Friday 31 December 2010

Explanation Please!

Do you find that some songs are just not descriptive enough?  Have no fear, here are all the OTHER lyrics to those catchy songs you love!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

Sunday 26 December 2010

Sunday Pictures: Christmas Edition

Asher – 4.5 years

Chancery – 2 years

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Asher: “We live in Canada!”

 

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Chancery: RAAAAWWRR!”

 

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Asher: “I just saw a BEAR!!!!”

 

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Asher: “What if it’s hungry, & it want’s to EAT me?”

 

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Chancery: “Don’t be afraid, Asher.  It’s only me.”

 

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Chancery: “See, it’s my smiling face behind the bear mask!”

 

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Asher: “Well, that is a relief!”

 

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Chancery: “I had you fooled though!  You were so scared!”

 

*A special thanks to my Mother, who sent us the bear mask that Chancery REFUSED to put down for picture taking! Smile

Saturday 25 December 2010

Six White Boomers –Rolf Harris

This is Asher’s favourite Christmas song.  Every time I turn on the Christmas music, he insists we hear this song first.  I remember hearing it when I was a kid, but it seems to have waned in popularity over the years.  Do you remember this classic?

To hear my complete Christmas playlist, go here.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Don’t Shoot Me Santa–The Killers

Yes, we’ve come back to The Killers for another bizarre Christmas song.  This one even has an official video, which somehow makes the song even more bizarre

So, do you have any non-traditional Christmas songs that you love?  Please share them!  To hear my complete Christmas playlist, go here.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Friday 24 December 2010

I Believe In Father Christmas -U2

What’s a Christmas playlist without a little Bono?

 

To hear my complete Christmas playlist, go here

Walk This Sleigh–Robbie Williams

It's a must to have a few Robbie Williams' songs on the playlist, here's what I think is his best.  Asher told a lady at the grocery store today that Santa isn't real.  Thankfully there were no little kids around.  I think she was devistated anyway.

To hear my complete Christmas playlist, go here

Thursday 23 December 2010

Fairytale of New York –Ronan Keating

I can’t really explain why, but this is currently my top favourite Christmas song.  Probably because it’s got such a different sound from the traditional Christmas songs.

To hear my complete Christmas playlist, go here

Solstice Bells–Jethro Tull

Looking all the way back to 1976, here’s a classic that you never hear these days…

To hear my complete Christmas playlist, go here.

Wednesday 22 December 2010

Just Like Christmas -Snow Patrol

This is a little different version than the one I have on my Christmas rotation, but another good deviation from the overplayed Christmas songs you’re used to!

To hear my complete Christmas playlist, go here

New York City Christmas –Rob Thomas

Today’s song is by New York native, Rob Thomas.  Another good one that you’ve probably never heard before (unless you live in New York).

 

What are some of your holiday favourites?

Tuesday 21 December 2010

A Great Big Sled –The Killers

I thought it might be nice in the days leading up to Christmas, to share some of my favourite alternative Christmas songs.  I find that listening to “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” sung by all different artists gets old after awhile, so it’s always nice to hear something totally new.

 

Today’s offering is “A Great Big Sled” by The Killers

Check back tomorrow for another Christmas hit!

Sunday 19 December 2010

Sunday Pictures

Asher – 4 years

Chancery – 2 years

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Chancery: “Let’s mess with Mum today, Asher.”

 

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Chancery: “Why don’t you look…”

 

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Chancery: “Then I’ll look…”

 

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Chancery: “Then I’ll keep looking, just to throw her off a bit more.”

 

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Asher: “Then we’ll both look… model pose.”

 

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Chancery: “Now feign interest in this book.”

 

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Chancery: “Cheesy grin, lots of teeth!”

 

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Asher: “Face it, Mum, this is the best you’re going to get.”

Friday 17 December 2010

This One Goes Out To The One I Love…

Chancery was singing a nice song in the truck today…

at least I THOUGHT it was nice, until I listened more carefully…

 

“I love you, and you are my friend…

Da, da, da, Daddy…

and not you, Mummy…

Only Daddy is the one I love…

And he’s my friend…

but you are no-o-o-ot!”

 

Just warms your heart, doesn’t it?

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Thursday 16 December 2010

I Need Some Dinner Advice!

