Baking with kids

Baking with my kids is always fun but not always easy.  It would be so much faster, less messy, more "perfect" if I could do it on my own.  But the kids LOVE it and so I try to put away my type A personality and go with it.  Today Lauren and I made banana bread, chocolate cookies and chocolate chip cookies…

She even had a hand in what pictures I took.  This girl has a plan in mind for everything.  

Crushing the egg seemed like a good idea… We will have to work on that.  I did get to work on my "picking shells out of cookie dough" skills though.

"I better do this, mom.  My hands are smaller than yours!"

Not perfect but made with love <3

Wordless Wednesday

Today.

I read this article today about how today's generation of kids won't have any photos in 10 years.  It got me thinking about how few pictures I have of the kids since we got a digital camera when Emily was a baby.  It's a daunting task but since today was a holiday and we had NO KIDS ACTIVITIES I sent in some of my favourite shots since James was born. At least I've started?  Here are a few of the ones that I ordered.

I guess I'm going to have to find frames/photo albums to put this pictures in.  I'm super excited to pick them up and get started :)

Reminder.

As a mom this is the hardest thing for me.  This is a reminder that I need pretty much every day.

Big Families Can't..

Big families can't have a quiet day at home.  Between swimming, hockey, and dance there is no such thing as a Saturday sleep in at our house anymore.  Even so, I thought after the activities were done for the day that we could just relax today.  And then.. Em and I decided to make a cheese cake, which only led to fighting about why everyone couldn't help (I am in desperate need of a more spacious kitchen if I ever want to keep sane while baking with all the kids!).  And then... my niece came over, because really what is the difference between 5 and 6 kids?  (Nothing for the record.)  And then... there was fighting over who should be playing with who and why they had to do homework on their long weekend.  And then... my brother-in-law came in when he was picking up his daughter and everyone had to fight over him.  Are you sensing a pattern here?

There was a lot of fighting today.  And that made me very anxious which makes me crave quiet even more.  But big families can't have a quiet day at home.  There are just too many of us!  

And as much as that makes me crazy some days.. once everyone is asleep and I am finally able to enjoy a moment of silence?  I miss the noise and the fighting and the laughing and the snuggles!  Maybe quiet days at home are overrated <3

Friday Five: favourites

This is me taking the easy way out.  It's even a long week and I'm tired so here are my five favourites <3

Inservice day!!

The kids are off school for a teacher inservice sag making this a 5 day long weekend!  The kids were begging for play dates but I really just wanted to spend the day with them.  We went swimming at the local pool and then out to India Palace for lunch.  

I don't know about you guys but I've never had to yell "stay away from the vegetables" across a restaurant.. Before today that is.  They were trying to sneak salad into their pockets as a to-go snack!  

That's the kind of thing that happens in this family, lol.  It's a fun kind of crazy.

Wordless Wednesday

100 things

Every year on New Year's Eve we write our 100 things to do this year list. At least 25% of that list never get done but we do our best.  Last year was a particularly bad year because I was so sick (and tired) all summer.  Because of that I am aiming to really do everything this year.  

Usually I get some ideas online, some are things we do every year (hello folk fest!!) and some are things that are just right inside our beautiful province.  This year all of are things are based around the road trip we are planning.  I cannot wait!! I'm also super nervous about travelling for 3 weeks with 5 children but that's probably another post altogether.. 

Here is a sneak peak at our plans.  What do you think? 

"WOW!  Waffles and eggs and hash browns for breakfast?!  This is the best day of my life since yesterday!"

That made waking up 45 minutes early this morning to make breakfast totally worth it.

I try to do that on Mondays so that the kids wake up easier and we start the week off a little better.  There is still fighting and rushing but there is always the excitement to come down to eat.  And sometimes, not very often, but sometimes we have a quiet morning.

