The big reveal...

It's like being on one of those TV shows where you walk into your house after a few days and it has been miraculously transformed! We watch a lot of those shows, my husband PVR's divine design and a handful of others that I usually have to sit through... SO anyways I go away for the weekend to Meldrum Bay to see the Featherstones and my husband while I am away takes it upon himself (with the help of Todd, Perry, Sue & Scott) and paints the downstairs of our house. Now I am not expecting anything like this and I am thinking it will be years before anything gets done as ripping out lath & plaster, insulating and dry walling is not in the budget, nor do we have the time. Did I mention really old ugly wall paper??? It is amazing what a few cans of paint can do!!!

Anyway here are the pictures.. and yes I love my hubby very much. Just when you feel worn down, underloved and appreciated he make a grand and thoughtful gesture like this!!! and.... we are blessed with truly wonderful friends :)

Dining Room Pre Makeover...

Tada!!!!!!

Entrance way when we 1st looked at the house...

Entrance way and stairs....

Living Room.....

Living room.. still have to hang pictures and make shelving unit in original doorway..

Here I was thinking no-one read my blog....

Well except My Mum, Kavita and Adrienne......

The other day someone else from the Island posted a comment on my blog.. YAY! A reader.. She mentioned that she had found my blog on another one.. http://ourmanitoulin.blogspot.com/

Sure enough there I am listed on there... 'Favorite Manitoulin Blogs' as well as a few others I follow...

Makes me a little more inspired to update more often!

Our new addition....

Sean feeding the cat hot dogs... Tug hoping the cat doesn't like them!

So Sean came home with a cat yesterday from his brother's barn. It's a 'no name' cat right now as we don't know if it is male or female (let's hope it doesn't start spitting out kittens). It's cute and really quiet, good with the kids... I guess it is used to noise and movement as it was on a farm with horses, 3 dogs and 4 kids running around. Tug loves cats, he always cuddles up with them, he is pretty mellow and relaxed (in the picture above) but Billie however would like to eat the cat.... We are trying to keep them in separate rooms until they get a little more acquainted... The first meeting didn't go very well... The cat was sat on the window sill and we put Billie next to it (he/she/him/her), they were really quiet for about 15 minutes just checking each other out.

"maybe they'll get along this should be so bad after all"

Famous last words, the cat went to move and as soon as it's back was turned Billie went after it. So now the cat is trying to run away, Billie has the cat's tail in his mouth... I am freaking out!!! So now we are going at it a little slower... I did some research on the Internet and we are following the suggestions by The Humane Society of the United States.... It's what came up on google!

I can hear my Mum groaning now.. she hates cats... I am not really a cat person. I find they are very unpredictable.... Sean grew up with cats so he is in love with this little creature. I did remark to Sean though that if I had come home with a cat he would lose it.... It's alright for him to drag stray animals into our house but I am sure that if it was me.... Hmmm lets just say I don't think he would be very happy.... We'll see how it goes and if Billie will give up his prey instinct to chase and eat!

Food, food, food and more food....

Friday night has traditionally become wing night. It started off as pizza and wing night then has become just wing night. Todd and Perry joined us this past Friday and I had to post a picture of the obscene amount of wings we cooked.... and of course of the boys chowing down with their hot sauce and beer! So there you go if you come for dinner at our house on a Friday night you know what you'll be having!


Saturday night was our themed dinner party which was so much fun! After all the agonizing I did make a lemon syllabub. It was a great meal.. there was Macaroni and Cheese from Perry's Mum. (he cheated and his mum made it)

Pot roast & veggies from Sue & Scott and Denise made what she calls 'Prison Food'. A mixture of ground beef, potatoes, peas and basically gravy (it was so good - I am a gravy monster!)

Hmmmm my plate full of yummy goodness!!! And for dessert I made my Dad's Lemon Syllabub.. so easy to make! Here is where I found the recipe, although my Dad said he used Brandy to make it instead of wine. As soon as I tasted it I remembered eating it. We would have it Sundays after a big roast dinner and he would serve it to us in a wine glass.. we felt so grown up!!


