The Week That Was

We went to Winnipeg for the long weekend and found that this short week sped by! We did get lots of errands run and had some pretty good backyard time, and even a short bike ride.

It took a day to get him used to the helmet, but he loves bike rides, so now he's happy to see it come out.

We found a park to play at while M was at piano, and played on this slide for a solid 20 minutes.

For spring soccer, the girls play outside, but on great turf fields.  Monday's game was early enough for Nolan & I to go to; we have to miss the later ones.

Silas (he's the one in front) brought me a deck of cards from France, and I broke them in playing our 'family game' Pounce.  It's always a good time - little K was doing a great job keeping up!

Media Star!

This past Monday was Music Monday:

Astronaut Chris Hadfield and Barenaked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson have collaborated between earth and space to co-write the official song for Music Monday 2013. The end-result features Hadfield playing the song from the International Space Station, while Robertson and the Wexford Gleeks, a TDSB school choir, join him to unite in song with schools and communities across our nation.  

At 12 pm Eastern Time and at the exact same time across Canada (...11 a.m. Central Time...) schools and communities from coast to coast will be united by the Music Monday theme song, “ISS – Is Somebody Singing.“

(quotes from the Music Monday site.)

 Madeline's school was one of the ones in SK that was participating, and had some media coverage of the event.  She said there were just a few students interviewed, and she was interviewed twice!  I got the links from her music teacher and wanted to share with you - enjoy!!

News Story - (in English) - This link also has the video with the song. 

Radio-Canada - This one's a video, in french.  Choose the Monday, May 6 link (lundi 6 mai), and it's at 4/4, 2:45.

(I think it's funny that these are both radio stations, but one is a printed article and one is a video...)

Snow Shoveling in Shorts & the First Haircut

With winter turning to summer within days, there was a bit of overlap in the seasons!  Sean spread the last of the big piles of snow out so they'd melt faster, and Nolan was right in there with a little shovel helping.

Just like Dad!

Except with his own sense of style.

"I'll start this one, Dad!"

Ha ha - this one just made me laugh.

A good shot of his hair 'before'...

And a few days later - no snow and a little boy cut!

Skor Cake

I was asked this morning for this recipe, and since I had to type it out to email it to my Mother-in-law, I figured I'd share it here with you.  It really is not too hard, and the results are so good.

The recipe comes from a 'Robin Hood Festival of Baking' booklet from 1998... Wow - I've had it since before M was born.  It's called an Easy Creamy Chocolate Torte, but we just call it 'That Skor Layer Cake'.  Put whatever title you want on it when you copy this; here's the recipe for the goodness:

1 pkg Devil's Food cake mix
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
4 Skor bars, crushed

Prepare cake mix in two 9" round cake pans accornding to package directions.  Cool.  Cut each layer in half.  (I do that by wrapping a piece of dental floss around it and tightening it right through.  Works like a charm.)

Combine whipping cream, sugar and cocoa.  Chill 15 minutes.  Whip until stiff.  Fold in 3 crushed Skor bars.  Spread cream mixture between layers and on top of cake.  Sprinkle remaining Skor bar on top.  Chill  until serving.

Enjoy!

What to do with Buttermilk

I made a batch of raisin bran muffins the other day, and the recipe called for buttermilk.  I had 1/2 the carton left over and figured I'd go online to find a recipe that called for buttermilk...  Before I got around to doing that, though, I was flipping through a magazine, and saw a recipe for buttermilk pancakes.  Perfect!  I made them up for Nolan and I for lunch and threw the rest in the freezer to enjoy for later breakfasts. 

 
I did see online that you can freeze buttermilk.  Use an ice cube tray to freeze 2 tablespoon portions, then throw them into a freezer bag.  This is great, because I rarely use the whole carton when I do get one, and then the rest doesn't go to waste, and I don't have to buy a whole new carton for another recipe.

The same article also had two loaf recipes that call for buttermilk... I don't need lots of baking around the house, so I'm looking for opportunities to try both of them, too!

