tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84430791662450850162024-03-12T23:20:36.424-04:00{ cj's chatter }Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.comBlogger285125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-36685226831242155522013-03-07T13:59:00.000-05:002013-03-07T13:59:01.607-05:00Enjoying the Quiet TodayThis week Scott has been travelling to Calgary, Regina, & Saskatoon. He gets home tonight.<br />
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Today the older kids all have school, which means Nathan & Clara will be home tomorrow. <br />
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Tonight my niece, Sara, is flying in to spend the next 6 days with us. Samantha has been counting down for weeks! :)<br />
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Next week is March Break.<br />
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In a moment of weakness, we offered our home to billet some young people for a Youth Conference hosted in town this weekend. Which means we will have up to 15 teenagers sleeping in our basement tomorrow night. <br />
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So today...<br />
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While Clayton & I have the house to ourselves...<br />
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We are enjoying every peaceful minute of it.<br />
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Even though we have an abundance of work to do.<br />
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Even though I'm still getting over being sick for the better part of a week.<br />
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Even though Clayton has a threshold of 2.7 minutes of playing happily on his own before needing to go back to his permanent perch on my left hip.<br />
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Even though I am very much looking forward to the activities we have planned for the next 10 days...<br />
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We are really enjoying the quiet today. <br />
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<br />Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-86887456541836293142013-02-27T08:46:00.001-05:002013-02-27T08:46:46.336-05:00Family Day<div class="separator" style="text-align: left;clear: both; ">Our Family Day Weekend consisted of:</div>
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<li>Two hockey games (Nathan scored 2 goals!)</li>
<li>Friends sleeping over</li>
<li>Samantha going babysitting on Friday night </li>
<li>Movie night</li>
<li>A big Spaghetti dinner at the church</li>
<li>Samantha went shopping with some friends</li>
<li>Nathan went to a friend's birthday party </li>
<li>Brett & Jesse cleaned out the Suburban</li>
<li>Samantha gave a talk in Sacrament meeting at church</li>
<li>We hosted a fireside for the youth at our house on Sunday night</li>
</ul>After the fireside we decided to head out of town to go spend Family Day with Nana & Papa in Kingsville. <br>
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<div class="separator" style="text-align: left;clear: both; ">A few photos of the trip:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kPU_oR5kUpQ/US4Nu6w1okI/AAAAAAAAEbs/YWTuZq0Mo6I/s1024/Photo%2525202013-02-18%25252010%25253A51%252520AM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kPU_oR5kUpQ/US4Nu6w1okI/AAAAAAAAEbs/YWTuZq0Mo6I/s500/Photo%2525202013-02-18%25252010%25253A51%252520AM.jpg" id="blogsy-1361972807339.6768" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The boys enjoying the video of Nathan's hockey game</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Clara drawing pictures, as usual</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Samantha relaxing with here books and music</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Colasanti's: Animals, rides, arcade games, and a buffet lunch. Pretty much the perfect place to spend Family Day together. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Brett feeding the goats</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Nana making sure Clayton got a good look at one of the baby goats </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We ended the weekend in Point Edward where the boys had a nail-biter of a hockey playoff game, in which they ended up in a 2-2 tie.</div>
<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-71426330074283267052012-11-04T22:37:00.000-05:002012-11-04T22:37:21.564-05:00Not Your Typical Saturday Date Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Last night Clara had an adventure at the hospital. Here's what happened...</div>
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Clara's story: I was walking from the couches to the kitchen. I was looking at the chair by the computer, and I tried to walk through it, but it touched my head and I started bleeding. </div>
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Our story: Clara walked into a chair. </div>
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Her gash was small, but fairly deep. Of course it was Saturday night at bedtime, so we couldn't take her into our family doctor. We decided to head to Emergency. </div>
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In the waiting room:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vvv9UoYKF74/UJcnU8f7cVI/AAAAAAAAESg/NtJMx173vKs/s1600/clarahospital.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vvv9UoYKF74/UJcnU8f7cVI/AAAAAAAAESg/NtJMx173vKs/s320/clarahospital.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ready to see the doctor:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ggRsSCvRDPo/UJcnaZmSczI/AAAAAAAAESw/VHHnOVHSJHM/s1600/clarastitches.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ggRsSCvRDPo/UJcnaZmSczI/AAAAAAAAESw/VHHnOVHSJHM/s320/clarastitches.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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A popsicle for being such a brave girl while they glued her head back together and sealed it up with some paper stitches:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PvmPn7LC7hA/UJcnYFVABrI/AAAAAAAAESo/fgzRanrPILI/s1600/clarapopsicle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PvmPn7LC7hA/UJcnYFVABrI/AAAAAAAAESo/fgzRanrPILI/s320/clarapopsicle.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Clara was quite cheerful throughout the night. We think she was enjoying staying up later, having some time with Mom, Dad and Clayton all to herself, getting lots of attention from nurses, staff, and strangers, and getting to play on the iPad while waiting for the doctor. There were also some pictures, videos, stickers and a popsicle. Pretty much a super fun night for any four year old. </span><br />
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Oh, and some Red Lobster afterwards. That was fun too. We didn't get home until almost midnight. Thank goodness for daylight savings this weekend. </div>
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<br />Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-59117437673289585822012-10-09T11:22:00.001-04:002012-10-09T11:22:54.762-04:00Recipe: Chicken Quinoa Tex-Mex Soup<br />
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<u>Chicken Quinoa Tex Mex Soup</u></div>