It helps that once the big kids get on the bus and Dave leaves with Lauren that I go back to bed.  I'm starting to really enjoy Mondays ;)

Sunday Funday

Okay so it wasn't all fun, I did have to vacuum and do laundry.  But Emily and I spent the afternoon baking and making pizza.  We made one family favourite that I found in a Martha Stewart cookbook many years ago.  You can find it here.  Every time I make them I have to give half of them away so that I don't eat 20 cookies a day... I wish I was kidding.  We also tried a new recipe that I found on pinterest.  You can find it here.  Not my favourite but the kids seemed to like them... I guess that will help me not to eat 20 cookies tomorrow.  HA!

And now everyone is asleep and I'm binge watching How I Met Your Mother.  Sundays are my favourite day <3

Big families can't..

My husband and son (9 years old) are away this weekend at a hockey tournament.  Before he left Cole looked at me with his big brown puppy dog eyes (man, they are BIG!) and asked why I couldn't go with them.  I wanted to, I really did.  Not because they are going anywhere exciting, or because I particularly love hockey but because I want to be at all of the kids "things".  And I can't.  My answer to Cole, and to all the kids when they ask when I can't be at something, is that they aren't an only child.  I wouldn't change it, and I know they wouldn't either, but I really wish I didn't have to miss a thing.  This weekend the girls had things on and so I had to stay home with them.  Next month I'm taking Em to Saskatoon (with baby) for a swim meet and Dave will stay home with the rest of the kids.

Big families can't be everywhere/do everything.   I hate that.  Thank goodness for FaceTime.  I sure do miss my boys.

Friday five: top moments of the week

1. Getting back into a workout routine.  Nothing saves my sanity quite like a good run/workout.  It's hard and I don't want to get out of bed but afterwards I never regret it.  It's my one hour of peace in a day.  I haven't run since I was six months pregnant with James so I bought the couch to 5k app and started all over again.

2. Taking Cole to hockey with James.  Wednesday's are by far the busiest day of the week here with hockey before and after school for Cole, preschool and gymnastics for Lauren, basketball and swimming for Em, and volunteering at the school for hot lunch.  I've been skipping taking Cole to after school hockey since before James was born because I am just so tired by then.  He has been begging me to bring his baby brother to watch and this week I finally did.  The smile on his face as he showed James off made my whole day.

3. Baking cookies with Lauren is never easy because she is a very intense 4 year old.  You cannot trick her into busy work and you cannot try to do anything without her help.  She sure loves to bake though and we have fun doing it.  This week we made chocolate cookies with smarties, chocolate chip cookies and banana muffins.

4. Going out last night with my friend Jaime (and James of course!). I have not been out like that for months!  We had a great visit with great food.  AND I got to see some pictures from her road trip last summer!

5. Road trip planning!  we are planning a massive road trip for either this summer or next.  It's going to be crazy but I can't wait.  Thanks to Pinterest, my sister, Jaime and the Internet I have gotten so much done this week.  It will be at least a 3 week, 8000 km adventure through western Canada.  It's always nice to have something to plan in this king of weather.

First time here :)

People often ask me how I do it.  5 kids-newborn-busy sport evenings.  I know it sounds crazy, and lots of days I feel crazy, but how do I do it?  I have no idea to be honest.  Life is busy here but I wouldn't change it no matter how crazy it gets.  I guess this will just be where I write about the funny and not so funny moments of our lives.  I'm excited!

Today is not a busier day than normal, in fact the two littles and I are home for the day with no car and I have no intention of getting anything (other than a load or two of laundry done).  Our oldest, Emily (11), had swim practice at 6 am.  I took the opportunity to go for a run.  We rushed home so that she could get on there bus for school with the other kids and since then we have been reading books and snuggling in my bed.  Tonight the big 4 have activities in different places all around the same time so there will be some supper preparing and eating in the car but for now I plan to enjoy these little people and take it easy.

So, thats one way I do it.  I'm trying to multi-task when I have to be also rest when I can.  Resting (and not feeling guilty for it) is not an easy thing to do but I'm trying.  And that's all I can do.