What exactly Cookie Monster can possibly do to terrorize a 4yr olds dreamland experience is beyond me.  However, somewhere in the wee hours of this morning, after being wrenched from my sleep, for around the fourth time in 3 hours, by screams for help, I clumsily ricocheted up the hallway to find out what type of dreamland perils Grace was experiencing this time.  As I struggled to focus my eyes so as not to fall victim to the various snares laid out in what we call "Grace's Cave" I whispered an enquiry into the shadows as to what it's occupant was in need of.  The question was met with a very fretful inquisition as to whether or not the Cookie Monster was real, and with all the agitation that a sleepless night can bring, I was struck dumb.  Reaching very, very deep within myself and mustering any semblance of patience I could find I replied "Of course not, honey, he's like Big Bird or Elmo".  For a second she was silent and I thought she had drifted off again, but then in a semi-conscious murmur she replied "well, I just had a dream about him, and he sure didn't act like Elmo."  Mildly amused and wholeheartedly interested I asked what her dream had been about, to which she rolled over, yawned a long dramatic yawn, informed me in a sleepy whisper that she just didn't want to talk about it and instantly fell back to sleep.  Leaving me to fumble my way back to bed in the dark, conjuring up all manner of terrifying images of the methods of torture Cookie Monster might inflict on his pray.

FIRST BIKE RIDE OF THE SEASON (THE SWEATER GRACE IS WEARING WAS KNIT BY HER GREAT AUNT AND HAS AN EXACT PICTURE OF HICCUP WITH HIS NAME ABOVE KNIT INTO  IT, A VERY SPECIAL TREASURE!)

BETHANY HAVING HER FIRST EVER BIKE RIDE AND WANTING TO GET THE SHOW BACK ON THE ROAD

I've been exercising my brain by way of playing with some creative writing these days.  This is something I have not dabbled in since highschool, and I've found my head swimming with all sorts of writing ideas.  Some might say that that is a good thing, however, I seem to be having trouble channelling my thoughts, adopting a more ADD type approach, and have hoards of tiny scraps of paper with a paragraph here and a limerick there, none of which add up or pertain to anything else.  My nature is to be somewhat over analytical while being scatterbrained tends to lye just under it's surface and I've come to the realisation that I often function better when I forgo the over analytical characteristic and run with the latter.  In any event, most of my scribblings are not likely to ever see the light of day, but perhaps in time something will emerge worth sharing.  In any event there is something very theraputic about putting pen to paper, and I've been really enjoying it.

THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SNOW BUSINESS!

This past week we have fallen back into a pattern of sleepless nights as we all seem to be experiencing a relapse of whatever illness has plagued us for the past month.  We've been hearing that it is a particularly difficult cold to get rid of and our girls seem to be struggling the most with it here.  Between fits of coughing, low grade temperatures and very little appetite, it has made them quite miserable, but they seem to be slowly coming around again.

Today being a storm day had rendered Grace quite "boooarrrd" so we decided to attempt a new craft idea that was shared with us.  The idea is to mix a Paper Mache glue and dip lengths of string in it, then drape it over an inflated balloon.  When the glue dries you pop the balloon and have a "String Mache" Easter egg. It was very messy, but very fun and occupied Grace for quite awhile, until she decided to use her goopy strings as a lasso and began swinging them in the air, thus flinging the messy mixture all over the house.  Once I quashed this genius idea, she decided that I could finish the craft on my own.  She then spent the afternoon at her cousins house playing office and making sugar cookies, as I left from dropping her off, she was sitting in front of 3 very incriminating young ladies putting her signature on some "very important documents".