I got this recipe from my friend Katie, & I think it will make it into our meal rotation quite frequently.  It was easy to make & the whole family loved them!

Mexican Doughboys
1 lb Ground Beef
Taco Seasoning
1/2 C Salsa
1/2 C Cooked Corn
Pilsbury Crescent Rolls (I used 2 pkg of the ‘Grands’)
Shredded Cheddar

-Brown your meat & add Taco seasoning as directed on seasoning package.
-Let simmer ‘til mostly dry.
-Add Salsa & Corn, & heat
-Unroll crescent rolls on cookie sheet, & add spoonful of meat.
-Roll them up & bake at 375° for 10-13 min.
-Top with cheese & bake 2 more minutes

Now here’s where I need some suggestions.  This was all I served for dinner that night, & while they were awesome, I felt like there should have been some sides.  But I just don’t know what to serve with it, so PLEASE offer up some suggestions!

Wednesday 15 December 2010

Early Driver Training

PChad made this ‘Race Car’ awhile ago for the kids, & it has since been destroyed & relegated to the trash heap, but Asher had a lot of fun driving it in the meantime.

 

Tuesday 14 December 2010

Where Babies Come From

Chancery was gazing at her hands the other day when she announced, “I have little baby hands… like Baby Noah.”

 

Noah is her cousin, & when we last saw him, she referred to him as ‘Baby Noah’, despite him being nearly a year old.

 

I told her, “Noah isn’t a baby anymore, he’s 1, & he’s going to have a new baby brother or sister soon.”

 

This, of course prompted her to ask, “Why?”

 

So I explained, “Auntie Brenda has a baby in her tummy, & it’s going to come out soon.”

 

Asher had been listening & decided to add his two cents worth, “She should go to the dentist & get it fixed.”

 

I thought that was an interesting solution, so I asked Asher, “Why would she have to go to the dentist?”

 

Asher: “When babies come out, they just pop right out, & then you have to get it fixed!”

 

Auntie Brenda probably wishes that babies popped right out!  Saturday we got the call that Jacob was born!  Congratulations (& don’t forget to make your dentist appointment!)  We are excited to meet the newest addition to the family!jacob

Sunday 12 December 2010

Sunday Pictures

Asher – 4 years

Chancery – 2 years

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Asher: “I am going to read you a Christmas story today…”

 

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Asher: “It’s called, ‘Olive, the Other Reindeer’.”

 

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Asher: “Are you ready?  Then let’s begin.”

 

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Chancery: “I wonder what this story is going to be about?  Is it any good?  Is it worth listening to?  Should I bother listening?”

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Asher: “Chancery, I’d appreciate it if you’d just listen while I read, & then you will find out what the book is about.”

 

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Chancery: “Ok.  I’m sorry.  I will be quiet.”

 

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Asher: “It was Christmastime………………”

 

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Asher: “…The End.  So, what did you think of the book, Chancery?”

 

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Chancery: “Sorry, Asher, but I fell asleep!”

Friday 10 December 2010

Drifting Off To Sleep

Many of you may be having trouble sleeping during the business of the Holiday season, maybe this lullaby will help you drift off to dreamland.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

Thursday 9 December 2010

Sweet Potato Casserole

I was home for Christmas a few years ago & my mom made this dish.  As soon as I tasted it I knew it would become a holiday favourite at our house & it has!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

 

Sweet Potato Casserole

Preheat oven to 350°

5-7 sweet potatoes (or 6 C canned yams)

Peel, & boil ‘til soft

1/2 C Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 C Milk

1 t Vanilla

6 T Margarine

Mix & mash all ingredients together.  Put in a 9x13 baking dish.

1 C Brown Sugar

1/2 C Softened Margarine

1/2 C Flour

Mash together & add 1 C Pecans

Put on top of potatoes & bake 20-25 min.

Wednesday 8 December 2010

Snack Shopping

When I take the kids to the grocery store, they always beg for crackers as we are strolling up the cracker aisle.  I know from past experience that if I buy crackers, I’d better be prepared to eat them myself, or they’ll end up getting stale.

 

For some reason, crackers look really appetising in the store, but once we cross the threshold of our home, they become vile, boring snacks that no one wants to eat.

