Top Ten Tuesday - Summer Fun Drinks

The sun is shining and the humidity is rising.
It's got me thinking about lazy afternoons out on the deck enjoying a fun summer beverage.

 

These are the drinks that I think suit the season best!

1.  Strawberry Daquiris - really any flavour works
2.  Margaritta
3.  Pina Colada
4.  Pear vodka in Sprite with a squeeze of lime
5.  Raspberry Smirnoff Twister
6.  Blue Hawaiian
7.  Spiked lemonade
8.  Mojito
9.  Bellini
10. Sangria - although I have yet to try it!  On my list for this summer.

Any special summer drinks that you're looking forward to enjoying??

PLEASE

I'm asking for your support in the Walmart Walk for Miracles.
All proceeds go directly to CHEO and we owe them so much.
This is our small way of saying thank you to the hospital that continues to do so much for children in the Ottawa area.
Please help us thank them. 

You should be able to find my fundraising page here.

THANK YOU!

Sunshine

Beautiful sunshine.
You make me smile.
How I have missed you.
Please stick around for a while.
I'm really looking forward to spending my lunches with you.

relaxing weekend

Nothing too exciting going on and I thought these pics summed it up nicely...



Chillin out watching some cartoons

 

oh, hi there Mom!


At one point he was leaning back so far he popped a wheelie!!

Museum

The girls had a day off from school on Friday.
It was raining, again.

Solution: Museum of Science and Tech!

So off Daddy went with all three kids, and Gramma too!

From what I understand the girls were most excited about getting back to those tunnel slides they love so much, but trains had been mentioned to Caelan and he wasn't shaking that idea!! 

He signed trains on the way there.  "Yes we're going to see trains, that's right!"

He signed trains in the parking lot.  "Yes, trains."

He signed trains as they bought their tickets for the museum.  "Yes, we're going to see trains."

He signed trains as the girls enjoyed the slides.  "Soon, soon we'll see trains."

He signed trains, he signed trains, he signed trains... 

Come, come, come he signed as the girls stop to look at other exhibits along the way...

and then finally they were at the TRAINS!!

Trains, trains, trains he signed and pointed, pointed and signed.

I can only imagine the excitement.

I can only wish that they'd remember the camera...

I would have loved to have been there with them, but would have settled for a captured moment of time.

stuck

Well, I must admit that being back at work doesn't provide much excitement for the blog.  I'm having a very difficult time figuring out what to blog about.  I wake up, get ready and leave for work just as the rest of the family is getting moving.  Work is work.  It's ok, but not blogworthy.  It's a dry enough subject matter while at work, I don't need to put you all asleep too!  I get home about a half hour after the girls, and our evening routine is the same.

People have asked me how Damian is adjusting to being home.  My answer is always the same.  He's doing great!  Showing me up is what he's doing.  I come home to a tidy house full of happy children and supper being prepared if not all ready!!  I am such a lucky lady!  I should really thank my in-laws for raising such an amazing man.

I've also been asked if Caelan misses me.  I've always replied that I've missed him more.  I often get no more than a glance when I return home after work.  However, I think that may be changing.  Today Caelan signed for me to 'come' when I came home and then he pulled himself up to give me a big hug.  Made my day!!  He's been getting more snuggly, huggy, kissy with me in the evening and I'm not complaining because I miss my boy during the days.

Guess we'll just have to start packing a week's worth of fun into our weekends!!

Poetry and a two year old....

Before returning to work I took Caelan to the girls' school to listen to their poetry presentations. What an adventure!!
 
Ryland's class was in the morning, during the middle of Caelan's feed. I was hoping that he would be full enough to be lazy and just sit and listen with me. HA! Guess I should have remembered that he is two and a half after all.
 