THE MAKINGS OF A MACHE EGG

Jamie has finished up in the woods for the season and is preparing to clean the barns out and spread manure on the land.  We are waiting anxiously for the coming calving season as we are expecting about 40 calves to arrive quite soon.  Lately much of our daily conversation revolves around building our new home this summer, and how we might promote the sale of our mini home.  Grace and I have gotten a couple of "horsey days" in, getting to spend time grooming and playing with Hiccup and the girls, we are both looking forward to an improvement in the weather so we can begin our training projects.  Grace has several goals for her and Hiccup this year, being able to take him on a trail ride with me leading them, to build him an extreme obstacle course "sea of balls" included and to teach him to play with her and their yoga ball.  Just getting him to walk within 30ft of the yoga ball will be an accomplishment in my eyes, but Grace is dreaming big.  She also wants to take him to a couple of fun shows this summer, so we have our work cut out for us.  Our 3yr old filly "Fuse" will also be started under saddle this summer and I am very excited to spend time with my mature mare "Pixel", who at 10 yrs old has still not finished her training, due to so many interruptions and time off what with other horsey projects and of course my taking time off to have the girls.  All and all our family is looking forward to the coming summer, with temperatures at 25 degrees earlier this week, it seemed to be upon us, until this snowy, -6 degrees of cold winter reality threw itself back on us.

CARROTS FROM A FRIEND

That about sums us up for the week in a nutshell, for any frequent followers to my blog, my aim from now on is to update on Monday of every week, unless my mood, or circumstances cause me to stick in an extra post here or there.  Have a wonderful week everyone, keep on the sunny side of life!

RECIPE:

Beansprout Soup

This is a new, low calorie recipe for our family which we all really enjoyed, a mildly flavoured soup with a bit of fresh garlic and just a pinch of chili peppers, even Grace (who won't even use pepper) enjoyed it.

1 and 1 1/2 packages Beansprouts
1/3 cup finely diced white Onion
1 large Celery stalk finely diced
2 large Carrots finely diced
1 Baby Bok Choy diced small
1 Pork Steak cooked and diced small
3 litres of water
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
2 Cloves garlic minced
1/2 to 1 tsp chili flakes (or to taste)
Salt to taste (keep in mind that Soy Sauce adds salt)

After cooking and dicing Pork Steak, add all other ingredients to the pot with water and Soy Sauce, let simmer 30 - 40 minutes, can be served warm or cold. ( The recipe I created my version from did not have any meat, this may play a roll in whether you serve it warm or cold)

"Oh you can't keep a good dog down! No sir, no you just can't keep a good dog down, Oh no! " (some illegible mumbling then)  "Oh I'll still be causing a ruckus when I'm old!  So look out when you hear this sound, Oh you-Can't-Keep a-Good-Dog DOOOOWWWWNNN!".............  This being Grace's melodious serenade blended with a healthy dose of bubbles and occasional gurgles emerging from the bathtub this morning.  Evidence, with any luck, of our improving health, and, coupled with the amazing weather, encouragement that the four of us may in fact, make it to pasture.

We're all stepping light and carrying smiles this morning, as we share minor symptoms of whiplash and sore muscles, a side consequence to our rejuvenation.  A large group of Jamie's family were going Down Hill Skiing yesterday as part of the March Break, this is something we've never done before and until very recently, only gave it a brief "that looks like fun, and like I may break my neck" kind of thought.  So yesterday morning Jamie surprised us by announcing that we were going skiing with the rest, this in itself came as an exciting shocker, but more so impressive was the fact that he sneaked out before we all got up and started the barn work early and so was ready to go by 11:00am.  As I regained composure following the surprise announcement I hustled to ready everyone before the man regained his sanity,  and realised to some embarrassment that the only one of us who possessed any attire even remotely appropriate for the occasion, was Grace, who was at this point, running around in circles and vibrating with excitement.  So after some deep mining through dark closet corners I managed to scrounge myself a pair of wind pants straight out of the early '90's and which were obviously built for a much taller person then I, as I could have forgone my jacket and pulled the waist band up to my neck.  After Jamie, who could find only coveralls stained in all shades a cow has to offer, donned his best pair of Blue Jeans and his favourite John Deere sweater we hit the trail for the unknown, only knowing that while we would not necessarily be trendy on the slopes, we would certainly leave an impression, of some sort.




