All Jammed Up!

Monday afternoon I was all jammed up! Getting ready for our move means cleaning out closets, getting rid of the things that have been collecting dust and taking up space. Berries have been taking up a lot of space in my freezer since last summer. Wild blueberries and saskatoons, local strawberries, peaches and rhubarb are in abundance and seem to be multiplying! Last year, I decided that too much emphasis was being put on commercialized gifts and not enough on the simple task of giving from the heart. Along with that, I have felt that the world is full of entitlement and all about having more and more. I am guilty of the 'more' aspect (obviously, have you seen my office and scrap room?!) so, I decided that sometimes the best gifts are consumables and ones that took time and effort and are made with a lot of love but don't hang around for too long. So, in that spirit, I made jams and sauces last year and gave them to our friends and family as gifts. Strawberry, strawberry rhubarb, peach and carrot cake jam were the favorites from last fall. With only a few jars of each left in the basement, I figured it was time to kill several birds with one stone so to speak. Clean up some of the freezer space, use up some of the jars sitting in the basement, and get some of my gifts made.

It is no secret that I love to be in the kitchen, and it has rubbed off in a positive way on Peanut. He gets so excited about baking, cooking and canning that he will wake me up to see if it is time yet! It is also no secret that when my mind is full, being food creative gives me a place to decompress and unwind. Monday was one of those days. So, it began! Peanut helped me measure sugar and berries and stir everything while it was still cool. Once everything got too hot, he helped keep Pumpkin a good distance back and kept me company with his chatter. We made 40 jars of blueberry, pineapple and apple pie jam in 3 hours. Whew! Hot work, but oh so worth it. The apple pie jam ended up being a little runny, but it is much like the pear sauce I made last fall and will be delish on toast, ice cream or any other dessert or breakfast item. Can't wait to make some scones and deliver to some unsuspecting friends!

Howdy Cowpoke!

This is a card for a special little cowpoke, our nephew who is a cowboy through and through. He loves to get down and dirty with the cows, be in the mud with his electric horse (quad) and is the first to jump up in the tractor and help out. For 8 he is such an ambitious kid and is following in the footsteps of his great-great grandad, great grandad, grandad and dad.

The recipe:

Stamp: Craftin' Kimmies, Patterned paper: Flair Designs, Patterned Cardstock: Bazzill, White Cardstock & Inside sentiment & Brads: Stampin' Up, Assorted Copics, Front Sentiments Stamp: Memory Box, Punches: EK Success, Twine: My Kitchen!

Springing Forward and Sneak Peeks!

We had an absolutely gorgeous start to the day here in NW ON. The sun was shining, the temperature was a balmy 5 degree C and you could just smell spring in the air. Usually, I don't like to get too optimistic, but this year I can't wait! Here are some sneak peeks of where I get to look forward to gardening this year. One of the many reasons I am sad about our move is my south facing perennial garden that I will be losing. I put all of the plants in within the last 2 years, and mirrored the exact same flowers in a garden for my best friend last year. I feel like I am losing a lot in the past little while. Obviously, my garden means a lot to me. It is cheery and bright, beautiful and bountiful. But, you have to lose something to gain something. These are the sneak peeks of our new digs! This is where I will get to garden this summer and fall. I am literally ecstatic and can't wait. It is surrounded by apple trees and rhubarb and a quaint wooden fence and pasture to one side.  There is an old swing set for the kids and a teeter totter. I can envision them playing, laughing and enjoying playing hide and seek. We are excited to put down roots on one property and make this our home. It starts with excited anticipation and spring is just the beginning. It is around the corner, I can feel it. And we are on the final count down to our June move!

Crazy Days....

This last week has literally been a blur.. 2 funerals, 2 doctors appointments, 1 lawyer appointment to waive the conditions on the house, 1 appointment with the bank, 1 lunch date, and the usual parenting duties and my full time job! Busy and sad, but there have also been some fun highlights too. Pumpkin has been slow to speak coherent words in the last few months, but her nose has finally stopped running, and her language is really coming on. Today she said "Uncle John", "Hi", "Hello", "Stop", "Momma Fun" (when I was tickling her), "Luff you" (for love you) and "Bedtime". Sometimes things come out clear as a bell, other times, we can't understand a word. We have a eye appointment with her and again with Peanut at the end of the month and are anxious to figure out how well sited she is. She does so much better with depth perception, small items, and distance than what Peanut does. We think that her type of albinism is different than his is. Her pigment would definitely indicate that she has a less severe type, but we will have to wait and see what her Doc has to say.

We take 2 steps forward and 1 step back with her in terms of her comfort levels. She started having trouble at bed time again about a month ago, and wakes up often and needs to be soothed, and getting her to go in her crib is an issue again. We have tried night lights, no lights, blacked out the window, changed bedding, left the door open, closed the door etc.. and last night finally figured it out. She wanted to be like her big brother and have her own pillow. Gave her the pillow and she slept soundly the rest of the night. Went for a nap fine today, and down great tonight. Let's hope this is it!