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Sauté 1 chopped onion in the bottom of a pot with a little olive oil. </div>
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Add 4-6 cups chicken stock (or use water and a couple of bullion cubes)</div>
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Add tex-mex seasoning (I used tex mex from Costco - clubhouse brand. You could also use a packet of taco seasoning mix, or a combination of chilli powder, cumin, coriander, and garlic powder) </div>
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Add 1 can of tomatoes. </div>
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Add quinoa - about 1/2 cup - dry (rinse before adding).</div>
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Bring to boil, then reduce to low so it can simmer and quinoa can cook.</div>
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While it's simmering, add some cooked shredded or chopped chicken. I used chicken we had leftover from chicken tacos, so it was already taco flavoured. But you cook cook your own, or add chicken from a rotisserie chicken- just take it off the bone in smaller pieces and add it to the soup.</div>
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Add 1 can of black beans (rinsed).</div>
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Add 1 can of corn (rinsed) or frozen corn.</div>
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Simmer for at least 20 minutes. </div>
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Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, crushed up taco chips, black olives, salsa, etc. </div>
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Enjoy!</div>
Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-4601271545242116822012-09-05T15:40:00.000-04:002012-09-05T15:40:04.674-04:00Back to School 2012 (Part 2)Today we woke up to a ton of fog, so the kids had a 2 hour bus delay. <br />
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That left us lots of time for longer baths, and a big hot breakfast before heading off to the bus. </div>
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I took about 10 shots, but still couldn't get one with everyone's eyes open at the same time. </div>
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Individual shots again on day two... why not?</div>
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One of Clayton in the stroller... just to prove that he was there. </div>
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Throwing around the football while waiting for the bus.</div>
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Memorable moments of the morning:</div>
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On the walk to the bus when Clara realized - <i>with great disappointment</i> - that Samantha, Brett, Jesse & Nathan weren't actually going to be in her class. </div>
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Jesse saying to me: <i>Mom, I think Clara is going to spend a lot of time in the principal's office this year... for yelling. </i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 10px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 10px;">The house seemed terribly quiet all day. But was wonderful to have lots of one-on-one time with Clayton. Scott commented that it was so nice to let Clayton play on the floor on a blanket without worrying about him getting smothered or trampled to death. </span></div>
Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-34294148025429804612012-09-04T11:31:00.001-04:002012-09-04T11:31:25.164-04:00Back to School 2012 (Part 1)Hard to believe it's that time of year already. This summer went by surprisingly fast. <div>
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I was so sad to see my three oldest kids leave for school today. I'm going to miss them! </div>
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Samantha is going into Grade 7. Grade <i><b>SEVEN</b></i>! I remember my first day of Grade 7... it wasn't that long ago. </div>
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Brett is going into Grade 5. Scary. </div>
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And Jesse, Grade 4. I have no words. Just one question. <i>How can this be possible? </i> </div>
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At least it was only three of them that left today and not all five at once. That would have been too much. </div>
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Last night it hit me as the kids were packing lunches. Clara, never one to be left out, grabbed her new lunch bag and starting filling it with food. I had to walk away until I could blink back the tears. </div>
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She will start Junior Kindergarten tomorrow. </div>
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Nathan will be starting Senior Kindergarten, and his first year of French Immersion. </div>
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At least they are only gone every other day. Two days a week, sometimes three. But tomorrow morning I will be dying inside as my little Clara gets onto that big yellow bus. </div>
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And I will head home with my box of Kleenex, hugging Clayton, and wondering why motherhood has to be so heart-wrenching. </div>
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Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-50337689981994292082012-08-18T14:43:00.000-04:002012-08-18T14:43:45.581-04:00Family Fun RunSamantha, Brett, Jesse & Nathan ran their first race yesterday at the London Children's Museum Family Fun run. <br />
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Nathan participated in the Dino Dash - 500 m, while the older kids did the Raptor Run - 1 km. There was also a 5 km run, and a total of about 100 runners participating in all three races.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Fvd6_AdtN4/UC_S0djVdEI/AAAAAAAAEK4/6ezanG_Ra8o/s1600/Museum03-081712-MMweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Fvd6_AdtN4/UC_S0djVdEI/AAAAAAAAEK4/6ezanG_Ra8o/s320/Museum03-081712-MMweb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It really was a fun run, so their races weren't timed or anything. Nathan finished 7th in his race, and Jesse, Samantha, and Brett finished 2nd, 6th, and 8th respectively in their race. <br />
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Jesse was quite upset when he crossed the finish line because he accidentally followed the 5 km runners a bit too far, instead of turning around at the tunnel like he was supposed to. He was a good sport about it afterwards, but it was a good learning experience. <br />
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We had a lot of fun and they even made the front page in the London Community News:<br />
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<br />Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-38442302100250202922012-06-27T23:19:00.000-04:002012-06-27T23:19:03.525-04:00Fresh Picked: Teacher Gifts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My sister sent me a super cute idea for Teacher Gifts. They were easy and inexpensive, which was perfect because I needed four altogether and had little time to prepare them.</div>