HERE WE ARE!!

GRACE'S FIRST ATTEMPT AT SKIING TO THE LIFT

Upon our arrival we somehow blundered through the formalities of our first ever Down Hill Ski rental and clad in our Space Man Ski Boots lumbered like rusty robots up the ski lodge's stairs to get ready to hit the slopes.  It was our intention that Jamie and I would take turns keeping Bethany at the base of the hill in her sled while the other skied, or made attempts at it. As it turned out however, there were so many family and friends on hand that she was immediately scooped up and well cared for the entire day, while Jamie, I and Grace headed, with great trepidation, for the bunny hill.

The Bunny Hill, just the name initiates warm and fuzzy images of breezing effortlessly down the hill to land delicately in a mound of puffy powdery snow.  Still, as the three of us moved together in a tight packed cluster of grimacing moral support, as we watched three year olds playing the Bunny Hill stigma to the fullest while the adults were dropping like flies, I had the sudden gripping realisation that it may in fact be the "Rabid Rabbit Mountain of Sure and Certain Doom" and I may be it's next victim.  Then I saw the "Carpet Lift", a genius apparatus and apparently a new addition to the Rabid Rabbit Mountain of Sure and Certain Doom, intended to make the ascent much easier then the previous type of lift.  In theory, it looked easy, the three year olds were completely unfazed as they skied unconcerned onto the belt and enjoyed the easy ride to the top.  Apparently three year olds are not micro managers, I am a micro manager, and after Jamie and Grace made it quite easily onto the lift I just couldn't let the belt carry me up and tried to ski onto it, I pitched violently and almost toppled then made a mental note to just let the belt do the work.  Then we had to off load, and as Grace and I lay in a heap at the top and I watched Jamie seamlessly whizz to the bottom of the hill ahead of us, I couldn't help but be touched by the Lift Operators kind gesture of shutting the lift down and making everyone wait while Grace and I untangled and sort of army crawled to the sidelines to regroup.  Thankfully Jamie's much more ski savvy Aunt Angela and Uncle David came to our rescue and helped Grace and I to the top of the slope. My first trip went quite well, while after so much excitement and anticipation Grace decided to quit on her first fall.  After we motivated her through 5 more falls we made it to the bottom and I couldn't help but entertain the notion that I had beaten the Rabid Rabbit Mountain of Sure and Certain Doom.

THE CARPET LIFT!

This time Grace and I made it on unscathed onto the Carpet Lift and watched Jamie yet again go Whizzing down effortlessly.  As Angela and I prepared to help Grace with our second run Jamie arrived at the top carrying all of his gear and looking rather sheepish, it seems he was distracted by someone "he thought he knew" as he was getting on the lift.  While greeting this "someone", he managed to place only one ski on the lift while the other caught the far side of the safety pole, finally, as he straddled  precariously and tried to hoist himself back onto the lift, his skis unlatched and proceeded up the lift ahead of him as he landed on the ground in a heap beside it. After we giggled a little too much at him we started down again with Grace, who had taken to playing possum when she fell and moaning and wailing as though she were being tortured.   After each fall she would give up and call it quits, and as I was giving her the "I paid good money for this torture, so put a smile on your face and pretend that your loving it", Aunt Angela again came to our rescue and more or less carried Grace by the arm down the hill on her skis.  I on the other hand careened wildly down the Bunny Hill, and in attempting to slow myself down spiraled headlong into the snow beside Grace, who laughed hysterically while I deciphered whether or not I'd just peed myself.  From there on Grace beat the system by enlisting the help of Jamie's Aunt and Uncle, who possessed the patience of Job with her and helped her with every run.  At the end of the day the sense of accomplishment they helped her experience was worth all the wailing and moaning and we were very proud of her for keeping on trying. 

