janice's mash-up

the royal wedding (treats, of course!)

I wasn't sure whether I was going to stay up (3am PST!) to watch Will & Kate's Royal Wedding but the colleagues I work with were so excited about the wedding yesterday at work, I got into the spirit. I just stayed up and watched until about 5:30am...just after the balcony kisses and fly passes. Crazy, I know, but I don't "work" Fridays which made it a little easier. 

 

I remember watching Charles and Diana's wedding when I was in high school and watched Diana's poise and grace as she became such a wonderful ambassador for children around the world. I remember  in 1997 being glued to the news, holding my little Adam, as it was uncovered that it was Princess Diana that had been tragically killed. 

Neil and I disagree on the whole monarchy thing. It bothers Neil that Canada is still affiliated with the monarchy and I understand the colonization/commonwealth issues, I do. I guess because my mom's family is British that I feel a connection, particularly because of my Scottish grandmother. I remember shopping trips to Marks & Spencer and a very special trip with her to Victoria where we had tea at the Lieutenant Governor's Government House (my grandmother stuffed extra pieces of the lemon loaf I loved so much in her handbag for me!). And then I made my first trip to London when I was in high school and loved the city, the history, the literature, the castles and at that time in my life, the shopping - Selfridges, Harrods, etc.

I read the story about the Chocolate Biscuit Cake in the Vancouver Sun. I thought it was incredibly sweet that Prince William remembered his mom making this cake for him and had such special memories of it that he wanted it served at this wedding. I wonder if there will be any treats that my boys deem that special ;) I just had to make one...it is very very sweet!

I remember having my first Cadbury Flake bar in London (they added pieces to top off ice cream) and yesterday afterschool I decided I would make a visit to Mary's British Home store in Steveston and pick up some British treats for the boys. I have a soft spot for Cadbury milk chocolate ;)

 

 

I decided to take most of the cake into my school today and also dropped off some English Breakfast Teas, humbugs and some clotted cream toffees. I found some fun printables HERE to add to the staffroom table.

   

Here's to love and hope for the future!

 

weekend wrap-up: easter weekend

Friday morning we waited with many other Canadians at the Peace Arch border crossing. Our Nexus pass saved us some time but it was still a two hour wait. Crazy. The boys happily listened to the audio book Dragonrider so the time passed quickly for them. We stopped at Bob's in Blaine for lunch and then visited some of the tulip fields in the Skagit Valley. I have wanted to go down there this time of year for a long time but it just hasn't worked out. Friday was a beautiful day and the colourful fields of tulips looked amazing against the blue sky and mountains.

 

 

 

 

We made some shopping stops along the way and then checked into our hotel in Bellevue before heading over to Seattle Center to get our tickets for the Star Wars exhibit at Seattle Center and having dinner at our favourite pizza place. 

Saturday morning we visited Sky High Sports in Bellevue. It is a wall-to-wall trampoline place and the boys had so much fun! They jumped off the walls (literally), bounced and flipped into foam pits and played bouncing dodgeball. I think if we go again, I'd like to play too!

And a little animoto video of the boys in action:

 

After a quick lunch, we got in line for the Star Wars exhibit. The boys really enjoyed it and this exhibit had quite a few interactive components. The boys especially enjoyed the two design centres. On the bottom floor, they went to different stations to create a maglev vehicle and upstairs there were stations where you could test and program a R2D2-like robot. 

 

  And a little robot animoto:

 

We walked over to Top Pot Donuts and had raspberry and pink feather boa donuts for a snack before we hit the road home.

As we were driving home Saturday evening, Neil and I commented on how it felt like we had been away a lot longer than we had which is a good thing. Good to get away together, but always good to come home!

On Sunday, the boys got their note from the Easter Bunny that he had planted some carrots in the backyard for the boys...so they went out and tracked them down. I also made them bunny pancakes for breakfast ;) 

 

Adam had ball hockey and then we visited Grama and Grampa who have just got back from Arizona. We spent the drizzly afternoon inside doing homework and house stuff before the big Canucks game.

Oh the ups and downs of playoff hockey. I had to look away from the tv a few times...I just couldn't watch!

Monday here was drizzly and cold so we pretty much holed up in the house for most of the day. The boys made these cute eggs inspired by Family Fun magazine...quite appropriate because we were snorkeling in Hawaii less than a month ago!

They also did some other dipped eggs which we nestled into our pot of wheat grass. During the egg decorating chaos, we had some little friends come over for a visit. Bunny ears were made, juggling was demonstrated by Colin and then gleefully attempted by little hands and then parachutes were dropped down the stairs. Colin commented that playing with Sarah and Jack brought back
memories for him of when he was little ;) We gave our little friends some carrot snacks to take on their way (goldfish crackers in plastic frosting bags).

