instagrm monday - touch a truck

I volunteer a lot and I never seem to be in for just a little bit. I always end up being some larger size piece of the puzzle. Volunteering for me is important. I have said many times that I don't have an unlimited bank account to financially support all the causes that are dear to my heart, but I do have skills that I can put to their good use. And for me because I can, I feel I should.

I have loved all of my adventures in volunteering. They usually involve people who are already very important to me like my girls ML and JB, Mike's family and of course all my Jersey Girls. I help raise thousands of dollars per year for our school and the Canadian Cancer Society and I am incredibly proud of that. Incredibly proud of the fun people I get to work with to accomplish that. Volunteering has also introduced me to lots of new fun people that I probably wouldn't have the opportunity to meet otherwise. So to circle the wagons back around...... volunteering, for me, is a good thing.

This weekend was something special. It was the third Touch a Truck that this committee that I am a part of has put together and leading up to Saturday I had a really good feeling about it. Here's the thing about Touch a Truck, it's a tremendous amount of work to put together especially heading into the last few weeks and even still you have no idea, no control over what's going to happen.Trucks break down, drivers have to take out an unexpected load or they're caught somewhere in the states or in another province. It's nerve wracking. So while I had a good feeling going into it that doesn't mean I wasn't a knot of anxiety Saturday morning as we hurried trying to get everyone into place.

Then all of the sudden it's 10am and the gates are open and it was just a steady stream of people coming in all day. I snapped this picture about 30 minutes after we opened for the day and look at all the people already. I am so proud of the people I get to work with on this project from the companies and drivers who bring such fun and enthusiasm to this event and of course the organizing committee who are just rock stars in addition to being super fun to be around. I am so lucky that I get to be a part of all of this.The best part though...... I was right to feel good going into this year's event. We nearly doubled what we brought in last year. Double. I still can't believe it. 

instagram monday - puzzled

Every now and then we pull out a puzzle and spread it across the coffee table. I thought with so much that Abby can't so this might be a nice distraction, but here's how it really goes.... the kids declare it too hard once we're done attempting to piece the border together and then Grandma Sandi and I spend days trying to piece the rest of the thing together. The kids will circle back around every now and then trying to find  piece that will fit, but the thrill of the hunt is over pretty quickly. Past experience tells me that they'll be great helpers when there are a couple of dozen pieces left. Until then this Mama will likely ignore the laundry until it's done.

instagram monday - little helper

MI Day, it's a day at our school organized and funded by our parent's council. The kids move from activity to activity and enjoy a day full of fun and new learning experiences. This year they spent time with the reptile man learning about snakes and spiders (ick!) and Mad Science was there to teach them how to make slime.  We always round out the day with a musical performance for the kids, but of course the highlight is always the tie dye t-shirts. This year Abby stayed around to help us hang the wet shirts on the fence to dry while her class moved on to zumba and jump rope. Her teacher and I thought it would likely be better use of her time rather than her sitting there watching everyone else having fun. I have said several times that the restrictions would be a lot easier to swallow if she was still wearing her cast then she really for sure couldn't do all those fun things she wants to. Only eleven more days until she's clear to run and jump again.

instagram monday - cast

This cast, it shall be the death of me. It's cracked now, right through Poppa's signature. The end near her elbow is squishy. The hospital says it's okay as it's still intact surrounding her break, but it's making me a tad paranoid. Everyone seems surprised when they see the size of it. That?! they say, That for just a broken thumb?! And Mike and I just nod our heads because what the heck do we know? We didn't go to upstairs medial college. Only four more days until we see the plastic surgeon I can't even imagine what he's going to have to say.

instagram monday - happy

I don't expect a heck of  lot when it comes to things like Mother's Day. I'm not offended in any way if there's no fanfare or cards. I'm a pretty easy going chick like that. Plus I like to think I'm a pretty kick ass mom every day and that my girls appreciate it. I know I appreciate our Moms every day. So I was really touched when I woke up to this Sunday morning......



Mike and Abby were at it again. This time it was mostly Mike. Abby helped as much as she could with only one fully functional hand. I have to say Mike really knocked this one out of the park.... his poached eggs were perfectly cooked and everything else was top drawer. It was just the perfect start to an otherwise pretty ordinary day.

instagram monday - samosas

My beautiful bestie showed up at my place Saturday night with 40 samosas for my twenty forty-ish birthday because she is awesome like that. Now I love love love samosas so this was a wise choice, but here's the part that made me fall of my chair.....

Maya: Mom, what are those things?
Me: Samosas.
Maya: But what's in them.
Me: Potato.
Many many many minutes later.
Maya: I think I want to try one of those things.
Me: Which things?
Maya: The things with the potato inside them.

