The Stare-Down.

There you have it. A particular scenario which is fairly commonplace at our house.

More commonplace than I'd like to admit, actually.

The wordless language of communication between sisters. The silent battle of smirks and stares.

The Older, having just shared some intelligent, far-fetched piece of pertinent information, is obviously not impressed by the jovial response of the Younger.

Captured in the picture above is the definitive difference in their personalities. Serious and informed vs. family clown, with ne'er-a-care-in-the-world.

Interestingly enough, both apples grew from the same tree.

Amazing, isn't it?

Summer Surprise.

I don't know about where you live, but where I live we've had nothing but rain, rain and more rain. There's not much sign of Summer. These chilly, cloudy days are dragging on too long. Even if you're not a pessimist like me, I think this weather would bring out the pessimistic side in just about anybody.

On the flip side of this dreary coin, and to the optimist who is my husband, the grass is green and growing. Really green and growing. The pink blossoms have popped out on our apple trees and despite our back yard being pretty soggy, it looks rather lush and healthy.

But with this cold Spring we've had, I'm sure the fruit season here will be way behind. (Sorry. The pessimist in me wrote that.) I guess apple pie at Christmas will be just fine. (I think that was my realistic side.)

Outdoor play has been pretty limited too. But this week the girls and their buddies needed some outside fun. Look at them. All smiles. They certainly don't seem to feel the cold like I do.

Blonde friends. Bike friends. Best friends.

Front yard camping. One way to stay dry outdoors!

Or the alternative is to stay inside.

Bake with mom.

Enjoy summer and winter together.

With a warm chocolate banana muffin and a glass of cold milk.

May 14th means there's six more weeks of school. Real and unreal at the same time. Real in that I am really looking forward to the break. Unreal that this school year is almost concluded. Really, where did it go?

Which takes us to Summer. And where to spend our vacation.

With neither Nicaragua nor Ireland being on our agenda this year, we decided to book a surprise trip to a destination where three of us had not been before. Here are the girlies, receiving the breaking news.

Woo hoo! Disneyland! You can see that Miss Alana, ever the Smart One, kinda figures it all out part-way through. And funny moment when Kayleigh the Patient Sidekick gets whacked in the head. But I think you can tell they are pretty excited about this trip!

Enjoy the video. Because is took almost all day to upload it.

And I sure hope our five days in the California sunshine won't be the only summer we get this year!

Canucks Frenzy.

Well, we've moved on from the excitement and thrill of the Royal Wedding. The newlyweds now appear to be living a quiet existence, after more than a billion viewers watched them walk the aisle at the Abbey just over a week ago.

Sharp contrast to the handful of locals who watched Kate last Friday walking the aisle at the Waitrose grocery store in Anglesey.

She looked every bit like one of the them.

Black pumps. Skinny jeans. White V-neck.

Well, I must say it's the first time I've ever seen a Duchess pushing a shopping cart.

Good on ya, Katie!


Now we have a new TV focus. Hello Stanley Cup. Hockey Play-Offs. And most of these games, especially those involving the Canucks, are dominating our telly.

For some of our clan, this is a monumental event. A time when it's pretty much considered a cardinal offence to miss even a minute of a televised Canucks game.

Me? Well, I may be Canadian, but I'm not really an avid hockey fan. Just sort of caught up in the thrill of it all.

Which of late hasn't been so thrilling, has it?

I would say, though, that if you're intending to see any of our beloved VanCans score a goal this season, you won't want to miss a millisecond of game viewing.

At the rate they're getting that puck into the net... be sure to take your pee-breaks during intermission.

One thing is true.

Alana and Kayleigh are much more informed on many aspects of this topic of Hockeyology than me. Embarrassing.

Hooking, holding, hand passing? I honestly can't tell the difference when it comes to hockey offenses. I recognize that a player is punished for breaking rules. Fair enough. It's all relative. I operate on that principle with my players too. Heehee.

But as much as I detest dealing with bad behaviour in my domain, I actually quite enjoy seeing it happen on the ice. The bad boys are sent to the Penalty Box. Zoom in on Sully and Force. The notorious Green Men.

And aren't they comicial, with their fan handstands, funny signs and wacky attempts to engage the opposition in the Penalty Box.

Ugly lycrasuits? Yup.

But innovative humour? Absolutely!


Here's another entertaining aspect... Mr Highlight of the Coaches Corner.

I usually like to tune in for Don and Ron. Not that I'm the least bit interested in their hockey opinion, but I do like to see what is the latest and greatest in the land of Don Cherry Suits. Nothing says Gerber Daisies like the ensemble in the photo above. What daises have to do with hockey I have no idea, but I can count on a chuckle from those get-ups. Every time!

