Birthday Pictures part 1

As promised, here are some pictures from Ollie's birthday party a couple weekends ago.  These are the ones that my parents took.

x-mas prep

The presents are purchased, the stocking stuffers are almost done.  A few things left to wrap, mostly the oddly shaped ones.  I got most of the presents online this year, I have discovered the joy that is shopping on amazon.ca.  I place an order, it ships the next day and shows up the day after.  No need to fight to get through the malls, no driving around and around the parking lots to find a space, it's amazing how badly some people park.  We did get a few things in store, but we go in November, in the middle of the week, when no one else is there.  

This year we are helping Louis' parents with some projects in their new house that they would like done for christmas.  They are still in the precess of renovating it.  Like a lot of renovations things take longer then expected, especially when you are out in the country, everything takes longer to get, store close earlier and aren't open on Sundays.....

I am going to be making some cookies next week and other recipes a few days before christmas.  I am going for a stress free couple of days this year, nothing left to the last minute.  We even already have our turkey.

Decorating of the tree will be happening tonight and tomorrow night.

Now you know

When I was little I use to think that Allspice was just all the different spices for sauces and the like mixed into one jar. 

 I then learnt that it is actually it's own spice, and it comes in little seeds almost like peppercorn.

Birthday Weekend

I told you all I would eventually get to posting pictures of the birthday weekend.

I started to post them just as pictures but it was taking up so much room on the page so I decided to make a slide show for them instead.
Everyone arrived on the Saturday, we spent some time catching up and had a great supper.  On Sunday we started off with a breakfast of bacon & eggs.  I baked the cake and while it was cooling some of us went to the bookstore, french books are hard to get in Ontario.  We came back home with pizza for everyone.  While Ollie was napping we got things ready for his party.  For cleanliness factors we started with gifts, he was spoiled, again.  Louis' parents and sister got him some clothes for when he will be a bit bigger and a really cool tricycle that will grow with him.  My parents got him a ball popping toy, a book, some cool little animal cars and a sleigh.  Auntie Joanie got him some cute shirts and a hat from New Caledonia and we got him a couple books and some bath toys.  Ollie enjoyed his first ever cupcake, got to play with some of his new toys then it was time for a nap. We ate tacos for supper and then the adults got cake for dessert.  It was a great weekend, everyone had lots of fun.
(I made his birthday hat, it is impossible to find forrest themed birthday things)

Mom's Birthday

IT SUCKED!!!  (let me explain)

• Louis woke me up with a nice bouquet of flowers(nothing sucked about that)
• As I was coming downstairs I heard a few choice words from Louis
• Then I saw why..... He dropped my cake....  :(
• I insisted on attempting to save it, he just wanted me to open my presents
• I picked up the cake with our massive blue spatula and my icing knife and told him that it was o.k., half the cake was still fine.
• I sat on the couch and proceded to open my presents.  I then understood why Louis didn't want me to pick up the cake.  
• I got a cake lifter and a baker scraper.... those would of been the exact thing it would of taken to pick up the splatered mess.
• I also got a cake holder/storage and a decorating turn table thing
• Ollie got me an awesome camera bag.  It looks like a bowling bag and it is red from Photojojo
• Spent the rest of the day looking for random parts for the kitchen that have been lost in the house
• Went out for supper at Mexicali Rosa's.......Never Again
• The prices went up
• the beans had a crust on them they were prepped so far in advance
• the steak from the steak fajita was beef stew quality meat.  So chewy
• the peppers were limp and the staff insisted they were fresh
• did you know that they had garlic bread at a mexican restaurant? neither did we and it shouldn't be on the menu.  It was baguette with garlic butter and melted cheese....not grilled more of a microwave style
• It was the first time EVER that I have complained to staff about food quality, the manager looked like he was about 14, our waitress could of been his mother(well not exactly but close enough).  He started off by telling us that we was going to have another set of plates made for us..... I am not sure how you plan on making a new batch of beans in 5 minutes but I do not want to know.
• He was planing on making us pay for our meal anyways but give us coupons for a free meal next time....Thanks but no thanks, WE ARE NOT COMING BACK
• So he then just told us that he was sorry, that we would not have to pay, that he was going to tell the owner and wished us a good evening.

Amazing Birthday (sarcasm) I want a re-do