The best thing I've made in a while...

I have been cooking a lot. I mean A LOT!!! I am really trying to make sure what we eat here at home is nutritious, tasty and easy to make. This has taken me to trying new things - things that I have never cooked. Most things are great. I check all these websites for recipes. I really like Rachel Ray's stuff, it's easy, cheap and quick to make. Barry also stumbled across this amazing site called CHOW.COM - it's a keeper. You really need to check it out.

As for the best thing I've made in a while... I saw this recipe for pesto which I have never made, but love. In my research, I came across a recipe for beet pesto. Seeing that it's beet season, I recently bought a 5 lb bag. I am not the biggest beet lover, but I know they are good for me. I made a beet soup and still have a half a bag left. Seeing that I had nothing to lose, I made the beet pesto.

IT'S AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cook up some pasta and you have an instant meal!!!

Here's the recipe:

1 pound cooked beets, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup cilantro (or basil), 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds or toasted walnuts (I used pecans since that's what I had), salt to taste, stream in some olive oil. Mix all the ingredients in the food processor until it reaches desired consistency.

It's as easy as that. I'm sure I'll have some more recipes to share. This cooking thing - I'm really starting to like it.

A great day

Last week, we ran the Terry Fox Run at school. It was a beautiful day and there were lots of parents present. All the kids did a great job. The nice part of this story really only happened today. One of the parents who has been helping me for the past 9 years to organize it told me about a little girl in grade 1 who came up to him during the run. She told him that she was running in honor of Terry Fox and her mom, because her mom is also battling cancer. For a little 6 year old to come up to a stranger and tell him something that private blew my mind. Also this kid is so quiet, I never would have imagined she would come out with that. On top of all of this, he called her up at assembly this morning and stood in front of the whole school and everyone cheered for her. It took everything for me not to cry my eyes out!

Kids continue to surprise me each and every day. Between Evey and my kids at school, I see amazing things daily.

1 down, 36 to go

Is it wrong to count down something that just started?

School has just begun.  Week 1 has just ended.  There are 36 weeks to go before the kids leave for summer vacation.  I haven't even taught a class yet and all I'm thinking about is 36 weeks to go.

There is desention amongst the ranks at my place of work.  It all started in early July when the Elementary School Director quit.  From there it just snowballed.  There seems to be a dark cloud over the school on the hill.  It's odd.  Normally it's such a great place to work, everyone positive, happy, supportive.  Now it's a weird feeling.

That's what's got me counting the weeks.  I'm sure that once the kids come in and I start teaching my awesome classes, I'll feel better about the whole thing.  

But for now, I'll have to wait until Wednesday.  That's when I see who has grown taller than me over the summer.  Oh joy...

Bucket List (part 3)

I told you I'd add to the Bucket List.  Here another one:

• drive on the Pacific Coast Highway.  I would drive because I wouldn't trust anyone else to drive on that curvy road.  The drawback is that I won't be able to see the sights, the positive is that I won't end up in the Pacific...

Stay tuned...

Bucket List (part 2)

Okay, so while I was lying in bed last night, I thought of a few more things to add to my "To Do" list.

Here they are:

* own a house on the beach - directly on the beach.  If I look out my window, I want to see dunes or ocean.  And no one is invited.  It'll be all mine, every day, for eternity!!!  Just kidding, everyone's invited as long as you bring Bailey's (hahaha!!!!  No, I'm serious).

* visit the Florida Keys and ride one of those boats with the huge fans on the back.  They look AMAZINGLY cool and hopefully I'll see an alligator or crocodile (whatever they have in Florida).  The only drawback of this "To Do" is that I get violently ill on boats.  I'm sure I can take something for that...

That's it for now.  Stay tuned!

My Bucket List (part 1)

At 36, do I need a Bucket List?

Maybe...  Maybe I need a To Do List.

Here goes:

* visit the Eiffel Tower.  I WANT to see it during the day and at night - maybe I'll just hang out there all day and all night.  I want to just eat baguette, cheese and drink wine (at least a little) for an extended period of time.  The rest of France, I'm sure is beautiful, but it's really the Tower I want to see.

* visit the Pyramids in Egypt.  I think that the Ancient Egyptians were amazing.  I think that I would feel very small standing next to the Pyramids - everyone needs to feel small every once and a while and I'm okay with that.

* visit the Grand Canyon.  I'm not sure I'd mule down the Canyon, but I would walk down and camp for the night - that's for sure.

* see the Rocky Mountains.  Any good Canadian should see them, aye?

* shave my head.  I'm not sure that one will ever happen; I should have done it when I was younger, but maybe when I'm old and have white hair, I'll have the guts.

* help build a house with Habitat for Humanity.  

* work with Teachers without Borders.  If I could, I would take Evey along to show her how good her life is and how people who have nothing can still be happy.

