SHAZAM

No school for the boys today as it is P.A. day. Not quite sure what this is but I know the teachers are still in school but all the kids aren't. Like a teacher training day?
So, with no kids to get ready for school, I decided to have a lie in. Ooh lovely. Huffle obviously woke me getting up early and leaving 'the big light' on in the bedroom, forgetting that I didn't need to get up! But I asked him to turn it off (heard him muttering oooooh maaaaaan when he remembered it was no school day!) and I snuggled back up under the quilt and lovely cosy blanket. Aahhhhhhhh.
Finally got up about 8, remembering that it was bin day. Arrrggggghhhhhhhhh. Ran downstairs, put my dressing gown on, followed by my coat followed by my snow boots. I would take a photo but honestly you wouldn't believe a lady (ahem) like me would be seen dead outside her house wearing snow boots, PJ's, dressing gown and snow coat!!! To cap it all it was raining. The drive looked clear so off I headed to the road to take three bin bags, one compost bin and two recycling boxes (three trips). The drive was treacherously slippy. Now I thought clearing the drive of snow yesterday would stop it being icy, but the parts we cleared were really icy and the bits we left weren't. Am I going about this all the wrong way round?
I ran around the drive chucking salt all over it (with bear hands) hoping it would all melt before I had to go out to take my car to the garage! My hands froze, the salt got into little cuts. Bloomin' country!
By the time I was in the warm, eating breakfast, the snow had started. Great big settling blizzarding snow.
I went back out and cleared the windscreen. It was about a centimetre thick with ice. Took some doing. The salt had been completely covered with snow. Aaaaarrrrggggggghhhhhhhhh.
Off we went to the garage, driving very carefully because the snow plough comes along at 5am not in the middle of the day. We got to the garage, left the car and walked to Tim Horton's across a housing estate and a construction site and then a really busy road. We were cold and wet but we had fun along the way, making new footprints and following the leaders' footprints. It took us about 30 mins. No-one here would think of walking there, which is why there aren't many paths along that route!

Fresh new footsteps

Follow the leader

More new steps

We had a little something to give us energy to get back, got warm and then out we went again.

A cinnamon frosted bun

Chocolate chunk cookie

This time it wasn't fun! It was really icy cold. The snow was blizzarding horizontally into our faces and it felt like grit in your eye and your cheeks. Small kept lagging behind and going too close to the road, I ended up screaming at them like a fish wife (not normal Honestly!!). It was not a pleasant trip back.

Still on the Elf theme - my feet!

Then it was back home, changed into to warm dry clothes, lunch. Moo skyped. She had been to visit LizzieDotDot and they had been to my favourite coffee shop back home. Sniff sniff, so sad, so jealous. I had an email from LizzieDotDot today saying she had a lovely time with Moo and thanking me for my parcel I sent. She sent a picture of Baby Bernard wearing the hat I knitted for him. (see the pompom isn't bigger than his head!!)

The gorgeous, Beautiful Baby Bernard (that's not his real name btw, you may have noticed everyone has a different name on this blog, but Bernard is the name he was given when he was inside LizzieDotDots tummy, so Bernard he will always be, ahhhhhhhhhhh)
Moo was also trying to work out dates for her next trip. We realised that here the Summer holidays are ten weeks, YES TEN WEEKS long. OMG. How will I cope. Normally I would fill my holidays up with lots of friends, trips to the park with friends, visits to family, days out with family and days out with friends. OMG. After the way the boys have been this morning I am dreading it already!!!!!!!!!
I have to say this afternoon they have been lovely. We played ...... Wait for it....... Can you guess? .........
YES Disney Monopoly! hurray. We've not played it for, what?, two days. WOW. I won. The boys then tidied the basement and watched Ratatouille (not because it is a character from Disney Monopoly - NO!) It kept them quiet anyway while I went outside and brought back the recycling boxes and then cleared the drive and salted it again. It is horrible outside now. All slushy and wet and yucky!

Quiet little boys happily watching a film

Lovely clear drive all salted. Don't you dare snow now!!!,,,

Smallest and I made pizza for tea. We also made dough sticks but we were flinging them into the air and we dropped a few on the floor. Whoops (don't tell Small!).

