My little man.

Last Sunday, my son turned 6. Why are the years going by so quickly?! I remember being pregnant with him, having him at the hospital, bringing him home and buddling him up  at one week old for Halloween. My daughter LOVED her baby brother. Would put stickers on him, color him with washable markers and always ask me to take a photo of her with him. Nowadays, she either loves him or dislikes him. lol

This year there was no party but a small get together at Chuckey Cheese. He was happy to be there with his friends and seeing his Grandpa & his girlfriend (don't want to mention her name for her privacy). We ate the pizza (....no coment...) and played the games. The kids had a good time and Grandpa & his girlfriend enjoyed the game Deal or No Deal.

We came home and had his birthday cake. My son wanted a Super Mario Mushroom cake. I didn't want to buy another pan for baking so the base of the cake is not cake. I didn't use to cover the cake but to make the white round spots. He wanted chocolate and he got it.  It was a great day spent with family and friends.

Now he's 6. In first grade. OMG, they're growing way too fast for me! sniff.

A Bientot!

Pumpkin Patch

Halloween is soon coming upon us and that means pumpkins are needed. A few weeks ago, we all went to the pumpkin patch near our home with my father-in-law and his girlfriend. Davis Ranch in Sloughhouse always have a Festival in October. There's vendors, food, bouncy house, pony rides and free hayrides. Perfect for an inexpensive family outing.

We looked at all the vendots and purchased a few items since I knew I was going to buy a lot of pumkins. lol We had lunch there and it was yummy! My son would eat any thing that we offered to him. The child likes to eat and yet stays so slim! Wished I had his metabolism. lol

We went ahead and took a hayride to the pumpkin patch to choose out pumpkins. I think we bought 6 or 7 pumpkins and it cost us about $16. Not bad I think.

This weekend I will be carving some of those pumpkins while keeping 2 or 3 unscathed for Thanksgiving. We also went home with corn and some kettle pop corn given by my FIL and his girlfriend. That was my second time eating it and it's pretty good! I never bought some because my first one was gross. Maybe it was a bad batch? Anyway, I'll buy some from now on whenever I see it.

For those who celebrate Halloween, do you have your pumpkins ready? I wished I could carve mine now but it will get disgusting after 2 days in our weather.

A Bientot!

October.

I can't believe it's October already. Soon the year will be over and another year will start. Today I hung up my Halloween advent calendar. The kids were excited to see it this morning. They each got an organic lollipops as their first treat to be eaten after lunch. lol

The weather is finally getting cool here in Nor Cal. We've been having some really hot weather and I couldn't wait for some real Fall weather. Soon I'll be wearing my sweaters and boots. Can't wait! Also getting my Pumpkin Spice Latte is a bonus that comes with Fall.

Are you ready for Fall or has Fall arrived at your place already?

A Bientot!

First day of school 2011.

This past Monday, my children started school. I still can't believe I have a third grader AND a first grader. No more babies, toddlers or preschool. That's it! Now I have somewhat big kids. I shudder to think of when I'll say I have middle and high schoolers! I better stock up on Kleenex! lol

As per tradition, I took photos on their first day. Looking back of when my daughter started kindergarden and how she looks now, makes me sad. She's growing up to be a beautiful young lady. sniff.

Here's my daughter all ready for third grade. She doesn't want bangs anymore and now wants her hair to stay long.  She's also very happy since I painted her nails and toes in bubble gun pink.

 Thinking of how she thinks the day will be for her.

 God, she's looking like a young girl.

Here's my son. This one has no worries. All ready to be a "man" and start first grade. All smiles. Real smiles. Dear Lord child, can you at least pretend you need me just a tiny bit??? lol

 First grade baby!

 Thumbs up for starting first grade!

I then wanted a photo with both of them. My daughter was feeling cheeky and kept trying to make her little brother look funny. Ahhh siblings!

Then it was off to school! Everyone is good spirits and I was feeling very proud that I didn't shed a tear for my son.  I saw children crying and even parents crying. It's a hard thing to let go of your small children especially if this is your first one. It's like we lose a bit of them by letting go.

Mom! Stop snapping photos of us! lol

My daughter's teacher. She is new to the school and I noticed pregant too. lol I see another teacher coming into my daughter life in a few months.

 My son's teacher. She's the young lady in purple. Hmm does that make me old calling her a "young lady"? lol

 Waiting in line.

