Time to pack and repack ONE suitcase...we are headed off to PEI!

Vacation time is upon us....its slowly creeping in...4 MORE DAYS till we head off  for Prince Edward Island....the fairest Isle of them all!! It seems that we go every two years...but stay in the same cottage, in the Provincial Park, in Cavendish!! Kids are excited!! Hubby is excited...cause he gets to go fishing!! I'm excited!! I went to school there...I feel part of the Island is with me...its my home!! Do you, or have you ever felt that way...another province/state/country is your HOME, even though you were never there...its in your being, absorb into your soul! Its something you can't explain...just that it feels like HOME!

I will be excited beyond words when I see the Confederation Bridge....leaving mainland behind and going to heaven! At least thats how I feel......

This year, we are travelling in a CAR...yes, 5 of us in a CAR...a CHEVY CRUZ!! Last time it was a VAN...a BIG VAN where the possibilities of bringing back antiques and books thrilled me!! We even brought back drift wood...which now sits in our livingroom...top shelf of a bookcase!! This year I am determined to fit all our belongings in one BIG SUITCASE!! We should save some room in the trunk for the odd book....!!

Hubby will be fishing in Rustico, at Joey's Deep Sea Fishing!! This will be his 3rd year with them!! He says they are like family! We highly recommend them!!! He has been non stop talk about fishing for Tuna! And how he will take our 9yo fishing for cod and mackerel!!

This year...I'm excited to be going to Chef Michael Smith's Flavour Shack, in Souris!! My 9yo Son is excited too....we hope to run into Smith...but if we just get a signed cookbook and a pic by the shack...well, that will be fine too!!!

Of course....our trip is not complete without a visit to COWS, seeing Anne of Green Gables, sampling island treats, visiting with University pals and the need to travel on the road less used!! Finding a red, dirt road...abandoned, just screams adventure!!

How is your Summer shaping up? Any plans? Discoveries.....??

Birthdays! My Daughter celebrated with JOY! My Birthday coming...not so much!

This past weekend was Daughter's 7th Birthday!! As soon as we hit JULY...there was a daily countdown! There was no "GOOD MORNING MOMMY"...there was "19 MORE DAYS TILL MY BIRTHDAY!" So.... she is now 7...and acts like a teen at times...I'm scared for when she actually hits the teenage years...LOL!!
The day was spent having fun, making a cake and a little shopping in between. Then a surprise visit from some family! Since her Birthday on Saturday, she has been wearing the same Princess Disney dress.....and surprisingly it is not dirty...not one speck of dirt on the satiny white and purple dress!!!!


Her day of treats and celebrations made me think of my own Birthday...slowly creeping upon me!! A week later its my turn to have a slice of the cake!! While I'm happy for my kids to celebrate my day, I'm a little less in the celebration mood!! This is my last year in the 30's! I'm at the marker of hitting 40!! 40!! Hubby says its just a number, accept it! I'm not doing well with aging!! It scares me...I cannot accept it! I still feel like I'm 16...getting my licence...driving for the first time, a Chevy, a red Blazer...with red interior...I can remember it all....pulling out of the driveway and Tom Cochrane's song was in the background..."Life is a Highway"...how fitting...the world at my feet, my life ahead of me...so many possibilities!! And here we are now....the last year in my 30's!!

I feel like I need to commemorate the 30's...reflect upon the decade and write a list, not a BUCKET LIST...that term makes me think the end is near, and its not.....
The 30's were good to me....birth of my Children, marriage, buying a house and realizing what I wanted to do with my life....I WANTED TO CREATE! I became my own individual and got to know myself! Felt more comfortable within my own skin.

What else do I want to do before I turn the BIG 40? Finish the 30's off with a BANG!?

How about you....how did you feel, leaving a certain decade?

Strawberry Picking..... times spent with the FAMILY! PRICELESS!

This past week, we had a Family Day...we went to a local farm and picked strawberries!! The kids were excited...they got a tractor ride out to the fields....and row upon row lay the sweet berries...ready to be picked! We had never been to Barrie Hill Farms....but we knew we were headed in the right direction...we could smell the Berries before we saw the Farm!! The air was thick with the heavenly aroma!! It seemed unreal!

I know that we ate a few, right there in the fields, lips were stained red....I have never tasted anything sooo sweet, warm from the sun, full of strawberry taste! In grocery stores, you sometimes end up buying Berries from another country..and they lack that REAL taste! You become use to the half taste...then in the fields, fresh from the bush...the FULL flavour hits you hard and you know what you have missed!


We also browsed inside the market....and couldn't pass up a pie and some tarts! Of course they are calorie free...freshly made desserts!! We have made plans to come back and buy local...support our farmers!!

