Mommy's Home

Pear Pie Recipe

2013-09-14T16:12:00.001-06:00

I am not a baker but I love desserts. I got a bag full of pears from my wonderful neighbour. It is those miniature pears but they taste delicious. I have made a few desserts before with them but I want to try something different. After scrolling through Pinterest. I decided to make my own.

Ingredients
2 tbsp Butter
2 cups Peeled, Cored and Sliced Pears

1 cup Water
2 pods of Cardamom
1 stick of Cinnamon
1 tea bag (I used Tetley Tea Warmth)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pkg pie crust from Pillsbury

Heat on medium a large saute pan. When hot, add butter. The butter will brown slightly. Add sliced pears. Cook pears for a couple of minutes until they are all coated in the butter. Add cardamom pods,stick of cinnamon, water and tea bag. Cook for 2 mins on medium heat then turn down to low heat.

When the pears start to soften, add sugar, ginger and nutmeg. Mix together and wait for it to start to bubble.* Remove the pears from the liquid. Turn up the heat to reduce the liquid. This will turn it into a caramel sauce. Turn the oven on to preheat to 400 deg (200F). Unroll the pastry from the package and put the first crust into a pie plate. Spoon the pears onto the pasty. Drizzle with the caramel sauce. Cover with second unrolled pastry. Pinch the edges of the two pie crusts. I cut slits in the top pie crust to let the steam out. Bake for 20 minutes. The pie should look golden brown. I dusted mine with a bit of vanilla sugar but you don't need to.

Yield 1 pie

* You can use the pears sans liquid at this point over vanilla ice cream

The Little White Lies

2013-09-13T13:31:00.003-06:00

Today I decided to write down some of the little white lies I've told my kids.

1. I'm going to call your teacher to tell her that you've misbehaving. Cue false phone call to the teacher and a conversation to your silent phone to get your preschooler on the straight and narrow.

2. Grandad loves roast beef. He will be very sad if you don't eat your roast beef dinner.

3. Chuck E Cheese gave me his pizza recipe so I can make it at home.

4. Green apples are made with special green paint. Sometimes the paint gets stuck in your teeth.

5. It is never to early to use the SANTA IS WATCHING card. Or better yet, call up a male friend and tell them Santa is on the phone and he is wants to know if you are being a good kid.

What white lies have you told your kids?

I'm pretty excited about poop

2013-09-13T13:19:00.003-06:00

You know you are a mom when 75% of your conversations about your toddler/preschooler involves talking about poop and or potty training. This summer I had a plan of potty training my youngest in case he got accepted to school in the fall.

If you are wondering, he did get into preschool. He has a severe speech delay so he was accepted into preschool a year early. I was so happy for him. It was bittersweet for me because I knew this is him growing up from a baby to a little boy. School is the best thing for his inquisitive mind.

Oh yeah back to the potty training. I used all the tricks I did with my older son. But the thing that worked the best with him is having him go pants/underwear free. So we stayed home as much as we could. It was interesting because he found out things about 'himself' and was eagerly willing to show us. I am not going to go further except to say BOYS ARE GROSS!

Well this week was a huge turning point. At his preschool the teachers are not allowed to wipe the kids' bums. So with a little coaxing, he wiped his bum and washed his hands all by himself. YAAAAAY!!!!

And get this, I am still putting him in diapers to bed but he wakes up with it dry. Then takes it off and uses the toilet. Bravo my little one! I wish I could bottle up my excitement. I thought the first day was a fluke but after the third day I was counting my lucky stars.

I know people always say, they grow up so fast. This past week of potty training went by so fast. I thought that things would revert since he also caught a cold this week but so far so good.

If you haven't guessed it yet, I am one happy mama!

*I know that all kids develop at different stages and I don't mean to offend anyone by telling them about my child. Potty training is hard work and the biggest reward knowing that it worked. I am going to put this on my lifetime achievement award. I hope they give out cool prizes like free laundry service or a lifetime's worth of hand sanitizer.*

Prancercise or as I call it, walk like a kid.

2013-05-30T12:20:00.001-06:00

Today I came across a video called Prancercise: A Fitness Workout. It got me thinking about my kids. They walk swinging their arms as wildly as they can. They step over imaginary things in the sidewalk and run and jump as though they have been set loose.

The lady in the video said that she adapted this exercise from a horse's gait. It is great exercise for the parent that is chasing the kid that is galloping away.

I love and hate this stage. I hate that they can get

hurt because they are not the best listeners when having fun. But I love this stage because it shows how much fun it is to be a kid. I love the reckless abandonment that kids have when they are free of strollers.

Remember the Friend's episode where Phoebe goes running with Rachel? Sure we wouldn't do that now but think of how much fun you can have doing that with your kids sans the banshee screams from having too much fun.

Whatever my kids do they are going to do it with an innocence about them. It is nice to remember the days when it was fun to swing my arms or prancercise. Just for Fun.

When Mommyhood turns to the dark side

2013-05-21T10:01:00.000-06:00

There is no denying that Mark and Luke are big fans of Star Wars. When they turned 3 and 5, they had a Star Wars themed birthday party. I pinterested my house and they loved everything about it.

