the spice girls

Well....today I learned something. I learned that Bree and Jenna like spicy food. The other night we made coconut chicken curry and they literally inhaled it. A fluke? Maybe. Tonight...I decided to try out a curried sweet potatoe soup (in addition to a favourite rice bake), and well, they loved that too. Wierd. I must admit though...the soup was from a kid friendly, healthy eating cookbook, so if you would like the recipe just let me know. (It was really yummy!) It wasn't too spicy...but it had enough kick to make the soup fun. Can soup be fun? We dolloped a bit of plain yogurt on top and then artfully drizzled a design of maple syrup for a little sweetness. A perfect balance of spicy and sweet. My goodness....I sound like I am a bit of a foodie huh? Maybe it's because I talk to myself while cooking....usually a play by play for whomever is listening (or not), or it could be my crazy singing and dancing around the kitchen that draws strange looks from the kids, or it could be that I just love to cook! Yeah. That's it! I love to cook. I especially love having my newest sous chefs on hand willing to taste test anything. And so they did.....

This is where it all began or should I say went wrong. Shortly after this little taste test...pandemonium happened in my kitchen as I put the lid on the soup and told them they needed to wait until dinner. I am not sure what part of "wait until dinner" they didn't understand, but man it got loud. Double time. I tried to call in the reinforcements (aka Aidan and Maelle) but they were no where to be seen. Or, maybe they were smart...and hid. At any rate, as I stood there with two screaming almost toddlers, I continued to cook. And....I continued to sing....just louder.

shoot out

A proud moment indeed!

I think I am now officially a hockey mama! In the stands....capturing moments like these on video...awesome! Even though all of the kids got a chance at a "shoot out", it was treated by the coaches, players, and spectators as though it was the real thing. It was a loud crowd on Sunday in the arena. Nice to be part of it all and get caught up in all of the excitement.

five minutes of fame

Friday night was a big night for our little hockey fella. He had the opportunity to play a quick game of hockey with his team mates at a Calgary Women's Dinos game at the Olympic Oval. Among the players, Canadian gold medalist Hayley Wickenheiser!

But first, it was skating in the footsteps of Olympians at the Olympic Oval.


Sitting in the dressing room with perhaps a few pre-game nerves!


Anxiously awaiting to step out onto the ice with his team.

Then in front of all the spectators it was game on! Incase you were wondering....Aidan is #11, and is the only one with red laces. A special request at the beginning of the season.

What a great opportunity for these kids to get out there and play what hopefully felt like a taste of the big leagues! Although it was a very late night, I think it was totally worth it.

Thanks Brent for the awesome shots and for helping make this evening a memorable one for our family and especially for Aidan.

pond skating

Yet just one more reason to love Spruce Meadows....this time not for the horses. How about their amazing skating rink instead? They have a huge pond that they have cleared off allowing for a huge skating rink and a skating path. I guess those cold temps last week were good for something afterall! Brent took Aidan and Maelle over the other day to try it out, and I think they liked it!







I mean who wouldn't like skating as fast as they could around a path and then out onto the open rink? Especially when you have it all to yourself.

So much fun! Hopefully the considerably warmer temperatures we have been experiencing lately won't ruin this newly discovered piece of paradise! But for the moment at least...these kids had a blast!

lip gloss

"Well, hello my old friends! So nice to see you again! I do hope that you will stick around for a while. I have missed you so!"

Uhh....yes. I spent a little bit of time this afternoon chatting with some newly acquired bath products, and oh yes....the best lip gloss like ever! Orange cantaloupe. Who knew? Well I do now I guess!
Ok...anyways....so the littlest ladies and I decided to embark on a little adventure this morning. I say adventure because it was a trip to the mall, and for those of you who know me know that I dislike malls. A lot. Thankfully we only had to go to one store that being Fruits and Passion. Now, I know this store has been around for a long time, and I have shopped here in the past. But, I have been a bit of a Bath and Body Works girl for a while, but today I decided to go back to an old fave. So glad I did! I had a bit of an Ikea "start the car" moment today....hence my purchases, "some" of which are shown above. Totally hit the best sale at this store! Everything I liked was discounted! That never happens! Like anyone shocked by their amazing luck, the girls and I loaded up our basket and are now very well stocked with some awesome new soaps, washes, and glosses.
Yes, we had fun on our little quick albeit worthwhile trip to the mall this morning, and yes I just blogged about lip gloss and soap. But hey....you also read the entire thing! That says something doesn't it! Welcome to my world! And I must say that I am quite thrilled that something so simple like lip gloss and new soap can just make me smile, and add a little skip to my step today!

weathering the cold

This may just be the week. Finally. I think it is finally going to warm up! Yay!

It has been a very, very, chilly week, with temperatures averaging a whopping -20 degrees. Yes....it's been a cold run. The kids (and adults) have been getting a little stir crazy from having to be indoors most of the time, I mean afterall...

you can only watch so many movies...

bake so many cookies & muffins...

have so many blanket rides....

and read so many stories.....

....before the novelty of a cold snap finally takes it's toll.