Later I researched online various recipes for Jam! I settled on one and of course tweaked the recipe...I never follow a recipe, I use them as a guideline...just the way I am! Through all this I was reminded of my Grandmother. She took me Berry picking one year. I was young, but I recall the heat and the sun and how her nose kept running. She had her hankie ready, tucked into her bra strap and sometimes under the band of her wrist watch! She picked Berries, pickled various items, she seemed to do it all! I felt happy, as if she was with us...smiling!

The JAM...was delicious...and even now, I might sneak a spoonful...just to taste the FULL FLAVOUR of Summer...sweet Strawberries and remember the GREAT MEMORIES we made that day!!

Apologies....to myself!! For not being me!

Apologies....I know it has been far to long....LIFE happens, I got so wrapped up in the everyday, that I had no time for me...or if I did find that time for me, I would do something else(escape home and head to a bookstore) or zone out and be absorbed into a favourite movie of mine! But after typing this, I realize that its not you that I should be apologizing to, its me...I am sorry to myself for not continuing to write...after all its part of me, writing....I love writing and being creative(in many ways)....and by not doing it, I am becoming less authentic to my true self....and we all need to be authentic....it makes us tick, it makes us a better a person, a better parent, friend, and lover!

So....with all this being said, I MUST carve out that time for me and be creative! We only have one life, and at times it might seem LONG...but as we get older and somewhat wiser, we realize that life goes by fast! I am ever more aware of this...this is my Birthday month! I am turning a certain age that has me terrified!!
It's my last year in my 30's...and that has me scared! Life is rushing by! Am I satisfied? NO! Do I want more? YES! Will I get everything I want? NO! But I will work hard at trying to achieve various goals! And if I don't achieve it, well....atleast I tried! Right!

So with all this being said, I am back....and for now, being an early Saturday morning, I am going to fill my coffee mug full of hopes and dreams...and quietly sit out back and watch the sun rise above the tree tops and listen to the silence...and reflect on me and all the possibilities that life has to offer.

NIGELLA LAWSON is in the HOUSE!!! Well.....her COAT is!

As you already know, I ADORE NIGELLA LAWSON!! She is my WOMAN CRUSH!! Hubby and I compete with our level of CRUSHING when it comes to Nigella. But I am winning when it comes to CONNECTING with her. Mostly before it was with Twitter...so far I have received three direct messages from her...I KNOW and you don't have to tell me, its probably a young assistant in braces who is responding  to me and not her!! But deep down, I know its her!! OK!! DON'T shatter my DREAMS!!! But we took it to another level.....and I squealed with EXCITEMENT when I KNEW that I WON!!

Last month, I noticed on Twitter that she had donated a COAT, signed PHOTO/NOTE for Charity. High Fashion Society (@HighfashionUK) was holding an Celebrity Wardrobe Raid 2013. Winning proceeds were going to a Kids Company Charity. Quickly I went to the site...I had five minutes left to bid! The RATIONAL SIDE said NOT TO BID! Save your money for like FOOD and BILLS.....the IRRATIONAL SIDE said "BID BABY...BID!!" I had no idea what the conversion rate was and what was shipping??? Then Hubby TOLD ME TO DO IT!! That's all I needed... with a QUICK TWEET CONVERSATION with High Fashion to find out the prices/shipping.....I had ONE MINUTE LEFT!! And during that MOMENT I had to REGISTER before BIDDING!! After it was ALL done....I waited...sitting at the desk....waiting......

After 20 minutes, I dragged myself away from the computer.....the kids needed me and Hubby was suppose to be sleeping. An hour later, after the kids were in bed and things were settled for the night...I went back ON LINE!! I WON!! I WON!! I sat in the chair...and starred at the screen...I WON and there was NO ONE TO TELL...they were all ASLEEP! When I did go to bed, I just laid beside Hubby and starred at him...a DEEP STARE...I was talking to him through MIND POWER...WAKE UP...WAKE UP...and he DID...he LOOKED at me and asked "did you win?" YES YES YES!!!!

Now....if I could ONLY STARE AT HIM and MIND TALK HIM INTO PUTTING THINGS AWAY!

"Nigella Lawson has donated this gorgeous classic vintage coat designed by the Queens dressmakers 'Hardy Amies' straight from her wardrobe to support our Celebrity Wardrobe Raid 2013 charity auction to support Kids    Company. Nigella Lawson originally purchased this piece at the famous 'William's Vintage' boutique in London." 

*I just don't know where to put the JACKET!! Part of me wants to put it in the KITCHEN..in a DISPLAY CASE...I can "talk" to Nigella everyday....ask her opinion on things!! Think of the FUN we could have!!

BOYS and SHOWERS!!!