However Mark is definitely embracing the dark side as he loves Darth Vader and the storm troopers. While he was sitting on my lap, he called me Darth Vader. I asked him if I look like Darth Vader and he said yes.

I'm I tanning too much? Is my haircut in the shape of his helmet? I think that he is not old enough to understand the good side vs the dark side. I think that he loves me just as much as he loves Darth Vader. I mean who wouldn't love Darth? Cool Voice, wears a cape, invisible choke holds. Oh yeah, the dark side... Let us just pretend to forget about that part.

So then I told him " Mark... I am your Mother"

How do you see yourself?

2013-04-19T14:36:00.002-06:00

This past Monday with all the terrible news, I happened to see a video from Dove. The tag line was you are more beautiful than you think. It was very moving looking at the faces of the women. They saw themselves how others perceived them. It got me thinking, do I look different to my family, peers and strangers?

However as the week progressed I saw an article by a blogger that criticized the commercial on her blog titled, “Why Dove’s Real Beauty Sketches Video Makes Me Uncomfortable and… Kinda makes me angry”

She brought up some points that had me shaking my head. WHAT? REALLY?

One of the topics raised was that Dove does not show diversity in their sketches. Well here is a newsflash. We live in North America where the population has a Caucasian majority. So when it comes to branding they are going to market to the majority. Also you may notice that makeup that is found in drug stores do not cater to all diversities. They cater to the majority which are light skinned. This is not meant to ignore the other races. That is just a fact.

One of the key aspects of the video was to show that after interaction with a stranger, the stranger was asked to describe them. The stranger’s description could have been totally different if (a) they only saw a picture of the person (b) they had unpleasant interaction, or (c) tends to use negative descriptors in everyday speech.

If you are interacting with someone in a positive light, they will appear more attractive to you. You will use words from your own ideas of beauty to describe them. I understand that physical appearance is not everything and we should look at inner beauty and not focus on the outer as much. However the participants are describing someone to a sketch artist. They are not writing a biography where other descriptors are needed.

Should Dove empower women to be more than just beautiful? Why should they? They sell soap, and shampoo. It is up to you to do that. You need to put your own descriptors for yourself. You can be strong, passionate and smart or whatever you choose to be. The point of the marketing strategy was to engage and emotional response from the audience. In this case it was to show that you can be perceived differently to a stranger.

The blogger also criticized Dove for being hypocrites in her post script. She said that Dove is made by Unilever. This company also makes Axe which is known for their blatantly sexist ads. In my opinion, I think this blogger wanted to pick apart this commercial because it is owned by the same company as Axe. By the way Unilever also makes brands such as Q-Tips.

I hope that what we can get out of this video is to see ourselves in a positive light every day. There are so many people including ourselves that think the worse of us. Think of this, how will a stranger see you today?

Wisdom from my 4 year old

2013-03-20T12:25:00.000-06:00

I was chatting today with my 4 year old son today. Absentmindedly, I said to him you are pretty. He said, mom boys are not pretty. I then said, I'm sorry I meant handsome. He then told me, "boys don't care if they are pretty or handsome, they just want to play!"

Wow! In a world that focuses on beauty it is so refreshing that a four year old put things in perspective. He doesn't care about labels. He doesn't need them. He just wants to be a kid.

It is so easy for me to pay someone a compliment. It does make me rethink my words though. Do I need to tell a kid that they are pretty or handsome? Probably not. I could have easily said, "it looks like you are having a great day!" or "that is a great shirt, did you pick it out yourself?"

My kids continually teach me so much about myself. For that, it makes me so happy to be their MOM.

Twitter is not for the faint of heart

2013-02-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

It has been three years since I've joined Twitter. At first I didn't get it but soon I started following people from my community, moms and people who are hilarious. I have noticed through twitter conversations, people that share similar likes and interests are fiercely protective of each other. There are also those who have quirks and a uniqueness about them that makes conversations with them so appealing. You can find them all on Twitter.

Being unique doesn't mean that you are automatically excluded. That is the best thing about Twitter, you find the most interesting people that you normally wouldn't meet in real life. Sometimes out of the blue, you just click with someone. You might bond over something like the town's sport's team or something obscure as a childhood toy. Who knows who you'll meet. It just gets exciting when you make a connection. I hope I'm not coming off as a cheesy dating site.

Here is the kicker for Twitter. DRAMA! It happens. It is up to you if you want to get caught up in it. I posted an alert about two persons that allegedly scammed some moms in a group that I was in. I didn't know the whole story and one of the persons involved called me out on twitter. I felt like I got a slap in the face. I thought I was doing a public service for those living in my community not realizing that I was sharing information that could potentially damage someone's reputation. I apologized to said person but I will never forget that my actions could have been prevented if I had done my homework. A lot of drama ensued due to the nature of sharing via Twitter.

PET PEEVE: Normally, I try to stay away from the bacchanal. I don't like getting into subjects with people even though I have an opinion. But there are those that constantly preach and give advice. Really??? Do you think that your life is so much better than mine, that you need to tell me the rules? Or maybe you think that you have experienced so much more that I could benefit from your knowledge. Thanks, but I think I can realize what to do or not do without your help. Or if I need inspiration I'm sure Google can provide some that are way more helpful.

But please keep waving your arms around. Keep sitting on your pedestal. Keep blasting away on your megaphone. I will not be your follower.