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First, I made some fruit themed card sets: </div>
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Next, I picked up some "Fresh Picked" Soap from Bath & Body Works. I got them on sale for $3.00 each:</div>
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Saved some strawberry baskets from berries we bought recently:</div>
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Then I printed <a href="http://eighteen25.blogspot.ca/2012/04/berry-basket-gift-idea-free-download.html">these</a> tags and made them into cards:</div>
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Nathan's message to his teacher:</div>
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Added some cellophane wrap and ribbon and they're all done:</div>
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Total Cost: $3.00 each (plus wrapping / card supplies which I already had on hand) </div>
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Who needs Pinterest when I have my sisters!? Thanks, Jordana :)</div>
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<br /></div>Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-31878773165144790032012-06-26T13:11:00.000-04:002012-06-26T13:25:13.418-04:00Summer Is HereIt's the last week of school, the last weekend of our 8-week event season, the last week of 3 on 3 hockey for the boys, last week of cubs and youth activities, and tonight is the last piano lesson until September. <br />
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It feels like things should be winding down a little bit, but really it's just on to the next set of activities... </div>
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Soccer, the cottage, girls camp, weddings, family activities / visits / trips and... one more little thing, what was it again? </div>
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Oh, right. Six kids home all day with no school for 9 weeks. </div>
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No big deal. </div>
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I just moved bedtime up to 1:30 PM so I think we are all set.</div>
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I'm <i>really</i> going to miss my Mom when she disappears to Alberta for a month. </div>
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Here are a few photos with some things we've been up to lately.</div>
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Clayton's first hockey game (Brett & JD's 3 on 3). Clara was yelling so loud, cheering for her brothers, that the people in front of us decided to move seats. Thank goodness they don't sell out at Novice Boys Rec. League hockey games.</div>
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JD had a school performance - he was one of three circus clowns. Here he is afterwards showing off his brother to all his friends. Poor little Clayton was so hot. Their school doesn't have AC (crazy!) and this day it was nearly 40 degrees out! </div>
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The play was super cute... only I couldn't understand 99.9% of it because it was in French. </div>
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Samantha's class performed Macbeth. In English. </div>
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I understood most of it. Just not the lines that were in iambic pentameter. </div>
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Samantha played the part of the doctor that pronounced Lady Macbeth dead. </div>
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We planned to do outdoor cooking for our last day of Cubs. We had prepped five different foods to cook - so the boys could earn their cooking badges. </div>
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Approximately 1 hour before the activity, we started getting torrential downpours, thunder, and lighting. So we moved the whole thing into the Church kitchen at the last minute. It was a little chaotic, but the boys still had fun. </div>
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Baked apples... stuffed and ready for the oven. </div>
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Saturday our kids had a total of 4 soccer games and one hockey game between them. </div>
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Clara got sick last week with a terrible cough, stuffy nose, and slight fever. </div>
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I wanted to feel bad for her, but I was too busy enjoying the peace and quiet while she was sleeping 18 hours a day. </div>
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This little snowman attached to a square of soft and silky blanket fabric was Nathan's favourite when he was a baby. About 4 months ago he decided he would give it to the new baby when he was born. So whenever he sees Clayton sleeping he insists on making sure he has his snuggle toy. </div>
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And don't forget the neck support cushion stuck on his head like a hat. </div>
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Clayton had to get used to his carseat really quickly and has already spent a lot of time in it going from one activity to the next. </div>
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Don't worry, we have Clara to make sure he does't get bored... </div>
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My sweet boys. </div>
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Looking forward to a fun and busy summer! </div>Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-23686593203207032882012-06-11T14:18:00.000-04:002012-06-11T14:20:45.465-04:00Samantha's Play On! Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The first weekend of Play On! this season we had 3 events, one of which was in Hamilton. Scott and I were going down and we decided to take Samantha with us. </div>
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A few days before the event, we found out there was a girls team that wanted to play in the tournament, but they didn't have a goalie. The local operator called and asked if Samantha would be willing to fill in as goalie so the team could play. She agreed. </div>
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She drew up a practice schedule for her and Scott so that he could take shots on her and give her some tips in the final days leading up to the big day. She was nervous about being goalie, and also about playing with a group of girls she had never met before. </div>
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There were only 2 teams in this girls division, so it was the first to win 3 out of 5 games on the Saturday. </div>
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Samantha did awesome. They lost their first game, but won the next three. And in the final game she got her first shut out as goalie! </div>
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She was so excited to win her first Play On! Champion ship t-shirt and trophy. <br />
