Christmas Crafting

Finally, I have got myself together and have started the teachers gifts. Soft trees - I found the idea on: http://littlebirds.typepad.com/little_birds_handmade/files/soft_tree_pattern.pdf check out her web site for other great ideas http://littlebirds.typepad.com/ This is a great gift to have on hand, as well.


Use the template cut your fabric and sew your any embellishments you want on at that time - remembering the seam allowance.

Fold right sides together, sew remembering seam allowance.

Sew bottom (right side in) to the now cone shape and sew leaving and inch open to put the stuffing in. Turn out then stuff. Hand sew the stuffing hole.






Here they are! Have fun and thanks to Little Birds.


What fabric did I use - an old sweater found at a yard sale (For a dollar!) made from lambs wool, which I felted.







Well Dear, that is what I have been up to today. I have to tell you about the generation gap happening right in our own home -

Me to Boys - Hey, Little House on the Prairie is on want to watch?

Jake to Me - Mom, it is Little Mosque on the Prairie, every one knows that!

Wow, I am old! I cannot believe the do not know Little House! Quick hide he records before they start playing Frisbee! I love you Dear and thanks for yesterdays gift. Have a good day everyone, remember to be good to your Dear.

Merry Christmas to Me!!!

I cannot believe it ...along comes a FedEx truck with my Christmas present from Dear. I called him on skype and he said to open it. I am the luckest woman alive!!!! An anniversary band - beautiful . Thank you, Dear, I love it!

A Bit of Everything

Today, I conquered the laundry pile!! All is folded and placed in appropriate rooms to be put away but due to 2 boys with violin lessons and 2 boys with hockey practice, this evening, I am afraid that is as far as it will get for today. My part here is done!

It has happened - Winter has arrived and we are getting a blast, over 30 accidents in the city and stopping at stop signs almost impossible. Today, I am thankful for getting our winter tires on last week instead of waiting! You know the whole procrastination factor.

Reflecting on the last few weeks has made me thankful for many other things - My husband loves me and (here it is Dear) I love him. I think I am very lucky for that. We are trying to raise three happy, healthy well adjusted children in light of challenging situations. Dear being away often, family members who refuse to participate (No family is perfect), and life's everyday challenges. Through it all we have each other. and are learning to live with the things we cannot change.

You know life's challenges - to lie or not to lie has been a challenge in the past few weeks for Tristen and I hope from now on he chooses not to. He had a little accident and cut his finger needing 12 stitches. He cut it on the rail of his bed, so he said. He refused the stitches ,as soon as, he saw the needle started screaming - then the Doctor refused to stitch it because of his behaviour. No hockey for a week, at least he was told and a longer healing time. I felt uneasy about the way he said he cut his finger but he has never lied to me so off I went and told people what happened to his finger (Nothing like enlisting your Mom to lie for you). On Remembrance day he refused to wear a button up shirt so I went into his closet to get him one and low and behold his multi tool was sitting opened on the dresser with blood on the blade. Seeing red, literally, would be an understatement. I made it very clear that by the end of the day he would tell m e the truth of what happened and Dear explained to him the implications of what he did. Still he lied until the end of the evening when he told me the truth but in a joking manner! Yes, cocky. So, what do you do for that? We grounded him from hockey (even though he was oked to play ) , he had to apologize to people he lied to and he had to donate 50 dollars to his hockey team. two important things to him - hockey and money. One parent told me I had punished the team by the punishment I gave him- my response NO, I punished him, he punished the team by his behaviour - How did she not see that? Oh well, He lived and is playing again - until and unless he lies again, then no hockey for the rest of the season!

Jacob and Will - they are playing hockey as well. Jacob is going to be the goalie this weekend, he is very excited about that. Will - he just wants to have fun! The pictures top highway along the way, top left Tristen, left Will in his first hockey game and right Jacob waiting to go on.

I know....Bad Blogger.....

I am an avoider, procrastinator - what ever you want to call it I am it1 I know this about myself but still I continue, it is my blog what do I have to fear? I don't know but the longer I stay away the larger the task seems until A)I just avoid it all together and never complete or B) I get my but in gear and dig in to get it

done. Fear makes you freeze, I keep telling myself but more often than not A wins but I much rather prefer the B part of me!

So what have we been up to? Dear was home for most of October and we went to New Brunswick. Some really great things came out of the the trip. We got together with my friend Lori and her family ( It was such a nice evening), Gail and her family (Thanks for dinner!) and I got to cook Thanksgiving dinner for my family. It was a great time. Pictures Left Dear and the boys, right above longest covered bridge below Montreal tunnel and bottom of the post Hopewell Rocks a few of the sites we saw!