More Thoughts on Prayer Nights

I wrote recently about a prayer night that our small group had; we still had our visiting and eating time, but the bulk of our night was spent wandering to different 'stations' in the house that were set up with prompts for different areas of life to be praying for.  Today I wanted to share with you a few more thoughts on why nights like that are so good. 

• We rarely spend that much time in prayer in one chunk unless it is intentionally planned.
• It reminds of of things we neglect to pray for.
• We get suggestions for different ways to pray for the things we do pray for.
• There is power in being in community, and in praying in community.  We were praying separately, but together.  This was enhanced by our time of communion and feasting together after.
• Praying together helps keep you from being distracted!
• Learning about God is great, but we also need times when we act on what we learn, times of serving him, times when we are with him and seek his face.

A few verses that fit (because everything is better with Scripture!):

• Ephesians 6:18 - And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.
• Mark 11:24 - Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
• Revelation 5:8 - And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the Lamb.  Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people.
• Proverbs 15:8 - The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

Wishing for you a good time in prayer today.

Photos

It's been a while since I've posted pictures because I got a new phone and have been taking most of my photos on that, and haven't got the system down for getting them on here yet. Glad to finally share these and give you a bit of a visual update on my awesome family.

Our biggest news this week is that M is now a glasses wearer!  She has always had 20/20 vision, but lately was having headaches, so we took her in to get tested and found she's farsighted.  So today is her first day off to school with this new look - hopefully she finds them easy to adjust to.  I think they make her look sharp.

Nolan had fun trying on the little glasses - he'd laugh and check himself out in the mirrors.

Here are Nolan's first paintings!  There is a new Early Years Family Center near us (a 12 minute stroller walk away!) that is full of neat stuff for him, it's open every morning and afternoon (M-F), and is free.  Beat that!  We went last week for the first time with friends, and yesterday afternoon walked over by ourselves.  An hour there sure went fast.

Some of Madeline's new talents - french braiding her own hair, and fish tail braiding.  She did a couple on me the other day, too - that's almost as good as a massage.  Apparently guitar is another new skill, but she just plays at school, so we are looking forward to getting her one at home so she can play more and we can hear her!

This is a typical morning in our house.  Madeline practicing, Nolan getting in her way, somewhere in between pjs and being dressed for the day, with his favorite thing to steal from the fridge - the mustard.

A new friend!  This cat has been hanging around for the last week or so, since I left a bag of garbage on the deck...  The kids both love her, and she's great with Nolan, but she's learned not to come meowing around at night...

Coffee.  Both our kids love coffee.  This one is empty, and decaf.  Should be safe.

This is another common sight.  I take Nolan swimming every couple of weeks, and Madeline has lessons Monday nights, which we all go to (as long as he's had a decent nap!)  At both pools he loves to play in the lockers.  Don't they all?

And snow.  It's going away, finally - from totally covering the swing last week, it's now down to the grass under the swing.  There are still a couple big piles, but I think spring has finally arrived.  Nolan loves being outside and doesn't mind the snow at all; it takes a lot for him to be too cold or tired enough to want to go in.

Have a great weekend!!

The Bake Sale

"Mom, it's our bake sale tomorrow.  I meant to tell you before but I forgot."

I made Strawberries & Cream Pudding Cookies (found on pinterest) that afternoon, got mini cupcakes & sugar cookies baked in the evening, then iced the cupcakes & sugar cookies in the morning, and got them all to school for 10:15 in the morning.

I think that's a gold star for this mom this week.

Career Day at School...

She went as a Ninja.

Small Group Prayer Night

Our small group is made up of four couples.  We all knew each other fairly well before, so have made an easy transition to being a bunch that enjoys our weekly time together.  We had talked about wanting to do a prayer night together, when our time wasn't filled with visiting and eating and watching a teaching video and discussing it and prayer, but simply prayer (...and food and visiting).

I wanted to share with you what we did; it's a great experience, doesn't take much to put together, and is a very worthwhile addition to what your small group does together.