FIRST TIMERS LUCK

AUNT ANGELA AND JAMIE HELPING GRACE

After a couple of successful runs on the Bunny Hill we were heading onto the Carpet Lift again when I hear Grace let go with a blood curdling screech, as I raced to see what had happened I arrived in time to see her lying face down, backwards on the lift, one ski and both poles at the bottom, her writhing and gesticulating like a swimmer in distress, and of course, in typical Grace fashion, wailing and screaming.  Jamie's Aunt to the rescue yet again, she managed to walk, on her skis up the lift to where Grace was blowing a gasket and tell her to stop screaming and stand up. Once I realised that she was not being dismembered and had only fallen onto the lift, I couldn't help but laugh, somewhat hysterically, both because I was glad she was ok, and the shear image of her flapping like a beached whale on the belt put me over the edge.  This did not bode well with poor Grace who told me it was not at all funny, allowed me to help her back into her gear and then grabbed onto her escort and skied to the bottom. I later found out that she managed a repeat performance while she and Jamie were going up the lift and I was in the Lodge with Bethany.


The conditions were terrible with the warm temperatures and it was a sea of slushy water at the bottom of the hill, on more then one occasion someone would fall with a great splash and come up sopping wet.  Angela and David convinced Jamie and me to tackle a couple of the more challenging slopes while they assisted Grace, so we took advantage and headed up "The Big Chair Lift".  I admittedly was a bit unnerved by trying to race through the slush and be in the exact right position at the exact right time to be scooped up by the chair, I never seemed to land in just the right spot so that the lap bar didn't come down and pinch my leg.  At the top, anticipating the dismount, I managed to cause yet another pile up when I flopped face first off the Chair Lift and lost my ski.  Once again, the Lift Operator was kind enough to stop the lift, retrieve my ski and we continued down the hill.  On a couple of occasions both Jamie and I wiped out and lost our equipment at which point, some good Samaritan always seemed willing to lend us a hand in picking ourselves back up since neither Jamie or I could stop fast enough to help the other, and could only continue on laughing at both the sight and from our exhilaration.

At the end of the day, I think we all chalked it up to having been one of the most fun family days we've spent together, we couldn't help leaving the hill with a massive sense of accomplishment and we were both incredibly proud of Miss Grace, who skied, with help, most of the day and at the end came down just holding Jamie's hand and smiling ear to ear.  The day also brought renewed appreciation for the wonderful family and friends we've been blessed with, and without whom our day would most likely have been even more eventful.



RECIPE:

Leek and Potato Soup

1/4 lbs Smoked Bacon fried
3 Leeks (finely slice and only use the white part)
3 Green Onions sliced thin
4 medium Potatoes
3 cups Chicken Stock
1 litre of Milk


Fry Bacon in a stock pot and set aside, deglaze bottom of pot with Chicken Stock and add peeled and chopped Potatoes, when Potatoes are almost cooked add sliced Green Onion and sliced Leeks and allow to sweat until softened, then add milk and salt and pepper to taste.  When soup is well cooked (about 15-20 minutes after adding Milk, mash with potato masher to break up the potatoes and thicken the soup.  Serve with a bit of grated Cheddar Cheese on top.

HERE'S SOME MORE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO

PARTY ANIMAL BABY WITH HER RED SOLO CUP!

MAKING BREAD

DYING EASTER EGGS

THE FINISHED PRODUCT

A QUICK VISIT WITH A FRIEND

MORE LUMBER FOR OUR HOUSE!

