Conversations with a 3 1/2 year old

Bear: Daddy? Are you screwing?

Me & Hubby: Pardon me?

Bear (with a big more volume): Are you screwing?

Me: Screwing?

Bear: Yeah, is Daddy screwing the wall?

Me: Is Daddy putting pictures back up on the wall using a screwdriver? Yes.

Bear: OK.

Garden Joy

Despite having a incredible amount of mucus in my sinuses, a sore throat and cough courtesy of Bear, who felt it important to sneeze in my face during her sickness, I managed to get out in the garden for an hour this week.

Beautiful Flowers


Red Leaf Lettuce


First Fruits of the season

Why I shouldn't watch TV

Since my family all goes to bed by 7:30pm, I have been watching TV by myself for a few months now...and I'm noticing some disturbing trends.

1). I watch one reality TV show--The Biggest Loser ---often while snacking on chips and an apple or candy

2). Up until Monday night, the Canucks game could either give me a high or send me into the depths of despair

3). Most shows I watch have a warning: graphic forensic material is contained in this show. Viewer discretion is advised.

Last night brought it all to a head for me. Pookie was on a sleepover at my parents and Bear and I were at home. Bear had suddenly gotten all congested and sick that day and had fallen asleep on me around 6pm. Hubby was working late. I decided to watch Criminal Minds which featured a lovely park setting with kids playing and a psycho releasing anthrax. Suddenly moms and kids were coughing up blood and dying. Sitting alone, watching this show with a sick kid upstairs was not good for my mental health. I bolt upstairs checking Bear for a fever or signs of blood...but no, she is happily snoring away and slept 12 straight hours. She woke up and came into my shower this morning declaring that she doesn't feel sick and needed a jelly sandwich.

The moral of this story? I need more exercise and less snacking after dinner. I should be thankful the Canuck season is over and perhaps watching shows about psychos killing children is not the best use of my time.

Domestic Diva

On Saturday I pulled out the pasta maker that I got for my birthday back in February, called some friends over and proceeded to spend the afternoon trying to figure out. We used the recipe from the Joy of Cooking, which was complicated and messy, then proceeded to YouTube Jamie Oliver and found the 3 minute pasta making video. All in all, it was messy, fun and yummy!
The following is my attempt at food blogging!

The ingredients


The Bear and G. Mango (aka Super Nanny)


T-Mouse


The first batch


Drying on the rack...very important to keep the shape when cooking (I thought!)


G. Mango's roasted squash for stuffed pasta


Sauce with fresh basil and oregano from the garden. Unfortunately the sauce was store bought. Perhaps this summer we'll try canning our own!


The Feast --Spinach linguine, White linguine and Roasted Garlic and Squash stuffed pasta with Fine Herb sauce and the most important part...friends!

New Life

We've gone a bit garden crazy around here.  A woman from the church we attend offered a part of her garden...250 sq ft!  So we've planted potatoes, peas, radishes, carrots, garlic and spinach there as well as a couple of bean plants from Bear's preschool.  We also started some corn seedlings in our solarium.  At home we've planted garlic, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, and a  bunch of different herbs outside, and basil, peppers and cilantro in the solarium.

The fun part of this all has been the conversations I've  been having with Bear and Pookie as well as many of the neighbourhood kids.  The girls have planted most of the veggie seeds and I have even taken some of the neighbour kids to our garden and had them plant some seeds with me.  We've talked about creation, God and seeds, sun & soil.  

Here are some recent pictures to celebrate Spring and new life!

My Pear tree's first blossoms

Bear

Pookie

First pea shoots

Slow Learner...

I ate mac and cheese today.

I went to a meeting at our church that was debating whether or not women should be deacons.

Both made me sick.

I should have known better.

All things pink.

This past week I had to go to the podiatrist to check out why it feels like I'm walking on nails constantly. After a fascinating conversation about how flat my feet are and the imminent danger of my Achilles tendons breaking again, the doctor gave me 2 things to do:

Get x rays of my freakishly flat feet
Get a pair of crocs

Crocs! I've avoided these ugly shoes for so long! I just got very cool slippers from my mil and now I'm doomed to plod around the house in foam shoes. So this weekend we were off to find crocs. Of course it is a bit early in the season to find them. Finally at one store I saw a few and it was at this point that I realized that I'm doomed on so many levels. Let me explain.

Up until the year 2003 I had a hate on for the color pink. I have never worn the color by choice and had started a "I hate pink" club with some other women. Then I had Pookie. At my first baby shower at a church that sponsored us as missionaries, I received 40 gifts of clothes. 39 of them were pink. I had never known that so many variations of pink existed! From barely pink, to peachy pink to hot pink. It was horrible! Of course we all know now that Pookie's favorite color is pink, despite my best intentions.

Now when I wear anything pink or remotely in that neighbourhood, Pookie is ecstatic! It literally makes her day. I now own several pink-like shirts and hoodies. The real problem is that my girls both look good in pretty much every color under the sun and even non-colors like black. Pink is a color that happens to look amazing on both girls, so it is hard to not have them in pink often.

Back to the crocs....as I walked up to the shelf, I soon realized that the only colors in my size were purple and of course...pink. The two favorite colors of the girls. Since they were on massive clearance, I ended up getting both pairs for $14 total. (they are no name brand, real crocs coming soon!)

The morale of the story? I will wear one pink and one purple croc like shoes for my daughters because it makes them happy. Or as Bear put it, "You look like a real mom now with pink and purple shoes."

Thanks kid.