I really enjoy Twitter on the whole. I have met some amazing people in real life from our exchanges on Twitter. It is a great resource for news, humour and social connections. If you are ready to delve into Twitter, follow me but remember that it is not for the faint of heart.

When the Kids are sick

2013-02-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

Nothing makes you feel more helpless when your little one is sick. Both of my kids have been ill this week. So that mean extra cuddles. However being my kids they come with an extra dose of whining and crying.

Is it just me or do the kids intentionally try to cough, sneeze or wipe their noses on the mom. I think I am easily the transporter of all the germs in this house. Everyday the towels are getting changed and the disinfecting wipes are dwindling.

It is really enough to make me pull my hair out. So while comforting them I'm trying not to give into the whining. I can't help it when my hubby gets home that I want to hide from everybody for five minutes to collect my sanity.

2013-02-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

I think I am definitely guilty of a few of these. Here is Jason Good and his take on Parenting the First Born vs Parenting the Second Born:

Follow Jason on Facebook or Twitter.

Experiences may vary. Only some of this is an exaggeration.

Food

First Kid
All homemade in special baby food Cuisinart. Quinoa! Spinach! Sweet Potatoes!
Second Kid
Crackers, fruit bags.

Bed

First Kid
Crib that Daddy put together himself while mommy yelled at him.
Second Kid
Mommy’s bed. Daddy now has his own room with a mattress on the floor surrounded by his socks.

Clothes

First Kid
100% organic cotton. Some even made of bamboo???
Second Kid
Target.

Parties

First Kid
In our backyard with a pinata hanging from the Japanease maple.
Second Kid
Chuck E. Cheese.

Bathing

First Kid
Every night in a special bathtub that’s just the right size. Hand washed with a soft cloth or silky sponge.
Second Kid
Twice a week. Swimming pools count.

Nighttime Routine

First Kid
Swaddled in a Miracle Blanket. Baby Beluga sung to him. Asleep by 7:30.
Second Kid
Falls aleep on the sofa with mom’s boob in his mouth at 10:30pm.

Friends

First Kid
Play groups, mommy & baby get-togethers in the park!
Second Kid
His brother’s friends.

Toys

First Kid
All hand made out of wood. Mostly Swedish. Some Mellisa and Doug products.
Second Kid
Paper, Crayons, Plastic Bob The Builder Hammer.

TV Rules

First Kid
Baby Einstein and Sesame St only. Two 23 minute shows per day.
Second Kid
Has his own Netflix account.

Baby Sitter

First Kid
A wonderful woman named Sarah, whom he loves and will cherish for the rest of his life.
Second Kid
Doesn’t have one. We never go out.

Shoes

First Kid
Something European with an umlaut in its name.
Second Kid
Old muddy shoes with faded umlaut and missing sole insert.

Potty Training

First Kid
Diapers, then Pullups, then some kind of training underwear, then underwear.
Second Kid
Might crap in a diaper until college.

Discipline

First Kid
Oh my God, why are you crying? What’s wrong sweetie?
Second Kid
STOP CRYING!

And you know what’s interesting?

They’re both equally awesome.

Was he born with that gene?

2012-09-28T18:19:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week, I was reading Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever, to my dear son, Luke. We got to the page about tools. I read out the different types of tools to him and then asked him if he used any of these tools. He then said, no and proceeded to tell me that daddy used those tools.

So then I said, "Is there anyone else you know that uses these tools?" He shook his head no. Obviously, I said what about me? "Does mummy use any tools?" To my surprise, he said "No, tools are for boys not for girls!" Whaaaaaat? Trying to hide my utter shock at this revelation I quickly asked are you sure?

He then said, "Mummy, you are a girl and tools are too heavy for you!" I could not believe that my innocent child of four years is saying that. So later on after I tucked him in for the night, I went to confront the obvious suspect, my hubby for relaying those statements on his impressionable ears. Of course he was amused and gave me the 'It wasn't me speech!'

So the next afternoon, I asked my darling son about the tools conversation in front of his dad and he said everything that he said last night and added another gem. "Mummy, tools are dangerous, you are just a girl!" I know that we've ever told him such things. Have they started teaching that on the TV shows he watches? I don't think so!

So my conclusion is that he is born with that gene. The men have to do everything because heavens knows girls can't do anything especially if includes something mechanical kinda of gene. This is definitely not the last of this matter. Now where is that drill?

Adventures at Fort Edmonton Park

2012-09-13T15:40:00.000-06:00

I was fortunate to win a year pass to the Fort. I have been a couple of times before with the kids on "free day" but it was always so busy that it became stressful. There are so many things for toddlers and preschoolers to see and explore. Here is a top 10 list of things that my kids have done and quite enjoyed:

Taken at the Midway on the Ferris Wheel

1. The Train
As you enter the gates, you can't help but feel excited as you see the train tracks. Hearing the whistle as the train rolls in brings many a squeal to patiently awaiting kids. The train ride is a short one which will take you from the Train Station to the Hudson's Bay Fort. You can take the a stroller on the train but it needs to be folded and stored in the first compartment of the train. There are no seats in the first compartment so if you are lucky to get on early, you can put your stroller in the first cart and look for a seat in the second cart. If the train is too full, we've visited the other attractions and then taken the train from the Fort back to the Train Station.

