We're having a crazy holiday as usual. But, we did manage to get one decent family picture taken. We even look coordinated, which was a total fluke!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Parenting tip #876
When your three-year-old walks up to you holding a box of raisins and asks, "Can you get it out?", he doesn't mean out of the box.
Yes, Blake stuck a raisin up his nose. Luckily, he picked it out himself. A trip to emergency avoided.
Yes, Blake stuck a raisin up his nose. Luckily, he picked it out himself. A trip to emergency avoided.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Artist in training
Faith received a paint-by-number of a horse scene for Christmas, and is madly working away at it so that she can give it to her Dad as a Christmas present (don't tell!).
I used to do these all the time when I was a kid, so it gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling to see my daughter sitting at the kitchen table doing the same thing I did about 20 years ago.
Next to horses, art is her next love. Although not the art she does at school. "At school unless it's something I can do without being told what to do, I don't like it."
Today she declared that "I'm going to be an artist when I grow up." An artist who loves horses, and has really good math marks. A great combination in my mind.
I used to do these all the time when I was a kid, so it gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling to see my daughter sitting at the kitchen table doing the same thing I did about 20 years ago.
Next to horses, art is her next love. Although not the art she does at school. "At school unless it's something I can do without being told what to do, I don't like it."
Today she declared that "I'm going to be an artist when I grow up." An artist who loves horses, and has really good math marks. A great combination in my mind.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Caramel crack (December 15, 2009)
Christmas is the one time of the year that I make caramel corn. I think I associate caramel corn with Christmas because that's when my mom always made this addictive treat, hiding the bags in the cupboard so my Dad and the rest of us wouldn't eat it all before Christmas. (Or maybe she was hiding it from herself?)
Caramel corn is actually deceptively simple to make, as long as you've invested in a candy thermometer. Apparently you can do strange tests with the caramel and water to cook the candy without a thermometer, but this is just too imprecise for me.
So, at the request of more than a few people, here is the caramel corn recipe that I use from my great-aunt. Enjoy...and be warned! Once you start you can't stop. I'm not kidding. It's like crack.
***Aunt Roberta's Caramel Corn***
1 large roast pan of popcorn
(Mine is about 10 cm x 40 cm x 30 cm. You can go bigger, you'll just get less coating per piece of popcorn.)
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter (don't even think about margarine!)
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
Set the oven to 255 F and put the popcorn in the oven to stay warm.
In a decent-sized sauce pan, combine sugar, butter, syrup, salt, and vanilla. Clip the candy thermometer to the side. Stir over medium heat to melt butter. Keep stirring until the thermometer hits 248 F. It will get get big and bubbly.
Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Pour over popcorn and stir it up. Cook in oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spread out on waxed paper, breaking up the big chunks. Cool and enjoy.
Caramel corn is actually deceptively simple to make, as long as you've invested in a candy thermometer. Apparently you can do strange tests with the caramel and water to cook the candy without a thermometer, but this is just too imprecise for me.
So, at the request of more than a few people, here is the caramel corn recipe that I use from my great-aunt. Enjoy...and be warned! Once you start you can't stop. I'm not kidding. It's like crack.
***Aunt Roberta's Caramel Corn***
1 large roast pan of popcorn
(Mine is about 10 cm x 40 cm x 30 cm. You can go bigger, you'll just get less coating per piece of popcorn.)
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter (don't even think about margarine!)
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
Set the oven to 255 F and put the popcorn in the oven to stay warm.
In a decent-sized sauce pan, combine sugar, butter, syrup, salt, and vanilla. Clip the candy thermometer to the side. Stir over medium heat to melt butter. Keep stirring until the thermometer hits 248 F. It will get get big and bubbly.
Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Pour over popcorn and stir it up. Cook in oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spread out on waxed paper, breaking up the big chunks. Cool and enjoy.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
A week of firsts
Just catching up after a busy week. So what happened?
Blake had a "real" dentist appointment for a not so fun reason. I noticed that one of his front teeth is turning gray. He knocked it on our coffee table about two months ago, so I decided trauma + funny color = dentist visit. He was a trooper and when the hygienist came out to announce his appointment, he walked off with her and left me to clean up the toys in the waiting room. What the...?
The courage was fleeting though. When he saw the big chair we balanced on the precipice of a full-out crying fit. But, the situation was rescued when I sat in the chair first and plopped him on my lap. He got to show off his tooth to our singing dentist (he's in a choir), and then sat very, very still for his x-ray. Luckily, no major damage to the root. The tooth's blood supply is compromised...hence the lovely gray color. But the adult tooth will be fine. The reward for an excellent appointment? Tim Horton's. Irony or bad judgement. Your call.
Faith also had tooth issues this week. Tuesday night, she informed us her molar was loose. Wednesday morning she ate a bagel and her tooth came out! Shocked was not the word. Her normal course of action is 4 to 6 months of a loose tooth, during which time she normally gets money from her great-grandpa for the trouble she's enduring trying to lose the tooth. It all ends in tears and blood, and for three teeth, a trip to the dentist to get them pulled. The molar was a welcome change.