Ground Hog Day...the movie, with Bill Murray....you know it....SAME DAY OVER AND OVER. Well that's what it's like with my 7 year old son Josh, and SHOWERS!!! Why are BOYS so difficult at having showers?? Is it because BOYS like to be DIRTY!? I have two boys, Alex who is 3, LOVES to have a BATH and asks DAILY, sometimes HOURLY, for one! My daughter Katie, LOVES to be clean as well! The only issue she has is BRUSHING HER LONG HAIR!! She wants to have HAIR like RAPUNZEL.....enough said! But Josh takes the PRIZE for SHOWERING!!

It's NOT a NEW CONCEPT...he knows when he is suppose to SHOWER and avoids it like the plague. I will mention it briefly in the morning, "remember you have to have a shower soon!" He replies, "I know!" Then, when the time is upon us and I tell him, "its time for your shower," he FLIPS OUT!!

Take this morning for instance....I had just started making coffee, I pressed the button and was eagerly awaiting enough brewed coffee for my mug.  Standing there watching it, Josh came into the room, I told him the bad news....and immediately his shoulders slump and he was like a ball, bouncing and flipping back and forth between two walls, like the pinball machine.....I just watched him and glanced back at the coffee dripping through the machine and listened to his rambles about it not being fair!

After the ranting and spasms stopped, I look at him again...."are you done, cause you need to shower now, we are behind schedule!" He turns and slumps like a moody teenager and goes upstairs....rambling about something. I ignore him and pour my coffee....take a few sips and go upstairs to hurry him along.

We DO this EVERY TIME he has to SHOWER!!

I think though, that this morning, it was the coffee that saved me. I remained calm, I didn't stoop to his level and freak out...like I "sometimes" do. I just starred at my COFFEE dripping through...and thought about Katie. She was right, it does look like the COFFEE is DANCING into the POT!!

The funny thing.....once Josh is in the shower, he is there FOREVER.....singing and dancing and sometimes talking to himself! When he is done, he will comment that he LIKES SHOWERS!! NOW....why cant he REMEMBER that when I say, "its time for your shower!"

I am also thinking, that the next time....I WILL FLIP OUT AND BOUNCE ABOUT LIKE A BALL BETWEEN THE WALLS and show him how he acts.....what do you think???

PS. YES we made it back from St. Lucia.....can I go back!? PLEASE!!

Leaving my BABIES........

AS you know...I have THREE ADORABLE, HELPFUL, LOVABLE yet at times CRANKY kids! And from past entries...you might know too, that Hubby and I have NEVER BEEN AWAY FROM THEM. We have only left them ONCE, overnight.....to attend a Wedding! And now almost nine years into this relationship, eight of them with KIDS....we are leaving them for a WEEK. Hubby and I are going on HOLIDAYS!! HOLIDAYS.....ALONE...NO KIDS....its FOREIGN CONCEPT to US!!
We are EXCITED and I am NERVOUS(not sure if he is...but I am)....NERVOUS for various reasons!

I am NERVOUS about leaving my HOME COUNTRY ...getting on a PLANE, flying 5HRS and LANDING in a BEAUTIFUL but UNKNOWN COUNTRY. Nervous that the PLANE might crash!  I know it wont, being a parent now...my perspective has changed.....EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED since having kids! Its NOT about ME anymore...its about THEM! We have God Parents...even though we don't go to Church.....I wanted ALL areas COVERED!!  I even decided that I want to be cremated and have some ashes spread in PEI! Let me tell you......I have ALL AREAS COVERED!! I am NERVOUS about not being at HOME with my BABIES....how will they SURVIVE!!? Which is funny,  cause I know they will survive...I have LEFT MANY NOTES/PLANS/SCHEDULES....there is no way they will get LOST! But as a PARENT....you worry!!

I am EXCITED about going away.....not having to look after the kids and all that entails with it!! You know what I mean!! Meals, laundry, cleaning, potty breaks, homework...all the daily routine of caring for three kids!! I am off for the week!!! I am EXCITED to re-connect with my Husband!! Who is this MAN I that SLEEP with and who helps me to RAISE these KIDS!? What will we talk about? Now we TALK about the KIDS, his WORK and MONEY. But being AWAY we will have to talk about something else! We will  be re-discovering each other, almost like a FIRST DATE!! Remember those?? Eeek.....

I am EXCITED and NERVOUS about getting into a bathing suit....which if you have read the previous posts, than you know all about it!!!

So much happens when you WIN a TRIP...so many  things to think about!
SO....I will part here, Dear Reader!!! I will return in about a WEEK!
AND I can guarantee you....ONCE we return and the LOVE FEST is over from the KIDS and they start to fight again....I will be WISHING to be AWAY.....BACK ON THAT BEACH!!
Cheers!