Chemical Pie

I made a 'mock apple' pie today.  I am officially the anti-June Cleaver.  It's all David's fault, really, because he said he'd made one once and that it actually tasted like apple pie.

It couldn't be true that this weird concoction of ingredients that included Ritz crackers, cream of tartar and sugar would somehow become 'apple pie'.  Anyway, I made it.  It doesn't LOOK like apple pie, but strangely it does taste quite a bit like it.  If you can get over the sensation of eating Ritz crackers soaked in syrup.

I'm not posting the link.  Google 'Chemical Pie' and 'All Recipes' yourself.  It's just too close to a sign of the apocalypse for me.

Now if you're thinking "Good heavens, Amy!  Chemical Pie?  Do you not have any groceries, woman?"  then it might not surprise you to know that today's big outing was to Le Grocery Store.  I was trying to stick to my list, but got so easily sidetracked by such things as a giant vat of pickled beef navels (did not buy), and pre-made chocolate cookie dough on sale (did buy).  I always seem to spend about $50 when I go to the store regardless of what I get; I wonder why this is?  I just sort of wander through the aisles looking at stuff, partially because a childless outing is a Really Big Deal for me, and partially because I already know what I need to buy because I buy pretty much the same type of stuff over and over again.  I always buy canned tomatoes.  I always buy fruit.  I always buy sour cream.  Etc.

Maybe I'm predictable?

It's only taken me two and a half years to realize that if I go grocery shopping, and then I arrive home and it's supper time but I have not prepared supper, life goes down the toilet quite briskly.  So today I made a pot roast in the slow cooker so that I could just come home, cheerily call out "come to the table, my dearest ones!" and eat.  In my dreams.  In reality supper is rather like feeding a zoo over here.  I did get to eat the pot roast and vegetables, but only after nursing the baby to sleep, fielding a phone call, and nursing the baby back to sleep.

And tomorrow is a pot luck at the church.  My intention had been to make a key lime pie.  But I'm sick and I'm grouchy and tired.  I want to sit on the sofa with my husband and drink a lot of tea and grouse about stuff and then go to bed.  So instead I'm making cookies and calling it even; sometimes you're the baseball and sometimes you're the bat, you know?

Anyway, I'm going to go drink that tea.  And have myself a pickled beef navel.  Just kidding.

Walking in the rain

 It was a rainy, cool day today.  The first of four such days if you believe the local weatherman.

Seeing as it was David's first day off in, oh, over a week surely, we had a family walk planned.  Unfortunately, I woke up sick, Clara woke up tired, and David woke up regreting that he'd tried to break in brand new shoes 'all at once'.

One thing about life with a toddler, however, is that no matter how sick, tired, or otherwise miserable you may be...you're up to bat.

 I tried to think of where I could bring Samuel that would A) be quiet enough that my ears wouldn't hurt and B) wear him out.  We opted for the nature trail that runs through our town.

Despite the weather, out we went.  And we had a nice time.  Samuel was tired out by the end of it, and we must have looked just awful coming out of the trail because a complete stranger stopped to offer us a lift home in the pouring rain.

 The trees were starting to turn, the river was swollen, and we had the sort of lengthly discussions a sick adult has with a 2 year old.  Mostly about why there weren't any raspberries anymore and 'what's that noise?'.

 The wildlife didn't disappoint.  There were several red squirrels, a bright yellow slug, a bluebird, and a lot of other birdsong we couldn't identify.  And we saw a duck.  Quite the successful animal-spotting walk.

We started at marker number four and made it to marker number eight. I think that each marker indicated a half a kilometre, which means we did a four kilometre walk - or five kilometres if you count the walk to and from the trail

It was good exercise, and despite being sick, I didn't mind it.  I'm grateful, however, to be home again.



Rainy days

We all got dressed and went for a rainy-day walk. 

Boots on.



Mama, you are so slow.

 

I'm waiting.

But, in the end, there was ice cream.

A Tea Party Themed Shower

Yesterday I had the joy of helping to decorate for my friend Deborah's baby shower.  A mutual friend of ours was hosting, and she chose the 'tea party' theme, and I agreed to make hanging decorations and centrepieces for the tables...and then completely forgot to bring my camera with me so shamelessly ripped off Deborah's Facebook photos of the whole deal.

Trying a dry run at home the night before setting up for the party.



Purple flowers inside the teacups!



A nice shot of the table.  The teacup centrepieces stacked very well.



Mini-marshmallows covered in pink, purple and green icing dots.





A very easy ceiling decoration to tie in with the colour scheme.

The party was a surprise, and even though all I did was make some tissue paper hanging flowers and some teacup-themed centrepieces, (and compared to what some of the girls did, that was nothing) I really had a great time helping out.  I got off easy since I'm pregnant, but I'm looking forward to helping with the next shower.

A field trip in which I feel huge.

I haven't been to the theatre in years, but I got a chance to go with my friend Laura this past Wed. to see Joyful Noise.  The company was great, but the theatre manager told me I was the 'first Mom in months to ask for REAL butter on their popcorn'.  Wow.  Really?  I mean, first of all, who SAYS THAT TO A HUGELY PREGNANT WOMAN?  And second, well, do I need a second?  It's all her fault I ate the family pack of m&ms

Daddy takes Samuel to visit a tank!

Lilacs

The glory of the 'after-dinner stroll'.  A tradition that I, personally, think is highly under rated!

A lunch date

Here's a good way to not get invited out to lunch.  First: bring a toddler.  Second: watch as your toddler eats all of the cheese on the table...

 Third:  see the sad toddler, sans cheese, awaiting your pity.  "Alas, Mother, I am without cheese!"

A June 1st trip to the park

Mothers, the season of dirt is upon us.