Wonton Soup & Homeschooling

With our adventure to home school this year, combined with Noah's desire to only work 4 days per week starting in September, we had decided that we would start into our curriculum during the summer (on the days we were home).

TODAY was our 11th teaching day and the first day that I wanted to pull my hair out.  It took us over TWO hours to get the same amount of work done that we did yesterday in 55 minutes.

Noah was acting like a silly, goofy, 'I don't want to work', kinda boy and this Mama got super annoyed.  After several reminders, a consequence, Mama raising her voice and sending Noah to his room.  I was feeling kinda inadequate and knew I had to change this (with Noah's help of course).

THAT WE DID....

I never knew that making won ton soup in 6 simple steps,

could change our day completely.

STEP #1

Make the Broth

Saute onion, celery and carrots in some olive oil.

Add water/broth.

Add some ginger & spices.

 STEP #2

Make a Meat Mixture.

I used boneless chicken breast, spinach, carrots, green onions, ginger.

Grind all this up in a food processor.

Cook it in a fry pan.

(NOTE:  this was our second time around using this, all I had to do was defrost it from the freezer)

STEP #3

Making the Won tons

Take the won ton papers, wet all 4 sides.

Place meat mixture in the middle.

Fold won ton paper over and seal each side, then roll it up around your finger.

If you make paper airplanes, you can do this NO problem (according to Noah).

STEP #4

Display your hard work!

Looking dashingly handsome and cute with those big blue eyes!

STEP #5

Mix it all together.

I add some Bok Choy and lots of chopped spinach.

STEP #6

Enjoy!

Sit back and enjoy a yummy (and healthy)

lunch with some great company!

In the meantime.....

                    ......watch your child's mood transform into something more pleasurable!

Now....life is good again!!!

AND...

we have lots of leftovers!

Thank you Mr. Won Ton Soup!!!

Proud Momma

When asked last night by my cousin (who has 4 young boys) if we had any 'old gaming systems' we wanted to sell or get rid of, I advised her that our old Xbox was Noah's and that he would decide if he would sell it or not.

When he got up this morning, I asked him if he wanted to get rid of the Xbox and without hesitation, he said 'Yes, we can give it to the boys.'  NO money, just GIVE!!!

What a proud moment!

Then an EVEN prouder moment came when we were making our beds together when he stopped and said 'Mom, it makes me feel so happy to give the Xbox to the boys.'

What a moment, or two for this proud momma's heart!

Love you buddy, you KEEP making mommy proud with your kind heart!  Keep up your fantastic work!!!

Summer 2010 Adventure #1

Man, oh man this summer is just flying by!  To start summer, we had a group of visitors.  They left, and the next day we had more visitors.  They left, then the SAME day we had more visitors arrive.  Only 4 days before we left for our 1st summer adventure, this group of visitors left.

Not that we haven't loved EVERY minute of having guests - but it's been tiresome!

Now that our FANTASTIC vacation is over, we have a few days to relax!

First, let me share some photos with you from our vacation. 

On our drive to our first destination, I took photos of several of the road markers!  The final one was 'Welcome To Cape Breton'!

As soon as we arrived in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia we stopped for a picnic lunch (with a view)!

We arrived in Louisbourg, NS.  Relaxed for  bit at the cottage we rented, then ate supper.

After supper we went for a walk down on the waterfront.

I just love taking photos of fishing boats. 

They are FULL of character & colour.

The next morning, we went to visit the Fortress of Louisbourg.

The Fort, was the boys favourite part of the trip.

For lunch, we ate at a restaurant that was just like it would have been in the 1700's.

They gave us a huge napkin (that we had to wear as a bib, just as the soldiers would have worn),

only one spoon for the entire meal and everything was served on a metal/pewter type of dish!

Right before we left the Fort, we got to see an actual cannon being fired.

It was LOUD, but very cool!

We left Louisbourg and drove to Baddeck, NS, where we had a cabin rented.

So, we got the cabin so we could have the 'feel' of camping (which we all LOVE),

without the hassle of pitching the tent!!!

This campground, Baddeck Cabot Trail Campground was one of the cleanest,

nicest, campgrounds we've been at.

We had lots of fun in their pool too!

The next morning, we got up to venture out for a full day of driving the Cabot Trail.

What an amazing drive... I couldn't pick out 'just a few' of my favourite photos,

because the views were breathtaking.

A few of the lookouts we stopped at, I actually got teary eyed at the

spectacular beauty of what I was seeing. 

Unfortunately, photos just don't do the views justice.

Along the way, on the side of the highway there was this weird and freaking

spot with over 100 scarecrows on some one's lawn.

We just had to stop and look.

Do you see any resemblance? LOL

We also met a really cool guy with an even cooler car.

This car was a 'transformer car.  It was all decked out with a 32" TV in the back

for playing video games, he had an electric guitar with an amp, etc.

As we chatted, we found out that he was a professional clown (for 19 years now).

He told us that a few years back, he won BIG on the lottery.

He used that money as a way to help kids with cancer and continues

to be a professional clown to make the lives of kids, happy.  

He also does alot of work with Home & School organizations.

So, if you're ever on the Cabot Trail and bump into

KLUTZY the CLOWN, tell him we say 'hello'.