Last night, George attended a black-tie event for the first time in 13 years. The last time he had on a tux, we were with a ballroom full of accounting grads. Good times. Last night, he went to a business event to mix and mingle. The biggest accomplishment of the night, however, was getting his bow tie tied. It took the two of two hours to learn how to get the bow done correctly the night before. I believe there was swearing involved. Not sure if it was worth it, but he dd look spiffy.
And, tonight, a small miracle occurred. Blake asked George to put him to bed. First time, ever. Normally, it's Mommy or no one if I'm in the house. This was actually the second time in a week George got bedtime duties while I was at home, but the first time was necessity as I wasn't feeling well and was actually laying in bed. Tonight was voluntary! Woohoo!
Now, off for more Christmas martinis and fresh-baked caramel corn to celebrate a week well done.
Blake had a "real" dentist appointment for a not so fun reason. I noticed that one of his front teeth is turning gray. He knocked it on our coffee table about two months ago, so I decided trauma + funny color = dentist visit. He was a trooper and when the hygienist came out to announce his appointment, he walked off with her and left me to clean up the toys in the waiting room. What the...?
The courage was fleeting though. When he saw the big chair we balanced on the precipice of a full-out crying fit. But, the situation was rescued when I sat in the chair first and plopped him on my lap. He got to show off his tooth to our singing dentist (he's in a choir), and then sat very, very still for his x-ray. Luckily, no major damage to the root. The tooth's blood supply is compromised...hence the lovely gray color. But the adult tooth will be fine. The reward for an excellent appointment? Tim Horton's. Irony or bad judgement. Your call.
Faith also had tooth issues this week. Tuesday night, she informed us her molar was loose. Wednesday morning she ate a bagel and her tooth came out! Shocked was not the word. Her normal course of action is 4 to 6 months of a loose tooth, during which time she normally gets money from her great-grandpa for the trouble she's enduring trying to lose the tooth. It all ends in tears and blood, and for three teeth, a trip to the dentist to get them pulled. The molar was a welcome change.
Last night, George attended a black-tie event for the first time in 13 years. The last time he had on a tux, we were with a ballroom full of accounting grads. Good times. Last night, he went to a business event to mix and mingle. The biggest accomplishment of the night, however, was getting his bow tie tied. It took the two of two hours to learn how to get the bow done correctly the night before. I believe there was swearing involved. Not sure if it was worth it, but he dd look spiffy.
And, tonight, a small miracle occurred. Blake asked George to put him to bed. First time, ever. Normally, it's Mommy or no one if I'm in the house. This was actually the second time in a week George got bedtime duties while I was at home, but the first time was necessity as I wasn't feeling well and was actually laying in bed. Tonight was voluntary! Woohoo!
Now, off for more Christmas martinis and fresh-baked caramel corn to celebrate a week well done.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Playing in the snow
After three days of snow, it now looks like December in Canada. And, I understand why my in-laws live in Florida.
The kids, however, love the snow. So, I've been a model citizen the last couple of days and trudged over to the school in my snowpants, dragging a sled, to pick up the kids. This, however, is what I dislike most about winter...the inconvenience! In the spring, I can drop the car at the house, throw my keys in my pocket, and run over to the school. At most, I may have to grab an umbrella, but pretty simple.
In the winter, I have to pull on snow pants, a hat, mitts, my warm coat, grab the sled, zip the keys in my pocket so I don't lose them in the snow, pull up my hood, trudge, trudge, trudge through snowdrifts, fight wind, watch for ice...ugh.
Blake and Faith have loved the arrival of winter though. After I pull Blake home on the sled, with Faith helping me, we've been playing outside. (This is my devious plot to get the kids to help shovel the driveway.)
But, I still have to ask, when is this winter thing supposed to end anyway?
The kids, however, love the snow. So, I've been a model citizen the last couple of days and trudged over to the school in my snowpants, dragging a sled, to pick up the kids. This, however, is what I dislike most about winter...the inconvenience! In the spring, I can drop the car at the house, throw my keys in my pocket, and run over to the school. At most, I may have to grab an umbrella, but pretty simple.
In the winter, I have to pull on snow pants, a hat, mitts, my warm coat, grab the sled, zip the keys in my pocket so I don't lose them in the snow, pull up my hood, trudge, trudge, trudge through snowdrifts, fight wind, watch for ice...ugh.
Blake and Faith have loved the arrival of winter though. After I pull Blake home on the sled, with Faith helping me, we've been playing outside. (This is my devious plot to get the kids to help shovel the driveway.)
But, I still have to ask, when is this winter thing supposed to end anyway?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Happy Birthday to my Aunt
I took the photo of my Aunt Margaret in Buxton, England during our grand adventure. Happy Birthday!
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