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She got to spend a lot of time with her two friends who had also come to the event, but didn't play on the team with her. (Although one of them played against her!) <br />
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Here they were having fun inventing new flavours of Jelly Bellies. Heaven help the poor souls who got duped into trying them. I was not that brave, and not at all worried about offending the girls after all their work... Let's be honest. You can get away with pretty much anything when you're 9 months pregnant.<br />
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I was so glad to have Samantha at this event. Not only did she have fun playing hockey on Saturday, but she spent the Friday working at Check In, and a lot of the weekend working as a rink monitor and scoreboard helper. </div>
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Our hotel was right on site. Literally. But when I tried to get her to sleep in, she insisted on coming down with Scott and I at 6:00 AM. She even wrote me reminder notes asking me to please wake her up so she could come down early. And for those of you who know Samantha very well, that is saying a LOT! </div>
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AND... when I went into labour on Sunday she helped time my contractions all the way home. I love this girl! She is so amazing and I don't know what I would do without her! </div>
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<br /></div>Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-23564820936535047332012-06-09T19:09:00.000-04:002012-06-09T19:14:24.032-04:00JD's Theory Exam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
JD wrote the Preliminary Rudiments Royal Conservatory Exam for Music Theory last month.</div>
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He studied really hard for this exam. The morning of the exam he was so nervous! </div>
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He was the first one into the exam room and I watched him through the window in the door while the rest of the 75 or so students were admitted into the exam room. He was super anxious. </div>
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When he came out after it was over, I asked him if there was anything he didn't know and he said, "I didn't know one of the vocabulary words because it was in cursive and I can't read cursive very well yet." </div>
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That made me laugh because it's such a typical JD thing to say, and also made me think about how young he is and what a huge accomplishment this was. </div>
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Here he is celebrating afterwards with a Tim Horton's egg sandwich and a donut. </div>
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I couldn't be prouder!</div>
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<br />Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-80256952588356095362012-06-08T14:15:00.000-04:002012-06-09T19:14:37.593-04:00Baby ClaytonClayton Alexander Scott Hill was born on May 14, 2012 at 12:49 AM, weighing in at 9 lbs 6 oz. <br />
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We came home from the hospital on May 15, which was also our 13th wedding anniversary. <br />
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His two older sisters and three big brothers have spent the last 3 weeks doting on him, racing to be the first one home from school to hold him, and being amazed at every little thing he does. Everything from sucking on his hands, yawning, and stretching, to holding onto fingers, going cross-eyed, and losing his umbilical stump - all are huge events around here. <br />
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Pretty sure no other baby ever born has been this loved... <br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EsBMgXk85l0/T89JcZAWp1I/AAAAAAAAECk/k_VjQmWGSrE/s640/blogger-image-1754722591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EsBMgXk85l0/T89JcZAWp1I/AAAAAAAAECk/k_VjQmWGSrE/s320/blogger-image-1754722591.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sjk66WZgtI4/T89Jc9M690I/AAAAAAAAECs/oQaB1f3zHsU/s640/blogger-image-2135130388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sjk66WZgtI4/T89Jc9M690I/AAAAAAAAECs/oQaB1f3zHsU/s320/blogger-image-2135130388.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-92223008930372171562012-06-08T14:13:00.001-04:002012-06-09T19:17:17.096-04:00League ChampsA while ago I posted about our boys' hockey team and the playoffs. Against all odds, their team came back and won Game 4 and Game 5, which tied us up with Strathroy. I'm proud to say that the first goal in Game 4 was scored by Jesse, and the whole team just got fired up after that. Game 5 we won 4-0.<br />
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The two teams met yesterday to play in the Championship Game. We scored early in the game, and held on to the 1-0 lead until the last 2 minutes of the third period when Strathroy scored a goal to tie it up. I thought for sure we would see some overtime. But with 11 seconds to go, we managed to get the puck over the line (barely) and win the series and the League Championships! </div>
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Jesse won the Award for Most Sportsmanlike Player and Brett won the Award for Most Improved Player. <br />
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The coaches were very emotional when they presented Brett's Medal, and the whole dressing room exploded in applause and cheering. Hard to believe that only a few months ago he could barely stand up in ice skates...<br />
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We were so happy to have Grandma, Nana & Papa and our good friends all come out to the game to support the boys. <br />
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What a great season! </div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LMj4XTMrJfY/T8-APGE7Y4I/AAAAAAAAEEI/oxp_t0PaQtY/s640/blogger-image--467009079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LMj4XTMrJfY/T8-APGE7Y4I/AAAAAAAAEEI/oxp_t0PaQtY/s320/blogger-image--467009079.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-24740359434829201552012-03-20T19:40:00.000-04:002012-06-09T19:17:40.075-04:00Hockey UpdateBrett and Jesse have been playing hockey together this year. It's been quite a rewarding experience watching Brett learn how to skate and play hockey in just a few short months. He literally gets better with each game, and the difference is noticeable.<br />
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But it didn't start out that way...<br />
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When Brett found out Scott had signed him up for hockey in the fall, he was mad. He did not want to play. As much as he loves watching hockey, and playing hockey (off of the ice), he had never learned to skate. Brett has always been uncomfortable doing things that he isn't great at. He likes to do well at everything, so if he thinks he won't excel at something, he avoids it completely. <br />