Here's the thing, Maya isn't one to voluntarily try new foods especially ones that contain potato. I mean french fries most of the time don't even make the cut, but here she was asking if she could try it. So I handed one over and she took a bite, a normal sized bite, not the teeny tiny microscopic bite that her sister passes off as a taste when trying a new food. She took the bite and I could see her thinking about it as she chewed. Was it any good? Did she like it? She was giving it a shot. Ultimately she decided she didn't care for if, but I was just so impressed that she gave it an actual try I nearly fell over. Maybe that tide is actually starting to turn.

faking it

Mike snapped this picture of Maya helping me blow out the candles on my birthday cake. I like it. I think I look calm and relaxed and happy when in reality it's way more complicated than that. Things haven't clicked perfectly back into place. My relationships, for the most, part feel off kilter not with Mike or the kids, but other folks in my life. I'm not sure what I'm not getting right these days. I'm sure there's a chance that things aren't quite as dire as they appear to me, but I have a hard time buying into that 100%. I'm trying very hard to remember that what other people think about  me is none of my business, but gosh it's hard when you feel like people all of the sudden aren't card carrying members of the I heart Shanny fanclub even though they were at one point. It weighs on me more heavily that I can say. So I can feel myself pulling back, which is probably making things worse and not better, but........ it all just sucks ass right now. This too shall pass.... right? I hope.

instagram monday - even the flowers are ready for spring

I snapped this picture of these snowbells popping through the snow on my front lawn while I was locked out of the house last week. Yep. I locked myself out of the house. Kinda.... actually it was all Mike's fault. We bought our car at a lot 45 minutes away and the afternoon he went to pick it up neither of us realized he still had my house key with him. Of course I didn't realize it until after I had been digging around in my purse for 55 seconds and after Papa had backed out of the drive and went on his merry way. I figured Mike should be back from the lot shortly, but if not I already started planning how I was going to break into the house with MyPie's assistance. Luckily Mike and the bus got back to the house within minutes of each other and MyPie's career in crime was put on hold.

instagram monday - fresh baked buns

I have logged many hours watching my secret boyfriend Guy Fieri on the food network. My favourite thing about the holiday season is the inevitable Diners, Drive ins and Dives marathon. I'll be right there for all twenty-four hours of it. I'm kidding... .sorta. I just wanted you all to know and by all of you I mean Michael, that this was not time wasted. I've learned an incredible amount about cooking just from watching this show.

For the first time this weekend I thought I would give making buns a try. I mean I have made buns before, but always in my bread machine. To make it myself seemed a little daunting, but I've watched Guy watch people make their own bread a gazillion times, so what did I have to lose, but a bit of flour and some yeast? Just from watching Triple D I knew what the dough should look/sound like when it was ready to come out of the mixing bowl and I knew how to perfectly shape the buns. The end result was delicious times ten, even the kids loved them and have been begging me to make more. Wouldn't that be healthier than the ones from the grocery store full of preservatives, Mom?

Thanks Guy!

instagram monday - ROM

Uncle Dave and Auntie Mel are really great at giving gifts that are outside of the (big) box (stores). Not surprising... they are hipsters after all or maybe drunk Belgians..... I can't remember which. I kid, I kid. Anyway this year they got the kids tickets to see the Dinosaur exhibit at the ROM and yesterday was the big day. The four of us had an absolutely stupendous time.

Our kids were exactly the perfect age to go. Don't take that to mean that seven and almost eleven is the best age to see this exhibit, but for our kids it was perfect. We all loved the Dinosaur exhibit, but Mike and I agree it's incredibly difficult to wrap your head around the fact that you are standing in front of something that is 65 million years old. We did better with the paintings from the 1700's in the Canadian exhibit. What was very interesting is seeing which exhibits the girls were really into. Abby loved the Canadian exhibit and the animal one.... she totally picked out the dodo bird skeleton from across the room. Although it was very sobering to read what us human are doing to various species of animals on this planet. Maya loved the bat cave and the coral reef. We did see lots of the ROM, but far from all of it... I missed the costumes from Carnival..... All the more reason to go back!

instagram monday - sisters

Sure they may fight about legos and little pets and who's turn it is to set the table, but every once in a while I can see it. This picture has best friends written all over it, don't you think.

instagram monday - twenty-four

Three years ago Maya got the idea into her head that I was 21. There was no convincing her otherwise. Since then she has dutifully added a year to my age, which means this year I am turning 24. Yes, there is overwhelming evidence to suggest that I am not 24. For example I mention my actual age often, especially this year... .the year of 40. We can have a whole conversation, right in front of her, about turning 40 and in the next breath ask her how old I'm going to be and she will tell you I'm turning twenty-four 100% of the time.

