Peanut Butter for Dinner

Ever have those nights when you really don't feel like figuring out what to have for dinner, let alone cooking dinner? Well, tonight was that kind of night in this house.

We had an appetizer of popcorn followed by peanut butter on toast and blueberry yogurt for dessert. I know, not exactly a well balanced meal, but you can't win them all. At least Liam ate all his dinner and there are worse choices for dinner!

I had a lazy night of sipping tea, eating toast & chatting with my Mom while Liam played with my Dad! Not a bad way to spend an evening.

Thankful for a popcorn, peanut butter, & a do nothing kinda evening.

A Swimming Success

It's been another busy weekend! It started yesterday morning with swimming lessons. There were a few tears shed by Liam, but not many & he had a lot of fun. There are two things he's not fond of at swimming, getting splashed in the face & the little girl that keeps trying to hold his hand! It's so funny to watch him interact with other kids.

My weekend ended with a nice afternoon trip to the park with my brother. It's very rewarding to me to be able to share my little man with my family. Liam is so full of life & energy, to be able to share all that joy with those closest to me really is wonderful.

Thankful for another productive weekend, a weekend well spent. Now I better get to bed, Monday morning always comes to early for me.

It's the weekend

Woohoo! It has been a long week & I'm thankful it's the weekend!! Here's hoping for less tears at swimming lessons tomorrow for the wee man!

Hope you enjoy the weekend in your little corner of the world!

All Around Lovely Evening

I came home to a yummy dinner all ready when I walked in the door! Then went to a friends for popcorn & a movie. Followed by coming home to the sound of snoring from both my sweeties. Life is good!

Thankful for a hubby who can cook, an evening shared with a friend and the quiet hush of a sleeping 3 year old!! Oh & to top it off tomorrow is Friday!! Woohoo!

Ikea Trip

Tonight I went to Ikea with my two sweeties. Didn't end up buying much, just dream shopping mostly.

The thing about Ikea is it's just fun to go there. We had dinner, Liam played in the toy section & I got some ideas for spring cleaning! Of course we couldn't leave empty handed so I did buy a couple little things.

It was a nice family evening out & I'm thankful for the fun we had together.

I kind of cheated yesterday because I fell asleep before I did my blog, so today will have to do. But really there are some constants that I am always thankful for:
1. God's grace in my life
2. My wonderful family
3. That occasionally my life is crazy, but I love it!
4. Good health
5. My job

(And sleep which I never get enough of!!)

Good-night & be blessed in your little corner of the world!

Busy busy

Thankful for a great busy weekend...

-Dinner out with the folks
-playing outside
-crowded sleeping arrangements due to wee man's room being flooded
-breakie with friends
-swimming lessons
-final fitness assessment(more to come on this)
-visit Grama at the hospital
-dinner with Grampa & the folks
-organizing the apartment begins
-another crowded, wiggly, almost getting pushed off the bed sleep
-inspiring church service
-met new friends over lunch
-watched wee man con a teenager into playing table hockey with him
-grocery shopping
-drive & coffee with Mom while wee man slept
-trip to the park
-home for dinner
-more organizing
-laundry
-wee man to sleep in his own bed
-me up too late

That's pretty much a wrap of a weekend well spent.

Mr. Independent...well Almost

It was Liam's first solo swimming class this morning. I wasn't sure what he would think of going in the pool without me.

We get all ready & have a little big boy pep talk. We're waiting on the pool deck & I'm doing all I can to keep him from bolting straight into the pool. We meet his swim instructor, a young guy who seems very nice. He takes his hand & off he goes with the other two kids.

My first thought was, wow he did that so easily. I had a Mommy moment and yes I did get watery eyes! I was feeling very silly... thinking, there goes my baby off on his own. My split moment emotional breakdown poolside, another milestone, but a little bit closer to not needing his Mommy.

Part of me would love tell you he was great for the whole class & enjoyed every minute. The truth is once I got to the parents viewing area, he realized I was gone and started crying in the pool beside another little boy who was crying. I had to admit a little piece of me was happy he still needed me.