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Scott told Brett that he needed to give it a try and that after 10 games, if he didn't like it, he could quit. He reluctantly agreed. The very first practice was a scrimmage to determine where to place players on the various teams. Brett couldn't go more than 2-3 seconds on the ice without falling down. Scott said he was like a baby giraffe, which is pretty accurate. <br />
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Kids 2-3 years younger than him were literally skating circles around him. Jesse scored 2 goals during the game. <br />
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I was in the stands worrying about what Brett was going to say when it was over. When they came off the ice, Brett was grinning. I asked him on a scale of 1 to 10 how much fun he had and he said 9.5! <br />
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From then on it was an uphill battle each game and practice. He worked so hard to learn to skate forwards, backwards, to stop, to turn. He gave it his all, and did his best to master the defence position he had been assigned on the team. Even though he still couldn't catch up with the other players, he started to become more solid. We could tell that mentally he knew what to do, and it was just a matter of time before his body could follow through. <br />
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Within a few months, there were some changes and Brett got a new position - winger. He was nervous but he tried really hard to learn the position. <br />
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One Saturday about 3 months into the season we had 2 games in one day. It was during the first game that Brett scored his very first goal! <br />
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Jesse scored a goal in the second game that day, which was awesome. I think that was his 12th goal of the season up until that time.<br />
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Right now we are in the final round of our playoffs. First team to 6 points wins. (2 points for a win, 1 for a tie)<br />
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We are up against a really strong and well-coached team from Strathroy. <br />
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In Game One we were down 2-0. Jesse played amazing and managed to score not once, but twice, giving our team the tie. <br />
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Game Two: We're down 2-0 again. Jesse scores, then a teammate scores and the game is once again tied at 2-2. Then we had 2 horrible line changes, resulting in a 4-2 loss for our team. It was such a close game and a tough loss. <br />
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Then we took a break from the playoffs for a few days and attended a March Break Tournament a few hours away. As luck would have it, we faced this same Strathroy team in Game 3 of the tournament. We played hard and beat them 2-1. Unfortunately, this game didn't count in our Playoff Series. <br />
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Also, I would like to mention that in Game 1 of this same tournament, Brett scored his second goal of the season! I think both Scott and I were having a hard time holding back the tears in the stands. Jesse didn't do too bad either - scoring 4 goals in one week.<br />
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Yesterday we were back to the playoffs, Game Three. Strathroy came back strong, and by the third period we were down 2-0. Again. <br />
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Then with only 1:24 to go in the Third, we scored a goal and got back in the game. <br />
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Miraculously with 59 seconds left, we pulled our goalie and scored again! I could not believe we were going to tie! What a game! Only a few seconds left to hold on...<br />
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Then, somehow, with 12 seconds left, one of our defencemen found himself alone with three Strathroy players charging the net. He tried to swipe the puck away but fumbled, or got disoriented, or something. He ended up putting the puck right between the goalie's legs and into our own net!<br />
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What a devastating loss that was. We have Game Four coming up later this week and I think the boys are pretty discouraged going into it with the series now at 5-1 for Strathroy.<br />
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But no matter what happens, it has been an amazing season and so much fun to watch. I know they won't go down without a fight. <br />
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Going to watch the boys' games has definitely been one of the highlights of my week, every week! We have been so blessed to have Samantha watch Nathan & Clara to allow both Scott and I to watch each and every game.<br />
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I look forward to another great season next year! <br />
<br />Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-68183270493180007122012-02-27T13:55:00.001-05:002012-02-27T13:55:38.241-05:00ThanksI just want to thank all of you for your support and encouragement with Scott's gluten-free diet.<br />
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Many of you have sent meal ideas or recipes and I really appreciate it. <br />
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One friend (who is also gluten-free) dropped off some banana muffins with a recipe and a big bag of almond flour to get me started. <br />
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Another sweet friend sent me links to over 15 Gluten-Free websites filled with great recipes! And she also introduced me to a great Gluten-Free bakery here in town. I got some bread there and it was pretty tasty. <br />
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Scott still hasn't been officially diagnosed, but he's going to keep avoiding gluten for now as it has really helped with his overall health, especially the swallowing.<br />
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I am so blessed to have such amazing family and friends. <br />
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Thank You!Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-1156686581368215632012-02-17T08:44:00.000-05:002012-02-17T08:44:12.863-05:00Library DayWe've been visiting the Library a lot lately. Our kids are really into the Asterix & Obelix books right now, so we go back often to see if there is anything new.<br />
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On Monday I took Clara there for the Storytime Hour and she had fun singing, listening to stories, and meeting some new kids. </div>
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Afterwards she made a Valentine for her friend.</div>
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<br />Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-44575131115888172082012-02-16T09:28:00.000-05:002012-02-16T09:28:00.488-05:00Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk CookiesFor Valentine's Day, I decided to attempt baking Chocolate Chunk Cookies for Scott. Gluten-free, of course.<br />
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I'm pretty picky when it comes to cookies, especially Chocolate Chip, so I was quite skeptical. <br />
