Computer woes…

Our main computer in the house has bit the dust!  We don’t know what has happened but we figure that it has something to do with all the crap that the kids say “yes” to when they are playing on it.

So, I am stuck with the old, tired computer upstairs that takes forever to do anything, for the time being.  My posts may be few and far between during the week.

I will be participating in Carla’s new challenges for the month of February.  I will be back on the weekend for sure to post about what ours is going to look like!

Meanwhile, for your reading pleasure, a look at what 2011 would look like from the perspective of a 1911 newspaper article…it’s pretty cool (thanks to a friend on FB for posting it to their profile!).

What 2011 Will Be Like

Family Pictures

Back in September my niece, Bonnie, came and took pictures of our family.  Bonnie takes our kids portraits every year (she’s more economical than buying the school pictures), but this is the first time we’ve taken pictures as a family.  I thought I would take the time today to share a few of my favourites.   Just click on the thumbnail and you’ll see them all larger.

 

My babies…Andrew (7), Allen (11), Aaron (6)

Andrew

Aaron

Austan

Charlotte

Meredith

The Gang ~ Evan, Austan, Allen, Andrew, Aaron, Charlotte, Meri

The Whole Family

Love this one of Allen and Shelby

Judi and the boys

Love this one of Meri playing in the fountain

Amy’s Gang

 

That’s all folks!  I will be back tomorrow (hopefully) to talk about February Challenges that we’re taking part in.  Have a great night!

Menu Plan Monday ~ January 23, 2012

Good morning everyone!  It’s time for another installment of:

Please go check out all the other great menus at I’m an Organizing Junkie

What’s on for this week:

Saturday ~ Garlic Shrimp and Cheese Tortellini

Sunday ~ Salmon with Dill Sauce, Rice and Veggie

Monday ~ Keilbassa Pasta Skillet

Tuesday ~ Black Bean Cajun Chicken and Rice

Wednesday ~ Pizza Roll and Salad

Thursday ~ Roast Beef, Potatoes and Vegetables

Friday ~ Curried Pork Meatloaf*, Potatoes, Salad

*The recipe is a link to burgers, but I make it up in a meatloaf and the kids LOVE it.  I am not a meatloaf lover, and this is just TO.DIE.FOR.  I cut the pork with ground chicken.  I don’t do the jalapeno pepper either, but I am sure it would be really tasty with it.

No Spend Update:  Yesterday we spent $20.00 at the gas station for gas, go figure!

We have a busy week ahead, but what else is new?  We’re hoping to have a few no-spend days, but it’s almost impossible with a family of 9, LOL.   How’s your week shaping up?

Sunday Night Chit-Chat

The Kids...Belfountain Conservation Area September 2011

What are you…

Reading?

Still working on “The Girl Who Kicked a Hornet’s Nest”.  I am spending my free time knitting, so I am not reading as much.

Watching?

Just finished watching Patrick Chan blow his competition away at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships.  I love watching the figure skating.

Listening to?

Princess and the Frog is on CBC right now, and the girls are sort of watching it.  Also listening to Amy in the kitchen preparing the salmon for tonight’s dinner.  We both are wanting to go out for wings!  We got some salmon from a customer of Shane’s who caught it herself off the coast of B.C. just before Christmas.  It was free, but Amy and I don’t like salmon very much.  I made a tzatziki sauce to eat with it so I am hoping it will be more palatable.

Cooking/Baking?

I made Candied Maraschino Cherry Muffins today to use up some of our Christmas baking supply stash.  Amy has bread rising to bake after dinner.

Happy you accomplished this week?

All the knitting I have done!  I am so happy to be getting back into it.

Looking forward to next week?

Next Saturday night is girls night with our friends.  We’re getting together to celebrate a couple of birthdays.  Thankfully, I worked a bit of overtime so I will have a bit of extra money so we can get a nice dessert.

Thankful for today?

For good friends.  Shane’s best friend treated all the boys to Monster Jam at the Skydome (ok, it’s really the Rogers Centre, but who cares?).  Andrew and Aaron have never been and were so excited.  They outfitted themselves with earplugs and a pair of noise cancelling headphones for Andrew (who has huge sensory issues) and off they went.

Happy Sunday!!  Go and catch up with everyone at My 1/2 Dozen Daily

Saturday Evening Post

Happy Saturday!!  Hope everyone is enjoying their day. 

