7 Quick Takes

1. It is a dreary Friday, which is ok, since sometimes I really need an excuse to stay inside and be lazy. Or do housework..whichev I feel like.....right now its blogging while my children play very loudly beside me.

2. Shane worked long hours again this week, although last night he was home for supper, which was AMAZING. Really, really hoping he doesn't have to work the weekend!

3. Just had to pause for a second because I heard a loud bang followed by crying. This ALWAYS happens when they get wild, and it is ALWAYS my three year old. I hate that moment when my heart drops, I rush over and check for blood. Thankfully this time it was just a bump on the head.

4. It is a rainy day, I am more tired than usual, and I am really looking forward to the girls' "show time". So why oh why did I tell Felicity that if she didn't stay in her room for quiet time (and not come downstairs a million times to ask if she can come out yet) then she wouldn't get to watch the show?! I know that she never listens....ugh I hate that. Do I really have to follow through with it? Maybe the reason she never listens is because I haven't followed through one too many times?

5. My favourite times of the day are in the morning when I am drinking my coffee and checking facebook/ reading blogs and in the evening when I drink a glass of wine with my husband. Does it make me a bad mother that those times don't include my children?

6. I love fall but hate that it means it is almost winter. I love wearing fall boots, sweaters, and maybe a light coat, but hate wearing huge winter coats and snow boots and being cold and wet whenever you step outside. My dream is to live in a place with a mild, short winter.

7.My children are begging me to start school with them...ugh...if I MUST......at least someone keeps me on track!

Go see Jen for some more Quick Takes!

7 Quick Takes

My first time joining in on the takes today!
1. This has been one loooooong week. The husband has been working until 9 or later every. single. day. It feels like he's back in school and it sucks.

2.Monday was a horrible horrible day, mostly because I was in a bad mood and couldn't handle the children so I kept getting mad at them/ blocking their wildness out which in turn made them in bad moods and more crazy. Every day since then I have made a concerted effort to have a better day, and so far I have succeeded. I just have to keep reminding myself to take it one day at a time.

3. Usually I'd be excited that its a Friday, but apparently my better half has to work the weekend too! How many of these takes can I make about complaining about my single parenthood this week? Oh a few more I think........ I know that there are people in far worse situations than me...but lets just say I would absolutely suck as a military wife. I am super grateful that I at least get an hour to spend with him every evening before I go to bed....it's what I live for and look forward to every day...that and a glass of wine! haha

4. Shane working late every day means we can't keep the car...so we've been trying not to go stir crazy. Luckily it has been beautiful weather so we've been walking to the park every day, which is fun, helps the girls burn some energy, and helps kill some time. Yay for summer weather in September...hoping it lasts!

This is how we roll.

My key holder. It makes her ok with the fact that I'm not letting her ride her bike to the park.

My big girl loves riding her bike to the park:)

5. I think this is the most annoying thing that my children do:

Talking carrots

Playing with their food, plates, spoons, cups, and anything else they can get their little hands on. If I left them to themselves they would take literally hours to finish their meal. One bite every ten minutes probably. As it is, I have to get mad, threaten them, separate them, send one away and let the other eat first, or put a timer on. It usually takes all of the above to get through a meal. It drives me NUTS.

 6. Look who is on the move!

Look at him in action!

He's been pivoting around for a while now, and I usually will put him one spot, leave for a few minutes, and when I come back he's in a totally different place...but just today he started really moving forward, pushing with his feet! He's still really slow so I've got a little while to start baby proofing this house! But I can't believe he is this old!!

7. The thing to say when being punished in our house is "This is the worst day EVER!" (Maria) or "Now I'm NEVER going to play with Maria!" (Felicity). As if saying those things are somehow getting back at mommy for punishing them? hmmmmmmm

Now go see Grace for some much better takes!

Homeschooling: It Begins...

We started homeschooling this week! Maria had been so excited/ not sure what to think of the whole thing. I am so so so so blessed that I am able to start with such an easy kid in the school department. This girl loves learning, so much so that when we received her new school books in the mail, she rushed inside, grabbed her pencil and started working away! I haven't been fully committed to the idea of homeschooling but I have to say there are a few things I am already loving. First, that I don't have to ship her off with strangers all day and know nothing about what she's doing. It may be selfish, but I love having her all to myself for a little while longer. Also, I love love LOVE watching her learn! And I am so excited about how much more she will learn this year!

My little sister's wedding

My youngest sister got married a couple weekends ago. 6 out of 7 of us are now married - and we've had 6 weddings in 6 years. So sad to think that all these wedding are now over:( It was an amazing wedding! Although it always is sooo chaotic, especially since it was in Ontario (and not at my parents' house), and we all have little children to take care of now...they did so much themselves, and I hated that I wasn't able to do much to help, but keeping my three kids out of everything was enough work for me!

Everything turned out beautifully though! My sister and her husband are models! Take a look!

Maria and Emma were flower girls, and Caleb was the ring bearer:)

She's beautiful, isn't she?

I can't believe she's married! Cel and I were so close growing up - we are so alike...I taught her and got her interested in everything that I was, and of course she had to go and excel at all those things! I am so proud of the person she is today, and am so happy she has found such a perfect match in Dan.