My little pizza chef

The boys enjoying their pizza

We thought Mr Mouse was gone. No traps set off, nothing disturbed, no poo. But today, Huffle went to a cupboard where it used to go and found he had had a good chomp on the wrapper of the Magic Powder (maaaan we forgot to put it in another container!). Maybe he needed some magic!!!! **SHAZAM**

Happy 41st wedding anniversary to Grandma and Grandad
X X x x

Who is your President?

You're missing a Flange!

 I decided to stay in today as I was expecting a call from the man across the road 'D' to give us a quote for our Dry Walling.  The boys went off on the school bus.

I had a 20 minute workout.  I tried to do longer but I got sidetracked by blogging!  I blogged whilst on the bike.  It keeps you from wondering how long you've been on there but it also slows you down because of typing and leaving comments etc.

I booked my car in the garage.  I had a letter from Toyota saying that there may be a problem with a defective airbag which may cause a problem with a defective seatbelt.  Whatever is or is not the problem, they are going to look at it on Friday.  I think the boys are both off school then so I thought we could have a walk around for a hour (hope weather ok) while they are doing the work.

I mopped and swiffed and polished and bleached and disinfected and vacuumed until it was lunchtime.

Moo skyped me while I was having my lunch.  We had an odd conversation about ski's!!  She is also off to visit LizzieDotDot on Friday and gets to cuddle the Baby.  Awwwww that's not fair.  I want to cuddle him!

I popped over to another neighbours house today.  We met at a party after Christmas.  Lovely couple with a sweetie pie of a baby.  He asked so many questions I was exhausted when I left!   He made me laugh and she made the most amazing chocolate I have ever tasted.  It had big nuts in it and I didn't like nuts till I came here!  I wonder why?  Maybe they taste different in Canada.  Anyway, just in case he is reading this, I really like them.  No, I do really!  On the way from their house I bumped into our English neighbour and had a quick chat with him.  The bus passed by while I was there so I ran down the drive and the street and caught up with the boys.

Mrs Chappo skyped me and we had a lovely conversation about snowboarding and skiing and kids.  Skype kept cutting out for some reason - must be the inferior connection in the UK (he he he).  While talking to her there was knocking a the door.  It was 'D' to look at the dry walling (or lack of).

Mrs Chappo.  Doesn't she look happy.

Mrs Chappo (who is an expert in footprints!?!? Said this was a wolf print - oh okay thank you)

He stayed for about 1.5 hours.  'D' not the Wolf!  Lots of things need sorting correctly, like wiring, plug sockets, lights etc. But he can do it all.  We need to get better heating for the loft and it will take a lot of dry wall to cover the loft space.  While looking at the lights (pot lights) he said "you're missing a flange" at this Huffle started to giggle and he told 'D' that it meant something different in English.  It didn't deter 'D' he said it another four times.  Huffle was very childish!  He wasn't brought up to be like that was he Grandma?

Just for clarification.  In the dictionary the word means : A ring or collar

In the Urban Dictionary it means:  an undesirable lady part!  I guess you can see why he was giggling! CHILDISH!

'D' is going to come back to us with a quote.

I madeTurkey Burgers for the boys and Huffle and Lentil Veggie Burgers for me.  Yum yum.  Mine were lovely.  Huffle said his were lovely too.  The boys are having theirs tomorrow, so we'll see.

turkey burgers made using turkey, breadcrumbs, onion, salt, pepper, egg, parsley, garlic

Lentil Veggie Burgers made using onion, mushroom, lentils, sweet potato, egg, breadcrumbs, peppers.  They look burnt but they're not.  HONEST!

Everett has told us to watch a new thing on Channel Four called 15 kids and counting so we are off to see if we can find it now.  thanks Everett.

 

No we can't get a new one!

After the incessant rain had almost cleared away all the snow yesterday, and we started to see glimpses of grass, it started snowing again today.  Temperature was 1* and the snowflakes were reminiscent of the snow back home in the UK.  Lovely fluffy big flakes of snow that settled instantly.

I tried hard to take a photo that showed the snow falling.

Small went off to school.