Saturdays are usually rather busy, but today we didn’t have half as much running around to do, but it was a rather spendy day.  Groceries were on the list and we were out of a lot of stuff.  In the last 3 weeks since the challenge, we have used up all the meat in the freezer and a lot of the pantry fodder.  Here’s the spending for yesterday and today:

January 20

• $16.00 ~ bowling and 50/50 draw (I didn’t win this time, but 50% of the funds raised goes to the league for the end of the year party, etc.)
• $9.95 ~ Dollarama (for bread, which is a decent sized loaf for only $1.00 and doggie bags and a chocolate treat for Amy)

January 21

• $91.38 ~ Walmart **see below
• $172.88 ~ Food Basics

**We had to get filters for the furnace which were $4 each.  Then Amy and I passed by the shoe section and we saw a deal that we absolutely could not resist.  They had all their winter boots for kids marked down to $9.00 from $39.00.  We discovered last week that Andrew’s hand-me-down boots leaked.  His ERF (educational resource facilitator) got him a pair from her church’s “Clothing Loft”, but they are too small (did I mention that we totally LOVE Andrew’s ERF, she does things like this all the time???).  Mrs. S. was going to look this weekend for a bigger size, but we picked up the size 13′s.  If she finds them we’ll use the used ones, and then put these ones away for Aaron for next year.  We also got a larger size for Charlotte for next year.   Boots are expensive, and when you can get pairs for NINE DOLLARS, brand new, you pick them up, LOL.  We also needed coffee and pull-ups, which brought our total even higher than we wanted.  Coffee is a NEED here, not a want, lol.

We have been able to save more for the car.  Shane had overtime, we got our child tax credit money and now the fund sits at $1600.00.  We’re doing pretty well, I think.  We’ve also decided that we’re going to do this No/Low Spend challenge all through February too!

I have been very busy making things with needles and yarn.  I am really having fun knitting and crocheting again.  Here’s what I have made so far:

Baby Sweater (finished up last week ~ I started it a year ago)

Hat (it’s a men’s hat, so I added a flower for show…I just need one for warmth!)

Charley modeled it for me, lol

Slippers

 

All the kids are asking for mittens and slippers!  It’s really cool to see them so excited.  I am making Aaron a pair of multi-coloured mittens right now.  Andrew has put in an order for black ones and I have some camoflague wool to make a pair for Allen.  Austan doesn’t want mittens (Santa brought him Canada olympic mittens in his sock), so he’s asked for a pair of slippers in camo.  I think I am going to use single crochet instead of double so they don’t look so girly.

This is what I want to make next, but in a black shimmer.  I haven’t been able to find the yarn I need for it yet.  Michaels and Wal-mart didn’t have it, so I might have to order it from a website.

isn't it pretty???

 

I am going back to my knitting!  Tomorrow all the boys might be going to see the Monster Jam with Shane and his friend.  I am going to spend the day baking and trying to use up all the candied cherries, peel and dates that we have in the cupboard.

Have a great evening, everyone!

Where are you???

See this is what happens when I go back to work.  I don’t get to blog as often as I want to.  I missed Sunday Night Chit-Chat with Carla and the gang…I missed Menu Plan Monday yesterday…le SIGH.

I haven’t been great on my goals for the Low/No Spend Challenge.  I didn’t write everything that we spent this weekend!! I know approximately how much we spent and where, and how much we have left.  So here’s the approximate amounts:

Saturday, January 14

• Freshco ~ $21.50
• Food Basics ~ 112.50
• Shoppers Drug Mart ~ $40
• Fortinos ~ $40.00

Sunday January 15th

• OHL game ~ $10.00 for snacks
• Michaels ~ $40.00 (will talk about that in a bit)
• Food Basics ~ $26.00 for stuff we missed the day before, LOL

Monday January 16

• No Spend Day!

Tuesday January 17

• Gas ~ $40.00

So we have $70.00 left until Thursday when we top up our jars.

I have also started knitting again!  I finished 2 projects;  a girl’s sweater and a scarf for Amy (pictures to come later).   Amy asked me if I could teach her, so we went to Michaels as they were having a sale on wool.  So now we are both going to start another hobby!  I started off making a pair of mittens for our Meri out of the wool that was left over from the sweater:

Aren't they cute???

I am making an identical pair for Charley, and then I am going to try my hand at crocheting some slippers.  Knitting mittens makes me miss my Grandma a bit.  She was always making mittens (among other projects).  I miss my Grandma mitts!!

That’s about it for now…hopefully I will find the time to post a bit more!

Friday the 13th…

Do you suffer from Paraskevidekatriaphobia?  Apparently that’s the name for the fear of Friday the thirteenth.  I have never been a big believer in it being a bad luck day, or that 13 is an unlucky number.  Although I do remember one year my mother was freaking out because we were going to have 13 people sit down for dinner on Good Friday.  She was so nervous about it,  so she set an extra place setting!!  Are you superstitious at all?  Do tell!!

Since I haven’t been around much this week, I have a few days to catch up on with the Low/No Spend Challenge.  Here’s how the week shaped up:

Tuesday, Jan 10th:

• $20.00 ~ Gas
• $6.00 ~ Andrew’s school presentation

Wednesday Jan 11

• $11.68 ~
• $6.82 ~sealed pot
• $10.00 ~ to savings **we saved $110.00 out of our variable spending for the car

Thursday Jan 12

• replenished jars with $400.00 variable spending
• $50.00 ~ gas (we were supposed to get a bad storm, so I wanted to make sure I had close to a full tank, turned out, our town got NOTHING in the way of snow)

Friday Jan 13

• $17.71 ~ received this money for an Avon order that I already paid for out of my own money
• $14.00 ~ for bowling (paid for out of Avon money)
• $2.40 ~ diet coke at bowling (paid for out of Avon money)
• $2.00 ~ 50/50 tickets (found a toonie and I felt lucky)
• 18.75 ~ I WON THE 50/50!!  LOL.

