Kids New Years Eve

I really wanted to do something fun with the kids for new years even though there was no hope of them staying up (nor did I want to deal with the results of them staying up) I decided to do fondue which the boys loved (especially Jordan) Skyler loved the chocolate fondue because he could do the dipping all by himself!
And Ethan just enjoys mangling cream puffs and licking chocolate off of the fruit.Right after dinner we dressed the kids up really warm and went to Zoo Years Eve at the Calgary Zoo - the event was sold out, and I was excited to take the kids. Was it worth it? - No, I could have taken them to Zoo Lights on a warmer night. There were fireworks, but Ethan was exhausted after getting up really early this morning, so we missed them by like 10 minutes. There was supposed to be entertainment, and there was a person dressed up as a polar bear, and a few angels, but hardly worth it.

What do you do with your kids to help them enjoy New Years? Ideas Please!!!

Swim Time!

gotta love the muffin all over his face - it goes great with the goggles and life jacket! Skyler asked us to go to Grandmas and swim yesterday - which we jumped on. I am not sure how, but we ended up with a child who DOES NOT like to swim. he loves to play in the water, but if HIS feet are not on the ground, then he is freaking out. We were at a hotel a few months ago, and he was asking to go swimming. We got everyone ready and went to go to the pool, and as soon as we opened the door to the pool he bolted and decided that the pool was too big to swim in. huh?? He threw me for a loop with that one. Anyways yesterday we went swimming at grandma and grandpa's and he swam, and did great. he paddled and kicked, didn't scream and seemed to enjoy himself. Progress was made. YAY!!!

Big Boy Bed for Ethan

We moved Ethan into a toddler bed this week in preparation for him moving into Skylers Bunk bed with him. It was seriously the easiest transition ever. I am not sure how we lucked out but there has been no change in sleeping patterns, and my kids go to bed easy! Isn't he soo cute!

Giving at Christmas time

We had our ward Christmas Party last night (I forgot the Camera again - I do hope that is not becoming a habit) There were some Santa Gifts left at the end of the evening that my mom ended up dragging home after the party. This morning we went and spent some time with Grandma and decided to take all of the extra toys to Mountain of Toys which is a toy Drive in Calgary put on by Lite 96 radio station. This was great until we started packing up the toys to give away and Skyler realized that the toys were not all for him. We had a tantrum sad as it is (I think it is something to do with being 3) while we struggled to pack up the kids and toys.

Skyler and I took the toys to a drop location, and he places every single one of them into the Tree tent that was set up for collection. On the way home he was so happy, and proud of himself that he made other little boys and girls happy at Christmas time.

A small lesson that will need to be retaught time and again, but as of right now he know that we celebrate Christmas because it is Jesus' birthday and that we give gifts like the wise men. He knows that he is blessed with more than a lot of other children and was happy to help.

oh, Hi Mom

Can you believe it!

We got to go to a work Christmas party for my mom's work (ok sort of it is a customer of her works that invited us) The invite said that Santa was coming, and they could ride the polar bear express so bring your camera's We all forgot. All of us. My mom forgot hers, I forgot mine, I didn't have my phone, and Jordan's phone was charging at home, so no pictures :(

Skyler loved it, he chased Santa around to make sure that he knew that he wanted Gator golf for christmas. I sure hope someone is getting him it because I didn't buy it. He also got to hug frosty the snow man, a penguin gave him kisses, he rode the train, and then there was a table set up for decorating cookies - neither one of my boys wanted cookies. Seriously they wouldn't take the bait. I am ok with that though.

Skyler fell sound asleep on the way home but my little monkey Ethan was wired and he talked and pointed at things all of the way home, and then once freed from his snow suit started running laps around the Island in the kitchen.

They did both go to sleep like good little angels and I hope that they sleep in a little to compensate being late.

In other news - Jordan has decided to run a half ironman triathlon in Hawaii in 2010. I am soo not even close to being in shape for something like that and the time to train doesn't seem like a very likely possibility either, but I am soo proud of him, and can't wait to see this through. A trip to Hawaii doesn't really hurt either.

