Baking with the Boy

Today, Jake and I made brownies...not just any brownies, but Smartie brownies. He is taking them to school tomorrow to share with his class, because it's his birthday. My baby boy is turning 10 years old!! Where did the time go?

If there's one thing I've figured out about this boy in the last 10 years, it's that he hates anything that resembles school work. Reading/writing/math?? Forget it!

One thing he likes to do, though: baking. He just read a recipe, doubled fractions so that we could make a bigger pan-full, and wrote the recipe down in a binder because the printer was out of ink (or was it??).

But it's not school work, so it was fun. Silly boy.

Jake (age 2) and Kylie (age 5)

My 10 year old boy

Big party this weekend for the birthday boy. Wish me luck haha.

Tuesday.

I don't have any imagination lately...and I can't be bothered to come up with a great post title, to tell you the truth.

It's cold here! Well, it's not winter yet so I shouldn't be complaining but it's chilly enough. I think it's 12C today, and darnit, that's cold enough for me in this old house.

Took the 2 youngest kids to the doctor this morning, and even though we had an appointment for 10:30, we didn't get to see the doctor until after an hour past that. I told Jacob that he didn't have to go to school this afternoon because we would be really late and miss the bell, but can you believe that he begged me to take him to school?!? Weird kid. I don't think I'll ever understand him lol.

His birthday is coming up soon and he didn't want me to make invitations this year. But I absolutely will not call a stranger, and personally, I appreciate having a paper invitation to stick up on the calendar as a reminder. I promised him that the invitations would be as plain as they could get...and they are. How boring.

The front:

...and the inside:

I know white cardstock would have been better than the white paper that I used, but I didn't have any.

I haaaaate boy parties. Boys are noisy and messy and their parents never pick them up on time. Last year we had a kid sit here for over an hour before his mother finally phoned to say that she would be late. I told her, that's fine...I have to go to work right away, which is why we asked for a 4:00 pickup time (she called at 5).  "I'll just stick him on the doorstep and you can come for him whenever. I'm taking my kids to my mom's now". Funny, she was there 10 minutes later.

One more pic:

It's a dream catcher that Kylie made in her native art class and I just love it. I was particularly impressed by the weaving in the middle, it looks like a really cool spider web. I know the picture is sideways, Blogger is stupid and forever shall be.

Well, I'm off to make some fried rice. Kylie wants to make bannock when she comes home, and I think we will have that and some soup for supper on this chilly fall day. Scott is working late so I will have to try and save him some.

Things I Like (Today)

A Mother’s Prayer for Her Child by Tina Fey

-an excerpt from her book, Bossypants

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen.Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,”she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.”

-Tina Fey

Oh, and I like this too:

"My love is conditional: 

and the condition is, that you don't act like

an asshole"

-Anonymous

...because love and friendship=being a yes-man, apparently. Boy, you came to the wrong place, hey?!?

Bah ha ha...going to work. Later.

Sunday.

Today is the Santa's Anonymous Toy Run, and there are bikers tearing up the avenue here since 6 this morning! Assholes, quit complaining about the new bike noise bylaw. You brought it on yourself.

I am going to pick up my mom so that we can go to the mall and see the sea of bikes and toys...it honestly doesn't do any justice to post pictures, but I will still try to get a few pictures up later. Love seeing those big bikers with big teddy bears strapped to their bikes.

Ok, here's a FB album of last year's pics:
2010 Motorcyle Run for Santa's Anonymous

I really don't want to be the only wife following behind the pack in a car with my mom, but whatever. I want to see the bikes.

Kylie is riding with Scott today. It only took her half an hour to curl her hair and put on makeup...possibly because she thought Scott's friend was bringing his son...gone are the days where she doesn't give a crap how she looks I guess!

My alley sounds like a Mad Max movie right now. The neighbours have their Harleys out...pretty soon the bikers across the street will get their bikes out. That is, if they can haul their butts out of bed on this fine Sunday morning. 930 on a Sunday is way too early for the biker crowd.

Ooh, oh!! Here's a link to this year's pictures (blogger kicked me out after I wrote this so I couldn't publish until Monday):
Motorcycle Toy Run 2011

Later.

Pics!