My first mistake was that I sat in the middle of the audience. Caelan wriggled around on my lap, kicking nearby chairs with his loud shoes.  Luckily he was happy enough to say "hi!" to all the parents sitting behind us (vocalized as "i"). Then he wanted down (pointing furiously at the floor) but there was no room for him to move about and during his feed he's attached to the back pack so he's only got limited freedom. I tried to distract him with toys which ended up flying. A nice gentleman picked one up and returned it to Caelan. Caelan looked the man straight in the eye and dropped the toy again, which produced quiet giggles from surrounding parents who are all familiar with the game of pick up.
 
Usually at these sorts of events I'm not the parent who leaves the minute their child has presented. I think that's rude and insulting to all the other children. However, on this day I felt that staying with Caelan may be even more distracting than us leaving and I snuck out as best I could.  We remained at the school to visit the art gallery the children had made in the gym. When Ryland's class emerged from the library where the poetry readings were taking place, she said that she hadn't even heard Caelan and didn't even realize we were there before she stood up to present and saw us!
 
Darcy's poetry reading wasn't for about an hour. Not long enough to go home and too long to hang out at the school. Perfect for going to have a cup of tea with one of Ry's friend's Mom a friend. It was lovely, despite Caelan knocking my entire cup of tea onto the floor of the coffee shop!!
 
I thought I was smarter to sit along the aisle near the back for Darcy's presentation. Caelan was done his feed and there was more room for him to scoot around there. I was thinking he could play with his toys at my feet once he tired of sitting on my lap. It didn't take long and he was asking to get down. The second his bum hit the floor he was off like a rocket, making his way to the children sitting at the front of the room. 

I jumped up to follow and then hesitated.  I was curious to see what he was going to do. I sat back down.  Turns out he really just wanted to be part of the younger crowd instead of sitting with boring old Mom!  He placed himself in the last row of children.  I kept a close eye on him.  What I saw made me feel all warm and fuzzy, possibly even a little misty eyed.

There was an EA (Educational Assistant) sitting in the last row of children sitting close to Caelan.  On the other side of her was a shelf of books.  Caelan made the sign for book and she passed him one.  She then proceeded to point to various animals and objects in the book for him to sign.  She knew sign and recognized the signs Caelan was making. They were communicating and it made me all gushy.  I was instantly in love with this EA and so encouraged about Caelan attending this school.   It was a great insight to years ahead and took some of the fears away. 

They sat there signing through book after book until the poetry readings were done.  At one point I caught him rubbing the back of the little boy beside him.  I also saw Darcy scootch over to give Caelan a hug and kiss.  Nothing distracted him from the books for too long though, not even his sister!

The girls both recited their French poems loud (enough) and clear after spending many nights memorizing them.  They did such a great job! And the artwork... oh what a sight to see all the gymnasium walls covered with beautiful art!  Spectacular!!  I was really proud of them.

It was a long day but I'm so happy that we went.  I got so much more out of it than I ever expected.  Funny how that happens...

breakfast conversation

The girls were eating rye toast and the following was overheard...

D:  I think this should be called Darcy bread...

R:  No, you've already got a restaurant, I get the bread.

Made in Canada

A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good Canadian:

I was in Lowe's the other day for some reason and just for the  fun of it I was looking at the hose attachments . They were all made in China. The next day I was in Home Hardware and just for the fun of it I checked the hose attachments there. They were made in Canada! Start looking.

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else - even their job. So, after reading this, I think this lady is on the right track. Let's get behind her! 

She said:
My grandson likes Hershey's candy. I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now. I do not buy it any more.  My favourite toothpaste, Colgate, is made in Mexico now. I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything.

This past weekend I was at Wal-Mart. I needed 60W light bulbs. I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off-brand labeled, "Everyday Value".  I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the
Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - Canada at a company in Ontario. Their Equate products are also made in Canada, and are very good. 

Just to add my own experience on buying made in Canada, I was looking for canned mushrooms that were made in Canada and could never find any, so I would buy fresh. But a miracle happened, when in our Foodland store I found Ravine mushrooms - made in Canada with a little red maple leaf on can.  A little more money but when I opened the can I looked at mushrooms that look like real mushrooms, not a mushroom that looks like it was cleaned in bleach.

