Family BBQ August 2010

We went up to my brother's place on Sunday for a family BBQ arranged to meet my newest grand-niece, Charlotte, born in May. It rained but we still had a great time and here are the photos I promised.

Cindy (sis inlaw - her house), Jean (friend), Donna (sis inlaw) and baby Charlotte

My kiddo

My oldest brother Don and his wife Donna with their grand daughter Hailey

Hailey & Grandma

My kiddo, my grand nephew Josh and his Grandad Glenn (my brother inlaw)

Titan - my nephew James' dog (one of 2)

itty bitty crayfish

close up

My brother's property backs on the river.

Back of his house

LuLu, James' other dog

My brother Grant (his house) with his grand daughter Charlotte and my sis Heather in the back

My 2 oldest brothers with their grand daughters

Me & Charlotte

Charlotte

My niece Krystal with her niece Hailey & my sis Heather

Titan

J & LuLu

Lulu & Titan

Josh, Titan & J

My sis Donna, J and dogs

Nephew James (Charlotte's daddy) & my sis Donna

LuLu & Titan

Donna, Hailey & J

Paul (friend), sis Heather and her hubby Glenn

I need this lady to train Peanut for me

Ultimate Recipe Swap - Lunchbox Love

It is almost that time again - back to school for the kiddo (Yeah!)

That means it is time to start thinking about what I can send him for lunches. The schools here do not have cafeterias until highschool (next year). He hit 13 and got really picky!

His school is completely nut free, so no peanut butter sandwiches for him.

We found last year that Kraft dinner in the thermos (with or without hotdogs) turned out ok - it didn't get soggy, so that is one option.

He also likes cold pizza (like most kids do) so we will make homemade pizza or english muffin pizzas for his lunchbox as well.

Once in a while he doesn't mind homemade lunchables - pcs of cheese, deli meat and crakers (after Halloween, I also add a mini chocolate bar just like the real lunchables :))

Home baked goods go over well too - banana chocolate chip muffins, pumpkin choclate chip muffins, oatmeal cookies, granola bars to name a few.

 For more lunchbox ideas, pop over to LifeAsMom.com

Apparently I'm Normal

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you have probably heard me complain about my DIZZIES. I have been having split second dizzy spells for several years. I don't get the spinning kid of dizzy, just the "gonna tip over" kinda dizzies. They last a second or two, happen at all different times, while walking, sitting or laying perfectly still. Some days I have none, some days I have 50.

I have been to see a nerologist, I've had an MRI and all kinds of other wonky tests, I've been to see a ENT as well. A couple weeks ago I had to drive into Toronto to go to SunnyBrook hospital to have a balance test.

The first part of the balance test consisted of strapping me in a chair, putting something on my head and then strapping that into place so that I could not move, placing a pen light in my two hands held in front of my face, drawing a curtain around the chair, turning off the lights so that is was pitch black and then swinging the chair 90 degrees in one direction and then 90 degrees in the other direction several times while I focused on the penlight. Did that make me dizzy? You betcha!

The 2nd part of the test had me lay down on a table, look back and forth between dots on the ceiling, sit up and focus on a yellow dot in front of me, lay down, repeat the ceiling dot things, the sit up thing, several times.

The final part of the test was to spray warm water into my ears for several seconds. It didn't hurt but fell extremely warm and very loud. When she did my right ear, it felt even hotter.

So anyhow...I had an appt today with the Ear, Nose & Throat Doctor who sent me for that test, to get the results. I reminded my husband last night of the appt and then promptly forgot about it.

He came into the bedroom at 8:20am this morning (he had gotten up much earlier) and asked "What time is your appt?" I scrambled out of bed! My appt was for 8:45am!

I brushed my teeth, got dressed, remembered deoderant and ran downstairs to see he is just sitting at the computer, not yet ready to leave. URGH!

So we finally leave - I got to the office 3 minutes late, thank goodness it wasn't too far, and then had to wait 15 minutes longer before I was called in, then another 10 minutes before the doctor came in to tell me my balance test was completely normal and he had no idea what was causing my dizzies. He suggested I talk to my chiropractor to see if it has anything to do with my neck.

So I am normal & dizzy...how about you?