  

The Rainbow Blend carrots (from West Coast Seeds) that were such a hit last year got planted in the big pot on our deck today as well. Here's hoping there's no more frost!

 

I finished up our dessert treats that we took to Easter dinner at my sister's in West Van. More cute chick cake pops and another Easter candy brownie tart!

  
We had a lovely family dinner with my sister's family and my parents. The boys love hanging out with their cousins!
  
I love long weekends...so nice to have so much family time!

tulip fields

It has been many years since I have made it down to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. I have told Neil that I wanted to go the past few years but it just hasn't worked out with weather, time off or the boys' busy weekend schedules. Finally, this year it looked like we might be able to take a bit of a detour on our way down to Seattle and "my boys" indulged me.

Colin and Adam did a few oohs and aahs at all the colours and the vastness of the fields, but chose to stay in the car with Neil as I gleefully hopped out and ran across the street to take some photos. 

This stop was just for me and I appreciated Neil and the boys stopping and giving me some time with my beloved tulips. Being in the fields with all those colourful tulips made my heart do a little dance.

This is is this week's The Simple Things photo.

Check out other "simple things" photographs on Rebecca's blog...click on The Simple Things button below to link to Rebecca's site to see this week's photos.

 

 

easter treats

I was on treat day at work today and took in an Easter treatapalooza! I had the little cadbury chocolate egg nests I made the other day but also made bakerella-inspired cake pops...

(notice the one chick with pink lips!)

and I made chocolate chip/chunk cookies with Easter M&Ms I got in Blaine yesterday afternoon...

I have tried so many chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years and the boys have declared these ones the BEST. The special Mexican vanilla that Tara brought me back from Mexico added a stronger vanilla flavour that we all loved. I also like using at least two different kinds of chocolate chips or chunks to add more depth of flavour. So good right out of the oven!

I also brought a creation I am going to call an Easter Candy Brownie Tart...brownie base with chocolate ganache on top and then covered with various Easter candies and then topped with swirls of melted white chocolate.

There were no healthy eating guidelines adhered to at work today ;)

weekend wrap-up

We had such a nice, quiet weekend with hardly anything scheduled. I woke up with a cold on Friday morning so a restful weekend was much needed. The boys both worked on projects for school, including a great math assignment for Colin. He had to conduct a probability experiment and record and analyze the data, draw conclusions, ask questions, etc. Such a great assignment!

Adam has his first ball hockey game Saturday at 4:15. They use one of the old arenas that they have taken the ice out of for the summer. It is not "checking" like his ice hockey so not as much worry for injury but boy, do they do a lot of running!

Adam is #13 again and is playing centre so lots more faceoff photos!

Adam got two great goals and his team won 9-0 so we had a great start to the season!

The photo below is Adam letting off a shot that scored.

Colin's other homework this weekend was to practice his juggling. In Phys Ed at school, he's moved up from scarves to juggling balls and is very determined to "get it"...he wants to be able to juggle while he's riding his unicycle.  It's always amazing to see how motivated and determined both boys can be when they want to accomplish something.

After Colin's guitar lesson on Sunday, the boys and Neil rode their bikes to the library and Colin also got on his unicycle for awhile...gearing up for a circus act ;)

Sunday was sunny but still cold...I am waiting on planting our vegetable seeds outside but the spring flowers are in full bloom.

I experimented with some Easter treats and am going to take them to my study group meeting Monday after work.

And we all watched as the Canucks pulled off their third win in a row!

homework

I am very open about the fact that I do not enjoy homework. This sometimes seems ironic to others considering I am an educator but there is purposeful, meaningful homework and then there is silliness. It particularly irks me when said silliness interferes with our family life. I know there are life lessons though...there are definitely parts of most jobs that aren't necessarily engaging or enjoyable but still must be done for whatever reason.

This weekend though involved happy homework times for both boys. Colin happily worked on a probability experiment for math and Adam has an enrichment project he is researching and it's an area of passion for him - aerospace engineering. It's nice to see them so engaged with their homework.

Adam's homework space is located just across from our dining room table, where my laptop is usually located. I looked up at him several times Saturday afternoon as he immersed himself into his project. Made me smile.

This is is this week's The Simple Things photo.

Check out other "simple things" photographs on Rebecca's blog...click on The Simple Things button below to link to Rebecca's site to see this week's photos.

 

 

welcome home Colin!

So Colin left for outdoor education camp on a chilly Monday morning. We were sure hoping it wouldn't snow while they were there (it was up in Brackendale)! Colin hugged Adam and I before he got on the bus and then we waited til the bus pulled away, waving madly at him!

I spent Monday trying to keep my mind busy so I wouldn't think about Colin too much! I had a morning meeting, worked in the afternoon and then had a staff meeting that went very late. A group that I have been working with for many years gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers as Monday was our last meeting together as the project is winding up. This girl always loves to get flowers!