So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here.  My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and  see what you can find that is made in Canada.

I received this in an e-mail recently and thought it was worth sharing.

14 years ago today

Happy Anniversary!

so wish we were back there!!

xo

C & C

Caelan and Campbell.
Two Mr. C's.
Two corners of the NICU for too many months.

About a month ago these two boys were able to spend some quality time together.  These are always special moments.

Caelan gets very excited when a friend comes to play and is very insistent that they do just that once here.

He doesn't care that Campbell can't sit unsupported, he wants his friend to sit with him at his table and play.  If Campbell tries to take a rest, Caelan is quick to tap someone to get Campbell back in the seated position to play.  Caelan makes sure to give Campbell a toy in his hand.  I imagine him saying "play with me, my friend".

Caelan doesn't care that Campbell can't see.  He wants his friend to look at his books with him.  Such a hard concept for a little guy to get.  He taps him and attempts to get his attention, he so wants him to look.  We tell him that he's listening to the story.  So concerned that his friend isn't looking at the pictures, but smart enough to take his hand an let him feel the book.  I imagine him saying "read with me, my friend".

If he notices that Campbell isn't colouring with him he takes his tiny hand in his, opens his grasp and places a crayon within.  He closes Campbell's fingers around the crayon and brings it to the paper.  I imagine his saying "colour with me, my friend".

When Campbell cries, Caelan tries to comfort him.  He'll tap nearby parents and point to Campbell, making sure that they are aware that Campbell is indeed crying (in case they don't hear it!).  Caelan will rub Campbell's head, tummy or back and bring him toys in an effort to make him feel better.  I imagine him saying "it will be alright, my friend".

I love when Campbell is the recipient of Caelan hugs and kisses.  I imagine him saying "I love you, my friend".

Caelan doesn't recognize his own limitations let alone those of his friend.  It makes me so proud.

Facing challenges together.
Building friendships to last forever.

Campbell's parents, Joanna and Bert, kept a daily blog during the months that Campbell was in hospital.  It's still occasionally updated with momentous occasions and milestones reached.  If you'd like to learn more about his journey, you can find it here.

Finger lickin' good

People often ask how Caelan is doing on his oral feeds. 
The answer is "he doesn't."

Caelan is still opposed to having food (or a toothbrush) in his mouth.  Actually I think we've come to the realization that this is more about his control than anything else.  By this I mean that if Caelan chooses to put something in his mouth all is good, but if you'd like him to put something in his mouth it's unlikely to happen.  As always, it's still all on his terms.

There are some encouraging aspects of the entire oral feed subject though.  We've always made sure to include Caelan in our family meal times.  He's expected to sit at the table with the rest of his family when they're eating.  (For the record he's often getting his milk too.)  Recently he has insisted on having his own plate with the same food and the same utensils as the rest of the family.  He's very clear in his desires as the plastic 'baby' spoons go flying across the kitchen and he makes the sign for fork repeatedly and pointing towards the cutlery drawer.  Don't even dream of getting him a plastic fork because it will end up beside the spoon.

He also wants to have the same things on his plate as everyone else.  This means that every condiment on the table must be on his plate.  If Darcy puts ketchup on something he needs ketchup.  If Dad uses hot sauce he needs some.  If Ry has plum sauce well he'll take a dab of that too, and a sprinkle of pepper like Mom too!!  It's quite the colourful plate in the end.  The good news is that it's easy to encourage him to dip his fingers in these paint like substances and he's normally good for at least one good finger lick per meal, often more.

On our Occupational Therapist's recommendation I bought some very tiny ice cream cones.  Those who know me well know I would never by those - I'd get the big sugar or waffle cones!!  He's very good at copying what the rest of us are doing, total peer pressure I'm telling you!!  But he'll lick the ice cream, not much but he's doing it.  The other night everyone at the table was licking their dill pickles like they were ice cream cones and he did it twice.  So much for manners but for now we have other priorities!