We started with visiting and getting our coffees while everyone arrived and got the kids settled with the sitter, then met all together for a few instructions and an opening prayer.  We moved into a time of personal confession, getting our hearts right before God before we moved into praying for all the other areas.  As each one finished that, they moved on to the stations set up around the house.  We had two of our 8 missing, and with 7 stations, there was always a free one to move to, even though most were set up to allow more than one to be there. 

Each station was for a different area of life that we should be praying for.  We had:

• Children
• Marriages
• Church
• Family & Friends (including work relationships)
• Stress
• Current Events
• World (Global Church and World Governments)

 Most stations had lists of "How to pray for..." that I found online.  The world station had a big atlas, and the current events station was at our computer, open to news sites.  The friends & family lists were mind maps I made using a free site online.

We came back together for our last half hour, and had a time of communion together.  Our teaching video last week was on communion and left us thinking we should do that together; this was the perfect timing and setting.  We had a loaf and juice and talked about what it represents and why we gather together - it was very casual, but very real - and then we kept eating of the small feast we had spread on the table.

It was a very good night.  Everyone seemed quite positive about the experience and want to do it again, even setting it up exactly the same.  I do have a few ideas to expand or tweak it, but they're right - it doesn't have to be re-invented each time.  I have done prayer rooms that had more hand-on involvement, but this way worked well for this type of group.  We may invite others to join us next time we do it, and we would be willing to set it up at the church for the whole church to participate at some point. 

I hope this sparks a desire in you to share a time like this with friends, and gives you an idea of how to go about it.

Hope

I picked the hope mug again this morning.

I showed you these before: the mugs we got from Mom & Dad for Christmas.  The plan was to swap them back out once the holidays were over, but they are still in the cupboard, mid April.  Outside still looks like January, so maybe once it's green we'll do that.

I've gotten into the habit, though, of picking the mug I use based on what I would like to see or feel in my life at the moment.  Often it's the green Joy mug, but the Hope mug sees a lot of use, too, and Peace....  It's such a nice addition to the morning coffee to have a calming thought inhaled in, affecting my whole being.

This week, this is what I hope:

that spring will come
that M will get through the teenage years without being too scarred by them
that she would be strong mentally & stand strong against the pressure of her peers
that Sean and his business would thrive
that N will sleep through the night one day and not need to nurse to sleep and I'll be able to leave him  knowing he's fine without me
that God will answer prayers for the salvation of friends and family
that I would hold on to joy; enjoy friends and have meaningful work both raising my children and otherwise that this marriage will only get stronger and last forever
that my light would shine
that I would be open to people and opportunities
that God's kingdom would come on earth as it is in heaven
that we would find a dress for M's grad that she loves and that we are happy with
that Sean would find a good friend to spend time with now that one has moved away
that N's cold would be gone soon and not spread to his lungs or ears

I am so thankful that my hopes don't have to remain just hopes, but are prayers that the Answer hears.

A Staycation

Sean went on a golf vacation last month, and while he was off enjoying the sun and hot temperatures in Nevada, M and I ended up having a bit of a stay-cation.  We didn't really plan it, but with all the one on one time (with Nolan...) instead of family time, it ended up being a very nice girls weekend.

We watched Wreck It Ralph.  Very cute.  M rated it an 8/10.  I might go as high as a 9.

We did pedicures.  We got out buckets to soak our feet, all the lotions and scrubbers... and she only wanted to paint her nails...  Ha.  But we both enjoyed it and ended up with pretty toes.

She went to a Regina Pats hockey game with a friend - it was the same night as youth group, so she missed that, but had fun doing something out of the ordinary.

We went shopping, and it was a success - I don't even remember if we got anything; a success in my books is keeping our expectations low and not swinging moodily if something catches our eyes and we can't get it...  Ah, teens.

On the food side of things, I made her favorite Cannelloni one night, and one night she cooked supper and it turned out great.  It was a recipe from my mom and has a note on it: "Don't make when Dad comes to visit!"  What is it with dads not liking Tuna Casserole???