Smallest and I lazed, laughed, tickled and danced.  Then we got ready to go out to the bank.  We have finally been paid our relocation costs.  At last!  We can now start getting the loft plaster boarded (dry walled is what we call it here).  That means I have to make friends with the neighbours across the road as there is a good handy man there who has been recommended by KP.  We have the occasional wave as our kids get on the school bus but as yet I hadn't ventured over there.  I needn't have worried.  I met the lady 'M' who was very friendly and will send her husband 'D' over in the next couple of days.  She did ask if we had experienced any problem with our Cess Pit!  She said she knew the previous owners had had problems with it but that could have been some time ago.  Oh dear!  Wonder what that is then?

On the way to the bank, Smallest and I were having a chat about being in Canada.  This is one conversation we had:-

Smallest:  do we get a new Grandma here in Canada then?

Me: of course not, we've already got one!

Smallest: but what about when we don't know her anymore?

Me: we will always know her, forever, she's your Grandma

Smallest: but we never see her. We never go round there anymore 

(we used to go round every Saturday)

Me: we do, on Skype.  And she's coming to visit us.  She will visit us now instead of us visiting her. She will come for her holidays like Moo does.

Smallest: oh I see. OK then.

Bless.  It's okay Grandma, we can keep you!  How their little minds work.  He also wanted to know if Uncle Grump was coming to live in Canada because I told him that he had just moved house.  He said he missed him and wished he would move here.

We did our banking business.  Although they are holding our cheque for five business days to check that it is legitimate! Then we went to a place that I was told had a post office in it.  However when I got there it was the right store but a different location.  So I bought some envelopes and some stamps (which only come in eights).  "but I don't know anyone here to send a letter to!" I said.  The woman looked at me and said "You're new here aren't you?" and then invited me to a pantomime that was happening in the local town in March. She was producing it and asked if I would like to bring my daughter along.  Whoops.  I said "SON, he's a boy!"  Oh yes she said, of course.  Does anyone think I need to get Smallest's hair cut?  Except you Unc Pear!!!!

We watched a movie and played with some cars and skyped HB.  Unc and Aunt Pear were there too so we had a nice chat and Smallest showed them all his cars, one by one.  I'm sure they were very pleased!

Small came home.  He won a prize for being good at school.  A small set of War Cards!  He played the game with Smallest, Smallest won and now the game has been left on the table.  Ummmmm, so if I keep winning Monopoly does that mean he won't want to play anymore???????

We refused to play Monopoly today. We needed a break!  Small was not happy!

No mouse.

Would like to mention that my dear friend Everett lost her Father last weekend.   Our thoughts are with her and her family at this sad time.  It is times like this that I really miss being home.  I am powerless to do anything but email.  

Ice Zimmer

Thought I had published again but hadn't.  Whoops.

Monday

Nothing to report today.  The boys went off to school as normal, no hiccups, no forgotten lunches, no lost gloves, just on the bus.  hurrah well done Mummy.

I made myself do a workout as I have put on weight since being here.  Silly me, I thought the stress of moving here and leaving my family and friends would make the weight fall off me.  Pah!  Never.   May need to start up running again.

It was rain rain rain all day today.  The weather was a mere 5*.  I caught up with some emails and then headed off to the local town for a food shop.  I bumped into my lovely neighbours whilst there and promised to pop round later.

I popped into Canadian Tire and bought Smallest an Ice Skating Trainer.  it's a bit like a Zimmer Frame for the ice so that he can hold onto it and then when he feels more confident he can move it away slightly and skate towards it.  Hope it works.  We might see if we can find somewhere for us both to skate when Small is at school.

When I got home I put the shopping away, had lunch and then popped round to my neighbours for a cup of tea (they are English too but have lived here for many years).  I sat and chatted with them until the school bus arrived.

Small had a present in the mail.  A flexible wrestler that he wanted for his wrestling ring.  He was very happy.

I made dinner, they ate it and then we played Monopoly.  Arrrrgggghhhhhhhh I want to play something else.  Why is it always Monopoly.  This time it was the Leicestershire version, definitely different to Disney Monopoly and Junior Monopoly!  HONEST!!

Huffle and I put a couple of curtain poles up and hung some curtains.

 

 

 

Billy Bones

We got up late ish.  I knew we were later than normal because Small was starving.  Huffle and I are aching this morning.  Arms, legs, bum, stomach, shoulders.
We had breakfast.  No snow last night.  Weather a bit windy with a temperature of around -2.

A rare moment.  Small asked if he could read to Smallest.  Yes you heard right, it was his idea.

