spoiled rotten

Dandelion root if you just weed by pulling the head off...like I do!

felt ball and pom pom flowers made by the kids and I for my Mom

Ava creating one of MANY snack plates

the dinner fort

not a happy dinner fort diner.... he requested bed shortly after this pic

many many games of old maid were played

We had an amazing weekend.  Re-sod the backyard (a project planned before our challenge started), visited with family and friends and enjoyed a cold rainy mother's day.

I would like nothing more than to write a sentimental and meaningful post about motherhood and how much it means to me, but to be honest, I don't think I could do the topic justice.  

What I do know is that I love this little family of mine so much, and today, they showered with me with love and handmade projects to show me how much I mean to them.  The kids scurried around me all day, fetching things and giving me cuddles and whispering.  I love the whispers of outrageous plans and details I'm not meant to hear.  

With the exception of picking up some "very important" food supplies from the grocery store, Sri and the kids made me gifts from what we had around the house. A collage using magazine pictures, a really catchy song they recorded on the computer...im trying to figure out how to make it my ringtone..., they made a blanket fort to eat a snack plate dinner of all of my favourite foods.... sushi, swedish berries and guacamole.... a unique combination to say the least.  I went to bed very happy but with a bit of a stomach ache.  

I am so lucky.  I hit the lottery with this family and now I just need to remember that at 8:15am when I'm already on my last nerve, someone spills their milk, I step on a Lego piece and the dog pukes on the floor (or something like that).

We did it!

We did it!!! Aside from necessary weekly groceries, Ava's yoga class and a church donation we did not spend a cent this weekend. I am very very proud of us!  

This weekend we...

                             :: harvested a delicious bunch of chives growing in our backyard

 :: foraged for onion tops growing through our neighbours fence...oooh very adventurous

 :: babysat my niece Layla and measured everything in sight.  Anthony measured everything"4-8-9" and insisted that I write it down...EVERY TIME!

:: made our mark at the Green Cottage...one of the many stops on our Doors Open Hamilton 2013 tour

                                     :: received TWO FREE strawberry plants for our garden

 :: watched a salsa class taking place at the Worker's Arts and Heritage Centre.   It sounds like they have a ton of interesting classes there.  Steel drums here I come!

::  a local photographer taking some pics of the kids at Doors Open.  Having kids pose for pictures always has such random and awkward results.  

:: we spent a lot of time staring at this!  

                                            :: started top-secret mother's day projects

 :: ate a lot of parmesan popcorn. I'm not sure the daily recommended dose of such a treat but we far exceeded it Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

While there were some moments that I could have benefited from some major retail therapy or a portuguese custard tart this weekend on the whole I loved not buying anything.

I found that it made being out and about with the kids much less stressful.  I didn't have to argue about whether they could buy something or not.  The answer was always no and I found that they caught on very quickly.   We also enjoyed taking our time with each thing we did because we were not rushing to see what we were going to "get" next.  The pressure was OFF!

This week coming up is a busy one for us, one where I would usually need a take out meal to help me keep up.  I'm excited to start planning so we can get through it unscathed.