Coffee Grind....

I must say that I prefer the grind of a coffee bean....over the Grouse Grind....however my girlfriend kept reassuring me that there was a coffee shop once we reached the top...the top seemed oh so far away. I am really not sure what I was thinking when I said I would go and attempt this hike through the 'panting' forest. I say 'panting' because every single person that passed me were panting so heavily I thought they were going to pass out, however I must have looked like I wanted to die, seeing as I had a lot of guys ask me "are you okay?" maybe I should have asked one of them for a piggy back ride to the top! My whole body was slick with sweat, every crease, every crack...my hands were dewy, my hair, having just dyed it yesterday was heavy with the smell of peroxide....a real sight. I told myself I would take a picture at the top, uh, I changed my mind, that wouldn't have been one of the "good" photos I was speaking of the other day on my Facebook status....

I am not sure why people do this for fun...I just kept looking up, and up, and up...there was a guy in a bright yellow shirt ahead of me, I would watch him soar up the never ending staircase to the sky..never ever able to reach him, I was glad once he disappeared from my vision. Asshole. My girlfriend, who I told to go ahead of me, would wait once she got a bit ahead, rooting me on...

I held my girlfriend back, she had done this before, about a week ago, in under an hour, I took one hour and thirty-four minutes...I can now say that I have done it, will I do it again? Not anytime soon....I told a guy along the trail that I would rather go through child-birth ten times over, at least you get a baby out of that torture! Looks like my tight ass I have always wanted will have to wait a while longer..for now, its the sweat filled tummy folds...

It was tough for me, considering I am really out of shape, however, I did it (not like there was any turning back)...it was an experience, so glad to have done it with my fitness buddy, so far she has convinced me to do Dance Bootcamp, Cardio Kickboxing, and now, the Grouse Grind.....and maybe pillow fighting, one day ;-)

Tonight I am going out for dinner, I am having at least two glasses of prosecco, and a whole pizza to myself...

K

ps....feels good to be back!!!

Kokanee

First off, I don't know what is worse, that I actually did have a beer at 2 pm while weeding my yard, or that I got my 4 year old son to take a picture of me drinking my 2 pm beer!! I could not help it! All the country songs that were playing on the iPad were singing to me about beer! I cracked a Kokanee, drank it right from the can, it was cold, it was fresh, it was delicious! I didn't even take my dirty gardening gloves off....and the beer came from the beer fridge in the garage, and while I am being honest....I did send Noah to get it for me **blush**

For a moment I even forgot my kids were in the yard. They were playing secret fort, I was warm, sweating to be exact, pulling weed after weed after weed, three gardening tubs full! I normally wouldn't tackle this job, the gardener (aka my brother in law) beats me to it...but for some reason today, I wanted to see the hastas and shrubs that were making an appearance in the abundance of dandelions and buttercups! That, and my peonies are about to pop, and will look much nicer on their own...

Man I love a cold beer...apparently no matter what time of day it is :-)

K

Peanut Butter Raisin Bran Cookies

"It must be nice" to be able to make cookies......because apparently I have nothing else to do.....SO, here is a great recipe, for when you have some time (sorry for being a smart ass, its that kind of day)

Peanut Butter Raisin Bran Cookies

1/2 cup butter (softened)

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

4 cups of Raisin Bran cereal

Combine butter, peanut butter, egg and sugars. Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add to the wet ingredients, mix well, add cereal, mix again, plop by spoonfuls on a cookie sheet, bake at 350 for 11 minutes. 

Happy Monday.

K

have you filled a bucket today?

When I started work at Douglas Road Elementary School this year, I heard a lot of talk about "filling buckets" I was terribly confused, so I asked some of the kids about it....

Based on a book by Carol McCloud "Have You Filled a Bucket Today" A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids, everyone has a bucket, an invisible bucket, that was to be filled with praise and kindness, and emptied with putdowns and name calling....each teacher had their own adaptation to the program in their classroom, they also have a HUGE illustrated bucket in the front entrance of the school where school mates can add a water drop to the wall above the bucket with their name, who it was that filled their bucket, and what they did to fill their bucket. I thought this would be an interesting way to share kindness in our home....