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Also, a lot of Gluten-free recipes out there are also vegan, or worse, vegan <i>and</i> sugar-free. I understand that people have dietary restrictions, but I'm thinking that if you can't eat butter, eggs, sugar, or flour, you might want to avoid cookies altogether. <br />
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Anyway, I decided to modify one recipe that looked pretty decent. I cut out the various oils, stevia powders, honey, and other substitutes, and used as many good-old-fashioned cookie ingredients as I could (with the exception of flour).<br />
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Here's what I came up with:<br />
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Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies<br />
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1/2 cup butter, softened<br />
1/3 cup white sugar<br />
1/3 cup brown sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
2 1/2 cups almond flour<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1 package chocolate chunks<br />
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Cream butter and sugars. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Then add dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Stir in choc. chunks.<br />
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Bake at 325 for 10 minutes, until golden around the edges, but barely done in the middle. We like our cookies chewy. Your oven may cook differently, so it's best to watch them closely the first time around.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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The verdict: these cookies were a hit! So good and chewy right out of the oven. And Scott said he really liked them, which made me very happy. I'm a little more optimistic about Gluten-free baking now...Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-82893921856803726322012-02-15T15:00:00.002-05:002012-02-15T15:01:43.541-05:00Our Valentine's Day in Numbers116: number of homemade valentines that were made for four school parties, one Activity Day exchange, and one preschool party<br />
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304: number of pink and red Pretzel Hugs made for valentine goodie bags and class parties<br />
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1: number of trips to the bulk barn to get other assorted valentine treats and wrappings for goodie bags<br />
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16: number of times Nathan had to write his name on the back of his valentines (he did such a great job and did most of them in one sitting)<br />
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57: number of goodie bags made up for classes, piano teacher, visiting teachers, and friends<br />
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1: number of cheese and cracker platters made up for Nathan's class party, since the teacher had requested something moderately healthy<br />
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465,279: number of calories consumed by five kids in the form of chocolate and candy<br />
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17: number of calories consumed by five kids in the form of salmon, rice and veggies I cooked for dinner<br />
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12: number of roses Scott brought home for me, even though I told him not to get me anything as we already went on a fun date Saturday night and have another date planned for this Friday<br />
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12: number of pink flowers Scott brought home for Samantha, who was so excited to get her fist bouquet of flowers that she took them up to her room and fell asleep later with the flowers right beside her<br />
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1: number of helium balloons Scott brought home for Clara, which she has not stopped dragging all around the house<br />
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0: number of photos taken of kids on Valentine's DayCassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-78077213342064281932012-02-15T13:36:00.000-05:002012-02-15T13:37:18.367-05:00Scott's New DietSome of you may know that Scott has been having some health problems over the past 8 years or so. One of the biggest issues is that he has had a lot of trouble with his esophagus, making it difficult, sometimes impossible, to swallow food or drink. <br />
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After several tests, years of seeing specialists, having scopes, getting his esophagus "stretched out" several times, trying prescription drugs, and more, nothing has helped. <br />
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Last fall our family doctor called up to let us know that a new test was being done regarding his condition and food allergies. Scott agreed to try it out.<br />
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His first round of allergy testing was the typical pricks up and down the arm. Nothing significant was found there.<br />
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The second round involved several metal plates attached to his back for 48 hours. They tested for 20 different foods, and I'm not sure how they selected which foods to test for. <br />
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The results came back showing that he had a strong allergic reactions to soya and chicken. And moderate allergic reactions to potato and cornmeal. Wheat was inconclusive.<br />
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So, for 2 months Scott largely avoided 4 foods - chicken, potato, soya, or cornmeal. <br />
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By far the hardest one was the soya, as there is soy in so many foods. If you read food labels you will know what I mean. Soy is in almost every sauce and salad dressing. It's in crackers, cookies, even things you would never think of such as Pam (non-stick spray) and chocolate bars.<br />
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I don't know that he completely avoided every single one of these for the entire 2 months, but he did pretty well overall. <br />
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The results? Nothing. Sometimes he would go a day or so and be able to swallow, but he didn't notice a marked improvement in his swallowing. <br />
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At Aunt Heather's funeral, we heard that his cousin has a very strong gluten allergy. This is not surprising as Scott's Grandpa had celiac disease, and at least 2 of his aunt and uncles also had problems with gluten. <br />
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Scott has never been tested for gluten allergies or celiac disease, other than the metal plates which tested for wheat but were inconclusive. However, with some encouragement from family members who were more familiar with the gluten problems in his extended family, he decided to add gluten to his list of foods to avoid, and has been gluten free since January 30. <br />
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During the 2 week period so far, he has not had <i>any</i> problems with his esophagus. <br />