2. The Fort
The Fort is pretty amazing but the kids didn't want to see the bunkers or the house. They were more interested in the large boat and the sheep . Right outside the Fort, there is a small hill to the boat dock on the Saskatchewan River. Also throughout the park there are costumed individuals that will explain their "life" on the Fort. We love visiting the Teepee and hearing about the native Canadians and their lives. Sometimes they have yummy Bannock for a treat.

3. The Streetcar

Listening to the operator talk about the train

My kids love the Streetcar. They will sit quietly while the operator picks and drops off people to the various points in the park. I am always surprised of all the things I've learnt about the street cars. Every operator tells a different story. The only draw back is that you can't bring strollers (even if they are folded) onto the cars. This means that I have left the stroller and taken the round trip to retrieve said stroller.

4. Wagon Ride
You do have to buy tickets for this ride. You can buy tickets in different shops around the park. Two beautiful horses pull a wagon along the dirt lined road. The ride itself is not very long but it is a bit bumpy so it is just long enough to be enjoyable.

5. Looking at the animals
Horses, chickens, pigs, ponies, turkeys, sheep are some of the animals living at the Fort. These are not petting zoo animals and have been known to run free of their pens. Well just the chickens that we've seen, so be aware at all times.

6. Capitol Theatre
I wanted to go to this since it opened but I was nervous taking both kids with me alone. One day my hubby tagged along so we decided to go in for the movie. We were in for a shock. It is a state of the art movie theatre with a nostalgic theme. The movie we saw was about Edmonton complete with special effects. I thought that my 2 year old was going to running around but once the movie started he was enthralled by the movie. The best part is that it is free with admission.

Yes that is the size of a kid's cone

7. Bill's Confectionery
I must admit I have bypassed this stop a few times because the treats are so good. I could spend all my money here. Needless to say, the kids get a sugar rush after eating one of its many treats. They are so good.

8. The Playground
If you need to rest for a bit, let the kids run in the playground. The swings, slides and see-saws are definitely a blast from the past, but the kids don't care. There is a picnic area and washrooms. It is well used by the school groups that frequent the park .

9. Touring the shops and offices
You can definitely spend a whole day at the park. There is food available for purchase around the park as well as various picnic sites. I have done the latter so my spending money is on tickets for the rides. We've been to the post office, Motordome and Fire Hall just to name a few that the kids love to see. The interpreters that are around are definitely in character at all times. They do such a good job that you will find yourself drawn back in time without even realizing it.

10. The Midway

Waiting in line to ride the Carousel

The Midway is by far the newest of all the attractions. With that being said, we save it for the last as the kids love this the most. They have a carousel ride with beautiful hand-painted horses, mini carnival games like tin pan alley and bowling for the little ones. There is a Ferris wheel for the brave at heart and mini rides for kids. Some are rides are free but others will cost you 1 to 2 tickets.

I hope you get a chance to come to the park with your kids. It is a great history lesson as well as fun time to be had by all. Do you have a favourite attraction that you think kids will enjoy. Add it here and we'll definitely explore it the next time we are here.

Inappropriate Moments

2012-09-09T15:07:00.001-06:00

Today while at the grocery store my 4 year old son decides to show everyone in the meat department his little sausage. You can't even even imagine how mortified I was. "Put that thing away!", I said to the amusement of the other customers. Trying to not to yell at him through my teeth, I said, "Get you hands out of your pants!"

I spoke to my mother in law about this and she said that it is just a phase. Really? There is an end to this? You promise he is not going to grow up to be a deviant? Because I'm really losing it here.

I don't know exactly when it started, but he started to sit on the couch with no pants or underwear. Now he can't go anywhere without a hand constantly glued to the front of his pants. "Do you have to pee? No? Then GET YOUR HANDS OUT OF YOUR PANTS!"

One day I realized he is going commando and I say to my hubby, ask him why he is not wearing underwear. My dear son calmly replied, "I didn't want too!" Umm, you're 4 you are going to wear underwear. I have even said, look daddy wears underwear so does mummy, and granddad and so on but he just shrugs like "yeah so what?" I've gotten him to pick out his clothes and underwear but again having no underwear or having his hands in his pants seems like a better option for this kid.

So until this phase ends, I am ready to commit myself for sounding like a broken record player. Anyway, if there anyone out there who has some advice, I would greatly appreciate it.

Charity starts at home

2012-08-04T00:00:00.000-06:00

I have always tried to teach the kids to share. It is so hard sometimes because they are at the age where all I hear is MINE MINE MINE.

Some of the things I get them to share are food, a room and toys. The latter is always the hardest because at any given moment they both need to play with the same toy.

One of things that I am trying to show them about sharing, is that it comes from an attitude of giving. It is so easy to keep everything you've worked hard for and forget those who are struggling. I came from a family of one income and we lived frugally. I can remember getting new clothes, books, shoes that were hand-me-downs. As a kid, I didn't care because they were new to me.

When my mom cooked, anyone that stopped by had a meal before they left. My parents have always set an example of giving. When we didn't have money, they gave their time, their knowledge to help anyone who asked. Up to this day, if someone stops by, my mom will pick fruits from her garden or a bunch of flowers to give. If you asked her to cook something that you haven't eaten in awhile, and she has the ingredients, she will start to make it right away. I had a great childhood because we didn't have much. We learned to use what we had and be generous to the less fortunate than us.