SUNDAY HIKE IN THE WOODS

A NAP ALONG THE WAY

TAKING THE PATH LESS TAKEN

MAMMOTH  PUDDLE FOR JUMPING

GRACE FIGURES THIS IS THE KITCHEN AREA OF OUR NEW HOUSE

THIS IS HER BEDROOM

ALWAYS TIME FOR A SNUGGLE

Our family has been sick for the last two weeks, as I mentioned in an earlier post a vicious cold has moved through each of us and has not been in a hurry to leave, so today, on such a glorious day, we decided it was time to leave the den.  Giving into Grace's eager pleas to take her into the woods and show her "where our new house is coming from" (the lumber anyways), we headed out on what became a 2.5 hour hike, with the ever exuberant and  adventurous Grace leading the way, and I, the lumbering, puffing overly laden mule elected to haul the sleigh which carried her sister over the rotting and slushy snow, bringing up the rear. It was an absolutely wonderful day and we enjoyed ourselves to the fullest, in one direction.  As we meandered farther and farther into the woods, I repeatedly reminded Grace as to how far our return trip had yet to take us, to which she cheerfully replied, "I know Mom, I know, just settle down" and kept on walking.  Finally at our destination she insisted we continue until I finally convinced her that the sled could not go over the rougher road ahead and after a bit of illegible mumbling she steered her course for home. I'm not sure if it was simply that we were heading home and our adventure in her mind was over, or if all the walking finally knocked the pluck out of her, but her enthusiasm waned and I became a bit wary when she began collecting firewood "just in case".  Finally after several stops for the purpose of hunting and gathering, a few stops simply because the concept multi-tasking by walking and talking eluded her in her exhaustion, and finally a stop because, well, everyone knows what a novelty peeing in the woods is, the farm came into view and she found her second wind.

THE GREAT ADVENTURER AND HER LOYAL COMPANION

A QUICK PUDDLE JUMP IN THE BARNYARD

LOVING THE WALK IN THE WOODS

I'm always amazed, or entertained at least, by what one hears when they stay quiet.  As I lay on the couch unable to function in my semi-conscious state waiting for my second wind to kick in, Grace, who had found her giddy-up and operating at full capacity, was making her cat Boots an Ice Cream Sunday out of play-dough.  After much conversation as to how much she was "just going to love this" and "oh Boots, this is gonna be yummy", she gasps as though some life altering thought just occurred to her and says "Oh Booty's, I hope you aren't allergic to nuts, I've already put them in."  Thankfully the disaster was averted when Boots informed her that she, in fact, "loves nuts and was very happy that Grace had thought to put them in".  As she happily continued building her Sunday, she began to sing, which is her usual sign of contentment, and which, just for a nano second, I allowed to feed my ego with a tiny "Me.Inc." for taking her on the hike.  She particularly loves the song "Go Rest High On That Mountain" by Vince Gil and launching into her most soothing rendition with the beginning lyrics "I know this life on earth was troubled, only you could know the pain", she paused briefly and interjects with, "you'll never have to suffer the pain of waxing your facial hair again, nor suffer the embarrassment of a stranger waxing your bikini line,  say hello to No No from Radiancey, guaranteed with a triple money back guarantee", she then chuckles a brief  and understated "ha ha" and continued mixing play-dough.   This in itself was enough to give me my second wind and after a good chuckle we had a PB&J kind of supper and got ready for the girls baths.

FUSE, HICCUP AND TILLY WATCHING US STRIKE OUT ON OUR ADVENTURE(PICTURE COURTESY OF GRACE)

Jamie and his uncle have been spending what time they can working together in the woods, we are incredibly grateful for the help, together they have pulled out approximately 2/3 of the lumber we will need for our house, and a good bit of firewood besides.  Jamie is still trucking as well and while he is happy for the extra income, it is currently 10:00pm and he is out doing chores.  While I haven't been quite as involved with the farm since Grace was born, the last few years I've been able to take her with me to do the basic chores, such as putting in hay and giving the calves their grain, during the times that Jamie is working.  This year with Miss Bethany being so tiny this isn't a practical option so it adds a bit more time on his days, however we both realise the time will fly by us far to quickly and she too will be out around with me.  The cattle have been holding their own and (thank you Lord) staying healthy.  They've managed to fend off any advances from Pablo and have settled into an instant defence of chasing him off with their heads low ready to ram him if he doesn't move, if he even glances in their direction, which seems to have placed him promptly back to his spot on the totem pole, although he still occasionally makes suggestions.