But aside from all the Play-Offs Funnies, I'm kinda hoping the Canucks pull through. They need one more win against those Predators to get them to the next round. Can they do it?

Maybe tonight's game will prove they can.

Royal Wedding.

April twenty-ninth, two thousand eleven. A celebratory event in British history. The much-anticipated Royal Wedding of the century. Enter Wills and Kate.


Now, post nuptials, they will be officially known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Wills. Born a prince. Grandson of the Queen. Second in line to the throne of England.

Kate. Born a commoner. Humble descendant of a working class coal-mining family.

But in this official wedding photo you would never know. They make a picture-perfect pair. Regal and royal-looking as can be. Simple and striking at the same time.




I was bent and determined to catch every minute of the live coverage being aired on our west coast of Canada. So the alarm was set for 0100 hours. I know. One o'clock in the morning. You'd think Wills and Kate would have taken us westies into consideration and, for our sleeping-in benefit, might at least have had the ceremony commence a couple of hours later.

Oh well. Maybe Harry and Pippa will be a little more compassionate.

Kidding.

I honestly wouldn't have missed this event for anything. The groom looked dashing in his Irish Guard uniform. The bride ravishing in her luxurious dress, so sophisticated yet so simple. And for what my opinion's worth, I thought it was an unexpectedly modest gown. Except maybe for the, eh, rather plunging neckline. Miss Pippa's frock seemingly suffered the same deficit. But really. Reflecting on what might have been... the dress was perfect.

And oh, but I loved the endless hours of entertainment... commentators gossiping on all that fashion and finery brought together in one place.

The Queen looked her typical sombre self. Didn't smile much, despite that cheery, daffodil enssemble. HRH Mellow Yellow.

Blinding brooch. Ah-ooh.

And did you see those beady eyes give the dazzling bride the royal go-over! A condescending head-to-toe if ever I saw one! Ever-composed Kate didn't even flinch. Go, girl.

For an 85-year-old lady, though, she looked mighty swell.

As did the dapper Duke of Edinburgh, although it seemed he was challenged with gravity as he climbed into the coach, post-ceremony.

Did you catch that?!

Camilla. Perhaps for the first time in my life, I felt a little sorry for this stepmother to the groom-of-the-hour. Her presence accentuated the absence of Diana, and perhaps ignited some awkward memories for Camilla.

But she looked every bit the part, linked on the arm of her Prince. Then again, unbeknownst to the vast majority, she's had years of practice linking herself to him. No small wonder they look so comfortable with each other.

Two questions for Victoria Beckham.

One. How in the world did that fascinator of yours stay in place?

And two. Can you smile, lady? At all?

You'd look mighty more complimentary beside that handsome husband of yours.

Sour Puss Posh.


And oh those adorning fascinators! Absolutely fascinating, to say the least. Subtle and sophisticated. Brilliant and brash. This wedding of the year definitely showed off the world's best and worst of accessorizing!
 
I'm sure I haven't seen them all, but here's my TFW. Top Five Worst.
 

What was she thinking? Maybe she wasn't thinking. But I'm thinking she looks totally freaky... the overstimulating octopus bow and the ghastly goth eyes. She needs help. Somebody please help her.

Loud, loud, loud. Look, look, look. Fresh from the garden with a peony bush blooming right out of my turban. At least the lipstick blended.

These two socialites were definitely in the market for turning heads. With these get-ups, I'm pretty sure they achieved the one thing they set out to do. New nose, or no new nose. They turned heads.

Flowers? Feathers? Guess being a princess, it's difficult to decide. But she clearly decided to match the big sister with her goth look. Ugh.

I couldn't help but notice the irony of the ceremony. The reverent scriptural reading of verses from Romans 12, but how much of it actually rang true with those guests? The Bishop of London and his mantra about love and self-love, and how the more we give of self, the richer we are in soul. Huh?

The whole show, of course, generated some interesting input from the girls.

Of the Archishop...
           "Whaaaat is he wearing?"

On Harry, removing his hat at the entrance to the Abbey...
          "Uh-oh. I think he forgot to do his hair."

On Prince Charles...
          "Wow. He's pretty ugly. Does he know that?"

As Harry checked out the bride coming down the aisle...
          "He's gonna get in big trouble. I don't think he's supposed to be peeking."

During the ceremony...
          "Why didn't Kate give William a ring? Did hers cost too much?"

Of the Bishop of London...
          "Sigh. Mom. I didn't understand a single word he just said."

Of the guests stammering through the hymns...
          "How come those people don't know the words?"

Of the choir boys...
          "Do they like wearing those frilly costumes?"