We went to Sake, an all you can eat sushi place on Albert that M has wanted to take me to ever since she went with her Uncle.  Nolan had a bit of a melt down and was a little hard to corral, especially when he wanted to go meet the babies at another table, so it wasn't the best eating out experience, but she was happy to finally get there together.

And that was our little staycation - we all enjoyed our special few days, and were happy to be all back together again after.

For Moms who are Tired

Parenting is hard.  So many decisions to be made, questions to answer, meals to be planned...  Where do you go for help?  What helps you keep sane and balanced?  I have a few places I find encouragement, and this is a collection of reminders that I wrote down in my journal and on my phone when I was struggling with being tired and frustrated.  I've appreciated having them there to read over when I need a refresher - it's like a little time out to get back on track - so I thought I'd share them.

To be a good mom, keep:
* Getting enough sleep. Nap first, then chores.
* Trying again. Each moment / decision/situation is another opportunity.
* Praying. Nothing else will keep you grounded in reality (usually that it's not really that bad) and nothing else gives that hope and peace.
* Anticipating. Plan ahead so you're not faced with decisions and have to say no (ie. after school snacks - have it ready!)
* Biting your tongue against the nagging.
* Firm, and expect things done well.
* Double checking until it's done right - not because you expect perfection, but because you are training life skills.
* Telling yourself to enjoy today.
* Kissing their daddy - let them see you enjoying each other.
* Reminding yourself that it's a good thing that they don't always get what they want.  They need that training for later when they want something they know is not right - they have to know that they can handle the disappointment and that they will get over it.
* Playing.  My stuff will wait - get on the floor and make eye contact.  That is love.  Yes, there is times when it works to work while they play beside me, but prioritize.

Remember that this stage is not forever.  "This too shall pass!"  DECIDE to enjoy each moment you can and see each trying bit as a bit - not as defining the whole day. Yes, he cries - he can't talk.  Yes, he's heavy - you GET to hold him! Yes he naps - Hooray!

To keep yourself grounded, remember:
* Know yourself.  Recognize when it's PMS and cut yourself some slack.
* There has to be some compromise.- when you choose to put the other person first, follow through cheerfully. Don't play the martyr.  Periodically re-evaluate and if the choice is still the same, strengthen your resolve to see it through.
* Stay positive.  Fight the negative thoughts - they have no place in your head.

It's kind of a random collection, but it's full of things that I need reminding of. 

I just got some books on motherhood by Sally Clarkson - has anyone read any of her stuff?  I read a bit of one from the library and thought it seemed like it would be a great purchase.  I'm hoping for encouragement and inspiration to overflow... 

Where do you get your encouragement?  How do you get yourself back on track when you feel 'off'?

Interesting Links

Have you ever heard of yarn bombing?  I saw this done once in a tree in front of our favorite candy store, but didn't realize it was such a big movement...

You don't have to be on Twitter to check out the tweets from Chris Hadfield; he's the new (Canadian!) commander of the International Space Station and posts lots of photos of Earth from orbit and interesting information about what it's like to be an astronaut - all the daily bits I've never thought about.

Quick Vegetable Side Dish Recipes - 91 of them!  I saw this on Pinterest & just went through them all and saved a bunch to my meal planner.  Nice to be inspired and get alternates to the usual veggies we have in rotation around here.

The One About M.

Part of why I blog is to keep our family and friends who don't live close by up to date with our family.  The last year or so M has gotten less press than her little brother; to be fair, he is growing quicker and there is more to report.  But we do have two children, and I know there's a lot of love out there for the older one.  So today is Maddy Day!

A note on her name: I named her Madeline, I call her Madeline.  (And when I write, it's usually just M.)  Most other people call her Maddy, which started in grade 4 when there was a Madeleine (Mad-len) in her class.  My beautiful girl is 13, in grade 8, and the first thing you would notice is her beautiful smile.  Or maybe her loud antics, if she was with her friends.  Or maybe that she's 5'11.  Whatever you notice, she's no wallflower.