Other desserts were Perry's Mum's rice pudding (which he made himself ha ha!) and Denise made the most amazing apple torte it had almost a buttery shortbread base, then a cheesecake filling with jam spread on top then a layer of apples. AMAZING!! I went to Todd and Perry's place Monday on my lunch break and raided their fridge for a leftover piece. I even went as far as to leave a note on the remaining pieces on the fridge to tell them they were not allowed to throw it away, I will gladly eat any pieces left! After much agonizing for about a week and a million phone calls to my Mum it was a fun night... and now for the next one. We are having a Kraft Dinner pizza night? at Sue's place.. it apparently a Canadian thing and one I can't miss out on.. Incidentally did I mention I had hamburger helper for the first time in my life the other day??

Saturday's Dinner Party....

Our good friends Todd and Perry decided that we don't get together enough for dinner with our friends. We always seem to be caught up in life running at a million miles an hour and now with the 'wonderful' recession we don't go out for fear that if we spend these pennies we work so hard for there might not be any more to spend... so we just stay home. Sound familiar??

So we are having a dinner party with a theme... (bearing the recession in mind and the need for comfort food in trying times) comfort food your parents made you growing up. Actually it was comfort food your Mum made you growing up, but my Dad cooked to so I made them change it to 'parents'. Except now I am trying to rack my brains to find something before Saturday... I can think of things but bear in mind we live in a REALLY small town with a REALLY small and understocked grocery store to trying to find anything that strays away from REALLY basic requires a two hour drive out of town. I mean I went in there today and they had no frozen pizzas... nothing... not one..??

My options so far seem to be this dish that is made with Kielbasa (that Sean hates), Beef cobbler, stuffed marrow (a veggie like a zucchini that you can't get here)... so beef cobbler it is now I need to find how to make it. I always remember this desert my Dad made called a Lemon Syllabub so I think I will make that too!!

You have to watch this!

After obsessively watching The Tudors every night we finally got through Season 1. I LOVED it!!! Now I have to buy Season 2!!

What's in your purse?

So my friend Kavita did this on her blog and I thought it was fun. Especially as men I think are mystified by what we lug around with us, and why we lug it around with us!

This is my purse from the Coach website....


This is my purse stuffed full of crap.... (hmmm not so pretty)


This is the contents of my purse....

My purse I got this summer from my sister for my birthday (best sister in the world who realizes the importance of having a designer purse.. unlike my husband).. I am not going to say how expensive it is but just that I have the best sister in the world and I am very spolit :) And as for the contents:

1. Day Planner (my bible)
2. Wallet (Ugly green old Guess wallet - must buy a new one)
3. Matching coach change purse with a lottery ticket inside it :)
4. Cell Phone
5. Cheque Books (yes there are more that one in there)
6. Pile of bills that need to be paid held together with a clip :)
7. A day planner of bills (when they are due, how much needs to be paid - what can I say I try to be organized??)
8. Passbooks (yes... I carry them all with me)
9. Gum (the little thing of sticks just wouldn't cut it)
10. Mints (in a really cool little case)
11. Pills - Tylenol and Iron Supplement (I carry them with me so I remember to take my iron everyday)
12. Mitts
13. Camera & case
14. Mini Ice scraper (that I have never used)
15. Various feminine products
16. MAC Compact
17. 2 MAC lip glosses
18. 2 notepads (in case I lose one)
19. 2 pens (what?? one matches my day planner!!)
20. Random keys

And missing the day of the photo shoot... my ipod, telephone book and keys to my work place!

WOW! I have also recently take some stuff out of it... Like pictures of the new appliances we just got (yes I am a loser for carrying them around)... What would I do with a smaller purse? At least I no longer have to carry diapers around with me!

oHHHHH I suck.....

Yeah it's been a while (my Mum reminded me)...

I'm in a winter blah......

Registration Day...

