We're so proud!

I've been off work since Friday and don't have to return until January 4th! I've been enjoying lots of reading and games and performances by the kids. So far, there hasn't even been much bickering or tears.

Speaking of performances, I need to tell you an awesome story about Lisa.

The number one comment I have received from all of Lisa's teachers since JK has been "she's painfully quiet." She's so quiet at school that her teacher this year counts it as a victory that she says anything to him outside of what is required for her schoolwork. Two years ago, I talked to her doctor about getting her tested for Selective Mutism because I was just baffled by how my funny, loud child could be so quiet at school. She is often labelled as shy, which drives me crazy. She happily goes to school, has lots of friends and participates in any club, sport or activity offered. Anyway, my point is that she's very, very quiet at school.

One day a few weeks ago, she brought home a form for me to sign. She wanted to audition for a lead part in the school's spring opera production. She's in grade 4 now and this is the first year she is eligible to try out. For her audition, she had to sing O Canada and do a speech in front of a panel of teachers. I'll admit, her singing was not great. But! Here's what she came up with for a speech:

You're probably sitting there thinking, 'Lisa
Simpson is trying out for the opera? Shy, quiet, Lisa?' Well
I'm here to tell you that I was born to perform!

[She goes on to list her performance credentials, both with
dancing parts in previous opera productions, her Highland Dancing and violin lessons]

So set aside everything you think you know about Lisa Simpson.

Put me on stage and let the real me shine.

According to an email from one of the teachers on the panel, she delivered it in a strong, clear voice. She was "animated and intriguing." After they picked their jaws up off the floor, they made the unanimous decision to give her the role of narrator in the production. She got the part!

This child never ceases to amaze me. We are all so proud of her.

Nine!

Today, my big girl, the one that first made me a mom, turns 9. NINE!

Nine years ago last night, my water broke while standing in line at The Future Shop. Luckily I was wearing a long coat and boots, so the water just kind of trickled into my boot allowing me to continue standing in line until I had made my purchases. "When are you due?" the cashier asked. "Soon," I said casually.

I got in the car and drove home. Homer was out of town at his company Christmas party. I called him to let him know that I thought my water had broken, but I wasn't yet in labour. I hung up the phone and called the hospital. The nurse asked me some questions, then advised me to come in for an assessment. I asked if I could wait the two hours it would take for Homer to arrive home. She said that would be okay.

While I waited for Homer, I had a shower, wrapped Christmas presents and packed my hospital bag. At the hospital, they confirmed that my water had broken, but that labour had not started. They advised me to come back in the morning if nothing developed overnight.

The next morning, I stopped in at work to wrap up a couple of things, then Homer and I walked over to the hospital. The thought was that they would induce me, but apparently there were a rash of babies to be delivered, so they hooked me up to an IV with antibiotics (because my water had broken) and I sat in a hospital room all day waiting for labour to start on its own. Friends from work stopped by to see me, I finished all my Christmas cards and Homer and I played card games.

At 5:45 PM, I felt a little cramp. It went away quickly, but then returned. When a nurse popped her head in, I mentioned it to her. She told me to get ready for a long night, because it sounded like labour was about to start. At 6:10 PM that same nurse came back and I was up on the bed on my hands and knees panting like a basset hound. She was shocked, did a quick assessment and called for a delivery team. The team arrived about 10 minutes later and I started to push.

I continued to push until 9:15 PM. Everyone in the room cheered as (with the help of forceps) my little baby girl finally entered the world.

She's a fantastic kid who never ceases to amaze me with her intelligence, wit and kindness.

Happy Birthday Lisa!

Fun holiday recipes

If you're hosting any parties, putting together a goody tray or packaging up some treat bags for the neighbours, I have a few easy/impressive ideas for you.

First up, Spicy Crab Dip in Wonton Shells:

Have you ever made these wonton shells? They're super-easy and make a great little cup for any kind of dip. To make them, you'll need some wonton wrappers (my grocery store has them in the produce department, about $2.59/package of 48), a mini muffin tin and some cooking spray.

Spray the muffin tin and push the wonton wrapper into the cups. Bake at 400* for 3-4 minutes (watch them, they start to get brown quickly). Remove them from the oven, let sit for a minute, then just pop them out of the muffin tin. Voila - fancy wonton shells.

For the crab dip, mix together:
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 tins of crabmeat, drained
1 cup mayo
3 green onions (white & green parts), finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper (it has quite a kick with 1 tsp, so use a little less if you're not into spicy)

Put the mixture into a large ziploc bag and cut one corner. Squeeze the dip into the shells. Garnish with chopped green onion. Makes 48.


Next up, Chocolate Covered Toffee:

I used this recipe from Zoe Bakes, except I didn't have instant coffee granules, so I just brewed some really strong coffee and used that for the water. Don't be afraid of the candy thermometer - I bought one specifically to make this recipe ($3.99) and now I'm anxious to try other candy recipes. Seriously, nothing to fear.

Anyway, this recipe is delicious. It's a little time consuming with the stirring of the toffee and the dipping of each piece, but it's not at all difficult.