I know what it is like to struggle in this economy. I went to University and worked menial jobs on campus so I could pay for health care, a bus pass, textbooks, rent and food. I remember going to bed hungry because food seemed less of a priority. It didn't stop me from volunteering at various festivals and donating Blood.

Over the past years, I decided to say something nice to random strangers. You never know whose day you are going to brighten with a few kind words. I have complimented people on a hairstyle, clothes, kids, a nice smile and so on.

It is not often that I can give a monetary donation, but I help out my neighbours, give to the food bank and volunteer. Recently, a friend of mine, Jen, reminded those on a global scale, that they can give. She started the project Make Jen's Day. It is a reminder that giving is better than receiving. You can follow on twitter with the hashtag #MakeJensDay or on Facebook.

My kids can't give much but I teach them how to be kind and generous. Although working out the sharing of the toys is still a daily battle, they will hug and kiss people that have come to our home to show them that they are welcome. It is not much, but it is a surprise to those who haven't been at our house before.

Teach your kids by leading an example. Teach them to smile and say hello, offer kind words, and give.

The Olympics are here

2012-08-03T08:52:00.000-06:00

My kids love television. I get them to watch some educational stations but most of the time it is stuck on Treehouse or Disney Junior. Then the Olympics started. They are now looking at the gymnastics and the diving. It also happens to be what I'm currently watching as well.

The kids are watching it because of the jumping. They love to see the athletes leaping and naturally my kids think they can do the same feat in our house. Our couch arm is now the launching pad and the cushions are the safety.

These are the same kids that exhibit fear when going down a new slide but will readily jump off with nary a care in the world. The fits of laughter and squealing when they make the jumps is deafening at times.

I am seriously going to look into putting one of the kids in gymnastics soon if he keeps it up. I don't care if their growth will be stunted, according to the hubby, as long as they are having fun. Besides they've been doing the routine awhile now.

What Olympic sports did you want to compete in when you were a kid?

Can you have fun in Banff with two toddlers?

2012-08-02T01:01:00.001-06:00

This spring, I got the chance to go to Banff, Alberta for a week. My hubby was away so I was solo-parenting and living in a hotel room for a week. I must admit, I was a wreck thinking of how I was going to entertain two kids every single day in an environment that I was not familiar with.

I didn't really know the town of Banff that well so I didn't want to venture to far. I was afraid that the car would break down somewhere and I would have a bear attack us. I watch too much TV.

The drive down to Banff was about 5 hours from Edmonton. We stopped in Calgary to stretch our legs and let the boys visit with their cousins. I packed lots of movies or should I say Treehouse dvds. I think I can recite all the Max and Ruby skits without actually seeing them.

After settling in for the first night which went surprisingly well, we decided to set off early the next morning to see what the hotel pool looked like. The kids loved the pool which had a kids play area and a hot tub. Since we went during the week, we had the pool to ourselves for almost the entire time.

After the pool, we ventured into the town. Each day I tried a different route in and around Banff so that I could get a feel of the town as well as discover some new and fun non touristy things. We found a couple of playgrounds and met a few other children to play with.

One of the first days that we were there, we went to Bow Falls. The kids liked it but they were still a bit tired so I did the pictures and told them that there was a Castle nearby. That got the kids excited. We drove to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and back down the hill. My older son was not impressed as he thought we were actually going inside. So the next day we did the tour of the hotel. Although it was not what he expected, but we had fun exploring in our own little way.

Another highlight of our trip was visiting the Banff Gondola. I was a little worried about this one as it is a bit expensive. The Gondola ride was awesome but the kids were a little afraid because we were so high up in the sky. I showed them the Castle and the trees and tried to distract them from the fact that we were dangling by a cable a million meters in the air.

Once we got to the top of the mountain I showed them to the steps to get to Sulphur Mountain and they immediately took off. I don't know exactly how many steps we climbed but they were too busy passing other people for me to take pictures and enjoy the amazing views. I will admit that I was out of shape to climb those stairs but they had no trouble running up them so I had no choice but to follow.

When we did get to the top, they didn't want to leave. The view was amazing but since there was not ample barricades at the top, I didn't want to chance one of the kids falling off the mountain. I bribed them to get down and finally we started our trek down having little snowball fights along the way. I submitted a picture with them climbing down the stairs to Unplug and Explore Contest.

Vote for these troopers

Some of the other things that we did that were toddler friendly:
Throwing rocks in the river
Collecting cool looking rocks
Going on a trail hike
Eating at kid friendly establishments
Looking out for wild animals and poop
Eating Ice Cream from Cows
Shopping
Riding elevators and escalators
Checking out the horse stables and watching out for more poop
Finding a new mountain or waterfall.
And finally watching mummy make a hundred wrong turns looking for parking spot.I hope you get the chance to visit this amazing place. I can't wait till they are older so we can do more amazing things. I will start getting into shape to keep up with them. We had so much fun and so can you.