Caleb registered for school today!!! In August he'll be off to JK Monday, Wednesday and every other Friday. We filled out forms then he got to see his classroom he'll be in... he was pretty excited. Painting stations, Mr Potato Head centre, computers, puzzles, games.... He didn't want to leave!!!

On another not so happy note Mason had his needles today... When he screams it is the highest pitch noise I have ever heard! Wow.. and did he scream!!! Poor baby boy. It didn't help that it was in the middle of nap time so he was cranky to begin with... :( No more now until pre school (4-6) hopefully by then he won't scream with such a high pitch! Caleb came to and was telling everyone in the office that Mason was here to have his 'noodles'. May have been a little more enjoyable for poor Mason if he went to the doctors office for some noodles :)

Mason Talking....

This was yesterday, Mason was at the kitchen window pointing out Daddy... I am also daddy, as is the babysitters husband... But I still thought it was pretty cute!

Caleb woke up this morning and asked if he could go to church! His grandparents (McLaughlin) will be so proud! Of course he doesn't actually sit through the whole service but goes down to Sunday school, but I was still happy that he wants to go! Unfortunately we didn't make it as we were a little slow getting dressed and getting up this morning. I know a poor excuse soon as we live across the street....

For Adrienne & my Mum...

How to post comments on a blog.. the beginners guide..

Go to this link:

http://darraghdoyle.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-comment-on-blog-beginners-guide.html

I think on mine you have to click where it says '0 comments' and then you can write it in...??

Hope that helps!!

New do...

So after a few years of torture and abuse to my hair I finally decided to get it cut... yes I know this is not the normal me... hello... biggest spa fan.. lets just say after practically back to back babies I have been in a pregnancy rut..?? Also finding a new hairdresser is the scariest thing in the world. Despite the picture above (which are not terribly flattering) I have INSANELY curly hair and it is easy to turn me into a prized poodle..... But I seem to have found a good hair dresser in our tiny little town. Hurray!

Manitoulin on a snowy day...

Coming into Gore Bay

Ice Lake Causeway

I have decided that I will share a little of Manitoulin with you. We drove to Little Current (across the Island) for Caleb's speech therapy appointment today and it was snowing. Now I realize if you live in England this may be a huge shock that we drive in these conditions but for those of us that live in the great white north (does Manitoulin qualify?) this really is nothing, if it were 'bad' I wouldn't drive in it. I do find it however really hard to concentrate especially at night when the roads are like this as it all just kind of blurs together.. roads, fields... it just all looks white!! I find it particularly mesmerizing when you are driving into the snow... then all I seem to focus on are the white chunks coming at my windshield!

Billings Stretch

Somewhere near Honora Bay?

Caleb Skating 18/01/09

So I thought I would post a few videos of Caleb skating last week for all the people that won't use facebook! (my Mum, Adrienne just to name a few :) He did really good considering this was his first time this winter skating. We went this week too and he managed to stand up by himself once he wiped out which was kinda cool... All his friends from daycare were also there and they are a few years older than him so it was really cute to watch them try and pick him up when he fell over!




Ok so it's taking too long I'll post the reast tomorrow or something I am going to bed... and my husband is in the basement like a man man with his big table saw going cutting up god knows what as we ran out of fire wood and didn't get a chance to get some more this weekend. When I get up in the morning I may come downstairs to find we are missing a few doors...... (FYI we also have electric heat and an oil furnace for heat in the house so if the wood stove goes out, we won't freeze...)

My new favorite meal...

That's right folks Slim Fast... yummmmmmmyyyy.... I have had a really tough time with my weight ever since my boys came along because as have found out pregnancy kicks your metabolism in the ass so to speak. So I get upset throw away my clothes and then I eat.. it's a vicious circle. No more!! Pre-pregnancy I weighed 128lbs. That was my heaviest weight ever, now at 165lbs I hope to get down to 135lbs...... eventually. That is my goal lose 30lbs (though in my current frame of mind if I lost 5lbs I would be happy) If I lost that weight I would be happier pysically and emotionally, I mean I could jump and spring through the air and land gracefully instead of with a thud. Ok ok that's my floating in a green field with the clouds in the background kinda day dream, but you know what I mean.

