Hooray for Lauryn!

She advances to level one of pre-competitive, following the invitational tryouts! She has a lot of skill, actually more than her sister did at this age, and her sister is so good now. I am very excited, although they are mucho expensive and time consuming. We have 19 hours a week between them, and 24 hours of volunteer work, 2 bingos, and $460 or required fundraising. It is so worth it, but a bit difficult to get to with a 430 start and 830 or9 depending on which day, which makes for long hours, however the kids are wild about it and don't seem to get tired. Kids and their energy!

two days to post, kid stuff, household stuff

Aug 28-It was a cool and quiet day today, not much happening. Dave was home, so I ran outdoors instead of on the treadmill. It was kind of nice, little drops of rain as I went. Dave has been biking, going to and from work. It is a great workout. It seems easy to pack on weight at our age, it seems you have to work twice as hard to keep it off.

Aug 30-Well, that was my unfinished from 2 days ago. Today is vaguely hot, we are supposed to be in for a hot long weekend, which is nice. Josh had a seeming relapse from his illness, which from my understanding is very common, I think what he ate aggravated his tummy. So two nights ago I was up at 0345 with a pukey boy, and a nice diaper blowout. He fell back asleep by about 0630, and when he woke a couple of hours later and has been fine since.

Noni and JR were up early today, 0600 for JR, 0630 for Noni. I am surprised Noni got up so early, as she has been working hard at gymnastics all this week. She has really improved, she can just about get to the top of the rope now, and her bridge is really good. I noticed her form has improved in this short time.

I received the last place settings of my dishes from Las Vegas of all places, but now I have settings for 12 plus all the serving pieces- hooray.It took us so long to find some we both liked, to the extent where I brought home an entire set only to take it back cause Dave did not like it. So after that I would show him first, see if we both agreed on it, but it took us years, literally. I finally found these in 2004, I think it was. We got the glasses around the same time, although I had been eyeing them up for some time. I am so glad we got them, I still love them. We had the same issues with flatware, we couldn't agree on a style. We only just got those last year, FINALLY. I just buy all the linens as I see fit. Dave does not need an opinion on those lol.

I am baking with mimi and Josh,more of the soft ginger cookies as the last batch was gone in half a day.Noni and Dave are at gymnastics. I doubled the recipe this time, so we can hopefully have some for the weekend! Josh kept dipping his fingers in the bater saying "mmm tasty"! We have stuff planned for Sat and Sun, Dave and I *might* get a date on Fri if we can get someone talked into sitting. We will do something at any rate. Dave is off on a 5 day weekend, so we have time to chill. I need to pick up some vino for the weekend, and food stuffs tommorrow. If I have time we will get some fall mums for my planters, as the yard has half died now, and we still have to host a large brunch in Sept and it needs to look presentable. We will borrow a large table and chairs and I think I will buy a pair of tablecloths for the occasion, as I don't have two of the same of any, although the RL one I just bought is the perfect color for a fall gathering.

The whole house smells of ginger and spice, its my favorite cookie, and the scent is so relaxing. I have been burning spicy fall oils all through the house today, even though it was warm out, but it is relaxing when I am cleaning. The house is virtually ready. The kids are basically ready for school too, mimi needs for gym shorts, I liked the ones we got from the gap last year. I would like more like that, I will look this weekend.

Josh, it feels like autumn, soup

Josh is learning his animals from the books we have been reading. Horses are neigh, neigh, dogs are bowwows, cats are usually Boots or meow, tigers are "ROAR". It is so cute how he identifies the sounds first. Its like how when he sees cars he is saying "vroom, beep, beep!" . He is such a monkey. His favorite thing is calling his sisters for meals. As soon as I tell him his dinner is ready, he runs to the stairs and calls "mimi, lana!", as he calls them.

It feels like autumn. Technically there are 3 weeks of summer left, but the cool weather has already set in and the leaves are turning. It is still hot and summery back home, I miss Ontario. However, I am ready for fall, for school to start, get into my busy routine. We were so busy in July, August has felt dull, just the kids sports. I pulled out 8 ember(pumpkin)scented pillar candles and a few fall themed accessories today, the modern glazed pier 1 pumpkins and the rustic branches tucked into my wrought iron candelabra. I still love that thing and I've had it for so many years. I put a cinnamon spice reed diffuser in the living room-the whole main floor is scented from it. I have decided I like those things, even though I am still loyal to candles and my oil burners. I am deciding what to do with the front entrance, I think I have decided, something with some height in the iron urn. I want to keep it simple and rustic. It is easy to overdo it!

I felt well enough to run today, also went for a walk. Didn't bake as we still are working on the gingerbread. It is a pudding like cake, very English dessert. I am making split pea soup tommorrow, the weather warrants it for sure. It is a recipe the kids enjoy too, very high fibre! I put beach photos in the photo gallery type frame. It looks good. We are deciding where we will all go out for dinner on Friday, something fun.

