BBQ Season Is Here

Dinner Inspiration

Part of our very diverse cookbook collection...

Pouty Face

Pink Butterfly Balloon On Steroids

Ummmm, yeah. This balloon is from J's cousin's birthday party. Fifteen days ago. It's up touching the ceiling still. What's up with that? The balloon must be super strong or maybe it's not filled with helium, anyone know?

Deer In Headlights

We missed the spring clean up at daycare because J was sick. We went up today and did our job together. J loved being there on the weekend and with just her mommy and daddy!

Play Silks

So, I took a bunch of pictures today. But they're not much fun. We cleared out the bathroom. Instead, here's a picture of Miss J, dressed in her play silks. You can't see in, but she has a baby strapped to her back too.

Elephant

J got this little elephant at a classmate's birthday. It might be paper maché and it might not...

New Dinner Recipe

As part of my 101 in 1001, I've challenged myself to try 50 new recipes and it's been going pretty well - I've found a bunch of yummy new recipes. Tonight's dinner was delicious!

Edited June 24: The post about dinner is up over there.

Forest Walk

I had lunch with a friend today - she works a ten minute walk across campus and it was a lovely day for a walk. There is a small grove of trees between her office and mine that can fool me into thinking I'm in the forest (a ten minute walk is not far on this campus - I think to go north [where my office is] to the south end of campus it probably would take 40-45 minutes at a fairly brisk pace)

Out Like A Light

Fathers' Day Art

J made Alex a special card for his special day yesterday.

Happy Day

Today we celebrated Fathers' Day and Alex's dad's birthday with a little family gathering at our house and some cake.

Some of the Smarties started sliding off, but it was still YUMMY!

Papa and his girls

Mesmerized by the candles (or maybe the Smarties)

Helping Papa blow the candles out!

Pancakes And Pancake Slumber

Miss J really wanted pancakes tonight and she had some specific shapes in mind.

After filling their bellies with pancakes, J and Alex needed a rest.

Trees

I love this part of campus...walking through it makes me happy!

A Girl And Her Daddy

With the warmer weather and the sun setting later and Alex working days, we've been walking up to meet him when he comes home. J is going to bed a bit later, but it's warm in her room and this way she gets some good daddy time too!

Ice Cream And Heartache

J was the only happy person in our house tonight...AndreaClaire came over to watch the hockey game with us and it was dismal...

And now our city is on fire.

Pink Bag

I got this bag as part of one of those promotions where you buy a special offer and get coupons. The catch is going back to redeem the coupons during the [small] window they're valid. It was a good deal. It was a company I shop at and have for years (I even shopped there when I lived in London) and all of the products are ones I'll use! Yay me! And this bag? It's perfect for our swimming stuff!

Tinkerbell

Birthday goody bags are way fancier than when I was a kid. This Pez dispenser is just one of the many little goodies J received at the party yesterday. Other loot included an Etch-A-Sketch (with a pen, not knobs), a skipping rope, other goodies, a butterfly mask, silly bands and I can't remember what else! Tink looks a little grouchy, hey?

Power Nap And Trampoline And Vanilla Yogurt

We had a busy day today - J's cousin had her third birthday party this afternoon. And it started during J's nap time. And it was a 45 minute drive away. So, I made J lie down early for her nap...which usually doesn't work.

But today it did. When I came in to wake her up, I found her on top of her caterpillar, asleep on the floor.

She had a great time at the party, especially when she discovered the trampoline and daddy agreed to be her trampoline buddy. She waited patiently for her turn. There were a lot of bigger kids who go to go first. She really didn't want to leave.

But it was worth it...after the party, we were going to visit my aunt and uncle. It turned out the party went longer than I thought it would, so we were going to grab a bite to eat, then pop in for a quick hello before rushing home, but instead we got ourselves a dinner invitation. And what a dinner it was (sorry no pictures): my uncle's friends brought over homemade manicotti, there were HUGE, butterflied garlic prawns, some lovely salmon and to J's absolute delight, thick, vanilla Greek yogurt with berries and apple strudel and cookies. I think J ate almost all the berries and pretty much all the yogurt herself.

What a great day!

Elephant Rider

We had dinner with Fiona and Jess tonight and after dinner we wandered down the street to the park. J had a great time - this elephant was definitely her friend. On the way home, she wanted to know if we could move there to be close to Fiona's park. Because it's fun. [Side note: Hanging out with F&J in their neighbourhood made me yearn for a house with a yard even more! I love their neighbourhood!]

Boo Boston

J has figured out that we don't want Boston to win the Stanley Cup (sort of...I don't think she understands the concept of the Stanley Cup yet). Tonight after the game, she stood at her bedroom window and yelled "GO CANCUKS!" and "BOO BOSTON!" to all the fans wandering past our building after the game. She's hooked...Canucks' fan for life!

Ready For The Day

J is ready for daycare, eight pony tails and all!

New Favourite Place

J's new favourite place seems to be the deck. Whenever I can't find her in the house, this is where she is. I can't wait to one day have a yard so that she can play outside properly while I make dinner!

Prepared

Alex brought the fans up from the basement...because we know the warm weather will be here soon!

Buzzing Downtown

I don't know what this picture is supposed to be. I took it. I know. I should know what it is. I just know that it was taken downtown around one o'clock and downtown was already buzzing in anticipation of tonight's hockey game...

Deck Rider

Our deck isn't at all big enough to ride a bike on, but J was anxious to get started before we left for our walk/bike ride...she loves her new bike!

Party Clothes

We're off to another birthday party today and J picked her special summer party clothes herself. I love the little shirt the most!

Too Many Choices

J and I went to the park and for a walk along the seawall after dinner tonight and I just couldn't decide which picture to choose.

J at the top of the big slide - she loved to sit at the top and bang her feet really loud to get everyone's attention before zooming down the slide with her crazy hair flying behind her.

The new almost roof on BC Place

The pond beside Charleson Park...it totally reminds me of the ponds in Hampstead Heath. Different but the same to this girl who misses her other home...

Doubly Connected

We're trying out a different internet provider's internet service...so, for the time being, we have two routers in our house...and one computer. Makes total sense. Doesn't it?

Giant Leaf

Alex has been working some day shifts lately which means he finishes work around 7:00. We have been trying to meet him on his walk home. J and I don't get very far, very quickly because we have to stop and check out all the leaves and trees and dirt and cars.