So all this to say, we're still working on it.  We whoop and hollar like crazies when any food substance goes in his mouth.  He knows what we want...  He likes to kiss his food and just bring it to his lips, with a cheeky little grin on his face, such a teaser!

I was hoping to get a picture to share with this post but haven't captured the moment yet.

miss you monkey



shirt reads:  Warning!  Needs Constant Supervision



Top Ten Tuesday - Skeeters

Tis the season for mosquito bites and we're all covered in them this year!

So... the top ten worst places to have a mosquito bite. 

1. ear - like, really? that can't be satisfying for them, how much blood we got in there?
2. knuckle - just too darn boney/bumpy
3. ankle or heel - often further irritated by your shoes, sox or pants
4. side of your hand that rubs on the paper as you write - it'll drive you mad!!
5. on your wrist where the cuff of your shirt tickles it all day long, or where your watch or bracelets bug it
6. nose - because you just look dumb for not gettting it before it got you!
7. toes - too tiny for a good scratch
8. bum - let's face it, nobody can pull off scratching their arse without looking like a redneck
9. anywhere on your child who doesn't handle these things well
10. anywhere you can't reach

How about you?  Where's your worst skeeter bite? 
And better yet, what do you do to relieve the itch?


Note: This post has been shared with oh amanda

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARCY!

I can't believe you're eight years old!!!

You are strong, smart and beautiful.

You are caring and sensitive.

You are stubborn, independant and daring.

All that you are and all that you will be,

we will always love you Darcy

and you will always be my baby girl.

xoxo

Love you Darcy, xoxo

First day back

Today I went to work. That alone was a big adjustment.

You could almost say it was fun getting ready for work this morning.
Almost.

I stayed to see the girls off to school. My son woke up early enough to be able to give me kisses goodbye and wave in the front window.

As far as work goes, I hear there are some major changes for me to learn but I haven’t really started worrying too much about that. Just getting settled in. Some things that are coming backto me slowly, other things that still haven’t and probably won’t for a while, if ever.

My desk is in a new spot but I’m lucky enough to have some familiar friendly faces around. Others were kind enough to come over and welcome me back. Lots and lots of new faces and I should probably make my way around and introduce myself but ugh… that really isn’t my style.  Do you think I could just ignore them all? Let them speculate about that new lady in the office for a while.

I had to laugh aloud when I couldn’t remember how to use the phones that I trained everyone on a couple of months before leaving. I was able to update my voicemail and retrieve messages just couldn’t make it not go directly to voicemail. Missed the first call from my boss before figuring it out.

Also couldn’t get my computer to work but was smart enough to realize that the monitor simply wasn’t plugged in. There were a lot more icons on my desktop and I’m really not sure what they all do. I did discover that this blog is blocked as inappropriate from my employer. Huh!

Coffee machine is different and I only put coffee in my first cup of tea.

Found out there’s a new hire class starting in one month. Do you think they’ll expect me to train that or do you think they’ll let me attend?

The box of my stuff that has been in storage for the past two and a half years has been unpacked and the pictures are all back out on my desk. I desperately need to bring in some updated photos. And a box of Kleenex. I also forgot how unbelievably cold the office is and will make sure to bring in an extra sweater tomorrow.

I think it will all be okay.

Oh, except when I left the office the car wouldn't start.  Apparently, I must have left the lights on and drained the battery.  Except I checked and I didn't leave the lights on.  Unless I checked wrong...

heigh ho

heigh ho, it's off to work I go...

I'll let you know how it goes.

Wish me luck!
xo:)

chocolate aftermath

chocolate dipped oreos, potato chips, pretzels, rice krispie balls, banana chips, dried apricots and 'shmallows... yummm!

waiting

One picture for every hour we waited for Darcy's chocolate birthday party to begin...

bugs

I am so not a big fan of bugs. 