The kids are off on Spring Break and I am calling it March Mania. So much to do, so little time! But, I am going to cherish these little moments together with the kids as much as I possibly can. I know I am going to miss them when the moments are gone. Too often people rush from this to that and miss the most insignificant things. I find there is a lot to cherish in the insignificant and the little moments.

One of the best moments for me to get some things done (like cleaning the bathroom) is to throw the kids in a bubble bath and let them play and laugh, throw water and bubbles, and just be kids until they are cold and wrinkly! It is fun to see Peanut the big tough brother be afraid of getting his hair wet, and Pumpkin takes a water jug and dumps it over and over her head giggling as the water cascades over her head. It is really the funniest and sweetest thing to see her do it and Peanut scream in shock that she would do that and not cry!

Here are a quick couple of snaps I took while they were in the bath, and then doing the Raffi song "Brush your Teeth".

Graduation....

This is a card I made for my bf's girlie. She graduated from Grade 12 last June and I wanted something different and unique for her card. I find that graduation cards all look the same, so I did something in her style and the colours she likes.

Recipe: Pearl Flourish - Prima, Stamps - Inkadinkadoo, Ink - Memento, Cardstock & Paper Flower - Bazzill, Miscellaneous Patterned Paper from my scrap bin, Sentiments - Computer Generated, Diecuts- Stampin' Up, Brads - Doodlebug.

I had the immense pleasure of photographing M's graduation photos. I was honoured when my bf asked me to do it, and was happy the setting was at their home.... We kept it simple, easy and natural, just like M~! Peanut was with us and kept us in stitches the whole time (and was spoiled by his Auntie E, as always!).  These photographs were  a couple of my favorites. The candid was us walking towards the back of the property. Peanut loves his M and she treats him like she is his big sis. I love that they each have a foot up and the generational difference of M commencing school and Peanut beginning it.

A little treat....

Peanut is a little too young to craft with me for more than 5 minutes. He tends to stamp or cut something out and then gets very bored and wants to do something else. But, baking is definitely his thing. He will spend hours with me in the kitchen and has his own spatula, wooden spoons, measuring cups and spoons, rolling pin and other instruments. Today, he told me that for his birthday next month that he would really like to have some of his own special cookbooks! He has stated that when he gets older he is going to be a bunch of things all rolled up into one, just like his parents. He has decided that he wants to be a Veterinarian, a farmer, a chef, a dad and a mechanic. I told him that was a lot of things to be, but he figures that if the adults around him can "multimask" than so can he! :) 

When he gets home from school, first thing he does is grab his stool and place it in the kitchen, wash his hands and grab his apron. Then the question comes: "What are we baking today, and what are we making today?" He likes to help out with all meals, but his personal favorite thing to do is make bread. He loves to watch it rise, and thinks it is magical that it doubles in size (almost) every time. I love the wonder and curiosity on his face when he experiences different flavors and has fun experimenting with things. He has even gotten into watching the food network with me and you can often hear him repeat to Dan what Michael Smith made today. It is cute, and at the same time, I realize how smart he is. He can pick flavors and ingredients out of food after listening to the show.  He is a very busy boy, but when it comes on, he stops what he is doing, focuses and generally plops himself on the couch and listens intently. When the commercial comes on, there is generally a flood of questions, and then he quiets back down again as soon as Michael reappears. Am I wrong to be a proud foodie Momma?

Today after school, we decided that something chocolate and sweet was in order, as well as something not so sweet. So, we made chocolate chip cookie brownies (thanks to Michael today!) and we also made Cherry Chocolate Mallows. These are going to be delivered to a bunch of people tomorrow. The chocolate wasn't set up by the time Aidan went to bed and we covered them, so they might be a little smooshed, but they were baked with love in mind, so I doubt everyone will worry much!

A little treat to get everyone through hump day tomorrow!

The "Bat Cave" and Spaghetti Central....

A few of the kids in the last couple of days. The above is Aidan, who was off of school for almost 2 weeks having blown his ear drum due to an infection. We let him watch a little tv in the afternoons when Quhyn had her nap and this is what he did every time. Smart kid! Glare and light was way too much for him. He started calling it his bat cave. Although, he has no idea who batman is. He just figured it was like a cave and bats live in caves!

Spaghetti night happens often in our house. Both Dan and Aidan request it almost daily and would eat it that much if I let them. This was Aidan's 3rd plate of spaghetti (he eats his sauce on the side at the end of his meal... always. The acid of the tomatoes tends to burn his skin and lips, so he makes sure to wait until he is almost done). As for Miss Q, she loves it too as you can tell. This was after 5 minutes, and she kept up to her big brother's pace. And yes, that is tomato sauce IN her eye. But, as you can tell, she didn't seem to mind it!