This was her first year playing soccer with ACFC, one of the 4 clubs in the Regina Soccer Association.  We've always played community soccer before, indoor and out, but with two weekly games and no practices, mostly arm-twisted parent coaches, and very little instruction, combined with M's growing love for the game and desire to take it further, we decided to try out this other league.  It was definitely worth the money, as she was on a team with girls that all got along, and with an experienced coach with the right balance between letting them enjoy themselves and working them hard to see growth in skills.  Hopefully most of the girls will be back together for the outdoor season.

Basketball is her other main sport at this point.  Last year their team won nothing, and this year I think they might have been undefeated.  I overheard the coach saying it was tough because they don't fit well into either of the leagues, but being in this one with smaller schools and having a winning season sure was great for M's confidence as a player!  It was great to watch the games and see her score so many points.  She has developed a lot since grade 6, and I'm pretty proud of the great team player and leader she's become.

Sports are just a part of my girl - I think she'd rather be singing than doing anything else, and has a brain that is a trap for artists and lyrics and tunes... very NOT like her mother.  She does not like taking piano lessons, but we are enforcing that for now as we know it will benefit her in the long run, and really, the 20 minutes of practicing in the morning before she gets on the bus will help in whatever music she pursues in the future.

She has one great friend, Julia, and a whole crew of others that are mostly great but who sometimes prove they are more fickle than faithful.

She would much rather shovel snow than rake leaves, and was trying to bargain with me just yesterday that in the fall, she will watch Nolan while I rake...

This summer she will likely do basketball and soccer camps at the University, as well as going to camp out at Katepwa Lake - can't miss that!  She'll also be going on a ministry trip for the first time with the youth from church, and is pretty excited about that.  Combined with going camping, to family camp and to Winnipeg for a week, she's got a fun summer lined up.

And there's a snapshot of our M for you. :)

Cards for Sale & Quilty Coffee Cozies

Holly:  Do you sell thank you cards?

Me: I never have, but there's a first time for everything!  How many?

It's always nice to have an excuse to make stuff!

I also did a little sewing this weekend with this great pack I picked up.  If I don't find somewhere to sell them retail, there's always something that comes up (like the Maranatha Women's Wellness Day?), so I'm happy to have a stash on hand.

More about Nolan

He is disinclined to eat 'baby food' any more and waves his hands back and forth to say no while scrunching up his face.  That's to the boxed powdered cereals that I mix with the veggies I had pureed.  His yogurt and applesauces are still enjoyed, and for the most part he just eats what we're eating.  We never know until we sit down though what he will eat or not.  He likes perogies and sausages, but not the chicken out of the chicken pot pie last night.

Did I mention that he climbs?  Up on the rocking chair in his room and the dress up treasure chest, on the coffee table, and now, on the toilet, from which he can reach and turn on the (thankfully cold) tap.  He can now get on the couches, too.  He can get down from everything pretty good, too, even off our bed.  He has been climbing on and over his exersaucer, too; it's one that transforms into a play table when they outgrow the seat, but I think it's not quite up to his brand of abuse & will have to be retired soon.

He doesn't talk too much, but sometimes his mimicking is pretty understandable: "Where is it?"  We're still waiting for "Madeline"...  These last few days he's been saying "No, no, no" and "doe doe doe" - fun new sounds.  We don't say no a lot (more like 'please don't touch'), so I don't think he means no; sometimes he gets it in at the right time, though, and makes us laugh.

He can get more shapes in his shape sorter every time we get it out - the hand eye coordination and determination are progressing!

Enjoying a bowl of snow!

One of his favorite ways to play is to run around the basement with a sheet over his head.  He's done this with the twister game sheet and a bed sheet; most recently with a crib sheet he stole while I was folding laundry in the basement while he played.  It's so bizarre that he has no fear running and not being able to see...  We love the laughs it produces, though, and between the two of us keep him from running into things.

He's a snuggler, and I believe it's the highlight of all our days when he tucks his head in our necks for a cozy hug.  He's also quite attached, and if I have to go to an appointment, Sean needs to come along or else it doesn't go well... (Very sorry, Carla, for putting you through the screaming at the eye doctors.)  He does love his Daddy, and he very often prefers to be with him when he's home.