 Ok mom. Enough!

 Crazy mom taking a photo thru the window.

Ninja mom also went and snapped a photo of my daughter without her knowing. She's at the right side, first one.

And when I had to pick them up, still all smiles. My daughter said her math problems were easy and my son said he finished all his work. Uhuh. Lets hope it continues throughout the year.

Have your children started school? Is it your first one or are you a veteran mom?

A Bientot!

Teachers Survival Kits.

Tomorrow my children will be starting school. Already??? Yup, already! My son will start first grade while my daughter will be in third. This year will be a new beginning for my son since he will be in school all day instead of half days. On the plus side, I won't be walking back and forth 6 times a day to school! lol

As usual, I prepared a Teacher Survival Kit for each child's teacher. I put in the usual items inside but also found some Wisps so in case Teacher forgot to brush their teeth in the morning rush, they can quickly do a teeth cleaning.

California is struggling with insufficiant funds for school and I know the teachers are also feeling the pinch.  What better way to show appreciation to your children's teacher with a gift that might come in handy?!  New routines to be made, morning rushes, ect. This kit could help them out in a pinch if needed.

Have you guys began making yours? What do you put in yours?

A bientot!

Belgian Waffles

Every weekend, I like to make big breakfasts. I guess it's to make up to some boring weekday ones. My family likes pancakes but I always wanted to try in making Belgian Waffles. I got a neat double Belgian Waffle maker for my birthday (Thanks mommy for my monetary gift! lol)  I went and got a waffle box mix since I wanted to try that baby right away. (I hear booing and gasps coming from my readers and rightly so!)  O.M.G! Those were the driest and tasteless waffles ever! Everyone said they were ok but I do have a palate. lol

Off to webland for a great recipe of what a waffle should taste like and I found it! Thank you Allrecipes! Now these do take some time since they are yeast base but they are worth it. Trust me.  Here's the recipe from Allrecipes.com. It makes 8 big waffles but I usually make 4 or 5 then put the batter in the fridge for the next day.

Belgian Waffles
Ingredients

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

3 egg yolks

2 3/4 cups warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

3 egg whites


Directions

1.In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm milk. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2.In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the warm milk and the melted butter. Stir in the yeast mixture, sugar, salt and vanilla. Stir in the remaining 2 1/2 cups milk alternately with the flour, ending with the flour. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks; fold into the batter. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

3.Preheat the waffle iron. Brush with oil and spoon about 1/2 cup (or as recommended by manufacturer) onto center of iron. Close the lid and bake until it stops steaming and the waffle is golden brown. Serve immediately or keep warm in 200 degree oven.

Top them with syrup, fresh fruit and you have a great breakfast! I also made some banana smoothies just to make the meal complete. Try it. They smell and taste wonderful!

Bon Appetit!

Swim lessons.

Both my kids are taking swim classes. My daughter in an advance level while my son in a lower one. I wantted his confidance to be stronger before going to the next level eventhough his passed level 1 and 2. Momma is a chicken when it comes to her chicks. lol Now seeing him swim makes me doubt my decision. What do you think?

A Bientot!

11 years.

Last Friday, my husband and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. I wished I could say all those years were perfect but alas only in fairytales they are. Marriage is such hard work after the first year. lol Once the "honeymoon" stage passes, it's real life. It's sharing your life with someone that is not you but has their own ideas and taste. It takes work and compromises. Lots of compromises but as long you have a strong foundation, you can overide upcoming obstacles. Oh and prayer works too. lol

We decided to spend the day at the beach near a lake. We asked MIL if she would like to join us and she was happy to go too. I packed a cooler full of goodies and lots of snacks. It was a day just to sit, relax and eat. lol

The weather was nice and the kids had fun. They didn't want to bring their swimsuits because "we don't want to go in the lake." Yeah, 5 minutes after being there they went in the lake. lol They asked if it was ok to get their clothes wet and I said sure. Why do kids ignore their moms suggestions, like wear your swimsuit when going to a lake??? soupir

We spent a few hours there until MIL was getting tired and sleepy.  It wasn't a romantic day just a day spent with my family. Exactly what I wanted. Exactly what we needed.

A Bientot!

