Room Mom of the Year

In my ongoing quest to be "Room Mom of the Year" I made Easter Rainbow cupcakes for Avery's class yesterday. I am quite adamant that I make the treats for her class because of her severe allergy. So, of course I headed off to Pinterest, (Number one resource of room moms worldwide), and looked for something quick and easy, and springy, and easy. And cheap. And easy. Did I mention that?

The cupcakes I found were pretty easy. It was a matter of dying the cake batter with food coloring (I know. Food coloring is bad.) And then dropping spoonfuls into the muffin cups. 

This is what they looked like after baking. They almost look Earth Day-ishy to me...

And then I iced them to look like grass and added peanut free jelly beans. According to Avery's teacher, they were a hit... except I didn't realize there was a celiac child in her class..... Now on to Pinterest to find gluten free, nut free goodness!

Titanic - The Movie - Again

When this movie was first released, I was 15 years younger. I had a different kind of disposable income, and I will admit I saw it 14 times. In the theatre. 14. Excessive? Yes. But does that mean I don't want to see it one more time on the big screen? No. Grant told me Jack still dies in the end of this one, but I don't care. I don't need to see it in 3D. I think that concept is so overdone with regards to movies, but I do need to drum up a movie date to see it one last time. I wonder if Avery is too young for this? ;)

Come Together

I spent this past weekend working two casino shifts as a volunteer for our private kindergarten. We rely heavily on the money as casino brings in to pay wages, provide resources for the kids, and ensure that they have the best start in school they can. There has always been a debate in our little community about the perks of a private kindergarten versus a public, school board one. One of the drawbacks is that we need to work casinos. I like working them. You get two meals, you don't have to cook, or pay for them, you get to catch up on your reading, or crocheting, or.... whatever. But for some reason, people don't step up to the plate. It is the same as any other volunteer activity. It is the same group of people doing the work, and the majority reaping the benefits. I could go on and on about how disappointed I am in people around me, but something else happened this weekend that is offering me more clarity. Friends and neighbors of ours had their baby this weekend. They have tried for years to get pregnant, and it finally happened for them. On Saturday they welcomed their baby girl 9 weeks early. It sounds like things are going well, and I am completely over the moon for them. They will both make such amazing parents, and even though this isn't the most ideal way for a baby to come into the world, their daughter is getting amazing care. I could continue to be frustrated about the casino and apathy demonstrated by some people, but I am choosing to look at the people who did step up with appreciation. I am choosing to look at the things that really matter, like that 2lb 12oz baby girl. I am choosing to come together with the people I really want to be around, and letting the rest live their lives.

Hockey Wife

I spent the weekend at the rink watching my husband play in his last hockey tournament of the year. This is the second year that he has played "Oldtimers" hockey and this is the first time I have been able to see him play. His games usually start at 9:30 on a Tuesday, so I am usually at home with the kids. :) It was great to see him doing something he loves. It was also nice to finally meet the guys on his team that I didn't know but that he is always talking about. The kids were able to come and watch a couple of games too. Cohen is the cutest little fan. He would scream "Go Daddy Go!" But only during the warmup. The rest of the time he didn't want to "distract" him....
It was also nice to be able to go out for the night to the cabaret. Even if we were at a cabaret.... We had lots of laughs, and it was good to have some adult conversation.
I am, however, very happy that hockey is over. It means that when Grant is home, I will get more time with him... not a lot more because he is getting ready for seeding, but we are getting a date out of all of this. We are going to the Flames game tomorrow night. I am hoping for one more win. Tomorrow. Just one.

In Defense of the Traditional Book

I love to read. Love it. When I was young I would spend hours at our local library scouring the shelves looking for the "perfect" read. Of course, when I was young, the perfect read started out at Ramona Quimby books, and The Babysitters Club, and progressed into good old Sweet Valley High. 

 As I have gotten older, my tastes have changed. (Thank God). I can't imagine still reading Sweet Valley High. Elizabeth and Jessica don't cut it anymore. I loved what Oprah did for reading. I bought just about EVERY book in her book club from the beginning to her last recommendation. And she knew what she was doing. There were not many books in that club that I didn't love. But that no longer exists, so I have had to find new ways to find books I love. One way is to read every biography that Tara reads. That is all she reads. Biographies. I never, ever thought to read those. I am a fiction lover. So, when she leant me the Theo Fleury bio, I was hooked. She has been a great source of titles, and I have a few of hers still to get through! (Including the above, "Lies Chelsea Handler Told Me").

 I am also looking forward to reading new books by authors I have loved in the past. You might remember James Frey as the controversial author who wrote "A Million Little Pieces" and had Oprah in a tailspin. I have three of his books waiting for me to crack them open. I am most looking forward to reading "The Final Testament of the Holy Bible". I think it will be as controversial in reading as the media storm was around "A Million Little Pieces".

Finally, I look for the awards. I would always tell my students to look for a book with an award on the cover. That way they knew they were getting something worth reading. "We Need to Talk About Kevin" is an award winner. And it has been made in to a movie (which I know does not guarantee it is a good book, or a good movie, for that matter, but I am looking forward to reading this one.)

As for the traditional book... I love the feel of a book in my hands. I like books with uneven pages, with an interesting cover, (yes, I judge a book by its cover), I like the smell of paper. I love the sound a book makes when you open it for the first time. I like the idea of e-readers. They certainly are convenient. But I can also see that I would send my family into bankruptcy if I owned one. March is the first month in a very long while that I haven't bought a book. (And March isn't over. And I am planning on going to the city today... so we will see....) I have about 25 or 30 books on my bookshelf waiting for that first crack. If I owned an e-reader I know I would spend most of my days looking for books, and downloading them. So, I am going to stay the traditional route. I know that the world is changing, and I am powerless to slow the technology down. As long as paper books are available to me, that is how I will read. 

Green thumb

My friend Chris owns a greenhouse. She opened last year, and had a great year. She has already been hard at it with many of the seeds she planted already growing. She has over 600 hanging baskets waiting to bloom. It is so exciting to go in there. I can't wait for everything to be in full bloom. It is going to look amazing. Chris also has an interest in photography, and so she and I have been trading knowledge back and forth. A couple of weeks ago, she helped me with the figure skating pictures I was taking. She handled all of the orders, and also helped with lighting and metering. I told her I would trade her hours in her greenhouse for her hours there.

On Monday I went there to help her. I got to transplant a bunch of little annuals. It was so very therapeutic. I loved having my hands in the dirt. I loved knowing that I was giving these plants the chance to continue to grow and blossom into something that is going to give someone else joy. I loved the smell of the plants, the dirt,  even the fertilizer. About half way through the day Chris asked if I wanted to work for her. I gladly accepted. I like the idea of not paying for therapy, and getting paid for it! I go back again tomorrow. I planted close to 60 hanging baskets today, and I think I am going to do at least that much tomorrow. And I am excited.

the plan was awesome

just an update on how yummy supper was....
It will definitely be going on the supper rotation!
That is all.
:)