Thank you Bethanne!

And Andrew, who both gave me inspiration for starting again. Although, Andrew, the winter has been as long and as brutal here as it has been in Nova Scotia, so the gardening hasn't really started. I am assuming you won't want photos of weeds...?

And as far as what we have been up to lately, as it is a year after Mae's last birthday the focus again for our Easter holidays was another big day. Mae is 9 today! Holy Crap, I have a 9 year old! So, we visited the same friends who visited here last Easter, she had the same two girlfriends over for a horse riding party this year, and not only went to watch the synchronized skating competition, she was in the opening ceremony! So not much and a lot has changed.

The coolest thing for me this year is to see Mae learn bagpiping. She is on the chanter just now, but has done 6 months almost and knows two tunes! I think that is the best thing ever, as although I am not musically gifted at all, I know the bagpipes are one hardcore instrument to learn. Her teacher is 77 years old, charges nothing and the kids who he teaches win tons of awards. So she is pretty lucky, The neighbours? Not so much.

Erm...hello out there?

I know it's been a while. I am working on it. Requests? How not to make this next post sound like a round robin.....

Gr8

Mae has had another great birthday fortnight, with lots of visitors, skating, ear piercing, pottery painting, bear building, pizza and cake eating, and so on and so on!

The Mitras were here first and as usual, it was great. The kids had a fab time, the Easter Bunny magically knew they would be here, and I learned something new about the coastline of Spain. We had a great meal at a local Indian restaraunt and saw the Canadian Syncro Skating team close up! I even got the whole team to sign Mae's new skating bag!

Then she had her local party with Lizzie and Kristina. Lizzie loved the profiteroles, I will make them for her birthday when it comes!

Part of this party was to get her ears pierced with the girls but the day before she thought that maybe she wouldn't be able to go through with it so wanted to do it then- and she did go through with it but when the girls held up the mirror for her to see the new ears she wouldn't look at it! It reminded me of studiously avoiding the mirror when I was having my c-section!!

oh my dog

Oh she is so lovely! We are exhausted but for no good reason, really! She doesn't beg, bark or whine (yet), thank god, but we have also found out she is fine off the lead in a park, doesn't mind other dogs, and plays football! Geoff put her in the kitchen last night and she didn't make a sound- so far she is brilliant!! SOMETHING is going to go wrong, maybe when she is left alone when we are all back to work in a few weeks, because who wouldn't want this sweetie?

Can't wait until Saturday!!

Happiness is a new hoover

I can honestly say that I am really happy to get rid of my old Dyson. They were all the rage when we got married and I thought, yep-looks good! But the first time I vacuumed with it and realised that all the dust and crap in my carpet would now be on show? Gross me out the door.
I really really hate dyson vacuums. So the day Geoff came home with ANOTHER, smaller one, because it was 'such a good deal!'? I almost cried.

But my big one is now broken beyond (my) repair! And as for the one upstairs, the small, good deal one? It would have been tossed down the stairs the other day if I hadn't just painted the walls.

And now, I have one of these beauties!

Sebo vacuums are supposed the be the best. It's heavy, but I love it. It's got a bag (no one can see what a slut I am when it comes to housework), it's got a turbo brush, it's got an extra long hose. And NOWHERE on it, does it say Dyson.

I would also like to add something here: this excitement is purely for the technology. I am not defined by housework, therefore this is not a luxury item. It's a neccessity, with a computer component system. But it still makes me smile.

There's a Party in my Pantry!

My latest project is to get the great hunk of a drier out of my pantry and use it the way it was intended. And I figured pantries are such a mundane thing, just a space to store, of all things, stuff for the kitchen! BORING! So we had a party!!

It's not quite done, but almost. I love it. I stand there looking at it sometimes. It make the kitchen a less mundane place....