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The only exception was once, 2 days ago, when he accidentally ate flour in a sauce at a restaurant and couldn't swallow a few hours later.<br />
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We're not jumping to conclusions, but it has been very interesting to witness him being able to eat and drink normally every day for the first time in many, many years.<br />
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If we find that this is the only lifetime solution to Scott's health problems, then I am ready to take on this new challenge. I say "I" because, let's be honest, I do about 99.9% of the cooking and grocery shopping around here. <br />
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However, I'm very selfishly hoping he will be able to add in some of the other foods such as potato, chicken, and soy, as it is getting really hard to cook for the whole family. Many days I cook separately for Scott. <br />
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So far I have managed to cook a few dinners a week without chicken, soy, potatoes, pasta, bread, pizza, tortillas, etc.<br />
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But I think I can speak for the other 6 of us when I say that we are a little sick of rice. Scott has said he will never tire of it. What a trooper. (Thank goodness he lived in Taiwan for 2 years.) But he does miss the soy sauce, teriyaki, and other flavours that would usually go with it. <br />
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So, that's the update for now. If you have any great meal ideas or recipes, please send them my way. <br />
<br />Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-83767107828179601562012-02-07T14:32:00.002-05:002012-02-07T19:52:48.706-05:00Recipe: Kale & Quinoa SoupI made this soup yesterday for dinner. Our good friends just moved on the weekend and we had them over for supper. I served the soup with salad and garlic bread. <br />
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Everyone loved it, so I thought I'd share it while it's fresh in my memory. <br />
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This was based on a soup I found online, but I added a few changes of my own.<br />
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There seems to be a lot of hype about Kale these days. It's some kind of super food. Apparently I'm behind the times, because I have never bought or cooked with kale, ever. But now I've tried it in both soup and salad and I love it! It's so tasty. I'm going to try it in smoothies next. <br />
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<u>Kale & Quinoa Soup</u><br />
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2 Tbsp olive oil<br />
1 onion, diced<br />
2 extra large carrots, diced<br />
4 gloves garlic, minced (you can add less, if you don't love garlic)<br />
a few sprigs of fresh thyme (dried would work too)<br />
1 tsp dried rosemary (fresh would work too)<br />
2 tsp dried parsley<br />
3/4 cup quinoa (rinsed)<br />
8 cups vegetable stock<br />
1 big bunch of kale, chopped (remove the stem parts)<br />
2 cans of white kidney beans<br />
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar<br />
salt & pepper to taste<br />
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Saute the onions and carrots in olive oil. When they are a bit brown and starting to be tender, add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley and stir well. <br />
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After 1-2 minutes, add the quinoa. Let it saute for another minute, then add the stock. Bring to a simmer, then add the chopped kale. <br />
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The kale only takes about 5-7 minutes to cook on low heat (it will turn a darker shade of green). While it is simmering, drain your 2 cans of white kidney beans. One can is to go straight into the soup. Dump the other can of beans into a bowl and mash them up with a potato masher or fork. Then stir into the soup (this adds a nice texture to it). Stir in the balsamic vinegar. <br />
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Take out the thyme stems. Season with salt & pepper. <br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-9267666813013598612012-01-29T19:14:00.000-05:002012-01-29T19:55:01.225-05:00Till We Meet AgainYesterday we went to the funeral of Aunt Heather, who passed away Wednesday afternoon, surrounded by family and friends. She had been battling a rare lung disease for a few years, and her life ended much too soon, as she was only 59 when she left us.<br />
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Aunt Heather was simply one of the most amazing women I have ever known. She had the ability to tackle anything with gumption and creativity, and she made everyone in her presence feel loved and special. She and Uncle Peter, after raising 3 children, took in several other children who needed a place to call home. <br />
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Our children loved Aunt Heather. They have fond memories of her house because there was always so many fun things to do there. From her decorations and activities, to the playhouse, chickens, pets, and good food, any old visit always felt like a party. <br />
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Aunt Heather loved antiques and anything old, especially if it had special meaning. When she heard that we had named our youngest daughter after her (Heather's) Grandmother Clara, she brought over all of Grandma Clara's china. What a precious treasure to pass down to our daughter from her great-great Grandmother and namesake. <br />
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Scott and I visited Aunt Heather several times in the hospital during her final days, and Scott was able to share some particularly touching moments and conversations with her during those visits. <br />
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While we know that we will be together again one day, we will miss her so very much until we meet again. <br />
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<br />Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-51151413228886762802012-01-21T22:40:00.000-05:002012-01-29T19:54:45.475-05:00Nathan Turns Five<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Nathan was so excited to turn 5 years old. </div>
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He had school on his birthday, and asked me to make him some cupcakes to share with his class. We had some "Big Foot" candies left over from our New Years Party, and he had asked if he could have them on his birthday cupcakes. I kept teasing him that he was giving his friends stinky feet cupcakes and he patiently explained to me several times why the candies weren't stinky or made of real feet. </div>
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All ready for school on his birthday:</div>
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This was Nathan's first year to have a "real" birthday party with friends and games and decorations. He chose a Star Wars theme and we had so much fun planning his party! <br />
