GINGERBREAD FRIENDS

Rylee wasn't quite satisfied with the boring old gingerbread men, stars, trees and angels....oh no, she wanted a mouse. When you don't have any fancy cookie cutters....playdough cutters to the rescue! So when she gets home today, she'll find her mouse....and a cow, a fish, a dolphin and the everpopular Christmas favourite - giraffe. Waaaay too fun on a snowy afternoon!

PACKAGE FROM FLORIDA

If you ask my kids what comes from Florida in the winter time, they'll answer:

alligator t-shirts

and alligator chocolate

The first package from my Mom arrived yesterday. Rylee knew what was inside that box before she even started to rip the paper. What Rylee doesn't know is that package number 2 will be hand-delivered by Lao Lao, on Boxing Day. I can hear the excited squeals already...from Big Daddy, because we'll get to go on a date while the "babysitter" is in town. Yippee!

HEART STEALER

When she finally settles down for her night night, she grabs me with both of her little arms, smooches me right on the lips and says "I yuv you Mommy". Then she falls back on the bed laughing. This goes on 7 or 8 times...or until she feels that I've been sufficiently loved. Usually within 3 hours, with a loud "Mommy, seeps, me, all done", a little frown and signing the words all done, I am summoned to her big-girl bed. Within 5 minutes she drifts off again while I rub her little back. Lately, she needs me another 3 or 4 times during the night. I am beginning to wonder if she's just liking the back rubs too much. lol Yup, I get tired, but how could yah get upset at this little face? She steals my heart!

What a privilege it is to be a stay-at-home mom!

WHEN YOU CAN'T FIND A BRUSH, A POPSICLE STICK WILL DO:

READY FOR KITCHEN DUTY:

EVEN HER SCARF IS BIGGER THAN HER:

IT'S LOOKING LIKE CHRISTMAS

OH FUDGE!

I love fudge! I mean it rates right up there with cheesecake. Oooooh yeah! I've never tried making it myself...until yesterday. It was so simple and ohhhh soooo good and creamy!

MAPLE FUDGE

1 1/3 cups of sweetened condensed milk

1 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter

1/2 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan except nuts. Simmer slowly, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Stir occasionally until mixture reaches the softball stage - 236 F

Cool without stirring until mixture reaches 110 F or until it feels warm. Beat mixture until thick, add nuts, pour into buttered pan. Allow to set.

SUCCESSES, SOAP, SOURDOUGH AND SYVRETS

I opened up the first jar of pickled beets from September...man oh man, are they delicious!! So my very first attempt at the pickled beets was a huge success!! Yippee! I know, for the amount of beets a person eats, it's probably much easier to just buy a jar at the store...yeah, yeah I get it. But really, it's the fact that I can do it. Oh and note to self: wear rubber gloves next time during the beet skinning process. The stains on my hands were....ummm....worrisome for the general public. lol

We opened up a jar of strawberry jam - July 12/08 - batch #2 - again, it was a hit! Woohoo! 2 for 2! I'm on a roll....

AFTER 2 BREAKFASTS - GONE!

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Baby J has the most delicate skin and I have to be verrrry careful what products she can use on her skin and clothes. Specialized and super expensive products can still make her break out...it's really weird. So this week, I made my own batch of laundry soap to see if it would work. It works great! No break-outs, it's super cheap, and honestly it does a better job of cleaning our clothes.

You'll need 3 products:

1 cup of borax

1 cup of washing soda

1 cup of a laundry bar soap grated (I used my cheese grater - took 1 minute)

Just stir them together. Use 2 Tbsp per load.

Then I use plain vinegar in the rinse cycle. Voila!

3 PRODUCTS:

FINISHED PRODUCT:

Oh, and I know what you're thinking...that I'm just one step away from wearing ankle-length denim jumpers and Amish headgear. What next, cooking on a woodstove and chasing goats from my garden?! Hmmmmm...now that has possibilities!

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I tried my hand at sourdough bread on the weekend....now I really wish I had taken pictures of that. Total failure! Something happened to the sourdough starter...not sure what happened...but something happened. A thick crust formed on the top and under the crust was a runny slime. I couldn't stop laughing. The only thing Big Daddy said was "I don't have to eat that, right?!" lol

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I read somewhere on a blog this week that this homesteader described herself as part Olivia Walton, part Ma Ingalls, with a good dose of Ma Kettle thrown in. I laughed until I peed. Because my own mother says that she can't believe how much of a hillbilly I am and my Granny Syvret will never be gone as long as I'm alive. Sure we share a name, both love a full pantry and have been known to throw a clean dish towel over a pan of brownies, but that's where the similarities end....I think.

FORGOT ONE

Yeah, I forgot the best one that happened yesterday morning while walking to Kindergarten.

Rylee was tugging at her snowpants every few steps and finally I asked her what was wrong.
Rylee: "My bum is itchy. Scratch it for me, Mom!"

THE LIFE OF RYLEE

We took a little drive over a very winding road last week and of course Little Piddle is nauseous. She's so much like me!! Anyway, after trying lots of remedies - opening the window, holding my hand, not looking out the window - J settles down...and then we hear from the other back seat: "Mom, I'm car-healthy."

Since Rylee has been attending Kindergarten, I've eased up with the lessons at home. She points up at the planets on the ceiling in the playroom yesterday while playing playdough trying to recreate them.
Me: "What's the name of the red one?"
Rylee: "Marvin"
I think we'll get back to homeschooling again!

She tells me that some kids at school cry. A lot!
Me: "Why do the kids cry?"
Rylee: silence...just thinking this one through
Me: "Do you think they miss their Moms?"
Rylee: "Yeah, they probably miss their Moms."
Me: "Do you miss me sometimes?"
Rylee: "NO WAY!"
Oh it's good to be loved! lol

BOUGHT BUNKBEDS

At 7:30 on Friday morning we threw the kids in the CRV and headed off to the big smoke to do our bit to help stimulate the economy. By the time we were finished I was expecting a personal call from Stephen Harper, thanking us for our dedication to the cause or a call from some Visa official thinking that our card had been stolen.

One of our purchases was a set of bunkbeds. I know, I know, more kids are hurt from bunkbeds than all childhood diseases and all other accidents combined. I know! But, we bought a set anyway. lol Oh don't worry, we set them up as single beds for now...until the girls are old enough NOT to have an accident. I'm thinking maybe when they're 20 and 17.

By the way, if you're in the market for a set of bunks, I would highly recommend the plain-jane type over the more fancy and upscale ones. Why fork over good cash and then have a team of burly men deliver and set up your purchase, when you can carry a 500 lb box with at least 724 pieces to assemble by yourself with little people under foot! Ohhhhh, let the games begin.....

GOING TO NEED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND A BEER:

HELP ARRIVES:

TAKE A BREAK DADDY AND WE'LL GROOM YOU:

GOOD PLACE TO KEEP YOUR COMB:

AND WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH HAIR, YOU HAVE TO BALANCE YOUR BRUSH ON YOUR HEAD:

Sidenote: We've had 3 nights of peace since the girls are now together in their own big girl room, sleeping in big girl beds...okay, maybe 2 since the first night was a flippin disaster. And we never did get a call from Stephen Harper.