So the first week was tough... I had headaches, felt sick, dizzy etc.. My problem is not what I eat, but how much I eat which has never been a problems until now. I always cook from scratch, eat veggies, fruit and rarely buy processed food but it's time to slash the portion size. After a week I can now do just the slim fast and dinner but it took me until now to slash my stomach size! Luckily the shakes taste good otherwise I couldn't do it. I did however today go to the grocery store and stared at the fried chicken. So the deli counter guy now thinks I am crazy. Maybe I should wear a sign indicating that I am starving, then he'll understand. So what's for breakfast tomorrow.... vanilla or chocolate fudge??

Funny....

Look what I just discovered while printing off some colouring sheets for the boys...

Tonight's 20/20

I was a little excited to see he story on home births on tonight's 20/20. But after watching it it left me irate and really mad. According to this story couples choosing home births are selfish and only thinking of themselves.. not the child the are bringing into the world. As a mother who has had a hospital birth and a home birth I could write pages comparing both experiences and why our choice was so clear that our second birth should be at home and how our natural birthing experience benefited our child.

Our first birthing experience was by no means a horror story as some people describe their birthing experiences to be when they are in hospital sometime not by their own choice or wish to be there, and in the case of an emergency or things not working out as planned at home the back up plan is to always head to the hospital. But when did birth become a surgical procedure? When you look at the statistics it seems a bit alarming to me that according to 20/20, in the US one in three births are a surgical procedure... that there has been a 50% increase in c-sections and medical interventions. When I toured Windsor Regional they volunteered the information that 80% or more of their births end up being c-sections. I don't really think that that is something to be proud of. The fact of the matter remains that with the right guidance, knowing and listening to your body and in a case where there are no complications birth is one of the most empowering experiences a woman can have. I am so thankful for our amazing midwife and doula that were there every step of the way, making this a truly personal experience - just us and our baby - how it should be. This is what my body was made to do.. so why should I let someone take that right away from me, stick a needle in my spine and slice me open?

Now I can understand an OBGYN's dilemma... They don't want to stick around and endure the labour for however long it may be, I mean it could interrupt the planned golf game or charity ball and think of all the money that can be made by sticking this woman under the knife, a quick procedure that can be billed for big bucks and doesn't tie up all their day and night.... Am I a little cynical? How troubled is our medical system in the 'western world'? Now the American Medical Association is agreeing to support legislation that would make it impossible for couples to have a home birth. Wanna baby? You have no rights, no say in what will happen with your body take these drugs and under the knife you go!

20/20's website and the article stemming from the program I just watched led me to the website for Ricki Lake's documentary 'The Business of Being Born' I am really intrigued to see this documentary and any positive experiences for home birth. I agree that home births and drug free births are not for everyone, it is not what we all look for when it comes to our birthing experience but never stop fighting for your rights to be able to bring your child into the world in the most natural way, instead research look at the benefits and don't let our messed up medical system scare you into being a c-section statistic.

1st Blog post of 2009!

And what am I writing about?? Christmas! I am so behind I should be writing about New Years! Oh well better late than never!

Our Christmas.. low key. Partly because I am exhausted and have a case of the winter blues happening. Christmas is always such a stressful and emotionally exhausting time, I really felt it this year. As far as enjoying it with the kids and my hubby and some of our wonderful friends that came to visit it was wonderful, but if I didn't have to leave my house or change out of my PJ's it would have been better. It also would have been better if I was around my family... I was choking back the tears on the phone when I called to say Merry Christmas and my ENTIRE family was together except for me. It kills me that my kids haven't got to spend Christmas with my family and it pains even more that most of my family have never even met Mason. Well that's what you get for living a million miles away I guess. It usually doesn't bother me as much but this year I seem to be a little more emotional than others.