Having fun in the playgrounds of Edmonton

2012-08-01T22:18:00.000-06:00

My two boys couldn't wait for summer to start. Being outside, playing in dirt, water and things that made them take a bath every night. My plan this year was to visit as many parks within this city. My only cost was food and gas.

I live on the west end of Edmonton and there are a 6 playgrounds within a 10km radius of our home. I also found 2 spray parks that the kids love. I have a routine that my kids enjoy and don't have the tantrums that usually accompanies leaving a fun attraction. You can find all the spray parks in Edmonton on the city's website.

After breakfast, I prep a light lunch and lots of snacks and drinks. I pack it all in a bag with a small blanket and a change of clothes. I keep a few towels in the car as well as a camping chair.

I get the boys dressed and head out the door. We've gone either to the playground or spray park. The kids don't mind which they go to. After playing for an hour or two I pull out the blanket and set a picnic. My kids think this is the best invention ever "eating outdoors". They eat, then play a bit more.

When they get a little droopy or it gets close to 2pm , I tell them that it is time to go. They are happy to veg out in the air-conditioned car on the ride home.

But what do I do when the weather is crappy you say. Well the Library is fun. They love "checking out" their books using the automated system. We have also gone to toy stores to "demo" toys. The local Chapters/IndigoKids also has a play area set up for kids. I love this one because during the summer they have mini camps that the toddlers can join. They make crafts, have scavenger hunts and so on.

I have often scheduled trips to the grocery during this time to get them to pick out fruits and veggies they want to eat. Also Safeway and Sobeys give the kids a cookie while they shop. I also bring them along to errands like the hardware store or craft store. If we don't buy anything, they don't care as long as I say we are heading on an adventure. Kids love that word.

How are your adventures going this summer?

Chocolate? Yes I give it to my kids

2012-05-19T15:23:00.000-06:00

I think every mom wonders, are their kids eating enough, are they getting enough nutrition in their diet, what can I give them that they'll actually want to eat.

A month ago, I got introduced to Xocai chocolate. It is a brand of healthy chocolate that does not contain any refined sugars, waxes and fillers. When I heard about it, I thought to myself, oh I bet it is going to taste horrible especially if it is good for you.

I was surprised that it tasted so good. I gave it to my kids and they love it too. I was able to leave it in plain view because I knew they weren't getting sugar highs. What I didn't expect was this

They did not want regular chocolate bars after eating the Healthy chocolate. Easter treats are still in the pantry.
THEY were asking for healthy food like fruit salad for a snack
They were sleeping better

Not to mention how much energy I have to chase after two very active boys. I am able to resist the cravings for chips, popcorn, nachos, soda pop, french fries, cookies, you get the point. I can't say enough good things about this chocolate.

Now if my kids ask me, can I have a snack, I can offer them a piece of healthy chocolate and we are BOTH happy.

Here are some helpful links if you want to find out more about Xocai

Dr Steven Warren's take on Healthy Chocolate
Dr Gordon Pedersen
Cocoa "Vitamin" Benefits

10 Things to Look for in Healthy Chocolate

1. Choose dried, not roasted, cacao beans that have been washed and thoroughly cleaned.

2. Avoid chocolates that have undergone any alkalization or “dutching” processes, which can neutralize the effects of nutrients in the beans, as well as interfere with its antioxidant potential.

3. The chocolate should be tested for bacteria and other infectious agents, as well as for lead.

4. Processing temperature for cacao beans should not exceed 110°F.

5. Look at the ingredients—a healthful chocolate product should have cocoa butter and cocoa solids as primary ingredients, not milk fats or hydrogenated oils. Avoid chocolate products high in refined sugar, corn syrup and/ or preservatives.

6. Bitter is best. Although milk chocolate isn’t “bad,” studies have confirmed that chocolate products with the highest antioxidant activity contain at least 70 percent pure cocoa powder.

7. How chocolate is sweetened is another important point. Obviously, avoid products high in refined sugars. Instead, good sweetening agents include low-glycemic sugars such as unprocessed crystallized cane sugar, fructose, and agave syrup. Also, sugar alcohols such as erythritol are a good alternative. Low-glycemic sugars and sugar alcohols do not increase blood sugar levels because they are released more slowly into the blood. Though there may be contradictory information on the Internet regarding some of these sweetening agents, academic research shows they are effective and healthier than traditional refined sugars.

8. Avoid products that use waxes and preservatives.

9. Consider a healthful chocolate beverage, as they are an effective supplement delivery option designed for maximum nutritional effect. Not only are such products more easily absorbed and utilized by the body; they are also easier for the elderly and children to incorporate into a balanced, nutritionally sound diet plan.

10. Consider cocoa products combined with other nutrients and/or antioxidant compounds. Good options include those with berry ingredients like blueberry or acai berry

Things that make my day brighter

2012-04-05T15:25:00.003-06:00

Today I opened up my email and saw that GAP had a casting call for the next face of Gap. I decided to enter my older son as he is a pretty photogenic child and I would love to win $1000 dollars to spend on clothes for my kids. Right now they grow like weeds so every dollar helps.

When I started entering the contest the question they asked was what does your child do to brighten your day. That got me thinking; there are so many things that my kids do to make me smile. Now if you are thinking about having kids and reading this post, I just want to let you know that they do some rotten things too. However these are the things that make me so proud to call them MY kids.

