Happy Weekend :)

We are now officially on spring break week (hmm... as per my last post, this name is not very accurate)! I am so happy- not because we are going somewhere warm- but this means ONE WEEK OF NO HOMEWORK, NO MAKING LUNCHES AND NO STRESSING IN THE MORNINGS! ;) Andreas has to work (his break was this past week) so I am staying home with the boys.... sometimes I wonder if he planned that all along ;)

Happy weekend to you all xox

Oliver is a lion!

ROAR!

Memorable February

This February has been the coldest on RECORDED HISTORY! See, I wasn't imagining it ;) Unless it becomes +40C every day, for the next few days, then this February wins the award for being the most memorable, award winning terrible month... EVER.... Well, maybe until next year ;)

Good riddance!

I will now cease my complaining because March is supposed to bring actually sane, normal temperatures.... like -10C ;)

Hope you are all warmer than us :)...... especially my friends that-are-presently-on-holiday-and-love-posting-super-lovely-warm-tropical-photos-on-Facebook ;) Love you all anyway! xox

Carnival wall

This week is the big boys' school carnival. Good thing that a lot of the activities are based on snow and ice ;) One of my favourite things that they do is the ice wall. Every child is responsible for bringing in an ice block, made from coloured water in a milk container. Some very nice volunteers come and help the children put together the wall.
This year, the wall was massive and very beautiful! Here are some pictures (from Andreas) of some very proud boys with their school's creation....

Wishing you all a relaxing evening! xox

Best purchase ever....

Well.... maybe not THE best.... but pretty close ;)
This past weekend, I got really fed up of smelly, wet gloves so, today, as a part of my procrastination routine, I searched online for glove driers. I found this one.... at Canadian Tire*, no less....

*for any non Canadian people who read this blog: Canadian Tire is an iconic hardware store that sells just about everything... from fishing rods to laundry soap to car parts to carpets to winter boots to windshield washer fluid to paint to toys to bikes to cat litter....well, you get the idea ;) Anyway, they are ALL OVER CANADA so it kind of binds us... a bit cultural... kind of like Tim Horton's (which I will save for another post)....

Back to the point of this blog: I love this thing. It is kind of like a blow drier for your gloves, leaving them dry and WARM.... this Canadian heart is loving it! So much for doing fashion posts, especially when it is hitting -35C tonight.... I'll take my MaxxDryXL (seriously, that is the name)!

Happy week to you all xox

Hello!

Fancy date night

Last night, Andreas and I went out on a date night... Making it even more special was that it was also for a good cause :) We went to the Friends for the Cure gala, which is always so well done and, rightfully, well attended! The food is simply amazing and our table company made the evening awesome... We even got to dress up and attempt to look like adults ;)

PS: Thanks must also go out to our new babysitter... we love her!

PPS: Thanks to the man who bid way above where I would have bid on that fancy coffee maker at the silent auction. Your big bid kept me from spending a bunch of money that I didn't really have (insert note: it was really an awesome coffee maker... and it was red.... just like my kitchen.... and I loved it.... but that man saved my dilemma) ;) Darn silent auctions ;)

No logic? ;)

So what does a person who is not a big fan of winter do? Most sane people would go to the mall to shop or go to the museum or library... not me! I volunteered to spend the day OUTSIDE with Alexander's school as they competed in a cross country ski race. Yes, I spend the whole day OUTSIDE ;) Actually, we were super lucky because I think that we got the only day that was above -10C... simply tropical, balmy ;) It is all relative!

We're back to the deep freeze again.... and I am longingly looking at spring fashion online..... :P

Wishing you all a great rest of the day! XOX

Getting ready to race!

Action kid!

Self portrait with skate tracks

Hanging out!

Stop the cold.... this is getting ridiculous!

It is another week of -30C weather... we're, on average, 15 degrees colder than most years (and guess what? I complained THEN... eek.... imagine NOW). I say "Stop the cold weather! I have had enough!"....
Don't let the sunshine fool you.... it means COLDER weather.... :P

PS: it was the Canadian flag's 50th birthday on the 15th.... despite the rocky acceptance to start, we stand on guard for thee....

Have a good week! Stay warm, peeps! xox

STOP the freaking cold :P

One step forward, two slides back

Don't let the sunshine fool you!

Happy 50th birthday, Canadian flag!

Necklace creations

To brighten my winter, I ordered some fantastic beads from an Etsy seller called Earth Butter Beads. The store owner, located in South Africa, hires off-season farm workers (mostly women) to help her make the beads and allowing them to supplement their incomes. You can read the story on the Earth Butter Bead Etsy site. Win/win... and win because their beads are absolutely beautiful to wear! Now, I have a new necklace that I made from these beads.... and, hopefully, they brought some warm South African weather with them ;)

**I am pretty proud of myself because I did not complain about the weather at all in this blog post... You know, I could have... and I would have felt pretty darn justified.... Stupid, super cold weather ** ;)

My new necklace!

Oops!