What a sad sight, my Mommy heart was breaking, so I went back to the poolside. The swimming supervisor came over & said I couldn't stay- ahh!! I explained it was his first class & she was understanding, but said he'd probably do better if I was in the viewing area. I listened.

It is a tough job knowing when to let go & when to hold on. I could see him in the pool, I knew he was just fine & his instructor was very sweet and patient. When he saw me through the glass he put his little arms up in the pool & was saying "Mommy". Oh my it was tough, but I knew he needed to stay.

I'm thankful for each little milestone my wee man reaches. I'm thankful that on the one hand he is incredibly independent, he always wants to do everything "all myself". I'm also thankful he still needs Mom's reassurance.

This was him deciding this chain link rail was a great big live version of Angry Birds that he could use with his balloon that Great Grama gave him at the hospital. He seriously cracks me up, he came up with that all on his own.

It Could Always be Worse

This morning I awoke to flooding in the basement, the new hot water tank apparently has a defect.

Although it was a bit of a rough start to the day I am thankful it wasn't worse. At least it was caught before the entire basement was flooded and nothing was seriously damaged.

I'm also thankful that when I came home from work today it was pretty much all cleaned up, thanks to my mom, dad, hubby & to my wee man for staying out of everyone's way.

Hubby

He's fairly crazy, which is good for me! I'm just happy to have him in my life!! He's a good Dad & hubby. Good times & bad we are together and I can't imagine my life without him.

Today I'm thankful for my wonderful, silly, crazy, handsome hubby.

A Sleeping Boy

My wee man plays hard, full tilt from morning to night. I am thankful that he is also a good sleeper. He takes a bit to wind down, but when he's finally still in his bed he is out!

I know there are Moms out there who have rough nights and then have to pull themselves together to go to work. I've had a few sleeplessness along the way, so I really do feel blessed.

I enjoy putting my son to bed and I always peek in on him before I go to bed. There's something peaceful about watching your child sleep.

Here's to a good nights sleep for all!

"Have Eggs Instead"

Today's post is all about eggs. Yes I am thankful for eggs, in my opinion they are pretty much the perfect food.

I like them for any meal really from breakfast to dinner. I like them scrambled, mixed with veggies for a yummy omelette, over medium so I can dip my toast in them, or plain hard boiled with a little salt, egg salad, quiche and the list goes on. I have even grown to like just egg whites, when done right the are just as yummy!

What would a cake or chocolate chip cookies be without eggs? When I make burgers, eggs are the glue that holds them together. Pancakes, french toast even bread needs eggs.

I am also thankful my wee man likes them because they are so easy to make & a good source of protein.

My friend, next time you pass by the eggs in your grocery store I hope you will be reminded of this post. Imagine a world without eggs, I wonder if you can. Don't know what to have for dinner tomorrow..."have eggs instead"!

Don't forget to thank your local farmer... buy local when you can! :)

Nothing & Everything

I can't say there was anything really out of the ordinary today or this evening. My day was filled with work stuff & a couple funny emails. My evening was filled with the usual family stuff & trying to figure out what to have for dinner.

What exactly am I thankful for? Well, sometimes nothing is something; ordinary can be extraordinary. I am thankful for all those mundane things that I take for granted everyday. Like being able to choose what's for dinner. Playing outside, hanging out with my parents and watching TV with my hubby. All these silly little things are part of my silly little life that I enjoy so much!

A Little Under the Weather

Not feeling the greatest today, but still had a good day with my two main squeezes.

We went on a mini road trip & just spent some time together. It was a nice way to end the weekend. I'm thankful for the time we had together today, just the 3 of us.

Here's hoping we all feel better tomorrow.

Bringing Cheer

I know soon I'm going to have the "stranger talk" with my son, but I have to say I love how friendly he is with everyone, for the moment.

We were at the hospital visiting my Grama today & she just loves seeing my son. He brings joy to a difficult situation.

A lady came into the visiting lounge we were all sitting in and Liam was very silly. The lady, another patient, really got a kick out of him; once he warmed up to her he was a little chatterbox. I really felt like he brightened her day!