Today, however, the kids did venture outside for a breath of "cold" fresh air, and things are looking up for the week ahead. We have a lot of time to make up from being stuck indoors this past week, so hopefully we will get outside and enjoy that snow!

one little word

As we head into this new year, I have plans. Big plans. Plans that will "hopefully" ( I am currently crossing my fingers!) slowly surface as we make our way month by month through 2011. Some of the biggest ones are my business plans. I am really hoping that all of these ideas that I have swirling around in my head, scribbled in one of many journals & sketchbooks, and jotted down on the bright yellow sticky notes that are stuck to everything, will one day become a reality. I am hugely motivated to get busy. To get going on making things happen. But....if it doesn't, then that's ok too. That's the nice thing about being your own boss....you make the deadlines!
One other thing that was big on my goal list for this year was...family life. Lots of time devoted to just us. Big events or small events, it really doesn't matter. Just good old quality time doing the things that we love.
One of the blogs I read daily, encourages all of her readers to come up with a word. A word that you focus on throughout the year. A word to live by. This year my word is "moments". It's about focusing in on what's important in our daily lives....the small details if you will, that often get overlooked in the on going hustle-bustle of daily life. It's about slowing down and taking notice of things that are around. New sights, new smells, new adventures....those sorts of things. It's about not getting bogged down with things that are mundane or unnecessary. It's about paying attention and capturing those ever so brief moments of fun! So with that, I have a few "moments" that I captured today of my new little sous chefs. These ladies have taken quite an interest in cooking lately, but most importantly...tasting.

Yes....there they are. Devouring what would soon be toasted pita crisps. See....it's all about the moments! Even if it means these two cutie-pies sneaking a piece of pita bread when one unsuspecting mama turns her back for just a few seconds! Oh they are big on teamwork I tell ya! Sneaky!

the bobsled run

Did you know, that we have a bit of a bobsled run in our backyard? Yep....you heard right. Brent has been very busy turning what started off as a simple slide down a large mound of snow into our very own run. The kids have tested out various sleds and have found that the cheap, inflatable Lightning McQueen summer boogie board tends to get the most speed and can handle the turns of the run at the utmost precision. We have already done one patch repair job on it and at the end of this summer I will be picking up several more to use on next winter's run.
So, in order to honour Brent's hard work, I have posted a short video clip of Aidan having a turn to slide. Plans are already in the works for next year's run and how it will be bigger and better than this one....

See! Looks like fun huh? I have yet to give it a try, but plan on doing so the next time I head out with the kids!

Ah, yes.....sledding and skating, all right here in our very own backyard. What's next I wonder?

a visit

I think for the first time in a long time I actually have blog posts waiting to be posted. How did that happen? Needless to say I will be able to keep you all entertained for a while! Have we been having too much fun around here? Hmmm....maybe that's it!

Today was no exception to that thought. We decided that the weather was cooperating beautifully so why not head over to Spruce Meadows for a bit this afternoon. My goodness. I think that one day the trainers in those stables are going to employ all of us. We should definitely be on the frequent visitors list by now...I am sure of it!

The little ladies get a lift up to the stables.

Once again, Maelle reconfirms to us that she is indeed a horse whisperer. They love her! And you can only guess how much she loves them in return. Oh a picture like this is so worth a thousand words.

Bree and Jenna had a little fun making sure that Santa's elves did indeed head back to the North Pole. (These were decorations that were still up from the big Christmas market that Maelle and I attended back in November.)

Getting a chance to get up close and personal with Fox Trot. Man...I think that I am going to write Spruce Meadows a letter thanking them for such a wonderful staff and facility. These trainers are so amazing when it comes to sharing their knowledge base and letting people (and kids) get a first class hands on experience. There aren't very many places left that would stoop to this kind of generosity. Maybe that's why we love it here so much.

Heading home after another wonderful visit.

Oh....if you were wondering where Aidan was....he was in school. Don't worry though, he was probably having just as much fun as we were!

a wonderous wintery walk

I ventured out this morning with Aidan and Maelle to Fish Creek Park to try out our new snowshoes that Brent so kindly gave us for Christmas. This was Aidan's first time trying this out and he actually did remarkably well. Seeing that we only have one pair of kids size snowshoes (for this year), Maelle opted to come along for a nice walk. The next time we head out, however, I think she will have a go with them too.
This was and is one of my goals for this winter...to get out and snowshoe as much as possible both at nearby parks and into the mountains for a longer adventure. It is such a nice way to enjoy the outdoors in winter, and after my adventures from last year I couldn't wait to share it with family this year.
We started out our day with a little bit of practice so that Aidan could get more familiar with his new "feet". The snow was perfect. Just deep enough to get a good feeling for what the snowshoes can actually help you do.

Gotta watch the downhills though! Not as easy as one may think!

We were also joined this morning by Uncle Lindsay, Auntie Ky, and Rory (in his sled) for a walk through one of the many trails at the park. Along the way we stopped to feed the chickadees, check out the numerous animal tracks, and let little Rory have a slide down some of the little hills on the trail. The kids also each took a few turns pulling their little cousin along the path.

A great way to end our little hike....a snack, hot peppermint tea, and hot chocolates - outside, soaking up those glorious sunny rays! I so love a winter picnic! Especially when it's sunny!

Next time, I say we do lunch!

Happy New Year!

Hello and welcome 2011!



We have been busy working on our goal lists for this upcoming new year, while managing a little sick bay out in these parts. It seems as though a little "new year's bug" has decided to work it's way through a few family members for the past couple of days. So not fun. So not nice. So not welcome.
But, for those who aren't affected by this nasty little creature, we are finishing up the winter break and getting ready for the long haul until summer. Yes....I said summer. Camping adventures was a big one on our goal list for this year, so needless to say I have had that on my mind for most of the day. It is quite a good distance away however, and I know that we still have a great deal of winter left. And I am glad about that! I still have a few winter activities that need to be checked off my to do list!
So, here's to a brand new year that will hopefully be filled with many new adventures, many new memories, and many, many more stories to share!