I am putting $15.00 back into the variable spending (because my bowling money usually comes out of it) and I am putting the rest of my change into the sealed pot.  So we have $365.00 left  in our variable spending for the week.  I know I probably shouldn’t have had the pop, or bought the 50/50 tickets, but I caved, I’m human, LOL.  I had a fairly good night bowling too…over my average every game. 

Tomorrow Amy and I are off to scrapbook for the day.  We haven’t scrapped since the beginning of November when we went to Cornwall for the weekend.  My boys are going to their dad’s place for the night.  Allen won some tickets to go see an OHL game on Sunday afternoon, so I am going to take him.  Should be a fun weekend!  Have a great one everyone!!

The one where I go back to work…

I had 10 glorious days off and today I had to go back to work…BOOOO!!!  You know, no matter how relaxed you get on your vacation, 5 minutes back at work and you are stressed to the max…LOL.  What also started back up again was all our extra-curriculars.  Swimming Tuesday, Beavers Wednesday, Scouts Thursday and I am chief chauffeur.

Needless to say, I probably won’t get to blogging every day anymore.  I am going to try, but it might prove difficult.

Day 10 Update ~ Can you believe that we’re 10 days into Carla’s Low/No Spend Challenge?  That’s 1/3 of the way, baby!! My spending today was $20.00 in my gas tank which should last until Thursday when I replenish my jars.

That’s about it for now.  Tonight I am going to curl up with my knitting.  I had been making a scarf for Amy and I stopped making it (I get bored easy), so I picked it up yesterday, determined to finish it by the weekend.

Day 9 and a Trip to the Bone Doctor

We went off to see the Orthopaedic Surgeon at McMaster Children’s Hospital this morning.  Andrew and I packed a nice lunch (egg salad sandwiches, granola bars, bananas) and made the 45 minute drive to Hamilton.  After a bit of a time trying to find a parking spot (a nice attendant helped me find a great spot near the elevator), we found that we were early.  Since it was snack time, I treated Andrew to a cupcake and chocolate milk from the little coffee shop on the 2nd floor (and I treated myself to a muffin and diet coke).

We saw one doctor who looked at the x-rays we brought with us (from May) and he sent us to get x-rays of both shoulders so they could compare growth and compare one shoulder to the other.  After that, we had some time before the fracture clinic opened (apparently the specialist was there for the afternoon) so we had our lunch.  Finally we went off to see the doctor we were there to see!  LOL! 

It was a fairly short appointment.  Since it’s a teaching hospital, the doctor had a couple of interns with him.  They showed us the x-rays and the bump.  The osteochondroma that Andrew has does not develop into cancer, so that is a very good thing.  Since it is not impeding his movement, growth, and it is not painful, we are just going to monitor the tumour for now.  We have to go back in 12 months for a follow-up appointment and x-rays.  If it starts to hurt or impede movement we’re to call for an earlier appointment.  Very good news!!  I am pretty sure that Andrew is going to have to have the growth removed eventually.  It’s already protruding pretty far, and these things generally grow as long as the child grows. 

So today was a little spendy

• $6.63 ~ treat at the hospital
• $15.00 ~ parking (oy vey!)

I will have to put gas in the car tomorrow.  I don’t think I am going to have many “no spend” days this week, if at all.  I will have to buy milk on Wednesday…so maybe Thursday!

Have a great night, everyone!

Menu Plan Monday ~ January 9, 2012

Good morning all!!  It’s time for:

Here’s our Menu for the week!

Saturday ~ Chili and Cornbread

Sunday ~ Chicken Picatta, Lemon Ginger Rice, Salad, and Strawberry Cheesecake (for Amy’s birthday)

Monday ~ Crockpot Cranberry Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Veggie

Tuesday ~ Sausage and Lentil Pot Pie (we were supposed to have this last week, but we discovered that we forgot to buy the lentils!! 

Wednesday ~ Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime, Wild Rice, Salad

Thursday ~ Pork Tenderloin, Noodles and Sauce, Veggie

Friday ~ Bacon & Spinach Quiche, Salad

Don’t forget to go and check out all the other menu’s at I’m An Organizing Junkie.

No/Low Spend Day 8 Update

Yesterday I realized that we forgot 2 things at the grocery store and I wanted to stop by EB Games to see if they had any refurbished DS Lites.  Aaron’s top screen is broken and since I bought the $15 warranty, I wanted to exchange it.  We went to the mall for a short while.  There were no DS lites in stock…we’ll have to check a few other stores.  I did go into Additionelle because the store at the mall is closing.  They had bras in my size for $19.99 (originally $50.00), so I grabbed one out of my Christmas money.  According to my rules, our Christmas money doesn’t count.  We spent 9.87 at the grocery store on Feta (for my salads), Yogurt (because it was on sale for a good price) and bread crumbs (didn’t have enough to make our own).

Andrew and I are off to the specialist at the Children’s hospital today…let’s hope the doctor wants to just monitor the osteochondroma for a while instead of performing surgery.  Will update later!