Wordless Wednesday - Big Boy Toothbrush

This Wordless Wednesday post is linked up at 5 Minutes for Mom and A Lot of Loves!

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What's Cooking Wednesday - Cinnamon Rolls

Evan had his first cinnamon rolls at Nana's house.  He LOVED them!  When I told him we were going to have a Mommy weekend the only thing he specifically asked to do was to make cinnamon rolls.  I've never tried to make them so I was a little worried but I figured "how hard can it be?"

Cinnamon Rolls
from Allrecipes

3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 (.25 oz) quick rise yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup buter, softened

Heat milk in a small sauce pan until it starts to bubble.  Remove from heat and add butter.  Cool to lukewarm.

In a large bowl mix the whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup of the all purpose flour, yeast, sugar and salt.  Add the milk mixture, egg and water.  Mix well.  Add remaining flour and mix well.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.  Cover with a damp towel and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and butter in a small bowl.

Prepare a 11X13 pan by coating the bottom and sides with butter.  Leave a bit of extra butter in the bottom if you want extra gooey cinnamon-y goodness on the bottom.

Roll out the dough into a 12X9 rectangle.  Spread butter mixture evenly across the dough.

Roll up and pinch the seam to seal.  Cut into 12 equal rolls.  Place in the prepared pan, cover and let rise until doubled (usually around 30 mins).

Before Rise

After

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe Notes:  So my rolls didn't really rise like they were supposed to.  Thankfully when I baked them they poofed up wonderfully.  These turned out so well.  YUMMY!

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Top 10 Tuesday - Favorite Activities for Kid-Free Vacations

I *might* be going away soon for a work trip with Dewey that will also include some rest and relaxation.  We will be spending a few nights in Austin before heading to San Antonio.  Since I lived in Austin for 5 years, I am super excited to see all my friends.  Even without that perk there are a few things that I love to do when I get to have a flashback to BK (before kids).

1. Sleeping Late - definitely the number one thing I miss the most. Evan sleeps until 8 or 8:30 on days I have to go to work.....weekends he is up at 6.  
2. Leisurely Meals - Oh the days of taking my time over breakfast....enjoying that extra cup of coffee....all without having to say "Get up off the floor, Evan....NO don't drink any more of the creamers off the table.....etc"
3. Shopping! - I keep trying to go to the mall & take Evan.  Dewey usually isn't with us so I will sometimes stop into a store to do a bit of shopping.  HA! Three year old boys do NOT want to watch their mom shop.  
4. Listen to Live Music - Bar hopping and going out to hear bands is not really something you can do when traveling with a 3 yr old unless you have help.
5. Eat Weird/Spicy/New Food - I am a huge foodie.  I love to try new types of food and new restaurants.  Not really something that is easily done with a little guy.  He likes a wide variety of foods but he needs time & repetition to try new things.  
6. Happy Hour - A big part of our social scene in Austin revolved around Happy Hour on Fridays.  
7. Unplanned Days - Okay this isn't an "activity" really but I love having days where I can go with the flow and it doesn't matter where I am when.  
8. Coffee with Friends - I still do this now AK (after kids) but it's usually during the work day or late in the evening.  Nothing like grabbing a cup of coffee with a girlfriend in the afternoon to catch up on gossip!
9. Reading a Book - I still read books but I am MUCH slower than I used to be because I only read right before bed. I will definitely be uploading a few books to my Sony Reader before we leave!
10. Did I mention sleeping in?

So don't get me wrong....I wouldn't trade my punkin, Evan, for anything.  

What are your favorite activities when you get some time away from the kidlets?

This post has been linked up at Oh Amanda.

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Craftastic Mommy Weekend

Dewey is away this weekend on a golf tournament so Evan and I had a "Mommy Weekend".  The weather in Calgary has been dismal lately so we have spent an awesome weekend indoors.

Saturday started out with a new recipe....Cinnamon Rolls!  They turned out amazing.  I promise I will post the recipe soon.

Then my friends Christine & Erin came over to make some jewelry and drink wine.  We had a great time!

Here's the necklace I made.  This is the pendant.  The necklace is leather cord.  It's supposed to be "Industrial Chic".

I bought Evan crafts to do with us too but he fell asleep on the couch instead.  We decided to do the crafts this morning while we were waiting on Dewey to get home.  

Michael's had 3D foam craft kits on sale for $3.99.  I bought 2 for us to build for Halloween decorations.  They were almost the death of me!