SATURDAY'S FUN

RAZOR LEADING MAX INTO THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE TO LOSE HIM

WAITING FOR HER TURN ON THE SLEIGH RIDE AT AUNT ANGELA'S

  

There are certain declarations throughout ones journey through life that are timely and, at the very least, somewhat expected.  However, as Grace sat, clad in pink poodle jammies, hair still in fuzzy braids from the night before, thoughtfully crunching Corn Pops and slurping milk through the straw on her "Cereal Slurpy Bowl", looks up at Jamie and I, and as though resigned to divulge her deepest secrets declares, "When I turn 5, I'm gonna travel the world", I couldn't help but smile and think that her newest ambition was a bit premature.  Then I remembered that this was Grace and couldn't help but wonder.

A vicious cold seems to be running through our household with a vengeance, hitting us all pretty hard, but particularly little Beth who spent 3 days with a fever and 2 full nights without sleep.  She is finally doing better overall but still has no appetite.  Grace has been plagued with a nasty cough and a bout of the "Arctic Sniffles" as she calls them, but is holding her own pretty well.  She moves between being "not sick at all" to "cough, cough, cooooouuuuphhffffff, Oh Mom, I'm soooooo sick" depending on the activities that may be going on, and whether or not she would like to participate.  Yesterday evening, in one of her periods of "not sick at all", she sprang up the hallway at mock speed and tripped on her life sized lion, (which still baffles me, considering our hallway is 2ft wide and as I said, it was a "life" sized lion), after crashing into the wall with a grunt, she picks herself up, looks around and says "Dude, that totally shook the Hamstrings right out of me".

CHILLIN' IN BIG SIS'S BEANBAG CHAIR

GRACE'S FRESH SQUEEZED LEMONADE

Today was another one of those days that seemed to breath the life back into you and you just can't help but step out and inhale.  We started our morning with the spontaneous notion that Jamie and I would head to Charlottetown to take part in the Home Show that is going on this weekend  After lining up sitters and organising the farm for the day it looked like all the stars would line up for just the two of us to get away for the day.  Then our spontaneous notion spontaneously combusted when Jamie got called in to haul a load of potatos.  So Grace and I enjoyed the afternoon in the yard building a snowman and forts and then spring cleaning the inside of our car while Bethany took her nap.

ALWAYS TIME FOR PUDDLE JUMPING

Supper was Chicken Soup which Grace helped with by putting the chopped veggies in the pot and stirring it, and Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits.  Always the mealtime conversationalist, Grace looks up from her soup and asks "Mom, when did Flowers Mom die?"  Flower is a calf we hand raised after we found her wandering in the pasture a couple of falls ago when her mother died calving of a prolapsed uterus. "When Flower was just born", I answered.  "Then how did Flower get borned?  Did she crawl out?"  Trying to quench any forth coming questions I quickly answered "No, Flowers Mom had her and then died soon after".  Not at all ready to drop the subject Grace continues "But, how'd she die, did the other cows eat her?" "No Grace, cows don't eat other cows".  "Oh, well, then why do cows piggy back each other all the time?"  To which I promptly answered "Grace, you want more soup?"

OUR OLD FRIEND

Our 9yr old dog Razor is unwaveringly loyal, wherever Jamie is on the farm, there also is Razor.  A steady and constant pack member who loves to be around his family and isn't opposed to a good belly scratch should the occasion call for it.  Still and all Razor is a "dogs dog".  A no frills kind of guy that keeps his love of snuggles well hidden from the outsiders eye and can come off a bit edgy at first glance from a stranger, yet run away with his tail wagging to let us know we have company.  While he is quite affectionate with us, he is not taken to spontaneous displays and, while always close by, is never under foot when we are working.  So when Jamie felt something tugging on his pant leg while working in the shop today, he was shocked to look down and see that it was Razor.  When Jamie looked at him, he left the shop, deciding to see what "that" was all about Jamie followed him to the grain mill, which had been forgotten running and was now overflowing onto the floor.  This type of behaviour is completely out of our old friend's character, it seems quite obvious that he knew exactly what he was trying to say.