The kids are happy

We went tobogganing yesterday. Skyler loved it! Ethan preferred not to be sent down a hill on a foreign object, but who's really paying attention. Overall a fabulous event. I guess I will have to add sleds to out wish list. When we were done we all came back to our place for sugar cookies and hot chocolate. The kids loved it,The downside... This is what my back entry way looked like!

from the mouth of Skyler

Nathan lets go play kings, you can be the king, and I am a pretty princess...

is there something wrong with this?

Christmas Baking

so I have been thinking a lot about Christmas baking - am I supposed to do it? I bake with my kids and when we go to dinners always do my part, but in my family I am the only one who is married, and with my in-laws we all still tend to go to their home (it is big enough for all of our families to sit and talk, or enjoy a meal together) so am I supposed to do Christmas baking?? If so, then what for. I participated in a cookie exchange, and we ate all of the cookies that didn't go stale first. I made homemade chocolates mmmm but they are mosty for gifts - oh and for my husband to pick a bag a night and devour - he loves it! Today I made sugar cookies for family home evening snack, and to have after we go tobogganing this afternoon - is that my Christmas baking??

and the Christmas crafts begin...

Life is way too busy for me to do something every day, especially cooking for the mission home for 2 weeks in December, but since we have the time this week we are making the most of it.
Yesterday we made gingerbread houses (out of graham crackers - because I had all of the babysitting kids to do it with as well)
Ethan had more fun eating the candy then putting it on his house, but Skyler LOVED it!Today we made Cinnamon Tree decorations that make the house smell oh so good, and it is super easy!
Skyler hung all of his on the tree - he has improved since decorating the tree a few days ago - they were all on the same level, but not all on the same branch :)

Christmas has arrived

Yay! Christmas is now here in our house - although it was hard to wait until December this year because Christmas has been everywhere for weeks already! Tonight for Family Home Evening we went out and cut down a Christmas tree, and I love it!
We drove 45 minutes out of the city and walked through the woods (with flashlights because we did it at night - next year it will be the Saturday before we want to decorate) until we found the perfect tree.
then Skyler and Jordan worked at cutting it down for us so that we could secure it to the top of the van to bring in home.
I LOVE our tree this year, it is totally a Charlie Brown tree, and not a genetically engineered full tree, or a full fake pre-lit tree (all of which do look beautiful) but it is our tree that we found in the woods and brought to our home. The boys loved it and I would totally do it again. This tree really makes me smile every time that I look at it.

A Legacy of Love

I see my Mother kneeling with our family each day
I hear the words she whispers as she bows her head to pray
Plea to the Father quiets all my fears
and I am thankful Love is Spoken here

Mine is a home where every hour
is blessed by the strength of priesthood power
with Father and Mother leading the way
teaching me how to trust and obey
and the things they teach are crystal clear
For love is spoken here.

Picture this song sang by 7 motherless children (2 were serving missions for the church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints) and a recently widowed father.

There was not a dry eye in the overfilled chapel as the family of Jordan's Aunt (Dianne Litchfield)sang those words in memory of their dear mother.

2 children serving missions in other parts of the world, 1 home not even 5 weeks from a mission, 6 children trying to live the way their parents taught, 7 grandchildren (one not even 2 weeks old)

That is the legacy left this week by a woman solid and sure of her motherhood and it's divine role. She will be missed dearly, but the love will not end as we celebrate the life she has lived.

My Love Language Test Results

I feel loved when...

The Five Love Languages

My Primary Love Language is Quality Time

My Detailed Results:
Quality Time:	10
Words of Affirmation:	8
Acts of Service:	7
Physical Touch:	5
Receiving Gifts:	0

About this quiz

Unhappiness in relationships is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. It can be helpful to know what language you speak and what language those around you speak.

Tag 3 people so they can find out what their love language is.

Take the Quiz!
Check out the Book

As Requested

Here are some of the recipes for my kitchen concoctions that keep my kids busy - Jordan likes to say that I am going to blow something up, all that corn starch and all...


