missy miss

richard, jen and alexia returned to home on the prairies yesterday...

now i miss three people,  not just two.

darlings, all three.

puck bunnies

we attended the annual chaudiere park easter egg hunt last weekend...

(thanks, sarah!)

it coincided with a mens' ball hockey event...

hockey and chocolate!!!!

edgar was in heaven.

elbow grease +

just in time for spring.

make a batch of yummy smelling non-toxic spring cleaner...

vanilla-clove all-purpose cleaning spray:

steep together:

1 C vinegar 

1 C boiling H2O

1 T whole cloves

when cooled add:

1 T vanilla extract

1 t dish soap

strain (or not) into a spray bottle.

(my bottle contains a clattering of cloves)

for an extra cleaning boost, add 20-25 drops of orange essential oil.

works best with a microfibre cloth, and a good sense of purpose.

body language

the two and i enjoyed a visit to the museum, and edgar really didn't wish to leave.  i had walked away, expecting to find him tagging behind me, but this is what i saw instead.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hdyg_xBhUPs

hair today, hair yesterday

well, it had to happen sometime...esther's first haircut. 

just a few trims since the day she was born, so here is a

a record of the last 24 hours of esther's hair...in spite of the sombre look in the final frame, the girl is really pleased with the cut.  her idea, in fact...

it is adorable.

 she was very brave at the salon.

so was i,

and yes, i saved a shaggy lock.

more documentation of the new style to follow, i'm sure,

i now have a new and computer-compatible camera!

small talk

"mama, the smallest things have the best hiding places."

esther

fat tuesday

our household has been visited by the green ick-

a stomach bug that has hovered over us for a week now.

quite unpleasant.

so far, only esther has escaped its' bilious clutches!

it has been hard to have time or appetite for grocery shopping.

so yesterday, the larder was practically bare.

as evening arrived, i realized my reserves of provisions and energy were both startlingly low...

then the question, "what's for dinner?"

i dragged out the leftover leftovers; each was understandably vetoed by the girl.

(the boy declined his voting rights, and daddy was installed by a bucket on the chesterfield.)

then, EUREKA!!!

it was tuesday...shrove tuesday, at that!

a day seemingly designed expressly for the harried evening-food provider.

i could, with impunity, feed my children pancakes for supper-with corn syrup, no less!

(we're out of the good stuff, of course.)

~

so i whipped out my favourite pancake recipe, and whipped up some hot stacks.

Gaspe Pancakes:

1 1/3 C flour

3 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 T sugar

1 egg

1 1/4 C milk

3 T oil

1/4 t vanilla

for

Spruce Street Variation:

also include

1/2 ripe banana

2 T peanut butter

whizz everything together with an immersion blender,

griddle them up, and eat.

lesson:always take advantage of your get out of jail free card.