We already decided we would have a lazy day in as we had a few Skypes to catch up on and we had a tiring day yesterday.
We skyped Grandma and found out that Uncle Grump had moved into his new house.  Brilliant, we are very pleased.  We hope him and The Chimps are very happy there.
We skyped LizzieDotDot and saw Baby.  Bomberdill, Small's best friend back home, wants to come and visit us and said he would save his money from his birthday to buy himself a passport.  Bless him.

The boys Skyping the DotDots.

The boys wrote some more letters to their friends back home.

Small writing to his friend 

Smallest writing and drawing to his friend

We skyped Moo who is already looking for flights to come back early Summer.  She visited Grandma this morning and handed out drawings from the boys and a Christmas present for Aunt Pear which we accidentally packed and brought with us.
And we were skyped by Mr & Mrs Harlow.  Which was nice.  We had a good old catch up with everyone.
Aunty A emailed and said she too wants to go snowboarding which I think we might be able to manage as long as the snow is still here in March.  We have played Junior Monopoly which is far different to Disney Monopoly.  We watched Wall-E and then made him out of Lego.  We sorted the Lego into new containers.  Huffle unpacked some more things.
Huffle and Smallest did some drawing and colouring while Small and I played with the Lego.

Huffle made a Maple Syrup Sponge.  It was yummy.  We used Cake and Pastry Flour with a bit of 'Magic Powder' (just baking powder but it really is magic!).
No mouse action last night.  Had another tip regarding catching mice from LizzieDotDot.  You have to put chocolate in a tall glass bottle and tilt it slightly.  They go, can't climb back out.  You drive them miles away and let them go.  Ummmmm, thanks but not sure about that one!  He'd probably jump out while I was driving or something.
Today we had a woodpecker on our bird feeder.  It was too quick for me to take a photo.  I'll be ready for it next time!

Four Boards and a Suntan

We had a bit of snow fall in the night.  The temperature was about -7.

The icicles hanging from our Barn

We all went out and cleared the drive.  A job well done by everyone.  Much nicer when we all do it and much easier too.
Today we decided to go snowboarding at the local slope which was only 20 minutes away.  How lucky are we?

A little practice before we go up

$20 each got us an all day pass on the nursery slopes with a Magic Carpet lift.  (a travelator up the slope) So no traipsing up the hill carrying our boards which meant we didn't waste time or energy.

Huffle, Smallest and Small

Don't fall over Small!

At first Small took to it instantly and just went off on his own with no trouble.  Smallest had trouble with cold feet and then cold hands and then got all upset because he couldn't do it.  Once I had warmed his feet up and sorted his gloves out we rode the Magic Carpet and Huffle and I took it in turns to snowboard in front of him and guide him.

Go Smallest

He did really well, had no fear and snowboarded brilliantly by himself down half of the slope.  With his confidence up he snowboarded down the slope and loved every minute of it.
We had to compete for space with lots of lessons but it wasn't too busy and the kids loved it.  Huffle and I did too.  We haven't snowboarded for ten years so it was nice to get back to it and we were over the moon the boys liked it too.
We stopped for lunch of baguette and laughing cow (our favourite Saturday lunch while out with nowhere good to eat!).

Snow Lunch

Then we changed to a different slope, still Nursery and we were off.  Small had many more goes than any of us because he just got his board on, snowboarded down and then straight back on the magic carpet and back down again. He had lots of falls and hurt his bottom but it didn't put him off.

Huffle is right at the top

Can you see him coming down

There he is

Smallest got more and more confidence and would have gone down the whole lot on his own if we had let him.  He even went over some of the jumps!

Small on the Magic Carpet

A quick stop for a chocolate break

Huffle on the Magic Carpet

Small on the Magic Carpet

Me and Smallest on the Magic Carpet

US - Top of the slope

We called it a day after about four hours and came home.  We've all got red cheeks and noses!  Have we caught the sun? Or are we snow chafed?

A tired little man

The boys had a hot bath, hot chocolate and then Huffle and Smallest went off to buy chips from the local chippy.

Chip tea with our new friend Baaaarnaby (he kept our tea cosy warm!)

We obviously ended the day with a game of Disney Monopoly.  Oh Huffle won!  And we have caught the sun.  Can you believe it?  A suntan in January in Canada.  He he he he he he.

GOOD DAY