I'm thankful for my cheerful little bundle of energy & happy we could bring some cheer to the hospital today.

All about the Gals

Tonight's post is a little late because we had a girls night out...well actually it was a girls night in, but you get the idea.

I have this group of girlfriends that in some shape or form have been a part of my life since I was in my young teens. We can go for long periods without seeing each other, but when we all get together it's like we haven't been apart.

We've all had our ups and downs, just part of girls being silly, hormonal beings growing up together.

I can honestly say that I feel so blessed to have each one of them in my life. I believe I am the person I am today because they have all influenced me in some way.

Today I'm thankful for the gals!

Playtime

This kid would live outside if you let him! We played outside for close to an hour tonight...so much fun!

My thankful moments are all about playing outside with my wee man tonight!

While Mom's away...

As far as being a working Mom goes I've been pretty lucky. I can't say it was my first choice, but I make the most of the time we have together.

I was blessed when I first went back to work that my Mom was able to care for my son pretty much full-time. I didn't have to get my son up and drag him to daycare, he could sleep until he was ready to wake up and see Nana- how great is that.

Closer to the spring my parents business starts to get busier, so I enlisted a friend to help out with Liam's care. She lives not far from my work & has kids close in age to my son. Although it was tough dropping him off and admittedly I shed a few tears on my way to work the first few times, I knew he was in good hands. That is a definite blessing and continues to be to this day!!

My hubby unexpectedly was restructured out of his job- definitely not part of our plan, but worked out to be a blessing of sorts. How many Dads get to stay home with their kids?

Basically I'm thankful that being a working Mom has worked out so well for me and I'm so grateful for everyone who has cared for my wee Liam!

Unexpected

I received an unexpected cheque in the mail this week...definitely something to be thankful for!! It was certainly needed, very thankful!! :)

The Folks Upstairs

We live in my parents basement apartment, which in itself is a blessing. The best part is we all get along, well mostly...haha!

Seriously though, I've thought to myself from time to time maybe we should be on our own. We've owned a house in the past and it was great experience, but it does come with a different set of a responsibilities.

I love that we can share the experience of raising our son. It's awesome for my son to see his grandparents every day; I'm not sure who enjoys it more, Liam or Nana & Papa.

A few other benefits; we take care of each others pets when we are away on vacation. We get the benefit of having a dog without all the responsibility. Built in babysitters. Sometimes we share meals. We have tea together pretty much every evening. Plus this house needs a handyman & my hubby is pretty good with fixing things or knows someone who can. It's also a great space for my son to play outside.

Basically life is good living with, but separate from the folks upstairs. We take care of each other & have fun together. What better blessing for all of us. Thankful for all the family time we have.

Creative Message

I have to say I'm thankful for the creative way the Easter Story was portrayed at church today. It wasn't a huge production with a massive set and lots of actors. The analogy was simple, but made me see the story of the cross in a new light.

In a way you had to be there to get the full effect, but I'll do my best to explain it. Basically there was a video playing in the background while the Pastor narrated the story.

The story was about a boy and his father. This father son duo were very close. The son was different than other boys his age, he was very caring and when others around him hurt or were in need he could see and feel their pain.

One day the father took his son to work with him. The father was a draw bridge operator for the railroad. On this particular day the father and son were having so much fun together and life was great. Little did they know everything was about to change.

There was a situation at the draw bridge; the bridge was raised and the conductor on the approaching train missed a red warning light to stop. The son could see the approaching train and knew the people on the train were in trouble.

The boy's father was distracted for a moment fixing something. The father realized the plight of the approaching train just as he saw that his son was attempting to pull the emergency lever on the bridge itself.

The boy couldn't get his fathers attention and knew if he didn't do something all those people would die. When he tried to pull the switch he fell inside the bridge controls as his father watched from the tower above.

In that split moment the father knew if he lowered the the bridge his son would die, if he tried to save his son all the people on the approaching train would die. He had to choose between his son and the train full of people.

As he lowered the bridge you see all the people on the train oblivious to what is going on. Then you see the father running along side the train as at passes screaming and yelling at the train. One girl on the train sees the father and sees the pain he is in just as she is about to shoot up heroin. She drops everything and in that moment realizes the sacrifice the father made.