Tuesday evening was so weird...it was just Adam and I home for dinner and the evening. We both thought it was too quiet without Colin! We tried a new recipe for yakitori meatballs (adapted from this recipe) which were quite good and will probably be featured in a bento box sometime in the future. I

I also tried out my new birthday hand mixer (thanks Glenn and Grandpa!) and made some gingerbread cookies for Colin's homecoming. They are his absolute favourite cookie!

 

I picked Colin up around 3:30 today. I was peering over the crowds of parents trying to see him when all of a sudden, there he was hugging me. My heart filled with joy :)

 Everything is right with the world now that our family is back together as a whole...just in time for the first Canucks playoff game!

weekend wrap-up

After picking Colin up from school at 1 on Friday, we drove into Steveston to try out a new bakery. We chose treats for dessert and some amazing hand-churned strawberry icecream. We would definitely recommend The Sweet Spot.

On Friday night, I went to see Soul Surfer with Gillian and her girls. Such a great movie - very inspirational. The reviews for this movie have not been as great as I thought they would be...I guess a movie that isn't full of s*x, dr*gs, car chases and violence doesn't excite the people who do the reviewing.  Some of the reviews I have read also say the family doesn't seem real...again, I think moviegoers have become so conditioned to families being Hollywoodized that it seems strange to see a family that genuinely supports each other and lives a family-centred life. Hmph...there's my rant. I made white chocolate and jellybean popcorn to take to the movie to share. Yum.

The boys and I spent Saturday out in the garden while Neil was at two different school events. We trimmed and weeded, turned over soil and freshened up all our garden beds in the backyard. The spring bulbs and fruit trees were all blossoming.

The boys were a huge help and helped me gather up all the garden debris. Our green tubs were full because Neil cut the grass on Friday so we need to get some "green" bags as back ups. We had to use garbage bags for now. I really think that phrase is true...families that play together, stay together (and we have that covered!) and can also apply to yardwork! The wild rose which is native to this area grows like crazy and although it attracts lots of bees and butterflies to the garden, it also blocks the morning sun from our vegetable patch so that had to be cut way back. Our vegetable seeds will go in next weekend, if the ground it a bit warmer. 

One of my sisters sent me three colours of OPI polish for my birthday so before my tan completely disappears, I decided to use all three to paint my toes. Fun!

Saturday night was girls night in and I shared some snacks from Hawaii to go with our sushi, salad and veggies. Lisa also made amazing pillow cookies. They were so huge but so delish!

 I got some little Easter cards made and finally decided on my Hawaii album and got my cover done.

Adam had his first ball hockey practice Sunday morning and Colin had his guitar lesson this afternoon. Those were our only two scheduled things this weekend which was SO nice. We need the break this spring! After some homework and studying this afternoon, the boys spent some time on the XBox (notice their stockpile of Ikea batteries for their controllers) before we went to Original Joe's for dinner.

Colin has all his clothes and things ready to be packed for camp. He followed his camping list on his own and put things in piles around his bedroom for me to check.

Oh my gosh, he needs so much stuff for three days! Considering there is a chance of snow forecast for his camp on Tuesday, we had to pack so much winter and rain stuff.

Colin's never been away from us for more than a night so this is a big step for all of us. We're going to miss him!

in the garden

The boys and I spent Saturday afternoon in the backyard cleaning up the garden for spring. We pulled out dead plants, trimmed back the hydrangeas and wild roses and turned the soil. It felt so good to have dirt under my fingernails and to feel my back muscles working as we pulled and bent over the beds. 

The fruit trees are in blossom, the blackberry and raspberry bushes have new leaves and the soil is now ready for vegetable planting. In the corner of our vegetable garden, the spring rhubarb has already got a good start. Seeing the bright red stalks and fresh green leaves made me smile.

This is this week's The Simple Things photo.

Check out other "simple things" photographs on Rebecca's blog...click on The Simple Things button below to link to Rebecca's site to see this week's photos.

  

random boy things

Earlier this week, Adam brought home this dog tag that he made in metalwork. When I asked him what significance the design had, he said it was just random ;)

He said his favourite part was the sandblasting.

 

 

This evening, Adam had his wrap-up party for hockey. They had a potluck dinner, chocolate fondue with fruit and the big event was indoor go-kart racing. These karts went faster than anything we had done like this before. Adam did very well...Neil mentioned that all that Mario Kart and Need for Speed must be paying off!

 

 

Watching Adam fly around the course made me think about him turning 16 in less than two years and wanting his driver's licence! Yikes!

  

And tonight, Colin was back at fencing. He was worried he was going to be a little rusty as he hasn't fenced for three weeks but he did just fine. He's decided to have a lighter schedule this bring and is not going to do as much fencing training as he thought (and thus, not go to all the big competitions) and just do his Thursday night lessons again.

 

Just some random boy things from this week!