The kits don't actually contain instructions.  It says "Look at the picture and construct".  If only it were so obvious.  I had all the fencing glued on when I figured out that they would work better flipped upside down.  So I took them off & reglued.  Then Evan leaned over where I was working and left this in his wake.  *sigh*

The house kit didn't do much better.  It fell apart at least 4 times before I finally got it constructed.  The kits say "Peel & Stick" on the front but you have to glue A LOT of it.  Oh and did I mention that all the pieces are covered in glitter?  Now Evan, me and the kitchen are also covered in glitter.  :)

Ack!!!  Be CAREFUL!

"Who....me?  The craft destroyer????"

They turned out okay in the end.  We'll see how long they last. 

How was your weekend?

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Testing Boundaries

We've had a rough week.  I was in a sales course that required long hours at the same time Evan decided to show us that the threes can be just as terrible as the twos.

Nighttime routines around here have fallen into the "one more minute" trap.  There's always "one more minute of TV" or "one more minute of pbskids games" or "one more story" or "one more snuggle" or "one more drink" or or or or....ad nauseum!  Unfortunately, even if you gave him every last "one more...." he would fall apart when you finally made him go to bed.  It was hard for me to say "no" to his requests because, honestly, I felt a bit guilty for being so focused on other things.

If only this was the only problem.....because after every nighttime there is....

the Morning.......

Mornings are usually pretty mellow.  I go in a bit later so that I can hang with Evan a bit usually.  He pulls the "one more...." card in the morning too but usually not so often.  He is really clingy in the mornings, though, which means that I have to get his milk, snack, etc even though his nanny is sitting downstairs in the kitchen.  This is fine if I'm not running late but this morning Evan and I had a melt down b/c I was desperately trying to have a shower & he was insistent that I go get his milk.  The situation kept on the same track right up to the time when Evan was blocking the door and screaming "MOOOOMMMMMMYYYYY!  DON'T LEAVE ME!!!!!!!"  I could hear him screaming when I got in the car to leave.

It wasn't pretty!

In my head I know that he is just testing his boundaries with me & I also realize that I'm a good mom and that I give him what he needs.

But my heart breaks every time he cries when I go to work or when he throws himself on the floor because I am soooooo mean!

Why didn't they tell us that motherhood was so damn hard?

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Brain Tired

Why is that when you go to a training course and sit around all day you leave completely EXHAUSTED? I can't answer the why part but it is definitely true!

I went to a consultative selling course this week and now I am ready for the weekend.  We had varying amounts of homework every evening....last night I was there until 11 pm.  Thankfully it's now done & I think I learned a lot.

So that's why I haven't blogged for a few days.  I haven't disappeared....I was just learning how to be a better listener to my customers.  I promise that there will be new blog posts coming up soon.

So what were you up to this week?

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Top 10 Tuesday - Activities for a "Mommy Weekend"

Evan and I love Mommy weekends.  We love to hit the town and do things that we don't normally get to do.  Here are my top 10 possibilities for such a weekend.

1. Hit the Mall - Evan's favorite food in the whole world is Pad Sew Noodles from the Thai place at the mall.  He lurvs them!  After dinner or lunch we hit the play area at the mall for some preschooler fun times.  
2. Bake - Evan LOVES to help me bake.  We make cookies, granola, granola bars....you name it we make it!
3. Go to the Zoo - Evan loves the Calgary Zoo. It is a great zoo....his favorite part is the dinosaurs.
4. Go to Butterfield Acres - It's like a petting zoo on steroids.  Love it!
5. Have a pajama day! Who doesn't love lounging around the house in their jammies?
6. Visit the Farmer's Market - Great people watching and yummy food for lunch.
7. Go for a walk -  If the weather is nice we love to have a walk around the neighborhood...especially if their are yard sales.  Evan has a few favorite playgrounds he loves to visit so we can kill a few hours that way.
8. Events - Depending on the weekend their are fall fairs, home shows, Christmas fairs, etc. Lots of them have kid content such as petting zoos, etc.
9. Crafts - A visit to Michaels leaves us with all kinds of craft ideas for whatever holiday is on the horizon.
10. Sleep In - HA!  Yeah right....he sleeps until 8:30 on days I have to work but I'm lucky to get to sleep until 7 on weekends.

What are your favorite Mommy activities?

Linked up for Top 10 Tuesday at Oh Amanda!

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My First Post

I am participating in the "Back to Blogging" event over at SITS (The Secret is in the Sauce).