P.S. Oh I did get a nice gift though. Momma got some Akoya pearl earrings and necklace.  They are beautiful and I should wear them often since you should with pearls. hihihi

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July to all my American readers and friends. It seems this weekend was meant for BBQ for both Canada and USA. We are having a small BBQ with my MIL and will set off small fireworks for the kids. Once we run out of fireworks, we'll just walk around see what others have. lol Hope you all have a fun and safe day!

A Bientot!

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends and readers! To my Montreal friends that are moving, I hope the weather is nice enough to sit on the balcony (or stoop) to eat pizza and drink beer. lol Enjoy your long weekend!

Photos taken from Google.com

A Bientot!

Road Trip 2011

June is almost over! Can you guys believe it??? It seemed to zoom by and that means the kids have been on vacation for just over one month. We have been busy this month with my daughter’s birthday, my birthday, my mil coming to stay with us for an unknown time frame and our first long road trip to Southern California. A pretty busy month indeed

Now I know most people have done road trips but we have never been over 3 ½ hours in a car. All of us suffer with car sickness so it’s always been an issue when it comes to long distance car rides. All of us didn’t get sick once and that was a miracle! The kids slept thru most of it and we never heard “I’m bored. I’m tired. Are we there yet?” Lucky.

We spent some time in San Diego and Anaheim. The weather was cooler than Nor Cal so it was nice. Especially since my city hit 100+ F while it was 75-77F in San Diego. We stayed overnight in Bakersfield and the kids enjoyed the pool. That's it. lol My daughter has my taste and didn't like staying at a motel. lol

In San Diego, I loved my view from our room at the Bahia Resort Hotel in San Diego. The bathroom was a bit dated but that’s not what’s important. What was important was the view. Beautifu! And my daughter's first reaction when we got in the room? "Now THIS is muuuuuch better than a motel!" lol Yup! She has her mother's expensive taste. lol

We spent the day at Mission Beach the first day there. Man those waves were crazy! The hubby and kids loved it. I dipped my toes into the ocean and settled back into the beach. Lol Water isn’t my thing but I know everyone else loves it. Hubby even caught some photos of me in not too flattering poses but whatever. I’m in our photo memories for once! Lol When we were tired about how crowded the beach became, we headed back to our room to our own private beach at the Bay. Perfect! Kids played until bedtime and the best part? They probably saw one hour of tv in 2 days only. Simple living. Water and Sand.

The next day we went to Legoland. It’s perfect for young kids but probably not for teenagers. They have a Water Park in it and it was great for my kids. They never been in one and I thought this would be a good start so see how adventurous they are with water slides. My daughter LOVED it while my son wasn’t crazy falling into 3 feet deep of water (he’s just over 43”). We liked the family float rides. I actually preferred sitting down and relaxing. lol

It was a bit chilly in the morning but still sunny.

Strike a pose! lol

Daddy won a Patrick Star for me!!!

Mommy bought me my unicorn. Yeah, I suck at those games!

We enjoyed some paddle boat at the resort and some beautiful sunsets and sunrises. My daughter collected some shells to bring home. I also took some sand from the beach as a souvenir. Lol I’m a nut, I know!

We left San Diego the next day and headed to Disneyland. It was my son’s first trip there. My daughter’s first trip was when she was 18 months old so technically it’s not her first time but I doubt she remembers it. lol

We did many of the rides that were open. I was bummed the bobsled one (next to Fantasyland) was closed down. Kids had fun and I know my husband enjoyed some of the rides too. I just enjoyed watching my kids reactions to everything. Being able to give them this gift of a fun vacation brought me happiness. Seeing my kids being nice to each other during those days made me think they do mostly love each other. I just need to forget their once-twice a day fighting. Lol

We ate dinner at Coco’s Bakery and Restaurant and I rested my poor tired feet. The kids and hubby went for a swim at the motel’s pool before we headed out to Disneyland again. We were there until 10:30pm. They got their Disney treats and were knocked out 5 minutes after their heads hit the pillow.

We bided Anaheim goodbye the next morning and drove straight to Nor Cal. Man, we left in the high 60’s and came to 102 degrees. Bleurk! I wanted to go back and have milder temperatures again. lol Would we do a road trip like this again? Not sure. I'm more of a flying type. lol My back and bum was sore from sitting all that time. Guess I'm just prissy. lol  The kids are still talking about the trip so it was worth it.

Do you guys have any trips planned or have gone to already? Are you a road trip kind of gal or a flying type of gal?

A Bientot!