This will be dedicated to my kids who are turning 2 and 4 in a couple of weeks.

You brighten my day:-

When you laugh, squeal and giggle.

When you jump and spin around at the same time.

When you use words that I didn't know you knew.

When you build forts and pretend to be monsters.

When you run like you're in a race.

When you say please and thank you to strangers.

When you make stories to go with your shadows puppets.

When you give me hugs and kisses without being asked.

When you smile while you are sleeping.

When you eat all your dinner.

When you think I'm funny doing "mom" things.

When you play with each other.

When you get excited about anything new.

When you mispronounce something.

When you count your fingers and toes to see if they are all there.

When you wake up and you still have a warm baby smell on your neck.

This list will keep growing day by day because you are the reason my life is content.

What are some of the things that your kids do to brighten your day? Also these pictures were taken by Amanda Diaz Photography from Edmonton. She is amazing!

I don't know how I'm going to top this

2012-03-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

My kids will forever share their birthday parties. We didn't plan it that way but their age gap is 2 years and 3 days. Last year was my younger son's first birthday so I wanted to do some thing special as well as appeal to both kids. I decided on a theme. Thomas the Train goes to a carnival. It was decided by the cake we got.

I was pretty proud of myself because I worked on a shoestring budget. I made train tracks and stuck them on the wall for decorations. The hubs helped make the actual trains which were way better than I could ever come up with. I hung up colored streamers and matching balloons and that completed the "I'm having a party at my house" look. For the actually party I invited guests to show up after lunch and reminded parents that it was a birthday party so to expect treats. I planned an ice cream bar with lots of toppings to add, a few snacks for the adults and of course cake.

Keeping kids entertained for an hour was a task in itself. I did a classic "Pin the tail" with a Thomas theme game that I picked up from the dollar store. The kids thought it was hilarious being blind-folded and spun around. In fact my kids still like to close their eyes and spin around a year later. I also had a tin pan alley with Solo cups and soft balls. Note kids don't have the best aim so keep an eye out for a stray ball or six. This was also a favorite because kids love having things fall down. The highlight of the afternoon was a bit of a surprise for the kids as well as the adults. I put on a magic show. I practiced for at least a week and was a nervous wreck at the start of the show. I don't know what I was thinking, hosting a birthday party and being the entertainment. But the kids enjoyed every minute. One kid even said "You're amazing!" You know coming from a 4 year old, I was floored with pride.

I had some help though form this amazing website I found. The tricks I performed were from ActivityTV

The Appearing Wand
A Card Trick
I can read your mind
Ghostly Straw

I really like this website for magic tricks. It was easy to learn each trick and the kids had such a fun time thinking I was a real magician. It probably had a bit to do with my expressions. Like this one ----------->

<-------- Or this. Since the kids had a ball, I don't know what I'm going to do for an encore. I have 1 month and I have no clue. I might continue to look like this. Help!

Yummy Enchiladas

2012-02-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

I'm going to start off saying that I'm not Mexican so this is not authentic but it is delicious so I thought I would share. This merely a guideline so feel free to use what you have in the pantry. Here are the ingredients:

2 pkgs Uncle Ben's Bistro Express (Long Grain & Wild - Roasted Chicken Flavour)
1 pkg Old El Paso Taco Mix
1 cup Water
1 can Catelli Thick & Chunky (Tomato Basil Blast)
1 lb Ground Beef
1 can Corn
1 can Black Beans
10" Flour Tortillas
Salsa, Sour cream, Shredded Cheese, Shredded lettuce

Brown beef in a skillet.
Add taco mix to 1 cup water. Pour over beef and let simmer for 5 minutes. remove from heat.
Heat packages of Rice in microwave.
In a bowl, add a cup of Tomato Marinara and Rice. Stir to coat rice.
Preheat oven to 400 deg.
Arrange an assembly line of beef, rice, beans, corn, cheese.
Add a spoonful each of the above ingredients to 1 tortilla shell.
Wrap each tortilla like a burrito (see note at the end) and lay seam down on a foil lined pan.
When the pan is full of wrapped tortillas, pour a little sauce from the taco/beef mixture on top of the wraps.
Add shredded cheese
Bake for 10 mins or until the cheese is melted.

Serve 1 or 2 tortillas on a bed of shredded lettuce with a dollop of salsa and sour cream. Enjoy
Note: if you like things a little spicy, add jalapenos to the assembly line or hot sauce to the taco/beef mix. Also make lots because this tastes just as good for lunch the next day.

*How to roll a burrito*
Take one tortilla slightly warmed. Lay flat and place filling in the middle forming a line.
Tuck the ends of the tortilla that are closest to the filling.
Gather up the one of the remaining ends and fold over to the middle covering the filling.
Hold the fold with your index and middle finger of both hands.
Using your thumbs, push wrap up and over your other fingers.
Roll wrap until the remaining edge is now lying seam down.
That's a wrap. This takes practice so don't give up.

There is no easy way to like it

2012-02-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

My 1 year old has a new fascination with taking off all his clothes. I don't know if he is too warm or it is just to gain attention. I'm thinking it is a bit of the later because it is February in Canada. He started off by pulling one arm from the sleeve of his shirt. My hubby and I thought this was hilarious and even referred to this anecdote to friends and family as "Julius" did this. Get it, Julius Caesar? Maybe he is a little fashionista and trying to start a new toddler trend.

