the fog was in thin layers and looked like smoke.....Abigail snapped some pictures as we drove along!!

Susannah and I had noticed this structure a couple of weeks ago and wondered what it was, but it wasn't until Now Radio posted about it this morning that I learned what it was!  So this morning I told Sam and Abby to guess what it was and how much it cost!!!  It is a new piece of art work - The Talus Dome - that our city decided we had to have!!  They had  Los Angeles artists design and create it.  It has already been defaced.  Most people hate it.  It doesn't seem to make any sense at all.  It seems a shame that it is not designed by any of the fabulous local artists - or even by a CANADIAN artist!!  It cost tax payers $600,000.  

They have now said that the city has no money left to pick up garbage for the rest of the year as they are over budget!!!  How does this make sense???  I love art - I do think art is important to have...BUT I think it is far more important to have plants and flowers and trees by our roadsides than art....and we have been told we have run out of funding for this......hhhmmmmm I wonder why???!!!!

By the way, Abby guessed that this art piece cost $1,000 and Sam guessed that it cost $4,000.

It looks like a pile of Christmas tree ornaments/ baubles:

You can read more about the art piece by CLICKING HERE

Current book

We are currently reading Roald Dahl's 'The Witches', which we are really enjoying.  It's a nice quick read.  We're trying to decide who we know in our lives who could be a witch.  :) If my children try and pull your hair, you'll know why ;)

Homeschool group - music class.....

Todays homeschool group was a music session.  Everyone got to try different instruments and we all tried out different rhythms and sounds with them as well as rhythms using our bodies (stomping, clicking, clucking, clapping, tapping, rubbing hands together etc etc)  

We sang songs in English and French and sang songs in 'rounds' as well as action songs.

It was a really good session!!  

In January we have a man coming to teach a session on drumming.  

Our Monday.....

It's been a really great day - very constructive....I crossed a lot off of my to-do list today and feel as though I made a lot of progress in a number of areas.  A good day :)

This little munchkin hasn't been eating properly since he started getting sick 10 days ago at his dads house :(  I bought him Pedia-sure or whatever it is called and have been trying to get him to drink that but he doesn't like it - even though its chocolate flavour.  

He promised me he would eat his favourite Tims chicken noodle soup if I took him there, so today we headed out for soup!  He was a good boy and ate a whole bowl with a large bun!!  

he looks so thin with his sunken eyes and head too big for his body - he loses weight so fast and he is skinny anyway!  

Tonight he had lasagna and ate most of it which is good, so hopefully he is back on track.  I understand his lack of appetite - I also can't eat anything - I still feel nauseous and everything I eat tastes horrible so I do understand, but he is just wasting away so I have to force him :(

He 's a happy little thing though and has his energy back...I do love him so :)

As we were running errands today we told Laurence we would pick him up after school.  We got there a little early and sat in the parking lot for 20 minutes.  It started to snow as we arrived but there was none on the ground...by the time Laurence came out, the ground was covered and the snow was coming down heavy.  It was soooo pretty.  I don't mind winter driving now - I got so used to it last year.  

Abby napped while we waited for Laurence to come out of school:

I asked Laurence if he wanted to drive home but he didn't want to because traffic was heavy and the roads were bad - Now radio was reporting a lot of accidents.  But i did stop closer to home and we swapped places so he could drive the rest of the way and experience winter driving on quieter roads.  He did great and I think appreciated the chance to try driving on snow covered roads for the first time.  He needs the practice as he will be doing a lot of it in the years to come.  

We got home and I had a few phone calls to make, and then we all relaxed down in the kitchen by the fire etc and had supper.  I'm enjoying sitting by the fire watching the snow fall as I catch up on some Emails and work related stuff.  We're going to sit and watch Footloose together later.