Wherever I lay my hat......

(thought I published this yesterday but obviously didn't)

Friday

There were no mice in the traps this morning and no sign of them eating anything.   Although they would have a job now, everything is packed in hard plastic or tins! Ah ha!

Last night Huffle took Fraser the Christmas tree out to the roadside to be collected in the morning.  He was gone by the time we got up.  Then, before breakfast, before coffee, Moo and I moved the recycling and rubbish out to be collected.  I wore my dressing gown and snow boots (I had just had a shower) and my hair froze.  He he, Brenda did try to tell me that would happen.  Luckily it didn't break off!!

 

Moo and I decided we were having a day out today.  We dropped the kids at school at the Peck and Squeal (you are allowed to drive into the school grounds, stop the car, kiss (peck) your child, they jump out and go to the playground and you drive (squeal) off.  However because we had Smallest and he's not big enough to be Peck and Squeaked, Moo had to jump out with them and escort them to the right place while I parked the car.  All this because we were a little late.  Monday they are on the school bus.

So Moo and I drove to a nearby lake - the idea being that we would walk around it and then go to the cafe which just happens to make beautiful Belgium chocolates too.  When we found it the lake was frozen, the air was frozen and we were frozen so we went straight to the cafe first.  A woman poked her head out and said "did you want something? I'm not open till February".

We had a quick look at the lake and then got back in the car and went to a nearby town.  We found a lovely little cafe where we had coffee and a cheesy, herby, garlicky scone which was just out of oven - yum yum.

Then we poddled around a few shops, just browsing and window shopping.  Half way down the street and Moo realised she had lost her hat (she has a habit of doing this - she lost one in Italy on holiday last year too) so we walked back and went into the last shop we went in, it wasn't there, we went into the cafe, it wasn't there.  We walked back along the way we walked and it was sitting on a window ledge looking all forlorn.  Silly Moo.

There weren't too many shops to look at and there weren't any more cafes and it was even colder so we decided to come home and make dinner.

A few days ago I bought a lovely magazine which was £4.99, when I got it home I realised I had paid $13 for it.  Now it was good but not that good.  So I saved the receipt and resisted opening the cellophane and we took it back today on the way, also a top I bought for Small because I saw the one he loves most but instead of buying one with a different picture on the front, I bought exactly the same one.  DOH!  While I was there I bought some baubles and Christmas lights for next Christmas -75% off.  Bargain!

We skyped The DotDot family and got to see the new baby.  Aww he's so little.  Only 5 and a bit pounds!  Bless, he was asleep all the time we talked.  LizzieDotDot told us that they had JUST received the letters we sent in the first week we got here,  nearly two months ago.  So if anyone is waiting for a letter from me.  Pease don't hold your breath.  Obviously the pigeons fly slowly here.

We made Beef Lasagne and Vegetable Lasagne and then went and picked the boys up from school.  When we got home we played in the garden.  Brrrrrr it was freezing.

Cheers

 Small and Smallest sledging - it was really bumpy and icy

 A nice one of Moo, colour co-ordinated and smiley and her hair is just right - so she allowed me to add it

 Whoops Smallest fell off

Now this is me.  It hurt my bum and it was cold.  Not my favourite thing to do today!

 

For school the boys are supposed to read for 15 minutes, twenty times a month in order to get a ribbon in assembley (Smallest was worried they would make him put it in his hair but I explained it was just an award.  Anyway, Small started reading one of his library books and smallest asked Moo to read him Nemo (not an easy book to read because it is in cartoon form with speech bubbles - horrible), but she persevered and read loads of it.  After a while, Smallest looked up at her and said "is it fifteen minutes yet?" when we said it had been at least that, he said "oh good" and ran away!  Very funny. 

Yahoo text me earlier today and asked if I could clarify why my baking skills are any different here in Canada to the UK, she asked if it was because of the time difference.  He he. She is funny.  Well I wish I knew.  It could be the different flours, sugars, temperature of ovens, the fact that I am used to a fan oven and this one here is an electric.  It could be the baking powder or baking soda.  It could be the butter or margarine.  I have no idea.  I will just have to keep practising.

Just had a lovely glass of wine from Mr Pickle and his lovely wife Mrs Gator (happy with these names now you too?) with our lasagne.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.