 

Asher begged for some Ritz crackers a few weeks ago, & after making him promise to eat them without complaint, I caved & purchased them.  There they sit in the cupboard, & the only time I can make the kids eat them is if I remind them of their promise.  If I pack the crackers in Asher’s school bag, they come right back home at the end of the day.

 

String cheese is another snack that they used to love, but I can’t buy it anymore either.  Have you ever seen an opened cheese, limply lying at the bottom of a lunch bag at the end of the day?  It’s not a pretty sight, my friend.

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And Fish crackers!  WHO DOESN’T LIKE FISHY CRACKERS??  My kids, that’s who.  It’s preposterous!

 

Thankfully, I can still make them cheer when I announce that we are having quesadillas for dinner.  Chancery was helping (watching) me make them the other night & announced, “we’re cheesing it up, Mummy!”

Tuesday 7 December 2010

STOP TALKING!!!!

Asher was in the far back set of the truck with his stuffed dog, ‘Frisbee’.  Asher was chatting away to no one in particular, so PChad & I started listening in.  The following conversation was taking place:

 

Asher: “Frisbee, you can’t really talk, so I have to talk for you.”

 

Frisbee: “Ok, Asher!”

 

Asher: “I want you to stop talking now.”

 

Frisbee: “Ok.”

 

Asher: “That’s still talking, Frisbee.  I said no more talking.”

 

Frisbee: “Alright.”

 

Asher: “One… two… I said two already, Frisbee, so you better stop talking now.”

 

Frisbee: “I will.”

 

Asher: “That’s it, Frisbee, you’re getting a time out.  You have to sit over in that seat until your time out is over.”

 

Ahh, I love that kid’s imagination!

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Monday 6 December 2010

Me-Me Oh Playmate!

Asher: “It would be really nice if there were two of me.”

 

Me: “Why?”

 

Asher: “Then I would have another me to play with!”

 

Me: “Aren’t you glad you have Chancery to play with?”

 

Asher: “Yes, otherwise I’d have no one to play with!”

Sunday 5 December 2010

Sunday Pictures

Asher – 4 years

Chancery – 2 years

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Asher: “This is ‘Buddy Bear’.”

 

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Asher: “He is visiting from my school.”

 

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Asher: “He really likes to be hugged, nice & tight.”

 

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Asher: “LIKE THIS!!!”

 

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Chancery: “Like THIS, Asher?”

 

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Asher: “Yes, exactly.  Doesn’t he look happy now?”

Friday 3 December 2010

One For The Kiddies

Quickly, grab your children & gather ‘round for this fun little diddy!

 

If your children are anything like mine, this will quickly become their new favourite song & they will beg you to play it over, & over, & over again.

 

You’re welcome.

 

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

Thursday 2 December 2010

The "Scents" of Smell

Every now & then, I like to check my parenting skills in extreme situations.

I take my kids into Bulk Barn.

By myself.

I usually need only one or two things, but strangely, we can’t seem to get in & out all that quickly.  Asher has a habit of turning all the scoops over, Chancery opens lids & takes free samples… it’s one thing after the other.

So, we were there once again about a week ago & Asher opened a lid to the chocolates.  I chastised him for doing so (you never know when a 4 year-old is going to sneeze, we take every precaution to NOT have it be in a bin of candies), & then he told me, “I just wanted to smell them, so I opened the lid & I can smell them, because I have a brain in my head full of the chocolates now.”

Wednesday 1 December 2010

Christmas Time’s A-Comin’

As we were setting up out artificial tree this year, we had a bit of help from Chancery.  Asher found something else to occupy himself, but Chancery was an eager participant.  We put each section of the tree together & Chancery helped us get all the little branches out of the box.

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Now, she proudly points to the tree & says, “We made a tree!” or, “We BUILDED a tree!”  She’s so proud of what she has helped us accomplish this year.

 

Today she was telling me once again, “Mummy, we builded a Christmas tree.”

 

And then she continued, “Christmastime is coming soon… It’s going to be God’s BIRTHDAY!”

 

I’m so glad she gets it.  Even if she doesn’t fully understand yet, it’s nice to know that she’s beginning to grasp the reason we celebrate & ‘make’ trees.