And finally, Chocolate-Dipped Pretzel Sticks:

There was some chocolate left over after making the above recipe, so I made these super-simple dipped pretzels. Just dip them in melted chocolate, then roll them in your sprinkle of choice. The one at the back of the picture has crushed peppermint candies. They're quite good with the bitterness of the chocolate, the salt of the pretzel and the sweetness of the sprinkles. And heck, they'll look great on a goody tray!

Quick Halloween pics

Everyone had a great time. Despite being in an "Outbreak School", all my guys were healthy and ready to beg for candy. The idea for the costumes was all theirs; the execution, of course, was all me!

Super Girl

Super Mario

Cupcake

Homer finds the whole thing painful

Halloween challenges

I really love making Halloween costumes. I like thinking of what to make, then thinking about how to make it happen with as little expense as possible. Lisa has never wanted to be a princess or a fairy or even an animal. She always likes to give me a little challenge.

2004 - she was c-r-a-z-y for Thomas the Train - we already had the Thomas hat and she is wearing Thomas shoes.

2006 - Of course we all love The Simpsons and she wanted to be Marge.

2007 - Little Miss Muffet. Note that Bart is wearing the same dragon costume from 3 years earlier!

2008 - A butterfly

Which brings us to Halloween 2009. "Mom, how about if I be cotton candy?" Sure! I say. I got a pink hooded sweatshirt from the thrift store and covered it in 2 lbs of pillow stuffing. Then, I painted it pink.

Pretty cute, right? She loved it.

HOWEVER...

I thought I would try it on for size. That thing was hot. I mean, steamy, sweaty HOT. Maybe great for trick-or-treating, but there's no way she could have worn it to school or to the costume party we're going to attend. But that wasn't the only problem. Homer had the responsible idea of testing its flamability. The pillow stuffing on its own was not bad - it was slow to ignite and then just burned slowly and the flame eventually extinguished on its own. But, after I added the spray glue and the spray paint... WHOOOF! It erupted into giant flames. So, cotton candy is now in the garbage and we had to go with a new idea. I'll post pictures after Halloween.

What are some of your favourite Halloween costumes from past years?

Proud parenting moments

Maggie pitched a giant fit when I picked her up from the babysitter’s yesterday. After I wrestled her into her carseat, then forced her out of her carseat at home, she proceeded to hit me, kick me and even tried to bite me. I laughed, which made her angrier. I carried her up to her room and closed her door. After she had calmed down a bit I held her and talked to her about her tantrum. We both felt there should be a punishment for the hitting and screaming. We agreed that the punishment would be… pants. Today she wasn’t allowed to wear a skirt or a dress to school; she had to wear pants. The horror.

Lisa has one kid in her class (“Joe”) that is wicked smart. Lisa does really well too, but just accepts that Joe will do better. She got a test back where she got 88% - the second best mark in the class. Joe got 94%. I told Lisa about how, when I was a kid, there was a boy in my class (“RJ”) who was just like Joe. I made it my mission to do as well as or better than RJ; that competitive spirit made me work harder and get better grades. Lisa’s response? “Not everything’s a competition, mom”. “Sure it is,” I replied. As I kissed her goodbye this morning, I whispered in her ear, “Beat Joe!”

The kids are always asking to help me bake, but when I do let them help they’re often dissatisfied with the tasks I assign to them. So, for the past three weeks I’ve been giving them baking lessons. During the lesson, they put on their aprons and make a simple recipe themselves from start to finish. Along the way, I’ve been teaching them about measuring tools, the science of leavening agents and some basics of food safety. I’m having so much fun coming up with new lessons and the kids are loving their Thursday night sessions.

Bart is picking up some great language at school. He’s always been fond of saying words like ‘fart’ and ‘crap’, but now has put ‘shut-up’ and ‘stupid’ into regular rotation. I am constantly asking him to not to use those words and have shortened my plea to “LANGUAGE!” Maggie has decided to help me reform the boy and shouts “ENGLISH!” when he utters one of his choice words. I have to say, it’s adorable coming from her wee mouth.

Am I alone here?

*I roll my eyes when I hear someone say their kid is so smart that he’s bored at school (usually an excuse for bad behaviour). Smart kids can entertain themselves in such a way that it doesn’t disturb others. Poorly behaved children need more discipline.

*My kids watch The Simpsons. We buy the seasons on DVD. Most of the inappropriate stuff goes over their heads. The stuff that doesn’t becomes a ‘teachable moment’.

*We have a portable DVD player, but it has never been used in the car. Long car trips are a great opportunity for kids to learn how to entertain themselves with colouring, reading, trivia games and small toys. I may reconsider for a trip longer than 5 or 6 hours.

*I don’t think a kindergarten teacher needs to change her voice to something that is slow, high-pitched and squeaky to speak to her pupils.

*I don’t really appreciate Canada being presented as a third world-ish country in the American debate over healthcare reform. Trust me, we have it pretty good here. We ALL have it pretty good here. Do we pay higher taxes for the privilege and peace of mind? Yes we do. Do I care? No I do not.

*Most competition-based reality shows bug me. I may give American Idol another chance now that Ellen will be one of the judges. I predict that whoever Ellen favours will win.

*Fall shows I am watching or will give a shot: Glee, Flash Forward, The Good Wife, Bored to Death and (maybe) Cougar Town.