Our First Sign of the Magic of the Season

All is right in the world when a 9 year old still believes...

Today was a snow day - the first of the school year and certainly one of many.  We ALL love snow days and this one was very enjoyable due to mild temperatures, beautiful, fresh snow and good road conditions despite the cancellation of buses.  We baked cookies, the kids watched a movie, played in the snow, went to the dentist, visited some friends and then, while I made dinner, they began writing their letters to Santa Claus.  Alex and Jean didn't put a lot of thought into their letter and we will be helping them complete their letters some time this week but Grace, at 9 years of age, put a lot of thought into her letter.  We have recently wondered if she still believes in Santa Claus and we got our answer tonight.

When she finished her letter, she put it directly into an envelope and sealed it up.  She would not let me read it or tell me what it said.... so I opened it tonight after she went to bed!  Shame on me but I need to know!!!

Low and behold I was brought to tears by the end of the letter.  Not only does our little girl believe in Santa and the magic of Christmas but she loves her family so much (her daddy) that she wants him to be happy to and for Santa to bring him a much-needed new truck.

She always amazes us with her beautiful spirit.  This is one of the many reasons why I love the Christmas season.  I hope you all can find some magic in yours as well.

Running the Roads

This morning I was inspired (I love being inspired and it happens all the time) by an article I read:

The Last Ride


Ian and I are just at the beginning of our careers running the roads with our kids.  Grace has been dancing on the competitive team for over 2 years, the kids have played soccer for a few years and Alex just began playing minor hockey this fall, among the other activities the kids have done...

Before they were old enough to participate in organized sports (activities), we had this idea that they would take one activity at a time.  We would not spend most of our evenings driving our kids to town...

Little did we know what reality looks like.  This is a choice we have made.  An active choice and we are LOVING almost every moment!

We live 20 minutes from town.  Our typical day consists of sending the kids off to school, taking them off the bus, eating supper and heading off to dance, hockey, swimming, soccer...
We adjust our supper time to accommodate the time we need to leave and we eat supper together most nights.  There is no doubt that as much as the kids love their activities, they love evenings at home with no plan in sight but despite that, they rarely (and I mean rarely) argue about where we are going and what they are fortunate to participate in.  We happily pile into our minivan and away we go!  Weekends are similar with a bit more breathing room but rare is a day without somewhere to go and someone having a game or practice.

We wouldn't trade it for anything.  Recently my friend told me that her favourite part of taking her kids to their practices and games is the drive.  No screens are allowed and they TALK.  They communicate with each other.  I love that idea - this is the time you can really connect with your child and learn about what's happening in their life and how they feel.  Those moments are irreplaceable.  Grace has been know to chat nonstop about her day for the 20 minute drive to Arnprior - imagine how valuable that is to both of us!

Ian has been supportive in all of our kids endeavors right from the beginning.  He has always held a strong ethic when it comes to team sports and he feels that if you sign up for a team (or are asked to join and you accept) that you need to be committed and he is passing his philosophy on to our children.  I also think he secretly loves being a hockey and soccer dad (and a dance dad)...

I have heard over and over again from parents of "grown-ups now" that they don't regret anything when it comes to how busy their child was.  They loved the early morning practices, many evenings out, weekends filled with games and performances and feel that the money they spent was very well spent.  They knew where their children were and trusted the people they were with.  Their kids were hanging out with like-minded people and there were excellent role models everywhere.  I can already see that with our daughter.  Her dance group is filled with older girls that are great kids: responsible, passionate and hard-working.

The article in the Globe and Mail pulled on my heartstrings.  I don't want these moments to ever end.  Even when it feels like I want to get off this crazy ride, all I really need is a little break and I want to get right back on.  Ian and I will always remember these years with happiness and pride and no matter what kind of vehicle we are driving down the road, how many kids are with us, where we are going, how early in the morning it is, we will be content that we are giving our kids some of the best experiences money can buy.

Happy 5th Birthday to Jean

Jean turns 5 tonight... right in the middle of the night.  She is very, VERY excited to be 5 years old! She says her name will be on the announcements tomorrow at school and her class will sing to her.  Isn't that exciting?

There is no doubt we love our little girl so much.  She lights up our world and brings us so much joy.  She is feisty, dramatic, loving, emotional, stubborn (really, really stubborn), FUN, and sweet.  So very, very sweet.  Today we celebrated her with two parties since tomorrow is a busy day with dance practice and a hockey game.  Such is her life of travelling around from her sister's activities to her brother's activities but someday it will be her turn and she will have her own cheering section!

Happy Birthday to Jean!

Cookbook Collections

The other day I treated myself to a new cookbook... with a gift certificate to our local bookstore.

This is my second book from Chef Michael Smith because I just love his cooking philosophy and his books have beautiful photos.  I have quite a collection of cookbooks and once I got home, I wondered if I had room for it in my cupboard...

So it is left on my counter but that makes it easier to skim through when looking for inspiration for supper!  I have quite a collection of cookbooks and almost all of them have special meaning to me. I can't even imagine pairing them down or parting with any of them.  The first special book in my collection is the iconic "Better Homes and Garden" cookbook - a gift from my brother in 1999 when I was in university.  Our mom has this same book only a few versions earlier and it was used over and over again and mine is the same.  It is falling apart from so much use... usually for the basics such as making a roux, how long to roast a chicken, boiling eggs!  Nonetheless it would be my most cherished cookbook but over time my collection has grown.  When I got married, I was very fortunate to have a few bridal showers and received so many recipes from aunts, cousins, grandmas, mothers and friends.  I know that these recipes are tried and true!  My daughter and I use the "blue-ribbon chocolate chip cookie" recipe when making cookies for the junior fair.  The recipe is written in child-like printing and I know it was used for the same reason.  There are so many hand-written recipes that come from kitchens that I know of and I know good food comes from.
My friend Kelly gave me another favourite, a Plowing Match cookbook which is a collection of recipes from the host county of each Plowing Match and this particular book comes from her home area.  I love that book and have since collected more throughout the years.  I love to see recipes that come from a busy kitchen where the cook in the family has made real food that I can relate to, using ingredients that I can find and use often.
When my husband's Grandma Jean passed away we were able to take a few of her cookbooks and when Grandma Noreen moved into her apartment, she gave us some of her cookbooks as well.  I like finding her handwriting throughout her books and they are very special as they were used right in my very own kitchen in past years.
I am always adding to my vast collection and I now have quite a few cookbooks from some famous chefs (and other celebrities).  They are just beautiful books that I mostly just love looking through - filled with inspiring pictures, anecdotes and there are a few recipes that I actually try.

I also never throw out a magazine without going through the recipes and pulling out the ones I want to try.

I have this little cookbook stand that is always filled with torn out pages of recipes... sometimes sitting there for months just waiting to be tried out, such as homemade fruit roll-ups or low-sugar jam.
I treasure that cupboard full of cookbooks.  Must try to find a bigger cupboard in my kitchen so I can continue to add to my collection.

It's a Halloween Blog!

Missing in action:  Mommy (hmmm this always happens as I sit behind the camera but I was a Greek Goddess, Daddy (Taxi Driver for us), Aunt Sarah and Uncle Randy (not dressed up yet), and Ross (was just too busy to pose for a picture).  As for Grandma and Grandpa McGregor; they were enjoying some time in Florida.  It has been rumoured that they dressed up and went door-to-door as well but in Port Charlotte Fla.