Tuesday 30 November 2010

A Good Name

This morning a fox wandered into our yard.  We watched it as it meandered along, eating snow, sniffing the ground, doing what foxes do.  As it left our yard, Chancery commented, “It’s going to visit Mr. Peter now.”

 

I agreed that it was going into his yard, & then she continued, “And it’s going to see Roxy (the dog)… and the other lady.”

 

I guess we see more of the man & his dog than we do of the lady next door.

 

My favourite part of the conversation was the part she tacked on the end, “Trixie is a good name for her.”

 

Thinking she meant the woman who lives next door, I asked, “Do you mean Miss Cynthia?”

 

“No,” Chancery responded, “the fox that went into Mr. Peter’s yard.  I gave her that name.”

Monday 29 November 2010

Meal Requests

When the kids have a babysitter, I often give them pizza pops for supper.  The other night we were leaving after the kids had their supper, so I made the pizza pops for them & we all sat down to watch as the kids ate.

 

Chancery went to her place at the table & saw that she had a pizza pop.  She’s not as fond of them as Asher is, & she let us know.

 

“I didn’t talk about this, so I don’t want to have it!”

 

Because when we have leftovers at lunch time we usually give her 2 options, so I guess she figured that since she hadn’t been asked, there must be another, better option!

Sunday 28 November 2010

Sunday Pictures

Asher – 4 years

Chancery – 2 years

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Asher: “Did you notice that there is a Christmas tree set up behind us?”

 

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Chancery: “Yes, I helped decorate it.”

 

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Chancery: “The only issue I have, is I don’t know why I was allowed to decorate it, but now I’m not allowed to touch the ornaments.”

 

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Asher: “That’s because you might accidentally break one of the decorations.”

 

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Chancery: “Is that true?  Do you think I’d break one of them?”

 

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Chancery: “I suppose that’s understandable.  But it’s so difficult!”

Friday 26 November 2010

It’s a Book

Proof of why it’s important to read to your kids when technology is so proliferate…

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Thursday 25 November 2010

Thanksgiving Pictures

I bet you thought this was going to be a special holiday instalment of ‘Sunday Pictures’, but instead I just wanted to give you a bit of advice as you take your OWN Thanksgiving pictures today.

 

Red-Eye flashes TWICE.  I know it can be hard to remember, so I had my good friend Julian Smith (he’s not really my friend, in fact he doesn’t even know who I am) write a song to help remind you…

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Wednesday 24 November 2010

A Snowman’s Vocation

Chancery & I were in the grocery store this morning & she spottedsnowman-clipart a snowman on one of the displays.

Chancery: “There’s a snowman!”

 

Me: “Yes, that is a snowman.”

 

Chancery: “The snowman is preaching!”

 

Me: “He is??”

 

Chancery: “Yes, he has on a red preaching thing!”

 

It took me a minute to figure out this logic.  Then I asked, “You mean his scarf?”

 

Chancery: “Yes, he has a red preaching thing on his neck!”

 

Apparently the only time Chancery sees a tie is when PChad is preaching.  Thus, it must be part of the uniform of preachers.

Tuesday 23 November 2010

Mastering Language

I help out with math at the local Christian school one hour a week.  As I was helping a group of students the other day, the following conversation took place:

Student 1: “I just need to ponder that a minute.”

 

Student 2: “What???”

 

I did my best to explain at a 5th grade level, “Ponder… think.”

 

Student 2: “Ponder? What does that mean?”

 

Me: “Contemplate… think.”

 

Student 2: “In what language?”

Monday 22 November 2010

Thoughts & Stuff

Asher told us at breakfast today, “When I was in my bed & I wasn’t sleeping, I was thinking of things.  And I thought, & I thought, & I thought.  And THEN I had a dream & I dreamt that I had a burning bed.”

 

I was reminded of this song

it’s an oldie but goodie!

Sunday 21 November 2010

Sunday Pictures

Asher – 4 years

Chancery – 2 years

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Chancery: “What do you have in your hand, Asher?”

 

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Asher: “I had a little bird, but it flew away…”

 

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Chancery: “I think he’s pulling my leg.”

 

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Asher: “Would I do that to you, Chancery?”

 

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Chancery: “Yes.”

 

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Asher: “You’re absolutely right!  There was no bird!”

 

Chancery: “I KNEW it!”