Flu and other stuff

It has been an unplanned for weekend. Flu type stuff hit everyone but mimi, so we have all felt miserable off and on. We had to cancel our Sunday plans because of it, and we will now have the entire long weekend occupied now. Five more days of gymnastics camp, mimi is now done, noni just finishes this week. Come September we will be back at our 6 days a week of kids sports, only now it will be 7 days a week. Last year mimi fit in a science group, but if she does a swimming session she won't have time. At least swimming is short for the girls. JR is soon old enough for sports-next year when he is 3. That seems to be the age the kids all start their stuff at, although boys with thoughts of hockey should get on skates at age two they say. It is hard to believe, time has flown.

We are seriously looking at all our destination options and have new options due to an very unexpected windfall. I am so relieved and happy as it makes it all quite simple now. We just have the arduous task of actually looking for a home, school etc. Very time consuming, but we still have some time before I have to start major preparations-we just have to get to that point first.

We will be having a large gathering next week with extended family I ahven't seen in ages. We are bringing Mom and hopefully she will enjoy herself! She is due for a trip, this isn't one but it gets her out. We will fly her when we move to have a vacation, I wish we could have taken our parents on more trips, but we did have some nice ones.Time goes by so quickly it seems, I still can't get over it.

I haven't too much to write, I made a caramelized pear gingerbread tonight, it was picture perfect and tasted divine. Fresh ginger is what makes it. I am sitting on my front step typing this, the sky is doing wierd things and I hear odd noises. I am not sure if it is thunder or airplanes, but we seem to be in for a storm, the odd clouds are moving quickly this way. I would have liked to get out for a run, but I feel too weak still.

I am looking at what courses to register for next term. $1100 a course is highway robbery I think!

Cookies, clothes, clutter, collections of gifts!

I made the cranberry pistachio shortbread today, I don't know why I never made them before, Dave loves pistachios. They are fantastic. The flavour combination is perfect. These will definitely be added to my holiday baking list. They are too good for words.

I spoke to Dave this am, they were going to the hospital. Later on they are going to get a pair of jackets from the children's place, nice suedey ones for fall, and jeans that they have yet to get.

I was going through baskets in mimi's room, that kid keeps too much junk. I purged a bin of stuff. I really want organization before school starts!Noni's and Josh's rooms are fine, I just need to keep an eye on Josh's closet as I am storing Christmas gifts in there, I have a whole box full of body shop stuff I need to sort into gift baskets for people. So far I the women's gifts almost totally figured out, I need to start working on gifts for all the nieces and the guys. I haven't got our kids stuff yet, but I don't know what were getting them yet. With JR's bday so close to the holidays, it makes it hard too, but everyone is getting him pieces to his collector train set for his bday, so xmas may be clothes or something big he can ride!

Late night brain activity

It's 1130 and I just started the dishwasher and figured out why the air conditioning kept cutting out. I have been puttering tonight and can't settle down. I miss Dave, I hate it when he is not here. The girls and I sorted through our jewellry and we are trying to see if they have stuff for the wedding or if I need to buy them some. It has been awhile since I bought any(Christmas), so I may take them next weekend to look. This weekend we have plans-oh wait, next weekend we have plans too, so it may get put off or I will try and mash it in during the week. I think I had better make a cup of tea and lie in bed watching tv since my brain is too awake tonight. I may also phone Dave, see if he got the funky boots for the girls and found those toe socks mimi wants.

We are planning high tea tommorrow, ideally when popper goes down for his nap. We will pull out the china and if I am on the ball I will make tea sandwiches and maybe bake some cookies in the morning. Perhaps after my am run I will start baking. We haven't had tea time in months, not since spring. When it is super hot we don't feel like it so much, but things have cooled slightly.

I talked to Mom about the kids meals at the wedding, Amelia will have a kids meal just so all the kids are, the cornish game hen may be too large a meal for her anyways, and I am sure they will pig out on the hor'deurves and desserts too. I am psyched about the wedding, everything is coming together so well. They now have a minister, videographer, and photographer set. They just have to decide on the dj, but it is no worry. We pick up the flowers on the Friday before, the corsages on the thurs, they should all still be fresh if refrigerated properly. Mia still has to decide which friend is to do her hair, and we will get our nails done about two days before. There is very little left to do, the invites and calls are out, cake topper ordered, we just need to pick up a few things, as the room is almost totally pre-done for us. I think this is going to be a really nice wedding.

Gymnastics is like buying a car...and baking today, supper and a suit

Looking at the payment sheet, it occurred to me the price is similar to buying a car-you can pay it in one shot as we do, or you can pay a deposit of $426, then pay eight payments of $183! Now add on a second child for half that amount, $181 down, $80 a month, you have a car payment! I do not wonder about where our money goes. At least swimming and soccer are cheap! I can't wait till JR starts hockey ROFL!

I baked granola bars today, I used only dired cranberries since I was out of dried cherries and blueberries. I added ground flax instead of wheat germ-they are so good. We are having spaghetti and meatballs tonight, I added spinach, pesto, garlic, and ground flax to the meatballs. The sauce is a garlic, tomato, spinach and onion creation, whole wheat spaghetti. I am super hungry, can't wait to eat.

Dave just called, he is getting Josh a 3 piece suit for the wedding. He and Dave are gonna look great. I am anxious for the girls dresses to get here, i hope they fit!