This is a true story: A few weekends back, I decided to hang out with the boys in the living room. They were on their tablets, which obviously meant that I was not so interesting, so I turned on the TV. My latest hidden obsession is the British series "Call the Midwife" so I figured that I could catch an episode or two before dinner. We were all happy in the living room: the boys, playing their video games and me, watching my show. Anyway, suddenly I noticed that they were no longer looking at their games, but watching the TV. It was a part where a woman was giving birth.... and all theree boys were absolutely staring at the screen.... oops.... questions to come..... am I ready for it? Darn!
Nicklas looked at me and said "Why on earth is that lady screaming so much and what is happening to her?". Me: deep breath in and getting ready to explain.... Suddenly, Oliver pipes up "Nicka, it is OK. She just pooped out a baby"..... the boys seemed grossed out but satisfied. I was off the hook ;)

Have a great Wednesday xox

Another one pooped out? haha!

Lazy Sunday

We decided to take it easy today and just enjoy each other's company..... and do lots of unfinished homework that I have been nagging about since Friday ;) There is a snowstorm going on which = a good excuse to stay indoors. A day like this rarely happens (relaxing day, snow storms seem to happen ALL THE FREAKING TIME) so it is appreciated. Cosy!

Hope you are all having a relaxing Sunday! XOX

Nicka, mad about having to do homework ;)

Oliver, loving Spider Man

Alexander, loving his faces

Spider Man has now become ski guy ;)

More homework....

Now it is Nicka's turn to make faces...

Cosy with Oliver, except that he didn't want to be in the picture ;)

My big boy!

No big win.....

.... but we played hard, had fun and now I am enjoying a well-deserved glass of wine! It was a great soccer tournament (no pictures, sorry....) and now I am looking forward to gettting back to our regular winter season!

Happy Saturday night to all! XOX

Soccer Tournament

Tomorrow, I am playing in a soccer tournament! So excited! I know that I will feel sore tomorrow evening... but it will be a good kind of sore :) Just resting up this evening and having a cosy/early night. The big boys are playing basketball so a bit of extra sleep will do us all some good :)
Wishing you all a relaxing Friday night!

I am including a summer soccer picture in honour of tomorrow.... plus it is also nice to remember grass and warm temperatures ;)

More photo spam

I have always been taught "When you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all". So, because I am absolutely cranky with winter, I will avoid complaining too much on this blog (benefits of being a blog reader = you don't have to hear me rant in person) and just post some pictures :)

Wishing you a great rest of the day!

Nicka was very impressed that this chip looked like a heart ;) I love chips?

Daycare getting ready for Valentine's Day... more hearts!

Nicka's art project.... it looks like outside... except the snowman wouldn't be smiling ;)

Oliver's colourful pine cone

Representation of how I have been feeling...

How I have been actually feeling ;)

Oliver in the car

Yes, I can see you ;)

Boys playing in our balmy -11C

Finally! We get to play outside!

Andreas and his toy ;)

Just too cold

This winter has been a real teaser: we get a few "warm-ish" days and then, bam!, super cold days follow. It has been like this all through January and it seems like February will be the same. These kinds of days are really too cold to go out and do anything :( On Monday, I think that I said some very bad words while I was walking/running from the parking lot to my work building... glad no one was around to hear that ;) Anyway, I am trying to think warm thoughts and remember the +35C days of summer- which I have to say that I definitely prefer... no complaining of the heat here ;)

Yesterday was fairly warm... only -14C/no wind.... so today should start to get colder... think warm thoughts.... think warm thoughts.... think warm thoughts.....

Have a great (warm) day! XOX

Cold Montreal

Yes, I am stopped in traffic ;)

Even our dog does not want to go outside ;)

Missing my own blog birthday!

I can't believe I missed it! On January 20, Outnumbered by Boys turned 1 year old!! Guess time flies when you are having fun :)

Thanks for being a part of the journey XOX

The past few days (photo spam) :)

On Friday, a very tired but happy boy came home from his trip :) We had a nice evening and caught up on all the adventures. Given the busy week for all, no one actually argued when it was bed time! Like usual, Saturday morning was filled with basketball (the boys) and soccer (mine). Big fun time was Nicka's birthday party in the evening: pizza, cupcakes and 2 hours of video games at a local gaming centre! Heaven for 8 year old boys :)

Today has already gone by so fast that I can tell I will be in need of another Sunday! It has been Oliver's sport day, homework for Alexander and Nicka and BIG cleaning for me (blah!). Maybe my compensation will be one of the left over cupcakes OR some fantastic Danish candies sent from a very lovely blogger ;)

Wishing you all a great rest of the weekend and a happy week ahead!

This is like gold in this home :)

Snow

More snow

Nicklas' cupcakes

The birthday boy

Wondering what game to play next ;)

Not in the mood for pictures ;)

Alexander is very excited because cupcakes are next

Can I sing and walk at the same time? ;)

He wanted a lot of candles ;)

Happy boy

Fun with friends

Showing off presents

Reading cards

Funny faces

Cosy Oliver