I am ashamed to say that I am one of those people who run away from bees and wasps. Or at least I was before I had children.  Now I make every effort to walk away calmly without raising too much fuss.  I'm trying very hard to be a brave role model for my girls.  Don't ask me about the time I was home with the girls and we discovered a wasp in the house!!  Thankfully when this happened again recently Daddy was home.

I'm getting much better at taking on spiders although I still don't like finding them in the shower with me... or on the bedroom ceiling when I'm in bed!

Earwigs totally creep me out.  ugh! 

As cute as some may think they are, ants, ladybugs and worms are still better left outside with the rest of them.  Needless to say; I never had an ant farm, I liked ladybugs much more before I moved to the country and found them in my house all the time, and I'm not the child who's Mom found dried up worms in her coat pockets every spring.  . 

Unfortunately, I do seem to be one of those sweet blooded people that mosquitos love and already have several bites this season.  Right now, it's just not safe for me to be outside between the mosquitos and the black flies.  I think they're trying to eat me alive.

And then yesterday I saw this nibbling on a blade of grass in our front yard...

What the heck is this??  I think it even turned it's head to smile for the camera.

It was a shimmery dark blue-y black colour and over an inch long.  It looked crunchy.

grrr...

while blogger was down I lost three posts...
not happy!

time is flying

All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that.
Baltasar Gracian


If we take care of the moments, the years will take care of themselves.
Maria Edgeworth


Regret for wasted time is more wasted time.
Mason Cooley


Time is what we want most, but... what we use worst.
William Penn


This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

We must use time as a tool, not as a crutch.
John F. Kennedy


Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.
Theophrastus


How you spend your time is more important than how you spend your money. Money mistakes can be corrected, but time is gone forever.
David Norris 

past 48

We've had some beautiful weather this week I just wish I was outside enjoying it more.  My nerves are definitely getting the better of me as my return to work date approaches quickly and life has just been plain busy.  I certainly planned too much for this last week and am getting overwhelmed despite how much fun I'm having!

Yesterday I took my Mom to the National Art Gallery for High Tea and had a lovely time.  It's not often that we get to sit uninterrupted for an extended period of time just enjoying each other's company.  I'm really glad that we did it and hope we can do something similar again soon.

Then last night I was lucky enough to be treated to dinner and a movie with two fabulous women.  Great company and a great movie.  What more could you ask for?  (well, maybe better seats in the theater and to win the lotto!) These two women provide me with so much support.  I'm so happy that they're a part of our lives.  Couldn't imagine life without them and I have Caelan to thank for bringing us together.

This morning we had a two hour sign language lesson.  My last before returning to work.  Not sure how things are going to go from here on in.  Damian will continue to have lessons twice a  month but weekend and evening lessons are out of the question so don't know when I'll get mine.  We were thinking about trying to get in a lesson once a month on my lunch hour in town.

This afternoon we had a big meeting at OCTC.  There were twelve of us in attendance; physiotherapist, occupational therapist, blind low vision therapist, speach language therapist, interpreter, sign language instructor, social worker, case worker, community coordinator and us.  It's always nice to review all the goals previously set out for Caelan last August, especially when he's done so well at achieving them!  It doesn't hurt when the entire team praises you and your family on a job well done! 

I'll save more on this meeting for later, for now, I'm looking forward to watching some vampires on telly with my hubby.

family

Mother's Day 2011

Momma got her hair cut

Do you remember my Top Ten post about positive thinking for my return to work?  (you can find it here).

Well today was the day to get my hair cut.  What do you think?

I think I should probably clean that mirror tomorrow!

Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing Mom's I have the honour of knowing.

A Mother's Love

by Helen Steiner Rice

A Mother's love is something
that no on can explain,
It is made of deep devotion
and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish
and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it
or take that love away . . .
It is patient and forgiving
when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters
even though the heart is breaking . . .
It believes beyond believing
when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty
of the rarest, brightest gems . . .
It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret
like the mysteries of creation . . .
A many splendoured miracle
man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence
of God's tender guiding hand.

one of those days

You know when you have one of those days...