Of Harry chatting up Pippa on the balcony...
          "Hope his girlfriend's not watching. She's gonna be mad if she is."

To be honest, I think Harry was flirting with Pippa. Just sayin'. He sure looked like he was enjoying her company, anyway.

We were tired the next day, but the whole experience was well-worth losing a night's sleep over. We shared in a moment of history that the girlies will probably remember for a long time.

Easter Weekend.

Our Easter weekend was likely spent very different from most.

No spring gardening for us. No easter egg hunts.

Just three full days of Bible Conference. I was challenged again on living my life for the Lord. Sang praises of thanksgiving for a risen Saviour. Enjoyed the solemn gospel messages and appreciated my salvation anew. Listened intently to scriptural intrepretations from Ephesians 1 and 2.

Indeed. And I'm still wondering if I'm any the wiser. Elect? Maybe. Chosen? Maybe.

But saved? Absolutely! This I know for sure! Because of a moment in time when I realized that I was a sinner, and in faith simply accepted the Lord Jesus as my Saviour, I know I am going to heaven. The Word of God says,

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Acts 16:32

Are you saved? Can you say that you know for sure?

My weekend was also filled with family and friends. A surprise visit from Allison. Home for a few days from Nicaragua to visit her ailing grandmother. Although sorry for her sadness, I was delighted for the lovely daughter-in-law hugs that came my way. I also got to catch up with some faraway friends that I haven't seen in a long time. L.o.n.g. time. Welcomed the latest newborns too, with their cooing and smiling that melted my heart. A few folks, I also noticed, were sporting some new grey hairs. And wrinkles too. Oh, don't worry. Because I'm pretty sure my abundance of both didn't go unnoticed.

Enjoy our collage of memories from Easter 2011.

Hello Again.

Been gone from here. For a while.

Sorry.

Guess life got a little busy. An unexpected deluge of running hither and yon, slowly crossing off items on my never-ending To-Do list... on which, I reluctantly confess, blogging appears to be ranked mighty low. Huh. Who would've thought?!

Too much stuff swirling in my head has put me in a tizzy.

I know that. Because one morning when I was warming up my coffee, I put the mug in the fridge and the half-and-half in the microwave. Thank goodness I caught myself before I took a swig of steamed Creamo.

Maria, do they sell Creamo in CT yet?

But, I think at this point, I'm gingerly crawling out of the tunnel. So, here's a few sane updates from the last few days.

1. Supper at the Olive Garden.

Failing, after several attempts, to acquire a babysitter for last Friday night, Stew and I concluded that we'd have to take the little ladies along with us on our dinner date to the Olive Garden. So much for uninterrupted conversation.

But, mmmm, how I love that place. Been forever and a day since I've eaten there. And boy, have I missed those warm, garlic breadsticks, and crunchy vinaigrette salad. And the tingle-your-tongue Chicken Marsala. Yum. Eee.

This was a first for the girlies at the Olive Garden, where the food definitely seemed to tickle their palates. And besides revelling in the excitement of a new dining experience, I think they thoroughly enjoyed getting in on Mom's and Dad's "dinner date".

Haha. I say, give them a few years.

2. Les Trois Petits Cochons.

The AIM French program seems to be a huge success at school. Amazes me how the girls can so easily memorize words and phrases with perfect pronounciation, while Mama here, even after six years of school French, can barely recall one tenth of what I once knew! A few words are slowly digging themselves out of the deep recesses of my memory, though, thanks to Histoires En Action regularly booming from my laptop.

We went to see Miss Alana who, alongside some of her co-Grade-4s, performed their French version of The Three Little Pigs. What awesome talent! So proud of you all! Truly "fantastique"!

With all the huffing and puffing, though, I was convinced they were going to serve the audience some delicious French cake at the end of the show.

Turns out I was mistaken.

Apparently, "je vais souffler votre maison" does not mean "soufflé on the house".

3. Spring is teasing us.

Last few days have been bright and sunny. Still enduring a few of those April Showers, but the May Flowers are gracing us with their presence. And gently lifting our droopy, wintered spirits.

Snapped this picture of the little ladies this morning on school premises.

Don't you love these cherry blossom trees? We anxiously wait for them to bloom every year, and their bountiful splendor never disappoints us. Wedding trees, we call them, and relish in their short-lived beauty.

SB. Day 10.

Sad to report, SB Day 10 did not materialize. Oh the day and the date came and went, yes, but so far as Fun Activities for Spring Break? Didn't happen.

Disobedience on the previous evening meant that both priveleges were forfeited. Shame. No bus ride to the mall. No lunch at the restaurant.

Wasn't like I didn't warn them.

But they sure were miffed with me. Drove me crazy all day Friday.