I really liked the thought of going back and looking at what I've blogged in the past.  I rarely do it so I'm sure you don't either!  ;)  So I'm republishing my very first post below for you to read.  In January 2006 I had lived in Calgary for just over a year and had been married for 6 months.  Evan wasn't around yet and I was getting used to being a wife and a stepmom in Canada.

It's funny to see how young Will & Nicole look!

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I decided to start our blog with the latest big holiday for us. Will and Nicole (the kiddles) spent Christmas Day with their mum so Dewey and I decided to do something different this year. We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas night at Storm Mountain Lodge between Banff and Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies. We had our own little log cabin with a fireplace. It was very quaint and we loved the fireplace (when it wasn't smoking us out). Dewey has great fire building skils (or so he tells me) but unfortunately the wood was wet so we looked like we were trying to send smoke signals.

After spending a relaxing two days, we headed off for some adventure. Those of you who know me well, know that I'm not really the "adventurous type" when it comes to sports. When Dewey came up with the idea of going snowmobiling.....I was less than enthusiastic! I decided that I had to make the best of it and grit my teeth and pull back the throttle. After picking out our "sleds" we headed up the mountain. I hate to say it but Dewey was soooo right. It was so much fun! You eventually forget that you could possibly plummet to your death down the mountain (just kidding mom) and it starts to be a blast. We are definitely going to do it again and maybe take the kids next time. After a full day of sledding and lunch on the mountain, we headed back to Calgary.

We picked up the kids on the 27th and headed out to Nana and Papa Don's. We celebrated Christmas with Claire, Don, Will and Nicole on the 28th. Copious amounts of presents were had by all. We're all definitely spoiled. The highlight for Dewey was his new XM radio receiver which he is already very much attached to. I think he actually wishes that his commute was longer so he would have more time to listen. Will, Nicole and I put together a Christmas tree that my mom sent. It was made of cardboard and you poured a solution into it's base. Then it grew white crystals that filled it out to look like a snow covered Christmas tree. It was a big hit with everyone because it was so unique. Will loved his Robo Raptor (as can be seen in the pic below) and Nicole loved her Puppy Surprise. You get the mommy dog and it has a "surprise" number of puppies. You should have seen Dewey and I trying to figure out where the puppies came out at the store! We didn't really want to buy a toy that would be a huge anatomy lesson at the same time. :)































So are you a new reader of Merry With Children or have you been around from the beginning?

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My Hubby is a Rocking Star!

Last night Dewey played his first paid band gig with his band, When Pigs Fly.  They did an AWESOME job and it was a great night.  Here are a couple of videos.....  Dewey is the one in the front on vocals and guitar.

One note...I was sitting on the far right side of the stage so the sound is a bit wonky...plus I took these with my point & shoot camera so excuse the video quality.






If you are in the Calgary area and want to hire a Classic Rock party band, leave me a comment with your email address!

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Preschool Time!

Today was "Meet the Teacher Day" at Evan's preschool.  I came home from work to go with him.  We walked because that is how he will get to school when Cherry (our Nanny) takes him.  He looked so grown up in his new "super fast" shoes.

He's been a bit upset about going to preschool without me.  He really thought I was going to go with him (not sure where he got that idea).  Today I did stay (we had to) but next week he's on his own. 

Today he had his ups and downs.  When we arrived he left me in a flash to go play with all the new toys.  He was quite a happy camper until a little girl tried to play with the same dollhouse he was playing with.  He ended up wailing "BUT I DON'T WANT TO SHARE!!!!!"  Poor guy....he has a lot to learn!

All in all I think preschool is just what he needs to learn about playing with other kids, sharing, listening, etc.

I am NOT, however, looking forward to all the colds we're going to get.  Ugh!

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What's Cooking Wednesday - Homemade Granola

I was on a granola bar kick for a while but I missed my morning calcium and fruit fix.  One day I picked up a container of granola at Costco.  I mixed it with Fat Free Greek Yogurt and Fruit and YUM!  Unfortunately, the granola was REALLY GOOD in a way that told me it was probably REALLY BAD for me.

I decided to look for a recipe for homemade granola to replace the unhealthy Costco granola.  So I did what any internet addicted blogger would do.....I turned to twitter for advice.  My friend Karen (@scatteredmom) from Notes From the Cookie Jar came to my rescue with this great recipe!

Granola
Adapted from this recipe

3 cups oats
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
3 Tbsp packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup agave nectar
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine oats, pecans, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and salt.