Homemade Slime

3/4 cup water and 1 cup white glue
mix together and add food coloring if desired

4 tsp Borax and 1 1/3 cup warm water
mix together in a second bowl

Pour the contents of the first bowl into the second bowl and let sit for 1 minute.

Time one minute and remove your slime from the soapy water mixture, if you let it sit longer in the Borax mixture it get firmer. There is no need to mix the contents of the 2 bowls, just pour and time.

store in a zip lock bag in the fridge.


Snow Paint

4 Tbsp corn starch
1 cup warm water
food coloring

Mix in a small spray bottle, and turn your pretty little snow angels blue, or your snowman pink. Yesterday we just had a purple backyard.


Homemade Finger paint

4 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
2 cups cold water

Mix over medium heat until thick (will thicken more while cooling) devide into 4 or more containers and add food coloring. Let cool and paint away!


ok, so there they are, but I want all of you to post fun things that you are doing with your kids too so that I can get some more ideas. Thanks

Little Eskimos

I love these cute little faces bundled up trying to make all of the snow in out backyard turn purple.
I soo want to be able to take good pictures of Skyler again, but he is too busy doing his picture pose smile to look happy.

Something Satisfying

there is something strangely satisfying about seeing (almost) every toy in your home piled up and freshly sterilized, although it does make for a rather messy kitchen and living room...

Pee? Really?

I am currently babysitting kids, and really struggling if I should continue, or if I should continue with other children. The boy that I babysit is 4 years old, and has instigated numerous outrageous things in my home. Flour, Laundry soap, glue, cooking spray etc. Today we made slime, I sent the boys downstairs to play while I cleaned up the rather large mess. The boys had been down there about 5 minutes when Skyler came running upstairs to tell me that Nathan had peed. That is right, he whipped down his pants and started peeing all over my basement intentionally. He is potty trained, and today he peed on my couch, floor, carpet, toy box, and in all of my toy bins. Now I have 4 children who cannot play downstairs because I have to disinfect my whole basement before it is sanitary. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

keeping kids busy

We have had lots of fun this past week trying to keep the kids busy. The weather has been warm (relatively), but we don't have a lot of snow, and it is pretty wet to be at the parks, so I have been trying to find things inside to keep the kids busy.
We made homemade finger paints, and thank goodness I knew what was in them because Ethan loved to eat it.I think Skyler managed to make something like 20 pictures, and they got more and more brown as he went, but he, as usual loved it!
We made Stop and Goo Cars again - always a hit around here.

We made FOUR batches of play dough because the kids wanted all 4 colours in the food coloring box which is fine, but it soon became one kind of blah colourand my personal favorite so far this winter is the slime. So easy to make, soo gross to touch, and little boys just adore that goopy feeling on thier hands.
I must admit, I am a little nervous with Skyler getting older and wanting more to keep him busy am I going to have enough ideas to keep him busy until spring?Are we actually going to have some good, not too cold snowy weather so the kids can play outside?

Do any of you have good Winter time keep busy ideas?

Going Private

I would like to make my blog private, so those of you that read it, and would like to be able to continue to read please leave your e-mail address as a comment on this post, and I will add you. I will go Private December 01. Thanks

Family Pictures

I loved all of the cute Family Photos that were done outside with the fall colors as a backdrop, but I missed the ball, and now it is too cold (although really warm for November) to do any decent pictures outside. My sister in law Jocelyn has a little studio in her home, and is just starting her business. I AM IN LOVE with my pictures. I have never had family picture turn out soo good, and the kids WERE NOT cooperating they just wanted to play with their little cousin and her toys. Not to mention the fact that we were only at her home for a total of 30 minutes. Talk about amazing! Here are some of my favorites.
We had lots of funny faces on Skyler because he likes to say broccalli instead of cheese, and scrunches up his face, I had fun looking at them.This is Ethan in his element, getting ready to cause trouble - and loving it!
I totaly wish I had more wall space to display them all. Jocelyn specializes in Children's photography and is in her element with children, she loves them, and they love her which makes for happy pictures, and happy me!