And I need more coffee.

An Oldie But A Goodie

Sixteen Things
That it Took Me 50 Years to Learn

by Dave Barry

---

You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe day-light-savings time.

You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests you think she’s pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

The most powerful force in the universe is gossip.

The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside we ALL believe that we are above-average drivers.

There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 111.

There is a very fine line between “hobby” and “mental illness.”

People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be “meetings.”

The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.

If there really is a God who created the entire universe with all of its glories, and He decides to deliver a message to humanity, He will NOT use, as His messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle.

You should not confuse your career with your life.

A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.

No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.

When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.

Your friends love you, anyway.

Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and do it.

Spicy Peanut Noodles

I kindo of made up this recipe from other recipes I read online - I tend to do that, change things up - I don't like to follow rules :)

I have made this a few times on those nights where I really didn't feel like cooking or forgot to take anything out - it is quick and tastes great.

All quantities are estimates - I kind of mix, taste, adjust, add more, taste etc...
This will probably make enough sauce for 2 plates full.

1/2 C - Peanut butter - I use chunky because I like the peanuts in the final dish.
2 T - Soy sauce
hot sauce or cayenne pepper (to your tastes)
1 t - Fish sauce
1 T - Hoisin sauce
1 t - Sesame oil
1 t - chopped garlic ( I use the jarred kind)
1/4 c - water
1-2 - Green onions sliced
Spaghettini cooked (any thin pasta will work)

I sometimes add cooked edamame (1/2 C)- just add it with the pasta water to cook

Get the pasta cooking

In small pot, mix all ingredients (except green onion)
Taste and add ingredients as necessary.
Simmer 5 mins
Add more water to thin if it gets too thick - you want it to coat the spoon, but not be too thick.
Take off the heat and stir in green onions

Drain pasta and mix sauce into pasta.

Eat & enjoy!

This is even better reheated the next day :)

Slice of life

J had to have 2 teeth pulled yesterday to give room for his braces to move teeth around in his crowded mouth. He will have to have 2 more removed in 2 weeks time. He did surprisingly well. This is the kid who works himself into such a state over a simple flu shot that he literally makes himself sick. After the last needle he had to get, once we left the clinic to catch the bus home, he laid full out on the sidewalk and stated that he had to rest & calm down...in February!

Anyhow, the teeth removal went fine, I think I had more worry than he did. He took Advil when he got home and before bed but this morning he was fine, no pain or anything.

We have our yearly family get-together up at my brother's place coming up on Sunday. The weather is supposed to be good. I'll post pictures after the event.

Oh and remember the CSN review I'm going to be doing? I chose an item and it was delivered yesterday. I will write a review in a couple weeks once I have used all the features.

I bought this Delonghi Convection Toaster Oven with Rotisserie  (I put additonal money towards the gift certificate).

Missing in....um life I guess

Sorry I haven't updated lately. Summer got in the way :) I love summer!

I have been thinking lately that it is really time I got back to my crafting - I haven't done much lately.

I have a choice of several things I can be working on.

I have my sister's pink quilt to finish hand quilting (ya it seemed like a good idea at the time :))

I have a lap quilt I made for her as well - (my sister is very used to waiting a LONG time to get things I make for her :))

I have the Bright hope quilt to work on as well, I only have half the blocks finished.

I also have a crazy quilt block I started as a pillow for my mother inlaw a couple years ago that needs to be finished.

I have also wanted to get back to my watercolour painting too.

This bunch of fat quarters (I have two sets of them) have been screaming at me to work them into a quilt. I really need to finish some other projects first though.

 And finally, these fabrics I purchased a few months ago. I was thinking to use them as lining in some bags, remember the bags I never finished?  Yes we can add them to the list too.

Peanut's Road Trip

A couple weekends ago we decided to drive up to Bancroft to visit a friend at their weekend property. They have 40 acres up there. It is about a 2.5 hour drive. We have taken Peanut out in the car before, but usually just for short trips to soccer or the vet's, and I usually just hold her. This time we brought her bed for her and set her up in the back seat. She did great - loved looking out the windows. The trip home, she tryed to sleep as she had done so much running around at the property, but the road was a bit too bumpy. She did sleep 

well that night though :)