Anyway "Julius" progressed to removing his pants and now his diaper. If he is too quiet, I know he is taking off his clothes. When he pees, the diaper comes off and so does the rest of his clothes. But the last few times, the clothes came off when he pooped. Can you tell where I'm going with this. It is probably the moment in a parent's life where their sanity is truly tested.

I have picked up poop from the carpet, couch, coloring pages and the television. Who knew that brown was a great color to use when you finger paint? Now that you are totally disgusted, my house is now super sanitized. I also am thinking that I want to revert to plastic on the furniture. Now if he poops one of us is changing him right away before he gets to it first. I can't wait to start on the potty training with this one.

As I was talking to my girlfriend, who is a mother of 3, about said incident. She said "I know it is your kid, but there is no easy way to like it!" I couldn't have said it better. Poop, you suck!

Best friends make the worst enemies

2012-02-10T16:51:00.001-07:00

Two years and three days. That is the age difference of my two boys. My older one is three and my younger one thinks he is three as well. They ask for each other as soon as they wake up, eat meals together, bath and usually spend a lot of time giggling their heads off.

I could not have asked for a better set of kids except when they want the same thing. Then the waterworks start. The screaming and the whining are enough to make anyone’s blood boil. I am usually acting as a referee deciding who gets what, who had what first, whose toy does it belong too and the list goes on.

In my younger days, my sister and I played together but I mostly remember the vicious fights we had. We fought over everything and I think it is because my parents always picked one kid over the other and didn’t provide a distraction. I’ve learned from this and now I feel like the cruise ship director doling out random activities.

I know that I am a little harder on the older one as he should know better. Then I think he is only three. But when they fight, I feel the gray hair popping out my head like daisies. My blood pressure goes through the roof, and I don’t know how many times I’ve counted to 10. The kicker is that when the boys fight, they still want to be within an arm’s reach of each other. Should I leave things be and say let boys be boys? What do you do when your kids fight?

Eggnog with anahem alcoholic twist

2011-12-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

If you are new to my blog, I am from a tiny Caribbean island called Trinidad. In Trinidad we do not need a reason to party but since it is Christmas time in Canada, I thought I should share one of my favorite drinks.

In North America, eggnog is popular around this time of the year but in Trinidad we do it island style with rum of course. We call it Ponche a Creme. I did some research for a few recipes and every single one is different. I decided to go with one that calls for a lot of rum. With me so far? I thought so.

My first batch was okay but after a bit of tweaking, the second batch is a keeper. Maybe it was the alcohol talking since I was doing a lot of quality control. *Wink Wink*

Ingredients

1 carton (250g) of pasteurized eggs

1 1/2 tins of condensed milk (each tin was 300g)

2 cans of Evaporated Milk (each can was 370 ml)

1/2 Bottle of Rum (about 1 1/2 cup)

2 Tbsp Angostura Bitters

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1 lime rind

I used dark rum but you can use what ever brand you like.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and lime rind together. Add all the other ingredients and continue whisking. Remove the lime rind. Pour in a clean empty bottle. This will fill 2 rum bottles. Chill and serve on ice. Note this drink tastes better the colder it is. Always keep in mind when you are serving products with milk or eggs the expiry dates. I use the date of the eggs as a guidelines as to when to finish drinking it.

By the way, did you know that Angostura bitters is from Trinidad? I hope you enjoy this drink as much as I do. Merry Christmas and please enjoy responsibly.

Tis the season

2011-12-07T14:34:00.002-07:00

This year I am feeling extra nostalgic as the Christmas season approaches. I don't know if it because every commercial is telling me to spend time with the family or can't beat home sweet home. For me, my home is in Canada but I was originally from a small Caribbean island, Trinidad.

Last year I took my boys for an extended stay in Trinidad to experience what it like to be a kid in a tropical country celebrating the Christmas SEASON. It is definitely a season because it lasts from the start of December till the first week of January.

So many people in North America say that Christmas is for the kids but no place says it more than Trinidad. Every weekend there was a FREE Christmas party for kids. Although the gifts Santa gave were not the best or the biggest, my kids didn't care. They were so excited to get something and was happy to play with it. Isn't that what it is all about? Not what the gift is but the joy it brings?

I must mention that the highlight of Christmas, is the presents delivered by the local Santa via truck and loud speakers. My kids would run out of the house the minute they heard the big trucks passing by.

For the adults there is Parang which are songs that are sung in Spanish/English with a soca flair. The food is in abundance especially fruits that you don't get year round in Trinidad like apples, grapes and pears. The "island life" is definitely apparent during the Christmas season. My friends and family that still live there post pictures and talk about the fetes that are going to and it is enough to make me buy a plane ticket right now.

Even as I prepare for Christmas here with the boys I (which is magical in itself), I am looking for recipes that bring home the "Trini" holiday spirit. My favorite tradition is getting up early (before the kids) and baking fresh bread for breakfast. For the adults I am going to have a "Trini" eggnog with the in-laws.

I think that I will have to save up my pennies and take the boys again before they get too old. As the saying goes,Trini Christmas is the best. Do you have something that brings back great memories during the holiday season?