Scenes from Wednesday.....

Working on my Spirits of Joy online class.  This prompt was to try and work out what your number is - focus on a special number/ lucky number or a number that is important to you, and journal about it:

Self portrait for my journal...tired, hair before I've straightened it....but this is me :)

My gorgeous girly Rosie relaxing in the sunshine by the back door:

I finished the book I was reading - which was sooooo good and now T is reading it :)  I hope she enjoys it as much as I did :)  

It was early out today for Susannah:

Abby was still sick today - she spent some time soaking in the bath, curled up in bed watching tv....I washed floors, tidied, did the kitchen etc....we did some school work at the table or at least tried but the kids weren't really up to it - so Sam played Lego, showered and played on the computer....not a great day but I figure if she had been in school then she would have had the day off and done nothing anyway....she missed her class at the library today but we are heading to the library tonight as it is the last day to hand in our Spring break pizza wedges and we have dvd's due back....

Tomorrow?  Farm and Ranch show...

A walk at the dog park.....

Yesterday was supposed to be warmer than it felt, so we arranged to meet friends at the dog park for a walk.  Rosie had a blast - as did our friends dog....Abby was sick and her feet were cold, but she made the best of it for the most part.  Sam loved it - but then anywhere with puddles and sticks is a hit with Sam :)  

Loving this....

Love love LOVE Young the Giant......whole album is FAB!!!  :)

Tag time....

1: Who are you?  I am a 41 year old British girl living in Canada.  I am a dreamer.  I am a homeschooling and unschooling advocate.  I am an artist and journaler. I am a Mom to 5 amazing young people. 

2: What do you love about where you live?  I love the freedom it allows the children.  I love how little work there is due to the size of the house and yard.  I love how close we are to everything so we can run out for groceries, the library, for coffee, to friends, to classes....I love that we have sidewalks for the children to cycle, scooter and walk safely.  I love that we are right beside a great park  that has an ice rink, basketball, a vegetable garden and a splashpark!!  I love the weather here - despite the cold it is almost always sunny!

3: What might your perfect afternoon look like?  A stroll around Whyte Ave, the farmers market...coffee somewhere to people watch, a nosey around the Antiques mall with a friend, a walk through Mill Creek Ravine...then supper somewhere casual - Cafe Mosaic or Naanolicious.  

4: If you had an hour alone in your studio/creative space, what would you do?  I would work on my Spirits of Joy coursework....I want to work on my 'blank square', my number...and the other 4 dreams :)

5: Right now, what are some of your favorite things?  seeing the kids playing outside all the time again.  Reading or art journaling out on the back deck.  The promise of Summer.  

6: What foods nourish your soul?  Greek yogurt and unpasteurized honey.  Sharons scones and granola (mainly because of them being given to me by a friend).  Steeped tea.

7: When you need to simply take a breath and reground yourself, what do you do?  Soak in the bath, go for a walk, art journal, make a tea and sit outside.  Sit by an open window.

8: How do you nurture your creative dreams?  I take online classes.  I chat with creative/ positive friends.  I spend time DOING it.

Easter Monday at our place...

Started with cuddles with Sam and Lily,

Then Sam and Abby cycled to meet up with their friends and spent the afternoon playing.

I shaved Rosie, swept the garage of grit and sand from the winter, 

and then washed the car....it NEEDED it!!

I also put dinner in the crockpot - a lime and garlic sauce with orange and lemon juice too, and honey!!  

We had that with vegetables and smashed baby potatoes :)

After dinner Sam and Abby walked Rosie, and while they were gone,

Susannah and I hid the eggs and Easter chocolate.  When they arrived back they started finding eggs on the porch and continued finding them inside...

Then we all curled up and watched Adventure Time and Spongebob together - although I was reading the fab book I'm enjoying right now (Putting Makeup on Dead People)

After that it was showers for the kids and I sorted laundry and decluttered 

some more boxes from the garage that we brought in last week.  I also helped Abby make a sock bun for her doll.  She won an Easter picture contest on Instagram yesterday - a photo of her doll.  

Springbreak is over now :(  school again tomorrow, sewing class for Abby....and a walk with Rosie in the afternoon as it is supposed to be 10c which will be gorgeous!!!

Hope you all had a fabulous Easter!!!

Easter dinner.....

Rob Grant from Now Radio gave my dinner 9 out of 10 lol :)  

Chilling out :)

Easter Day at our place....

Happy Easter everyone!  

We are having a lovely relaxing day at home.  We started with brunch outside which is one of our traditions:

We painted eggs, made snacks that are traditional for us, played an easter game and Abigail took pictures of her doll for an Easter contest:

Poor little eggy cracked up:  

Les Miserables

On Monday evening, Abigail and I headed off to see Les Miserable at the movie theatre.  I had heard so many amazing reviews and was told how people had been to see it several times and had cried through the whole thing.

I have to say I was very disappointed in the movie.  I didn't cry all the way through - cried a little at the end but thats all...I'm glad I went to see it, but have to admit I found it boring in places - even the sings didn't impress me - there was only one memorable song.

We did see the sun setting by the refineries on the drive to the theatre though :)  

Itty Bitty Kitty

Nanny Spicer....

My Grandmother, Nanny Spicer, sadly died last week.  She was 101 years old and would've been 102 in July.  I feel lucky that I was able to visit with her in 2009, with my two youngest children.  We were able to get some photographs of us all and I felt then that I had said my goodbyes.  

I am very glad that I can say that Sam and Abby met their Great Grandmother, who lived to such a grand age...and can tell them how we surprised her...and how Sam hid in her closet for a long while as he was shy.  Eventually he came out and they chatted and winked and whistled at each other :)  

Despite having lived in two different places since her cottage, it is the cottage that I remember most - with the little round caravan (trailer) to play in, and their donkey 'Skippy' in the field.  And of course Sasha, their black lab who I loved to take for walks.  

There are many times Abigail will pull a certain face and it reminds me of Nanny - so I know that Abby looks somewhat like her....

I just finished reading the book 'The One Hundred Year Old Man who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared' - and so in my mind, that is what Nanny has done - climbed out of the window, disappeared and headed for new adventures :)