I never did get the popcorn on my tree, I think we ate most of it watching the batman movie but the boys didn't care and had so much fun. Caleb was especially fun now that he can understand a little more of what is going on. He is totally cute and asked for days before if Santa was coming tonight, when I said no not yet he then demanded that I take him to see him (he has met Santa 3 times over the last few weeks)... well you know Santa is busy at this time of the year....

My poor Mason was sick on Christmas day :( Christmas Eve I went to church with Sean's parents then came home and we stayed up until 7am with Mason who had a fever. He was such a trooper on Christmas day trying really hard to be excited with the 'ahh put me back to bed' look on his face... we did try.. no luck, no sleep. He finally crashed at 8.30pm and was in much better spirits on boxing day!! So we ate turkey, unwrapped presents, gained 20lbs, had not enough sleep, too much sleep.. the goes another Christmas. It is now back in the box until next year!!!!

Oh and my hubby thinks I am the best wife in the world...... His face when he opened his new 120gb ipod. Engraving on the back "Lets rock on Dad, Love Caleb & Mason xx"

Is everyone ready for Xmas??? oh and Happy Anniversary!

2 Years today - Happy Wedding Anniversary honey!!! It does however feel like 10 years! I was convinced actually that it was 3 years this year and was quite shocked when I did the math and realized it was 2! I am so happy we got married at this time of the year. Christmas always has that warm cozy feeling anyways and to have family and everyone around for an extra celebration is great! My husband didn't want me to give him his card and gift last night or this morning... we have to wait until 6pm tonight as that's when we got married!! My good friend Kavita got engaged yesterday - so so happy for you :) and another friend from Windsor also so there is definetly something in the air! Congrats!

Well I have made my list and between my lunch break today, after work tonight and tomorrow I hope I can get everything done.. I won't be able to make it to the chocolate factory and I promised the Laings some chocolate dipped licorice (sorry, they won't be open until the spring now) :( I did pretty good though and on the whole was much more organized this year than previously! Caleb is so excited about Xmas this year... and I am so excited for him! He asks me every morning if Santa came.. then if we can go and see him. We read 'The Grinch Who Stole Xmas' last night and he was very solemn throughout! I have a small Grinch ornament on the fireplace mantle and I showed Caleb and told him that the grinch was watching and if he was bad then after Santa had been the Grinch would steal all his presents... He was really good last night and went to bed when he was told! And took his Grinch book to daycare to tell Jeanie all about it!

December 1st... 24 days until Xmas!

It seems like this winter we have had more snow already than the whole of last winter.... Crazy huh? And we're to get more I guess over the next couple of days. Unfortunately I brushed off the top of our oil tank today and realized that since we moved in we have already gone through 1/2 a tank of oil ... that means since thanksgiving... October.... that also means that there is no insulation in our walls... we are screwed (as my husband put it), it is going to cost us a small fortune to stay warm this winter and in up coming winters until we get to the point (and can afford) to rip out every wall and insulate and drywall


Let's see what else I discovered today... oh yes it's 24 days until Xmas.. and I have nearly no Xmas shopping done.. and the next day I have to get to the city to shop is December 20th Yeah so all you people that live in different parts of Ontario and definitely England.. don't expect your presents on time.. I do however have my cards done :) And soon as I am always trying to do a good deed I agreed on Saturday to wait on tables at the church tea, make 2 loafs of sandwiches and 2 dozen batches of cookies (which I will do in all my spare time this week:) You can just see Sean rolling his eyes.. right? Why do I agree to these things? And... now he has to come to the church tea too with the kids! It's like torture for him! Sorry but I can't help but laugh. Caleb and I did decorate the tree, but you can't see pictures yet it's not done.. we try and do a theme every year... this year it's old fashioned Xmas so we are stinging popcorn, making paper ornaments etc... I'll post a pic when we get to it! I did decorate the banister and Caleb is getting super hyped. He got to have his first chocolate from his advent calendar today. Mason on the other had has no idea what is going on and why Caleb is so wound up... but he does like trying to pull the tree down.. Wait until the popcorn goes up!