And today we have...

Glue, lots and lots of glue. It is my dad's birthday tomorrow, and we were busy making him a card. I ran upstairs to grab the pictures, and when I cam down we were missing 2 guilty culprits, and the glue stick! I call them both upstairs only to find out that I have glue on my TV, fireplace, window, walls, toy trucks, corn on the cob and strawberry's. After they helped me clean up their mess, they were both in time outs, and we were talking. I mentioned that Heavenly Father isn't happy with behavior like that and that it makes him sad - all of a sudden we had one very upset boy, and lots of tears. Skyler was soo upset that he made heavenly Father sad, becasue he loves Heavenly Father, and wants him to be happy.

Perhaps not all of the lessons that I am trying to teach are getting through, but this blessed little spirit is getting some of them, and I love him! messes and all!

better late than never

I got a new haircut a few weeks ago, and I do really like it.I am actually growing out my bangs, and the back I am able to leave curly which is nice because my hair naturally is really curly.

Halloween Candy

What do you do with your kids Halloween candy? Let them have at it, and it is gone in a few days, Ration it out - that could last at least a year with the loot that my kids got
For the last couple of years I have let Skyler have a treat or two a day, all the while Jordan eating it at night, and then after a month or so I have made Jordan put it away, or threatened to throw it all out - then it ends up in our bedroom, but he finishes it off and life goes on. I was thrilled when I saw This idea for dealing with candy - we were already a week late, so I didn't stamp, I used a silver marker, and I didn't waste my time on brads, I used a hot glue gun to attach the cups
Skyler was able to pick 2 treats a day, and put them into his cups which are attached to paper covered diaper box (that is where all of my card board comes from)
Then I glued tissue on top so that he can use his little fist to get at his treat each day.

I love it this way the candy is done and gone in a month. Skyler got to pick out what he wanted before Jordan ate it (although he seems not to go for Chocolate, so Jordan wouldn't have had too much competition)

Next time I would plan ahead and find slightly smaller cups, and maybe a bigger piece of Cardboard and make it more into a calender, but I like the idea all the same.

Halloween Costumes

I didn't even realize that I had not posted my kids Halloween costumes until my Dad asked me to send them to him. Ethan was a puppy, Skyler a dinosaur and I wore the dollar store green devil horns, and Skyler thought I was the coolest mom around. Worth the buck I guess.

It melt's my heart

I LOVE, LOVE when I have been gone for a short while and I walk in the door to both of my boys running at me to give me huge hugs - each is jealous of the other, and both are vying for my attention, but they are happy, smiling and loving ME. It melts my heart - I Love being a mom!

Jordan 's Halloween Party

We had Jordan's Halloween Party on Saturday night, and it was a lot of fun. He really enjoys throwing Halloween parties, he thinks it is the best time of year for a party. Last year was adult scary with eyeballs in the drinks, Psychological Horror movies, and Nasty looking (but yummy tasting) food. This year (since I am less excited about Halloween) we did a murder mystery and it really did turn out great. After doing a party like this, I don't think that I would be able to go back to How to Host a Murder games.

I should have taken pictures of Jordan Mocktail bar - by far one of his best ideas for the night, and all of the decorations, but I forgot - big surprise.

Part of the game was extortion, blackmail, and pickpocketing of course, so each player started with some money. Jordan decided to charge for their drinks, which turned out great. Some of the guys were schmoozing girls to get info, or just to play up their characters. At one point Jordan got suckered into buying his whole table rinks because in Character he was the runt employee of the Boss of Bosses, or something along thoses lines.

The one thing that didn't turn out great is that those who had played other Murder games were holding onto their action and murder cards waiting for more rounds, which in this game doesn't happen.

Dinner was Garlic shrimp with Pasta Carbonara, Ceaser Salad and Tomato Basil soup, and dessert was squares so that you could mingle and enjoy the sweets.

Decoration were for the Grand opening of the club and were black, whits and red with some gold and glitz going on as well. After all this was happening in th roaring twenties.
There were prizes for best performance, best costume, most money, and best detective, it really was a lot of fun - things we learned and would do a little differently next time, but overall a fabluous experience!

where is the cooking spray?