Income Tax Preparation:  A government enforced, taunting reminisce under an ocean of papers in order to affirm what my bank account has been telling me all along.  The only consolation during Income Tax Season, is the possibility of a small refund and the fact that it is Roll Up the Rim To Win time at Tim Horton's.  Each year I skip the ride on the New Year's Resolution bandwagon and save my ticket for Income Tax Time, when I solemnly vow and declare for the good of myself, my family and my government to stay on top of the seemingly endless array of receipts and paperwork.  My determination to be a more organised citizen typically lasts until the Tax Return is filed, at which point, I file away my resolve, until next year.

Signs of Spring have come to Misty Marsh Farms, it's not that there are any flowers blooming, nor song birds in the windows, the waves aren't rolling on the shore yet and we are still under a good covering of snow. The earliest sign of Spring here on the farm is our Donkey Pablo's annual metamorphoses from "Pablo The Herds Friendly Mascot" to "Romeo The Bulls Biggest Rival And The Herds Biggest Nemesis".  Not to be left out of Springtime Twitterpation, he makes the most of his lack of a "like partner" and has seemingly adopted the not so stereotypical approach, not being afraid to demonstrate his more "Bovinistic Side".  This always renders the bull furious and the cattle horrified and yesterday, produced a stampede of mass chaos which lasted for about 10 minutes but left the herd on guard for the day.  He very nearly found himself on the wrong side of the bulls temper, if not for the ice making it more difficult for poor Bully to protect his status.  Generally if Pablo persists in his Springtime Soirees he finds himself in isolation until his notions subside and he can be trusted to act as a civil herd member.

Our family seldom gets sick, but this year we've had a bumper crop of various illnesses, we just put the run to a cold or a flu and something else moves in.  Jamie has been bravely battling a particularly vicious cold for the last week or so, and, until last night, we've been counting our blessings that no one else in the house has caught it.  Miss Bethany was awake for 2 hours last night for reasons (in my 2:00am haze) it seemed, of just wanting to visit and have a small party.  She giggled, smiled and cuddled until I finally gave up and put her back to bed in hopes she'd fall asleep on her own, which she did fairly quickly. Only to wake us up 2 hours later, at which point I subtly squirmed, sighed, and finally "accidentally" kicked Jamie repeatedly until he came to and offered to go see what was up.  After I apologised for accidentally waking him, told him that I would go and check on Beth, but he was very sweet to offer, he stumbled, fumbled and mumbled his way to Bethany who by then was burning hot.  We gave her some Tylenol which she projectile vomited with all the force of an elite fire hose, all over Jamie, who then had to shower, which prompted Grace to come out for a visit, while I rocked Beth until Jamie took over and she fell asleep, then we all rolled back in for a couple more hours of shut eye.  She spent today clinging to me and whining miserably.  Grace spent the day playing at the neighbours and came home with similar symptoms, so we may be in for Round Two tonight.

We've had a flurry of cattle buyers around this past couple of days and sold a Simmental Bull yesterday as well as received an offer on some of our calves, encouraging proof of the improving cattle markets.  Jamie was trucking today for his off the farm job, and what started as a "short day" turned into a "double long day" and so now, at 9:00pm he is out bedding and feeding cattle, and as is his custom every time he takes on outside work, questioning his scruples.  It is hard to turn down extra income and we consider it a blessing, but it definitely adds extra hours to an already long day.


RECIPE:

Cake and Brown Sugar Pudding

My "go to" when I need or want something fast and low fuss, served warm with ice cream it is delicious!
You can also switch it up by adding chopped apples, blueberries, raisins, etc.,

1 1/1 cup Flour
2 tbsp White Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
3 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Creme Tartar
2 tbsp Butter
1 Egg
Enough Buttermilk to bind ingredients

Mix and spread over the bottom of a 9 X 9 pan and set aside

then in a 2 cup measuring cup mix:

1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
Fill the cup with water
3 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Vanilla

Heat the Brown Sugar and Water mixture in Microwave until sugar is dissolved and butter melted, then pour over the cake and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Coconut.