In a small microwave safe bowl, combine the agave nectar and the vegetable oil.  Microwave for ~20 to 30 seconds so that they are easily combined.  Pour mixture into dry ingredients and toss.

Pour oat mixture into prepared pan.  Bake until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes.  I think mine took about 30 minutes.

You can add 1 cup of dried fruit at this point (cranberries, apricots (chopped), cherries, apples, etc are great choices).

Recipe Notes:  This granola is loose granola without clumps.  It is very good over yogurt.  I prefer to mix it with yogurt and fresh fruit so I didn't add dried fruit.  I store my granola in a plastic container in the freezer.  It will keep for a few months using this method.

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Wordless Wednesday - Labor Day Fun...Summer's Done

Well, Blogger ate my Top 10 Tuesday post that I spent an hour on so onward and upward.

Nintendo DSs save a rainy camping day (they are sitting under a huge tarp).

Nothing like playing in the mud!

Cold and rainy weather don't stop the margarita maniac!

Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil, See No Evil.....crazy girls!

Sleeping in Mommy's cozy bed.

Learning to ride his push bike....SO BIG!

We're very sad that summer is over.  How did you celebrate Labor Day?

This (Almost) Wordless Wednesday post is linked up at 5 Minutes for Mom and A Lot of Loves!

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Worst...Mother...Ever!!!

We headed out to Carseland Provincial Park for our last big camping hurrah this weekend.  We were camping with six other families and a boatload of kids so I thought 

"YES! This is the perfect opportunity to get rid of Elmo!"

You see....Elmo has been a thorn in my side for the last year.  I bought an Elmo pinata for Evan's 2nd birthday party but I was afraid to use it for anything other than a decoration because he would be traumatized.  So Elmo has graced our kitchen counter for the entire year (except for a brief stint in Evan's room before Elmo was deemed "too creepy" for a bedroom decoration).  You may have noticed him here, here...basically any picture that showed the kitchen.  I planned to get rid of him once and for all at Evan's birthday party this year but we forgot.

So.....

My new plan included taking Elmo camping so all the kids could pull the strings and get the candy (this is a string pinata instead of a "beat it with a bat" pinata).  Evan seemed okay with the plan.  

I should have known things were going to go badly when the older kids wanted to dismember Elmo....then it was decided that the pinata would go into the fire when we were done (as does most paper garbage).

Yeah so this scene sent Evan in hysterics screaming "I don't WANT Elmo to BURN!!!!!"

Yeah....

WORST

MOTHER

EVER!!!!!

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What's Cooking Wednesday - Honey Wheat Bread

Karen over at Notes From the Cookie Jar has renamed her recipe section Chasing Tomatoes to chronicle her new year long focus on eating less processed food and eating more local food.  Reading all her posts have made me think more about what we eat.  I figured I should give bread making another try...this time with whole wheat four.

Honey Wheat Bread
Adapted from this recipe from allrecipes.com

3 cups warm water
2 packages dry active yeast
1/3 cup agave nectar
5 cups whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 Tbsp salt
2 - 6 cups additional whole wheat flour

Mix warm water, yeast, agave nectar and 5 cups whole wheat flour in a large bowl.  Let sit for 30 minutes or until it has "grown" and is bubbly.

Mix in melted butter, additional agave and salt.  Add 2 cups whole wheat flour and mix well.  Turn onto a floured surface and knead additional whole wheat flour in to the dough until it is no longer sticky.  This can take an additional 2 to 4 additional cups flour depending on humidity, etc.

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray.  Put dough in and turn once to coat with oil.  Place in a warm place (like your oven with the oven light on but the oven off) to rise until the dough doubles in size.

Going into the oven to rise.

After doubling.

Punch down and form into 3 loaves.  Place in prepared pans and let rise again until dough is 1 inch above top lip of pan.

Starting the second rise.

After the second rise.

Preaheat oven to 350 degrees and bake loaves for 25 to 30 minutes.  The bread should sound hollow when you tap on the top of the loaf.  Remove loaves from pan and cool on cooling racks.

Baked goodness!

Recipe Notes:  This bread turned out really well if a bit sweet.  Next time I make this I will cut back on the agave nectar.  I may try to cut back to just 1/3 of a cup total.  Otherwise I wouldn't change a thing.  I don't have 3 loaf pans so I made 2 loaves and a pan of rolls.

This is linked to What's Cooking Wednesday over at Tales From the Fairy Blogmother!

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