life as i know it...

We're getting C a play kitchen for her birthday next month, and I've been stocking it with food and accessories. We're pretty much set, as I've been picking up odds and ends, some great Plan Toys food sets, and making felt food for her to play with. I usually get a blank look when I say that, so here's a picture of a few (mostly) finished pieces (the lettuce and cucumber still need some stitching). I have ideas for a lot more - click here or here to see some of my inspiration. I'll post some pictures when I'm all done! It's been fun to have something creative to work on again, and a deadline to ensure that I don't put it off to get something more substantial done, like the never ending housework!

We ordered the kitchen through a US store because we couldn't find it in Canada - and it was a fantastic price! It sounds a little crazy, but because shipping + duty to Canada is outrageous through the stores we looked at, we're bringing it back as a piece of luggage on our trip back from the States. The box is apparently 51lbs, so we plan to put a few of the smaller pieces in our other bags, so we're under the 50lb limit. It's a quarter of an inch longer than the limit, so here's hoping Air Canada won't ding us for a quarter of an inch! Even if they do, the extra bag fee would be cheaper than shipping and duty to Canada, so it's a gamble we're willing to take. Cross your fingers! It's the perfect size to fit in a nook in our kitchen, and we wanted something that was made of wood and not pink or rainbow! I love the retro style of this one.

It's hard to believe C will be 2 years old in less than a month!

Posted in: crafts on January 18, 2009 1 comments    

Frigid temperatures break 125 year old record in Fredericton

Brrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

Florida, here we come!!!

Posted in: on January 17, 2009 0 comments    

Speaking of my birthday, I'm going to Disney World on my birthday!!!
Free admission to Disney parks on your birthday!

Posted in: crafts on December 23, 2008 2 comments    

Pre-Christmas celebrations are in full swing at our house!
The gingerbread house, tree and cookies have all sustained a bit of damage, but that's the fun of Christmas with kids! Claire is so excited about everything, even though she can't really understand the holiday, and she's a joy to be around!

Posted in: on December 15, 2008 3 comments    

Posted in: helpful tips, household on 0 comments    

This is just sick.

Surging Shoppers kill New York Wal-Mart Employee

I've never experienced any shopping trips so horrible and sad, thank goodness, but I do remember the crazy Boxing Day shoppers in Canada. It wasn't too bad at Sam the Record Man, but when I worked at Future Shop in BC, people camped outside the store all night on December 25th and raced into the store in the morning of the 26th. I remember kneeling on the floor getting something from a cupboard, and a guy actually jumped over me in his rush to get to a different department.

Sheesh.

Posted in: on November 28, 2008 0 comments    

We've had snow, slippery roads, and both Brad & I have been sick this past week. Claire's okay so far, thank goodness, but we're going for flu shots today anyways!

Enjoy this cute little video for all of the sickies out there!

Posted in: on November 24, 2008 0 comments    

Heard on As It Happens on CBC Radio last night. A clip of George Bush talking about the economic crisis:

"We don't need bigger government, we just need smarter government."

Posted in: on November 14, 2008 0 comments    

In Flanders Fields
by Dr. John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.



A Soldier - His Prayer

As the story goes, this anonymous poem was blown into a slit trench in Tunisia during a heavy bombardment in the early days of World War II. Who its author is, or was, cannot be determined, but it is certain that he had a gift for poetry which he used to express his great faith and sense of hope.

Stay with me God. The night is dark
The night is cold: My little spark
Of courage dies. The night is long;
Be with me God, and make me strong

I love the game; I love a fight.
I hate the dark; I love the light.
I love my child; I love my wife.
I am no coward. I love life.

Life with its change of mood and shade.
I want to live. I'm not afraid,
But me and mine are hard to part;
Oh unknown God, lift up my heart.

You stilled the water at Dunkirk
And saved your servants.
All your work is wonderful, dear God. You strode
Before us down that dreadful road.

We were alone, and hope had fled;
We loved our country, and our dead.
And could not shame them; so we stayed
The course, and were not much afraid.

Dear God, that nightmare road! And then
That sea! We got there - we were men.
My eyes were blind, my feet were torn,
My soul sang like a bird at dawn!

I knew that death is just a door.
I knew what we were fighting for:
Peace for the kids, our brothers freed,
A kinder world, a cleaner breed.

I'm but the son my mother bore,
A simple man and nothing more.
But - God of strength and gentleness,
Be pleased to make me nothing less.

Help me, O God, when death is near
To mock the haggard face of fear,
That when I fall-If fall I must-
My soul may triumph in the dust.

In Memoriam:

Posted in: on November 11, 2008 0 comments    

Christmas baking season is almost upon us, and it's time to stock the freezer again, both with sweets and with healthy meals that can be heated up quickly!

So far this week we've made marinara sauce and chicken chili (thanks Gillian!), and as soon as I get some more eggs I'll make cornbread muffins. Last week I made a very tasty (and easy) apple crisp. The cookies will come soon!!

I also stumbled across the Whole Foods recipe index, which has some really yummy looking recipes that I'd like to try.

For a not-too-sweet apple crisp, try the recipe below. It's a combination of recipes and comments from allrecipes.com, and it turned out really well, if I do say so myself!:


Apple Crisp

INGREDIENTS

Base
* 10 cups baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping
* 1 cup quick-cooking oats
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C).

2. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together. Stir into bowl of sliced apples. Place the apples in a 9x13 inch pan.

3. Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes.

Posted in: recipes on November 09, 2008 0 comments