"Mom, I'm bored."
"Mom, can we please go to the mall on the bus?"
"Mom, I'm hungry."
"Mom, there's nothin' to do."

But they were left with their own imaginations, because I had plenty to do. Began by decluttering our walk-in closet. Filled a garbage bag full of unwanted clothing and a second garbage bag full of junk. Washed down the walls and the baseboard trim. Reorganized my existing garment collection. Then I invaded the bedroom. Repositioned the furniture. Looks nice, differently arranged. Even Stew was pleased with it. Just hope I don't get up from my beauty sleep one of these nights and mistake the dresser for the bathroom door.

Monday the girls go back to school.

I have one more day, this one ALL to myself, before I return to work on Tuesday

But the laundry is calling. The washer woman's work around here is never done.

SB. Day 9.

We set off this morning, ecstatic and giddy, arriving at our first destination by 10:00 o'clock. ChuckeCheese. Girls love that place... me? Not so much. But when we got there, for once the restaurant was next to empty, which meant there was no din (yay for me) and there were no line-ups (yay for the girls).

  

Then the golden coins ran out. Sigh.

So we moved on, choosing to eat our mid-day meal at the Golden Arches.

Moving on again, we checked in to Go Bananas. Girls were immediately off and running. I bought myself a Seattle's Best, found a nice quiet corner, and settled in to read my book. Finished it too!

By then the girls were damp and sweaty, and definitely shower-worthy. So we headed home.

I did a review of today's spending... look at this:

dropped $22 here...



and $10 here...



and $16 here.









Whoa. I think I just blew the budget!

SB. Day 8.

Day 8 of Spring Break. Already. Wow.

Our day: a sleep-over, followed by a morning-long playdate; pizza for lunch; bouncing with friends on the trampoline; a walk to the duck pond; slurpies from the corner store.

They have the life, those girlies. Such a good life.

Their Mama has a good life too. So many blessings. Which, as reminded recently by a sweet friend, need to be counted, not merely acknowledged. I am thankful. And continually counting.

Jonah chapter two was a bit of a challenging read this afternoon. The prophet praying in the belly of the great fish. Weeds wrapped around his head. Feeling like he was in prison. But as soon as he confessed that "salvation is of the Lord", God spoke to the fish and Jonah was vomited onto dry land. And as soon as we confess our sin and realize that God is the only One who can save us, He will.

No theological input today from the little ladies.

No pictures today, either. I left the camera in the van. Which spent the day at the office.

Tomorrow, however, the vehicle, the Canon, the girlies and I plan to be out and about.

Stay tuned for our Day 9 update!

SB. Day 7.

The discovery was made this morning that the girls have been "peeking" at the Fun Activities board. Little monkeys. But I guess at their age I'd probably have been up to the same sort of monkey business.

Today, compared to yesterday with all its cleaning and chores, was a fun day. We had an early lunch at Timmy's, where rolling up the rims was almost as exciting as drinking the hot chocolate itself. Miss Pris won herself a free coffee. Miss Lannie and I... nada.

Then we met up with some friends at the Wave Pool for a two-hour soak.

And yes, I had to don a swimsuit.
I know. Not my idea of public attire.
Mad dashes were made to and from the change rooms.
And the water and the waves helped to hide a multitude of sins.

But I did it for the sake of the kids, seven in all, who had a blast, running back and forth between the waterslides and the wave pool. My feeble attempt at photographing these excited and energetic creatures failed miserably. Hence the lack of pictures. But I'd say fun was had by all. Even the fat lady in the swimsuit, hiding in the pool.

I decided that, as well as doing fun activities with the girls, we could maybe read through the book of Jonah together. So we began this morning, reading through the first chapter, then discussing what we could learn from Jonah trying to run away from God. He wanted to hide because he disobeyed, didn't he? Thought the men on the ship would never know what he was up to. But God exposed him. And weren't the two little girlies in our house trying to hide the fact that they were peeking on the Activity Sheet? Aye-yi-yi. Disobedience, just like Jonah. Be sure your sin will find you out.

Then I tried to recall the song I was taught as a little girl about Jonah running away. Of course, I could only remember the chorus. I think it goes something like this:

"Run away, run away! Oh poor Jonah, you can never run away!
You'll be lost without a doubt, and your sin will find you out,
Oh poor Jonah, you can never run away!"

Little sister, if you know the words from the verses, email them to me. Pretty please.

There were also some interesting interpretations from our reading in chapter one. Pretty sure you won't find these in any of the expositional books written by well-respected Bible theologians.

"Casting lots" means to throw lots and lots of things into the water.
"A tempest" is the guy who owns the temple.

There you go. Hope you had a little laugh for the day.