What a gorgeous day! We spent the day at the zoo, but as usual, there was nothing to see. Our zoo stinks, seems like the animals are always so far away that you can't take their picture...or they're sleeping, all rolled up in a ball under a rock or something. Can you tell I'm not a fan of our zoo? 95% of the animals are brown so they blend into those rocks and dead grass pretty well. We have a prairie dog exhibit. Come on now.

The big kids started school last Thursday and so far are really happy with their teachers. Kylie's school is way, way under populated and on the verge of being shut down, I fear. Oh well, it was bound to happen. The school is falling apart anyway.


Kylie, first day of grade 8. Last year I couldn't get her to comb her hair when she got up in the morning. Now she has to get up early to trowel her makeup on.


Jacob, first day of grade 5. We freezer-paper stencilled the shirt with a tie that reads "epic", his favourite word. Things are either "awesomely epic" or "epic fail" in his books. Nothing in-between.

Sam starts preschool on the 13th. I don't think she needs it, per se...I don't think any kid 'needs' preschool, but she is incredibly social and it's driving my nuts. Do you have any idea how hard it is to be anti-social and introverted like myself when you have a kid who is the complete opposite?!? So she will go to preschool to fill that need she has to be with other kids. I can stay if I want, or I can use that time to shop or exercise or whatever. Two hours, two mornings a week.

I'm going to start working Mondays soon, a full day. The opportunity came up and I really like the work so I thought I should take it. Turns out the office is closing for two whole months this winter so I guess I should make some money while I can :( .

Later, taters.

Stuff I did...and stuff...

Wow, did I impress you with my language skills with that stellar title?? See, I've been gone from blogging for so long that I have no imagination when it comes to titles.


I originally thought I would scrapbook the 740 pictures that we took in Maui last year but I honestly can't stand scrapbooking. Too much farting around with little fiddly bits, so I bought this frame on a clearance rack for $12 and filled it with our favourite pictures. It hangs in our dining room. Did I already post this??




I know I've posted pictures before of the kids planting flowers from seed using those little window planters and peat pellets, but can you believe that this is the first year that it actually worked? Impatiens generally love the shade in my front yard, but the giant spruces are gone so we are now dealing with full sunshine. I'm surprised these lasted as long as they have. I rescued that watering can from the neighbour's trash ha ha.




I don't like cartoon scrubs for work, but I liked these fabrics: Moda sock monkeys from Etsy and some fabric we bought in Maui. The shirt is purchased from Wal Mart, I sew a new panel over the front and then cut the original front panel out. I'm far too lazy to fit a made-from-scratch shirt at this point. I can't actually wear the sock monkey one because it's too big now, but someday I'll get around to altering it.



Invader Zim drawstring backpack for Kylie. Tutorial here:
drawstring backpack and stencil here: Deviant Art . I used freezer paper to make the stencil...if you are unfamiliar with this, it's this: stencil tutorial .


Dress for Sam, made with a free pattern from Fiddlehead and fabric bought in Maui for $5 a metre.

Today I'm repainting the wrought iron railing on the front stairs...what an ordeal! I don't know whose bright idea it was to make those things with all those funky little curves and divots that I have to sand. But it's been here since the 50's so it's cool and I bet it will look awesome when it's done.

Later, taters.

It's Sunday!!

Ah, the start of a fresh new week. On this week's list:

-Taxes. Oh my God, can you believe we haven't done our taxes yet? Too many things happened at once, and our life got put on hold. Must do the taxes this week.

-Sewing: two drawstring backpacks using this tute . It's a good size for a teen, works well for a purse for Kiki.

-Gramma's apple tree fell down so we are going to chop it up tomorrow using Scott's reciprocating saw. A chainsaw would probably be a better idea, but alas, we don't have one. Must do with what we have.

-Everyone in this house thinks that I should be making sugar cookies?? I hate them, so I don't make them. Simple as that. Jacob wants me to teach him how to make them, so I guess I can do that.

-Yardwork. Blech.

-Animal hats are all the rage around here, so Kiki wants to make another hat like this one but maybe a kitty or this one .

-Working on some freezer paper stencil stuff, altering a hoodie for Kiki and mending. Always mending.

...it took me nearly an hour to log into this stupid blog! This Google account stuff is irritating me to no end.

Later, taters.