Quinoa Burgers

I do not have a great relationship with meatless Friday suppers. Its not that I mind not eating meat, but my husband is a meat lover to the extreme. So it is not exactly the most pleasant and heart warming experience to slave over a meal only to have him come home and moan and groan about the lovely "Friday supper". I guess its my fault, since I am not a huge fan of fish, and rarely buy it, even though every time I do we all enjoy it. So most of the time its pasta with tomatoes, or tuna melts. I guess I can't blame the guy for complaining...haha. Tonight I decided to try something different, although I was fairly certain it would not get a raving review from the husband. Anything "meatless" or "healthy" immediately has him very skeptical. But I tried anyway, and guess what he said?! "They're ok...." I'll take it! I even got his permission to make them again!

Quinoa Burgers
1 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 large egg
2/3 cup cheddar cheese
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Combine water and quinoa in a medium sauce pan. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 15 min. Remove from heat and let sit, covered for 10 min. Fluff with fork and set aside to cool.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook about 5 min. Add the garlic, marjoram and oregano, set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg. Add the quinoa, onion mixture, cheese, oats and soy sauce. Scoop 1/2 cup portions of the mixture onto the baking sheet and shape into 8 or 9 patties. Bake for 25 min, or until slightly browned and crispy.

I did it!

I made it! Driving 22 hours with three kids and no husband was a huge feat for me! The first leg of the journey was from Halifax to Fredericton (4 hours). The kids were SO good for me, and I only had to stop once. The trick was they each had their own backpack filled with a pad for drawing and crayons/markers, and LOTS of snacks. The next day we drove to Ottawa (11 hours). This time my sister was in the car with me, along with her son, and Maria drove with my dad, who we were following. What a LONG day! I think it was almost harder following someone else, because we kept stopping when William was sleeping or all the kids were ok......and wasting all their good behaviour at rest stops! So it took more like 15 hours to get there....horrible horrible dayyyyyyyy! We then stayed at my sister's in Ottawa for a couple days, before heading to Orillia (6.5 hours). This time I was driving alone and following my sister and her family. Ten minutes into the trip, her kids were feeling sick and throwing up, so I decided to keep driving on my own while my kids were doing ok....thank goodness for my GPS! Half way through the trip Maria started feeling sick...she had a fever.........so I made a million stops and she sobbed for a couple hours......another horrible day! But I made it! And survived a whole week without my husband! I had to do so many jobs that are usually reserved for Shane......packing/unpacking the car, gassing up, fixing the car (ok all I did was replace a fuse haha), AND take care of three kids by myself day and night....boy was I glad to see him when he flew in the night before the wedding!

Leibster Award!

You know how it is when you haven't blogged all summer, except for a a few lame posts, so that it makes it harder to post because you don't even know where to start? Well that was me until Christy nominated me for this Leibster Award...(thanks Christy!) which will hopefully be the perfect thing to get this blog rolling again!
  SO...I guess I'm supposed to say 11 random things about myself, and then answer 11 questions...so here goes!
1. I love ice cream, so much so that when I was pregnant with my oldest, I gained 50 pounds because I ate it every single day in copious amounts! It took me a whole year to lose that weight, and so since then I rarely allow myself to eat ice cream...it sucks but I never want to go through that again..haha.
2. I love organization, but I'm just not good at it...so I go through cycles of organizing my house, then it becomes chaotic and I just have to do all it again. I wish I just had the ability to keep in organized...I'm working on it.
3. I love the summer, and I am quite depressed that it is overrrrrrrr.
4. I was homeschooled for grades 10-12.....and I hated every second of it. So ....
5. I find it insane that I am now homeschooling ( or will be when I get my act together) my daughter. For me, this is not the ideal situation, although we shall see how it goes! Maybe we'll love it so much we'll want to do it forever?!
6. I was a book worm growing up, but actually haven't read a book in ages...I hate this but I feel like the first book I pick up has to be the perfect one...and so I just keep holding out..
7. There are 7 girls in our family and right now, no two live in the same city. That sucks.
8. I love a good summer rain.
9. I am so proud of myself for successfully growing tomatoes and lettuce in our garden this year! My thumb is definitely not green....but I am trying!
10. I am excited by the fact that my son may start crawling in as little as a month, but dreading the fact that I will have to baby proof this house again...let's hope he is like his sisters and doesn't get into anything!
11. I secretly wish that I did one thing really well...like sewing, photography, playing an instrument or sport or cooking...instead of mildly trying and mildly succeeding at a bunch of things...

And now its question time!
1. If you could ask God one question right now, what would it be? Um, the question I ask every day: "Could I please have more patience?!"
2. If you could tell your five year old self one thing, what would it be? Enjoy your easy care free life!3. Why did you start a blog? Just as a place to write things down mostly that I can look back on..
4. If you only had one store to shop at for the rest of your life what would it be? Winners. Actually the American equivalent of TJ MAxx or Marshalls because they are better. 5. What make believe world out of a book would you love to travel to? Avonlea.
6. What do you order at Starbucks? I'm usually just a tall latte kind of girl, but if I want something cold I go for a coffee frappuccino.
7. What's your favourite time of day? evening....such a relaxing time that I get to spend with my husband...its something I look forward to after a crazy or hard day..sometimes the only thing that gets me through!

And now I'm going to make a couple of nominations:
 Jenna at Last Things First, a good friend and wonderful mama of two adorable little boys! 
 Ana at Time Flies When You're Having Babies who writes a cute and funny blog, with two cute little girls and another on the way!

Whew! That took awhile...now its time to go check to make sure all the kids are still alive.....