The ones where you snooze the alarm a half a dozen times before crawling out of bed ... oh wait, that's every morning! 

Ok, well how about the ones where your kids argue about everything from what to eat for breakfast to what to wear and every single other thing before running to catch the bus to school... oops, did it again!

How about when you go to unload the dishwasher and realize you forgot to turn it on last night and there are no clean plates/bowls/spoons/mugs for your morning coffee/tea/breakfast.  You know it's not going to be a good day.

Ditto for the washing machine.  Being told at 7am by your daughter that she has no clean underwear is not a good way to start the day.  Oh but wait there's a clean load in the dryer... that was started!  Thank goodness.

So it's obvious that you must begin your day by organizing the laundry but before you can start it the door bell rings wth a delivery.  You start putting the delivered supplies away and realize you've forgotten to order something specific.  You better write yourself a note because if not you'll forget again!  This is when the smell hits you... almost knocks you over.  There's been a poop explosioin a la Caelan!  Ugh.  This is going to require a bath and more laundry.  Get Caelan ready for his bath.  Have a great time with the rubber duckies.  Go to get Caelan out and ... oh yah, the towels are in the washer, great!!  Note:  babies are very slippery.

Or how about when something that's supposed to be charged isn't.  How frustrating!  You're probably thinking cell phone or similar device but in this house that would be Caelan's feed pump.  Nothing like having a "battery low" alarm ringing off every 10 minutes during a two hour feed!  This would be during the same feed that I find a big puddle of formula leaking onto the floor.  Guaranteed to occcur at least once a feed.  Seriously.

Vacuum the floors and run a quick mop over them and five minutes after the kids get home from school nobody'd ever know you'd cleaned them.  At least you know it's fresh dirt.

You know those days where you tidy one room only to turn around and find another one a disaster.  Or you put the same toys away three times.  Why bother?

It's those days when you start a million things and accomplish nothing. 

Good thing today's not one of those days...

hmm...

It's weird making appointments that you won't be attending... Just saying.

Physiotherapy

Yesterday we went to physiotherapy.  We don't go as often as we used to but probably every 3-4 weeks. 
Caelan continues to make me so proud in his efforts during these sessions.  They really are one hour of intense hard work for him and he does give it his all.  (With his tongue out for most of it!)  Well, at least until he decides he's done and then he's really done!  There's no getting him to do anything.

We continue to progress, taking small steps, towards him walking.  Currently we are working on his standing and cruising.  He's doing fabulously!  He understands that if he wants to be picked up we expect him to be on his feet.  He begins by getting himself into a kneeling position, like most kids I think.  The difference is he has no concept of using his hands and arms to pull himself to stand.  It's all in his legs.  All we do now is apply slight pressure to his hands and he'll get himself standing, sometimes it enough just to stabilize his wrists.  At home I've been trying to do more playing with him standing at the sofa, table or chair to help strengthen those legs muscles even more.  We're trying to figure out how we can raise his train table up to a standing level because that would be a great motivator for him.

He's pretty good at cruising from one end of the sofa to the other, all be it a bit wobbly.  Definitely still requiring some supervision.  He's able to navigate easily between to parallel surfaces and inside corners. I am very happy to say that he knows enough to fall backwards onto his bum.  I've been told this is really good for his hips too.  Who knew falling would be good!?

We worked on stairs too!!  Stairs!  Can you believe it?  He's got the concept down great and needed very little prompting, initiating most of the required steps himself.  I find this amazing since we live in a bungalow and he only really gets practice on the stairs when we visit grandparents - if we think of it. 

Not long now... think I may be going back to work just in time.  I'll be sorry to miss his first steps but things are going to get crazy around here when this little dude is on his feet!!  :)

no more naps

Ugh... I knew this day would come I just kept hoping we could hold it off as long as possible.