Seriously? I am a little bit weird as in Monday is the day that I vacuum my floors upstairs, and Wednesday is the day that I Clean my bathrooms,and Fridays, well that is the day that I clean the basement and do laundry.

While I was upstairs preparing for the loads and loads of laundry to travel downstairs Skyler and Nathan decided to find some trouble, where you ask, well why not torment the fish.

They took cooking spray and thoroughly coated the bowl, and sprayed plenty inside, while in the process managed to spray all of my floors and table. Then just for kicks added chocolate chips and pancakes. That poor fish, I am not sure it will live until tomorrow.

Turkey...

Jordan wants to have an American thanksgiving because he was away (at a school conference) on Canadian thanksgiving, but I have tons of Turkey in my freezer! We had cook up a gigantic bird (26 lbs) and I have been making my family eat it every other day for weeks, and I still have a way to go!

We have made Turkey Cheese pockets, Turkey Jambalya, Turkey Tetrazini, Turkey Encore, and then today I made loads of Turkey pie filling - resulting in 2 pies, enough to make twice that many more to freeze, and some super cute leaf cracker made from left over pie dough!

Little buddies

I am actually so excited for the boys to share a room, and we will be moving Ethan in there sometime in the next couple of months (I hope!) Anyways, I walked into Skyler's room today, and they were playing in the firetruck like best buddies, and it made me soo happy!

Non verbal words

Just because my 16 month old is not verbal in the sense of carrying on a conversation, or telling me what he would like, he certainly has a way of getting his point across. He is a horrible eater, and I fight with him to eat anything besides breakfast (and snacks of course) so I was thrilled when he started eating rice at dinner. I always offer him food hoping one day... Well tonight he ate, and made a mess, but then started fussing, he stood up in his seat, leaned toward the pot of rice - I asked if he wanted more, and took a scoop, and just to make sure that I new what he wanted he jams his fist down onto his plate. He cracks me up!
sorry you have to ignore the snotty nose, he hasn't been feeling up to par lately.

Skyler's Party

So to start things off lets do some clarification I am not creative, in fact I am far from it, I am a class A copycat, and will give credit where credit is deserved! Also, I don't often do just for the heck of it parties for my kids, I go all out on their birthdays, but my husband for some reason loves throwing Halloween parties - he says it is the best holiday to throw a party for. Anyways I go along and totally get stuck on all of the details and trying to make his party the best that it can be. Last year Skyler was terrified of Halloween, but this year he is excited and loves all of the Scary things there are to see, so I decided that he could have a party of his own - I think I will probably let him have one in the future as well, tweaking some things of course and learning from the past.

This year he invited all of his cousins (they are only on one side of the family) and then of course Grandma and Grandpa had to come because they were going to be in Europe on Halloween and not get a chance to see the kids in costumes, and because they were there they were a ton of help! The grand kids all love them!

I am horrible at taking pictures at these kinds of events though because I am the one organizing everything.

We started off with dinner - nothing too festive, just something fast that we could all enjoy so that we would have time for the fun before bed (fresh rolls, crock pot tortellini, Jello Salad, and Strawberry poppy seed salad)

then the fun began, we made witch cupcakes found at Martha Stewart although they have popped up on blogs all over the placethe kids loved making them - Skyler really loved the hair for some reason, and made really hairy witches!

We made Caramel apples, and I would say it is the best way to go about it, we used craft caramels (about 2 cups) with 2 Tbsp of milk, melted them in the microwave and went nuts! Jordan especially likes the Smartie, Caramel combination
We then played Spider web bowling which was so fun, the kids loved it and took turns really well, but I forgot to get a picture of it.

Then we carved the pumpkins, again I only have a picture of our 3 after the fact because I was up to my elbows in Pumpkin guts, and then we decorated Sugar cookies! I did up a few extra plates to take to some neighbors, and it was quite obvious that I had a 3 year old helping, but it was his party after all right?