Halloween has come and gone - we had Jason (The scary hockey mask wearer), The Tooth Fairy (Guess who) and a cowboy. The boys had a good time, our town has a haunted house and businesses give out candy. Dear and I also went, with Wills class, to a local farms annual corn maze, hay maze, pumpkin patch pick and paint and hot dog\marshmallow roast. That was fun. Will feeding the chickens right.


We rented a rink in a local community for Jacob and Tristen's birthdays, while Dear was home. For the boys who play hockey there is nothing better than skating! Yes, they are still playing hockey - 2 weekends ago there were 7 games in 2 days! Nuts...That is how I feel some days!


It hasn't been with out its difficulties, Dear being home then away again. We get through until he is home again. He and I were just talking about that very thing this morning. I believe I have it easier because the boys are with me and I am busy and able to keep to the same routine but for him everything he knows has been shaken up and he is surrounded by people he doesn't know very well. With that said...I love you Dear. Take care everyone. I will write tomorrow if B wins!

Wireless Problems

Dear was home for vacation and fixed the computer. However, I now have wireless issues. I anticipate to be up and running by next Friday. Thanks for your continued patience.

I am back...For today

Ok...another computer meltdown - yes it is brand new - security problems, not that I would dis anybody but BELL Canada is not our friend!!!! Anyone living in this province is pretty familiar with the feeling of bashing your head against a 4 inch spike in the wall when communication with the company - this company is incredibly customer unfriendly!!!

So, enough of that. Well, school has started and lunch making is in full force. Tristen and Will began Violin lessons and Will was so excited that now he wants a violin room! Jacob is back at piano and a little bored with the book he is doing - time for a new one I guess. Jacob took piano all summer so he needs a change.

I am thinking what have I been up too.....if you ask the secretary at the school she would say I have nothing better to do than be at the school watching and talking to teachers going on school trips (Yes, already - 2 movies all in french and a trip to the fire dept. also in french) but if not me who?... I think, as she looks at me with quiet disdain. I am home and I want to participate in their education - they go to school to learn and function in french - something I cannot give them but I will be there all the way. I do have a degree but not the patients to home school like another of my very talented friends does - what admiration I have for her choices! So, I am very involved with their school and teachers all parents should be ....please be involved with your child's education If you do not who will? I see so few parents at the school - it is worrisome.

I have started many projects - finishing the fence painting, cleaning and painting the paved driveway, cleaning the siding, painting dressers, finishing a quilt, and staging the house for next spring. Will I get it all done is the question! I am sure I will - no worries! Ha, Ha, Ha!

I do have some sad news to report after much thought and with heavy hearts we decided that 2 dogs were too much. I took Alex and Caramel to have their needles and mentioned to the staff that I need to find a new home for one of them and the dog trainer on staff took Caramel (Now Chandler!). I am so happy for him! I had spread myself too thin and was unable to continue and unfortunately there have been on going issues with the dogs. I am happy to report, however, that both are doing much better now and I feel that they need to be separated to stop the competition for attention. The pecking order was still strong with in them as well because they had never been apart. I spoke to the trainer this morning and she is so thrilled and so are we. I am glad he is fitting into his new home seamlessly. Alex has also adjusted well and I have allowed him a few extras, like he sleeps with me now (Much to Dear's dismay!) yes, he weighs 90lbs and takes up a lot of room but he gets down when he is too hot! He has also been neutered and not feeling too good about it but you know men that area is so sensitive, however, we women seem to take it all in stride!

Oh, how could I have forgotten Hockey season has started, no I am not joking! Believe me Monday night Tristen had a practice in a town 15 min away @ 6:30pm and Jake had one in our town @ 7pm. Can you say driving like mad. No longer though as I looked around the room there were a few of us in the same predicament - we are going to car pool our boys! Thankfully. Yes, Will plays too but on a different night, phew!

So, right now I am at the local library doing this page . Dear will be home mid October and we will ensure all is well with the computer before I start back blogging full time. It will soon be time for Halloween Jacob wants to be the tooth fairy (go figure!), Will a fireman (His career aspiration) and Tristen is thinking of Einstein gone crazy (I have no idea what that will look like!). As I said I will be a way for a time we are going to visit with my father and Gran and spend some time on the beach - mid October is my guesstimate. Sorry no pictures today - I have lots to come!

This was a good idea Dear, the library is so quiet during the day. We will see you next week, cannot wait. Take care all.

Unexpected Downtime

Unfortunately the computer is experiencing problems. Therefore, Penny will be up and running towards the end of October. Sorry for any inconvenience. Thanks.

Dear