Bake at 350 degrees for appx 1/2 an hour, until cake is cooked through and the sugar sauce has thickened.

Me: "Grace, why won't my bedroom door open?"
Grace: "Oh!  Because I boobie trapped it."
Me: "Grace you have to let me out"
Grace: "No I don't"
Me (while yanking on the door): "Let me out now."
Grace:  "Only if you have to pee"
Me: "Grace, I really have to pee"
Grace (running away) "NO YOU DON'T!!"

So, after pulling the "Let Me Out Now or The Life Sized Lion You Love So Much Is Moving Out" card, Grace set me free.  Once again, her days are being spent setting snares in any random spot throughout our house and waiting for unsuspecting passersby.  While this is a superb exercise to hone her skill for patience, it does very little for my own, and yet, somehow I find myself  helping her with various knots and in finding certain supplies.

STORY TIME

After a couple of nights with relatively uninterrupted sleep, our family has settled our bubble back to it's usual side of plum.  The girls are sleeping better for the time being and have returned to their happily mischievous selves, and after draping Max's kennel with a large blanket at night, he too seems to rest better and has given up his early morning Orchestras, which has bought him "another night indoors".

SPEGETTI DINNER

Wednesday was one of those perfect days, the kind of day that is easy to be thankful for and you can't help but step outside and inhale.  Grace and I seized the day and headed out with Tilly in the sleigh, the fresh, glistening powder made the ride soundless and tranquil, and after a wonderful ride in through the wood path, we both came back completely rejuvenated.

A PERFECT RIDE

CO-PIOLET

Miss Bethany is officially walking, well, 3-4 steps and then falling, and she's climbing too.  But, where once everything 2ft off the ground wasn't safe, the height has now doubled and we've found ourselves in the next stage of baby proofing.

Jamie has been slowly getting our old White Tractor back together and as always, finds lots to do around the farm.  He has also been working in the woods a couple of hours a day trying to grow our pile of lumbar for our new house, it is growing, but it's slow work on his own, I'm hoping to get out and help some over the next while.  Jamie has found that lately there is more then enough around here to keep him busy, and has decided not to return to his seasonal off the farm work, the decision lasted until the phone rang this morning, he starts trucking tomorrow.  This will only last about a week this year though, so not too bad at all.

My goal for next week is to complete our Income Tax paperwork, this is a task that I continue to procrastinate with, and although it really isn't too big of a deal, I also procrastinate the job throughout the year, which only causes it to manifest, which only causes me to procrastinate more.....In any event, hopefully by next week that Band-Aid will have been yanked off.

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON'S BAKING ADVENTURE

RECIPE:

Homemade Granola Cereal

Our family's favourite cereal, delicious, nutritious, filling and easy to add or omit your favourite grains, dried fruits, etc..  Grace loves to help with all the pouring and mixing.

8 cups Rolled Oats
1/2 cup Wheat Germ
1/2 cup Bran
1 pkg (100 grams) Sliced Almonds
2 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Salt

Mix together in large bowl and set aside and mix the following into a smaller, microwave safe, bowl, I use a 2 cup measuring cup.

1/4 cup Oil
1 cup Honey
1/4 cup Molasses
1/4 cup Brown Sugar

Heat the liquids in microwave until melted and mixed well together (about 2 minutes), then allow to cool.

Once liquids have cooled pour them into the dry ingredients and mix well by hand.  Pour onto cookie sheets and bake 15-20 minutes at 250 degrees stirring every 5 minutes.  When golden brown, pour back into mixing bowl to cool, stir a couple of times to keep the Granola from sticking together (it will form a big block if not stirred) once cooled add 2 cups raisins or other dried fruit.