A few years down the road the father and the girl run into each other and the girl looks happy and peaceful as she carries a baby on her hip, she smiles at the father. He is reminded of the sacrifice his son made and is overjoyed to see that his sacrifice and all the pain meant something.

I know it's different reading this story then it would be to experience it, but you get the idea. The father sacrificing His son to save the many even though the majority of them were oblivious to the danger they were in.

This analogy made me realize maybe on a more human level what a great sacrifice was made for me. It wasn't just a spiritual "story", it was real. There was real pain involved, not just on the part of the son, but you saw the pain of the father.

Even though I've been a Christian for many years I thought about how much I take this sacrifice for granted. How often I just think or see what happened on the cross as more of a "story". I mean I know it all happened but today I felt loss, the heart ache of a father, I also felt the joy of the Father. The joy that hope brings, that all is not lost. Of course in reality the resurrection of Jesus just adds to the hope we have.

I'm thankful that just as there were people from all walks of life on the train in the story, the son sacrificed himself for all them. Jesus does the same for us today.

Not meaning to sound "preachy", just feeling a renewed hope today. Easter is all about hope & love. No matter where we are in life there is always hope & love in Jesus. It doesn't mean life is always perfect, but there is hope, joy, peace and love to be found along this journey.

Chocolate

Another one of those not so serious posts. What better time to be thankful for chocolate than Easter weekend?

I've been pretty good at curbing my love of chocolate on my weight loss journey, but I must admit I have given in just a little bit this weekend.

In particular I am very grateful for all my british friends who introduced me to the world of Cadbury's UK style.

Any Cadbury's product is pretty much wonderful, as far as I'm concerned. Plain old' dairy milk is my favourite.

Milk chocolate is the best, but I have grown to like dark chocolate too. I find with dark chocolate a square or two will satisfy a chocolate craving & apparently it's good for you.

Happy Easter- enjoy some chocolate- even just a little bit.

Thank You for the Cross

I am thankful for the cross, not to sound cliche, but it means everything to me.

I believe the life I have and enjoy is because of the sacrifice of the cross. I know that when I pray God hears my prayers because of the cross.

It's not about "religion" for me. I don't feel in anyway I'm better than any one else, I fail more times than I care to admit.

I can tell you I have weathered some storms in my life & even in the darkest moments there has always been a peace that I cannot explain, other than I know it is Jesus.

To me Jesus is a friend like no other. He knows my weaknesses, my fears, my desires. I am my best because of Him and at my worst I know I am still accepted and loved by Him. All that I can say is...

Thank you for the cross my friend.

The Weekend

Thankful for this long weekend & all that it represents.

A Safe Drive

I think today's bit of thankfulness will be about arriving safely at work & getting home safely; something not to take for granted.

I'm working at a different location than my usual office this week & I have to say I'm glad I don't have to make the drive into the city everyday.

The Biggest Loser

I was inspired by the Biggest Loser episode tonight. I need to stay focused on my journey and remember all the reasons, for me, that losing weight means so much.

Thankful for the reminder to keep at it & I will get there!

Here's a few quotes that have inspired me lately...

Simple Beauty

This morning when I went out to my car there was an awesome frost design all across the hood. I took a moment, paused and snapped a few shots.

I don't know why it struck me as significant, but I felt like I should stop and smell the roses, so to speak.

I'm thankful that little bit of God given beauty caught my eye this morning. Thankful that God is so creative; He often shows us beauty in ordinary things.

Friends & Family Weekend

My weekend was filled with fun times with friends and family. Yesterday was a great time at the maple syrup festival and today we celebrated with family.

It was my Grama's 83rd birthday today. We celebrated with her in the hospital. She was doing quite well and was so happy to see us all. I like that my family always does their best to make the most of difficult situations. My brothers both have busy work schedules, but they made time to be with their Grama and I know she was grateful. My Mom made cupcakes and brought over flowers from my Grampa. It was a hospital party!

I'm thankful for great friends and a great family; that is what my weekend was all about.