We read the book together at home, talked about some things he thought would earn him a water drop, and things that would make mommy want to take them away...he seemed to be getting the gist, so I made it a project for us! I drew out some buckets, cut them out, let the kids colour them, put them on the wall. I cut out water drops from blue foam paper and have them in a container...Anabelle is learning quickly the things that earn her a water drop, neither of them are happy when their buckets are emptied, it has happened a few times. We do have moments when he only does nice things to get a water drop, but he is filling her bucket none the less, as well as his own for being kind, and becoming more aware of things that are great deeds like serving his sister pancakes in the morning...

How often does your bucket feel full? Do you feel that people dip into yours? I think we should all be a little more conscious of our invisible buckets, as well as others :-)

Get your copy of the book at Costco, $11.49!!

K

family dinner questions

I got this idea, and the templates from pinterest, it was on a lovely blog Beauty and Bedlam , I brought out the jar this morning at breakfast, it was a lot of fun asking Noah and Fredo questions! It would be great for any conversation starter!

There are 25 pages of questions that I printed and cut out, it also has templates for labels, however they did not work for my jar so I just designed and printed my own on a round Avery label (best labels I have ever bought!) #22807 with a downloadable template on the Avery website!

Tons of great questions, for family, kids, girlfriends....definitely something that will sit on my counter for meals and company!

Super easy to do, I used a jar I had from IKEA, an inexpensive way to have a blast, and keep the conversations going during the most important time, meal time :-)

K

not your grandmas glasses..

I have only had one compliment, thus far...however I am in love with my new accessory! I am sure I have been talked about behind my back, called a few names....I remember wanting this when I bought my most recent pair, but just didn't seem to find something that fit the bill....until....I visited H&M over the weekend....tada!!!

Never thought I would own an eyeglass chain, but man, let me tell you, the best thing ever!!! You can't go wrong with $4.95 either!! And, its just what I was looking for, a simple, gold spun chain!

I think I have become a bit more ballsy in my old age with my fashion choices...god knows what I will choose when I get to 30 ;-) Hey, I took a chance with that hideous pastel floral shift dress, and ended up seeing it on a fashion blog, SO, I must be doing something right!? That time anyway!

Be who you want to be!! I am slowly learning this....it feels good, really good. Speak your mind, let people know what hurts your feelings, what makes you smile...I just applied for a job in which a lot of the scenarios on the questionnaire were about self image, and how we looked amongst our peers, and how important that was too us....I think, its important to look good and feel good for yourself. In whatever it is you choose, even a gold spun eyeglass chain!! I remember never wearing sweat pants or frumpy clothes to high school, it wasn't for anyone else but myself, I knew I looked good, and that made me feel good! Absolutely nothing against those who did, it just didn't work for me, we are all different. Just like us moms, we all have 'kids' in common, but we are all different, not any two birth stories, or discipline tactics are the same, and there is nothing wrong with that!

Now I want you all to go out and get yourself an eyeglass chain!! It works really well for sunglasses too!!

K

K

moment of weakness........

Just this morning I yelled so loud I was sure Noah shit his pants.......the kids had taken all the pillows of the couch and were jumping.....I hate it when they do that, it makes my blood boil, and for the all the times I have asked them not to do it, it made me even more mad that they had done it again! I was in an awful mood to begin with, hadn't eaten breakfast, and was feeling super sad and stressed for numerous reasons......my skin has not reacted well to this stress, I have not had this many pimples in a very long time...this evening, Noah noticed me crying...he quietly came to me and hugged my leg. Gosh that felt good....I was feeling deflated, confused, unsure....after dinner he asked me if I could help them build a fort. We started our project, I myself, pulled the pillows off to make walls and barricades...instantly my furniture became a trampoline...this time it did not bother me...in fact I asked to take a picture, saying "jump, jump again" in order to catch a decent shot....this is what I got....

I had a moment of weakness....they are still jumping...maybe I need a jump myself, to take the edge off...or a nice big glass of wine....

K