He loves being out in the snow, walking and tasting, and loves eating icicles.  So not his mama's boy in this temperature issue - he won't touch a warmed up magic bag, but he'll hold onto an icicle until he's eaten the whole thing and his hand is red.  Craziness.

Like Reading It for the First Time

Nolan's Bible story the other morning had me in tears.

It was about Abraham being asked to sacrifice Isaac, and Sally Lloyd-Jones, the author of the Jesus Storybook Bible that Nolan got from Granny & Papa when he was dedicated, tells it so well.  The whole Bible, in whatever translation you read it, points to Jesus all the way through, but it's not always so obvious.  This book is written with every story clearly pointing to Jesus.

But this one: "Many years later, another Son would climb another hill, carrying wood on his back.  Like Isaac, He would trust his Father and do what his Father asked.  He wouldn't struggle or run away..." choked me up.

********** 

Last week I started reading to the kids at breakfast again; I used to read the Bible to M before N was born, but we got out of the habit when we added his needs in the morning.  Now, though, he is old enough (sort of!) to sit and listen / play without interrupting, so we are back at it.  I've decided that we will read from this Jesus Storybook Bible, and we weren't even half a page in, on the first day, before M's 13 year old eyes lit up in an 'Oh - that makes sense!' look.  (Passover explained: "God told his people to take their best lamb, to kill it and to put some of its blood on their front doors.  "When God passes over your house," Moses explained, "God will see the blood and know that the lamb died instead of you."")

It's gold.

Shop Update

Just a peek at the new magic bag covers I've got; my fabric store had a couple of sales recently, so I added these:

and these:

 

to these:

(I added the numbers for ease of ordering; you can find all the details if you click the shop tab above.)

**********

It looks like my coffee cozies may have found a retail outlet, and I haven't even started looking yet!  Carla was using hers today when she went to the museum (she is their bookkeeper), and the gift shop owner, who already sells my magic bags, asked her where she got it.  She's interested - after inventory is done! - so I have a few weeks to build up a stash of those as well.

Creative Outlets

I like to make things.

Lately, I have made two albums for the grandparents of Nolan's first year, using the pictures from this post.  They were very simple homemade 6x6 albums, chipboard covers and colored cardstock to match the photos.  I printed the age for each picture and cut it out with a circle punch, and bound it all with two rings.  Simple, but I really like how they turned out. 

I also made a little Valentine book for Sean:

The front one was the one I made last year, and is filled with random stuff; the one in back is this year's Valentine, and is filled with unused note pages and address book pages from the back of an old planner.  I'm in an online small group based out of the (in)courage website; we meet on Facebook and it has been a good encouragement this year, actually.  (They have lots of groups with different focus areas; the one I'm in is geared for those of us who are just balancing and building the marriage and parenting relationships.)  Back in November we did a month of jotting down one thing a day that we were thankful for our husbands for - I wrote them in my journal and made a point of letting him know I was thankful for stuff, but for the Valentine I wrote out all 30 things in one place for him.

And I dug out the new I Spy quilt and started sewing again.  I found this free pattern online - maybe you want to make one, too??  I've got the main middle part with all the patterns done; next is to do the border pieces.  I adapted it... meaning you were supposed to cut a certain amount, arrange them into 5 rows of 10, and you would have 5 pieces left over...  My counter is wide enough for 4 rows, so I arranged them, cut 4 more to make the ends flush, and have 4 rows of 14.  It's not wrong - just adapted!  Ha.  I will be able to adapt the rest to make it work, so no stress.

It will come out again once I've got a good stash of magic bags built up.  My friend Lori took hers to work last week when it was so cold and ended up selling a ton of them for me.  I only had a small stash, so I've been sewing all week to keep up with the orders she has coming in.  She posted a note on their bulletin board and has been 'making new friends' all week!  I like how they sort of sell themselves.

If you've got a crafty streak, I hope you find time this weekend to play and make something!