Not only has Caelan decided that he really doesn't need to nap anymore, he's also decided to wake up two hours earlier than what was normal.  He's exhausted during his dinnertime feed and then gets this wicked second wind afterwards!

It's seriously cutting into my blogging time!  LOL!  There seems to be this unwritten rule that if I'm on the computer he must be on my lap.  So I'm typing this one handed...

Just in time for me to return to work though :)

Top Ten Tuesday - chocolate

After Easter we've still all I've got chocolate on the brain.  So here's my ten most favourite chocolate bars... I think.  I tried to stick to real "bars"

1. Lindt Dark Chocolate Fleur de Sel
2. Lindt Dark Chocolate Chili
3. Cadbury Fruit and Nut
4. After Eight - yes they make a real chocolate bar!
5. Crunchie
6. Big Turk
7. Hershey Cookies n' Cream
8. Cadbury Dairy Milk
9. Mars
10. Mr. Big

For the record;

• I would choose m&m's over smarties everytime, despite my husbands love for the latter.
• Mars over Snickers lately but that wasn't always the case.  Just got some stale peanut flavour once too many times and now always pick Mars.
• I used to always choose my chocolate bar treat based on weight per dollar, especially if I didn't have a real hankering for a specific bar.  Now, I'm more likely to want quality over quantity.
• With the more expensive choices I've never eaten an entire bar at on sitting.  I'm much more likely to break off a square, really savour it and drag the bar out for a week!
• There are some chocolates that my husband just doesn't appreciate enough to eat.

So tell me, what's your favourite??  Which ones did I miss?
For the record this list was harder to make than I thought it would be!!

Menu Review

You may have noticed that our menu last week was a little ambitious on my part.  We tried five new recipes and I thought I'd take this opportunity to let you know how it went.


Monday homemade egg rolls, kung pao chicken and chow mein.

The chicken was fabulous and I think it was the winner of the week.  We all really liked it.  Next time I think I'll double the sauce and add carrots, broc and peppers and serve over rice.  The egg rolls were pretty good but Ry didn't like them (they were vegetarian) and as expected a little fussy to make.  I cheated on the chow mein because I found an old flavour packet in the back of our cupboard, it was actually what inspired this dinner!  As a result we all found it very salty and I'm now on a mission to find a good "from scratch" chow mein recipe.

Tuesday honey glazed pork tenderloin

Simple.  Easy.  Very tasty.  Served with roasted sweet potato and beets with salad.  Everyone ate it so we call that a success!

Wednesday black bean cakes and mango salsa 

Not diffucult to make but not much of a success as neither girl would eat it - Actually I think Darcy ate half.  The black bean cakes had a bit of a mushy texture, which may have been a bit my fault as I did smash them beyond recognition...  The mango salsa was yummy and will probably be made again just to eat with tortilla chips!

Thursday pizza pizza ....  yah um... Damian and I had a workshop in town that I'll fill you in on soon.  We ate out and the girls were treated to pizza pizza with Nana and Gramspy.

Friday peanut pork noodle salad

Well I think Damian and I were both a little nervous making this but it was good.  I enjoyed the flavour and it was easy since the pork had been cooked earlier in the week.  It's a lot of cabbage though and I'm curious to see how my tummy handles it.  Unfortunately the girls didn't enjoy it at all.  Darcy ate the meat and cabbage and left her noodles ( which is previously unheard of!?!?!?) because she decided she didn't like the sauce.  I think she kept eating the cabbage because, a. we didn't give her very much and b. she was trying to figure out what it was.  When the girls were young I renamed red cabbage purple princess lettuce, so we called this princess fiona lettuce.  Ry had her mind set not to like it from the minute she sat down at the dinner table.


So this week... not so adventurous. 
It's my last week home alone with the boy.  I'd like to enjoy it.
Damian starts his leave next week and we'll spend it together trying to get everything organized... Then heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to work I go ...