What makes this even more funny is that it drives Abby completely bonkers. The argue endlessly about my correct age. Last week as we walked to church they started to argue about it again...

Me: Abby, why does it bother you so much? It doesn't matter if she wants to believe I'm 24. Think what a funny story it will make when she's older.
Abby: It's just, she's living under a roof of lies man!!

When we hung the new calendar on the wall Maya wrote our birthday's in. Mom - 24, Dad - 40. I'm raising her up right, huh?



For the record I have no desire to be 24 again. Almost forty is pretty awesome from where I'm standing!

instagram monday - before christmas

All the Christmas decorations have been packed away for another year and I am happy to have my living room back to normal. Our tree this year, well it was a little intrusive. Really dominated the space.

This is one the Christmas trees situated outside the front doors of our little church. I may be happy to be rid of the "clutter", but boy do I really miss that before Christmas feeling. The anticipation, the love, the warm fuzzy feelings. It really is the best time of the year.

instagram monday - sisters

Bickering between these two is at an all time high. We've been pretty lucky so far, given their four year age gap they've had very little to argue about, but now they butt heads over a myriad of topics... TV shows, borrowing each other's electronics, and just random sibling nonsense. I have this picture on my phone and sometimes I take it out to remind myself that despite the bickering they really do love each other.

instagram monday - sisters

I have a younger brother, he's called Uncle Dave 'round these parts and he's seven shades of awesome. I wouldn't trade him for the world, but at the same time I always wished I had a sister. You just never know what this life is going to bring you though and I have collected myself some sisters. Some by marriage, some were just made to be sisters of my heart. This is one of them and she is funny and amazing and beautiful and I am incredibly blessed to count her as family. This is us just before we ran the Santa Shuffle, her first 5k race and she kicked it's ass. Yay for sisters, however you acquire them.

instagram monday - little cindy lou who

When Maya was a tiny little thing I used to dress her in pretty dresses and leotards, but as she got older we made the switch to footless tights. She has a bunch of pairs in different colours and patterns and wears them weekly. Footless tights with skirts and dresses is all she knows. So Granny got the girls their Christmas dresses early so they could wear them to church and any other Christmas related functions we're going to attend. She also got a pair of leotards.

Me: Maya do you want to wear these giant socks?
Maya: Are those socks attached?!?!
Me: They are!
Maya: Then yes!!

Fast forward, after church we're having coffee and visiting with family, Papa asks Maya, how far up do those socks go? Maya hikes her dress up to her waist and answers... All the way to here!!

I love how Suessian these tights look. It's almost too much cute to handle.

instagram monday

MyPie is still loving on those rock star sun glasses Granny got her earlier this year. I kind of wish I had a pair in my size. I'm fairly certain they would up my cool factor by at least a point or two. They would, right?

So Sunday morning she gets up, grabs her fluffly pink blanket, her rockstar shades, crawls up on the couch, curls up like a pint sized Katy Perry and I die from the cute.

instagram monday

I had a couple of social engagements to attend to this weekend. Saw some people I hadn't seen in a while which was nice. Because I hadn't seen some of them in a while there were more than a few comments on how I look. As of Friday I have run, walked and sensibly eaten my way down thirty-six pounds. Here's the deal though.... I don't really see it. The more people comment the more often I find myself parked in front of the mirror looking myself over. I just don't see it. Is it really that noticeable? I ask Mike time and time again. Yes, it is. It really is, he tells me. But I can't see it. I mean I can, maybe not in the mirror per se, but I can see it or feel it. In my clothes. Things that haven't fit for a long time are now too big. Keeping my pants up at a respectable level is a never ending battle. My feet are now too small for my favourite black pumps and so on.

Please don't get me wrong, I feel amazing and I am so appreciative of all your kind words, comments and likes. I just find it so interesting and a quick tour around the internets tells me that it's not uncommon. Here's hoping my brain catches up to the rest of my body soon.

instagram monday

Ahhh Little MyPie. She just loves a pretty fancy party dress. Loves them! The twirlier the better. And I am happy to indulge her because quicker than I'd like, the party dresses and the twirling will go the way of the dinosaur.

instagram monday

We borrowed The Lorax from the library this weekend and one of the bonus features on the dvd was a little art class. Abby got out her marker and paper and followed along with the artist sketching a fairly good picture of The Lorax, the humming fish and one of the bears.... then she just freestyled it. Gosh I love Truffela trees and I love her!