* raise a dog from the puppy stage.

Long Weekend

I was looking forward to this long weekend.  Three days at home, with Evey, with Barry.

Then Barry told me he had a workshop all weekend...

And we had a dinner out with the in-laws on Friday night...

I find myself sitting here alone on a Saturday night, ranting on my blog.

I have an awesome daughter.  She doesn't fuss.  She sleeps the entire night.  She's usually in a good mood.  Last night, she was up 2 hours past her bed time due to the in-laws dinner.  I figured she'd sleep in today.  No.  I figured that she'd nap for at least 2 hours.  No.  

My patience is thin.  Thank goodness she's in bed.  I needed some time away from her.  

It's days like these that I am glad I'm back at work.  I think that it takes someone really special to stay home with their kids.  I am not one of those people.  I AM looking forward to the summer when I can spend lots of time with Evey, but I know that our days will be filled - going to the pool, visiting friends, going to the country.  I won't have to entertain her like I did for a year in the house.

The good thing about babies is that they aren't babies for long.

Everyone at work keeps asking me if it's hard to be away from her.  It's really not.  I know that she is in good hands.  I know that she is getting lots of attention, probably more than if I was home.  Why are these people asking me this question???  It's none of their freaking business... Maybe they feel guilty for not being at home, but don't put your guilt on me. 

I wish I could practice absolute honesty -  a character on a tv show called Lie to Me practices this.  So many people would hate me, but I'd feel so much better.  In Susie's perfect world...

Big steps for a little girl

Evey took her first steps without holding anyone's hand on Wednesday night.  It was so EXCITING!!!  I was laughing my head off and was so delighted!  It was completely by accident.

I was playing with her by her by a commode we keep her toys in.  I was sitting about 2 feet away. She just let go of the commode and walked right over to me!

  Then I started yelling, "Barry!  Evey walked!!!"  So we both sat down on the floor, feet to feet, and made her walk from one of us to the other.  She did it for a good 10 minutes!  She was so excited and happy (and so were we).

Then I called my mom and asked her if Evey had done that with her and she said she hadn't.  So I actually witnessed my daughter take her first steps!

Back to work!

I'm back at work.

After 1 year and about 2 1/2 months, I'm back at The Study.  

I have to say that I did have stress.  It was quite a rocky road.  First Evey was supposed to go to daycare.  I did not have a great feeling about the lady that ran the place.  She was a DITZ!!! Plus, it was 40$ a day! So Barry and I decided that we would go through the agonizing process of hiring someone to watch our daughter.  The add went in the paper and everything.  In mentioning it to my mom, she and dad had a discussion and decided that my mom would do it. MY MOM IS WATCHING EVEY!!!

No more stress!!!  Now I don't have to worry about anything.  I can concentrate on work.  

I realize how lucky I am.  I am very, very thankful to my mom.  I can never repay her for what she's doing for me or for Evey.  

As for work, it's the same old, same old.  For the next week, I have to work along side the woman that replaced me.  I don't really like that.  I get that it's all about the kids to make the transition as easy as possible.  But can't I start already???  The good thing is that people are not asking too much from me, seeing as I have a one year old at home...  That's a good thing - I don't have to stay late too often.  

So far, so good.  

I'll keep you posted.

The New Year

I've never been one who likes celebrating New Year.  In my opinion, it's just another day.  I hate it when it's a big deal...  With my eminent return to work, I am in a foul mood.  The end of my year with Evelyn is quickly coming to an end, and although I am happy to be returning to work, I am very sad to be leaving her.  Barry decided to have some friends over for supper so that put me in an even fouler mood.  Now I would have to fake being happy for the whole night. GREAT!!!  Something that I am terrible at doing.  The positive part is that my husband can cook.  He made the best prime rib I've ever had, better than The Keg.  It was awesome.  The negative part is that one of the friend's wives got hammered and started with the philosophical stuff and started crying.  It was a major downer.  By that time it was 1:30 am so I quietly excused myself to go to bed - seeing that I have a one year old and all, I thought it was perfectly acceptable.  Now, Evelyn had been sleeping all this time - through loud laughing, bathroom runs, loud talking...  Not one peep.  Half-an-hour after I hit the pillow, she wakes up. Then an hour later at 3:30 am, then at 6:30 am and 7:30 am.  The good thing is that she takes a 2 minute cuddle and she's happy to go back into her bed.  The bad thing for me is that it takes me 30 minutes to fall back to sleep.  On top of that, I'm sleeping in Jessie's bed because Barry is snoring like there's no wood left for the fire (although her bed was very comfy and warm).  

So that's how I started 2009.  Fun!  not!

I should learn...  Maybe next year I'll just cut my loses and go to bed at 10:30 pm.  Maybe that way I'll start the new year refreshed and in a good mood.