That night, we went to our first Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) Gathering.

A Ceilidh is a Gaelic word that means a gathering of people (or what some call a 'kitchen party').

It was very simple, a room full of people from all over the world

(some visiting from Scotland, many from many states in the US and less from Canada).

When we arrived, there was a young woman with a fiddle and a young man on the piano.

The evening, was 2 hrs of fiddle playing accompanied by the piano.

We learned alot of cool facts about this type of music and of the Cape Breton

style of fiddling!

THIS was my favourite part of the trip (next to the views of the Cabot Trail)!

The next day we visited the Cape Breton Miner's Museum in Glace Bay, NS.

We actually got to go on a one hour tour of an actual coal mine.

Our tour guide, was a retired miner, he worked in the mines for 32 years.

We learned lots of interest facts of what it was like to be a miner.

MAN, sure glad we're not a miner's family.

Noah got to experience what a young boy's job was in the mines.

The tour guide kept asking Noah if he wanted to work for him.

He'd get paid $0.65 per WEEK.

At the beginning, Noah thought it would be cool to make money, rather than going to school.

But after the tour, he thought that school would be better!!!

We also visited the Alexander Graham Bell Historical Site, but not many worthy photos.  It was cool!  I didn't realize how much he was involved in.  Very interesting life!  We didn't spend as much time there as I thought we would have, I guess we were all getting anxious to come home!

It was a fantastic vacation.  The weather was absolutely PERFECT, NO complaints.

We are SO blessed to be able to vacation the way we do.  I am so thankful for my life!

10th Anniversary Renewal of Vows

So July 1st was Jacques' and my 10th wedding anniversary.  We chose to celebrate our anniversary, NOT with big expensive gifts but with a simple renewal of vows.  Well....it started off to be simple!!

At first, our idea to renew our vows was a simple 'hey, wouldn't it be cute to renew our vows?'.  Then, it snowballed...in an adorable, crazy cute kinda way!!!  Everything just 'happened'....I guess it was supposed to be this way.  And our day was perfect, just as perfect as our wedding 10 years ago!

It started off with a haircut for Jacques and I, we got a few photos then headed to the church.  Much of our church family was there.  Two of the ladies had decorated the church, it was JUST adorable, right down to rose petals down the isle, ribbon falling onto a table of our own, a cake table with a cake for our special day.  Each table was decorated with candles and table clothes that were my favourite colour of green.  We had a cake that was not just YUMMY, but so adorably decorated.

I made Jacques and Noah boutonnieres and myself a little bouquet out of a $20 bunch of flowers from our local grocery store.  I, personally think these flowers were more beautiful than at our wedding!  They were adorable!

After the ceremony and cake, our dear friend, Amy took us to 3 different locations for photos! I wasn't expecting this - but SO glad we did (in fact, she had to convince Jacques to some degree)!!  She had us hiking to locations, ankle deep in water and walking through Canola fields - I can't wait to see the photos!!

In the end, I had just as much fun as our wedding and wondered 'why' did we spend SO much money on our first wedding - when we had just as much fun at our renewal!  I guess that's what 10 years does to you...gives you this wisdom!

What a fun day, and in the end *sign* it was all over!

THANK YOU SOOOO much Amy...you did a fantastic job (both convincing Jacques and taking the photos).

After our photos, we came home to get changed and took off.  We reserved a room at a romantic place called The Castle Inn in Perth Andover, NB.  IF you are EVER driving through New Brunswick and need a place to stay...I HIGHLY recommend this gem, nestled deep in the woods.  When we arrived, the manager/chef (knowing we had renewed our vows and that it was our anniversary) upgraded our 'room' to the 'ROYAL SUITE'. We WERE treated like royalty. 

First thing when we came to our room, we had a nap - which ended up being a THREE hour nap - eeesh!!! Reservations for supper were at 7pm.  We started off by having a drink in the  sun room.  Our meals were SO amazing - it was a 2 hour event by soft music and the best company, very romantic indeed!!!

We enjoyed the facilities of a new spa room after our dinner - relaxed in the hot tub and steam room for over an hour.  We came back to the room, and began what we do best - played some of our favourite card and other games.  We had a little tournament going on!  The loser gets to cook Valentine's Supper this year. Sadly, I lost EVERY game and I am the big loser!!  But...am I???  I have a wonderful husband who I get to cook supper for....hmmmm, somehow despite losing, I still win!!!

What a fantastic day and night.  *Sigh*, I can't believe it's over all over again.  Trust me, we've promised to do this on our 20th anniversary again.  We rarely (if ever) celebrate our anniversary considering it's on CANADA DAY, so we always join in the Canada Day celebrations.  So it was about time for us to celebrate our day!  Once every 10 years is good, right!!!

In the morning, Jacques and I headed back home to Grand Falls early to get a few things and get home to our boy (who wasn't even home when we got home - out with Grandma and Grandpa).  We are crazy like that...when we go away for a night, we miss Noah like crazy.  You may not 'get it' but at least we get each other!

Ten Years Ago....

I married my BEST friend, the rest of my life began (aka 'when I grow up,  I want to be a wife) and I said 'I do'.


THIS YEAR, we renew our wedding vows.


To remember our first 10 years, here is a video of the first 10 years!






I just can't wait for our next 10 years!