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Nana, Papa, Grandma & Grandpa all came over to join in the fun and help out with setting up. Papa blew up a LOT of balloons and Nana spent the morning taping them up everywhere. <br />
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The invitations:</div>
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The decorations:</div>
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The party bags:</div>
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The games:</div>
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Star Wars Bingo<br />
Yoda, Yoda, Kit Fisto (invented by Nathan after Duck, Duck, Goose - with his favourite Star Wars Characters, of course)<br />
Musical Star Wars Characters<br />
Glow in the Dark Dance (with glow light sabres and glow bracelets they won as prizes for Bingo)<br />
Star Wars Blindfold Game (kind of like Pin the Tail on the Donkey with ships and planets)<br />
A Pass the Present Unwrapping Game that we used to play when I was a kid! When the music stops, whoever is holding the present gets to unwrap one layer. Thanks to Grandma who wrapped the prize at least 20 times. It was very suspenseful.<br />
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Opening Presents:</div>
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Thanking all his friends: </div>
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(Samantha dressed up as Princess Leia for the party.)</div>
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Cupcakes!</div>
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Nathan loves being five. His main goal in life is to catch up to his big brothers in every way. So turning one year older is only bringing him closer to this goal. </div>
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He is growing up so fast. He loves Junior Kindergarten, is learning how to ice skate and how to read. He loves to ask questions, most of which I am not smart enough to answer. </div>
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Happy Birthday, Nathan. We love you!</div>Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-17150120081241760292011-09-30T22:22:00.000-04:002011-09-30T22:22:41.018-04:00Clara Turns ThreeClara was so excited for her birthday!<br />
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We went to church in the morning, and then we drove out of town for Scott's Grandmother's visitation and funeral.<br />
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We did get to enjoy some cupcakes in Nursery and again in the van later that night.</div>
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Scott decided to bring home an ice cream cake a few days later so that she could blow out her magic wand princess candles and open her cards and gifts.</div>
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Clara is such a joy to have in our family. <br />
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She loves to play dress up and play princesses. She loves to sing and dance. She loves to paint, colour, draw, and make crafts.<br />
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She adores her big sister Samantha. One day during the first week of school, she saw Samantha come home after school. She ran over to her and said, "Samantha! You came back! I'm so proud of you!".<br />
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She loves going to Nursery. <br />
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She loves her family, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. <br />
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She loves her special purple blanket. She loves sucking her two fingers and snuggling her blanket at bedtime.</div>
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She likes to pretend to be a puppy, and will crawl around the house barking. We try to avoid picking her up, as that will likely result in a slobbery "puppy kiss" on the cheek. <br />
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Clara will make friends with anyone who gives her attention, which is pretty much everyone she meets. <br />
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We love Clara so much and can't imagine life without her. Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-69033735699722923502011-09-22T16:44:00.000-04:002011-09-22T16:44:39.702-04:00Back to SchoolI'm always surprised at how quickly summer is over and school is here again. <br />
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Samantha is in Grade 6 this year. Grade 6! <br />
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Brett is in Grade 4 and is in a 4/5 split class.<br />
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JD is in Grade 3 and is in a 3/4 split class. This has been a HUGE change from his grade 1/2 split from last year. <br />
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(The French Immersion section of this school is quite small, so there are a lot of split classes. So different from their old school which had over 750 students in french immersion)<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yYORbkeXcoM/Tntiga5lTHI/AAAAAAAAD1c/uuhkWN-je3c/s1600/IMG_2098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yYORbkeXcoM/Tntiga5lTHI/AAAAAAAAD1c/uuhkWN-je3c/s320/IMG_2098.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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Nathan started JK this year. He was so excited and ready to tackle school. <br />
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We drove him on his first day, which was almost 2 weeks after the other kids started. <br />
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As soon as we parked the van, he jumped out, grabbed his backpack, said "Bye Mom!" and started walking off confidently in the general direction of the portables. <br />
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We had to chase him down and explain that his class was in the main school building - in the opposite direction - and that we'd go with him to meet his teacher and get him settled before leaving. <br />
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He came home after the first day and said that his teacher's short name was Jones. But that he usually called her by her long name. When asked what her long name was he replied: Mrs. Jones. <br />
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(Oh, Mrs. Jones. You have no idea what you are in for this year....) <br />
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Nathan goes to school all day, every other day. I think Clara and I are going to enjoy some good quality time together on our 2-3 days a week without Nathan. Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8443079166245085016.post-1623221305758575042011-07-27T18:12:00.000-04:002012-01-29T19:55:19.192-05:00I'm a Proud Aunt (AGAIN!)<div style="text-align: left;">My sister had a baby yesterday. A sweet baby girl, named Keira, who weighed in at 7 lbs 1 oz.</div><div><br /></div><div>She was born on their Wedding Anniversary. </div><div><br /></div><div>I can't wait to go meet her in a couple of weeks!!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vqRDVbgkbQA/TjBXzUP6MpI/AAAAAAAAD08/j2l8iPKgz2o/s400/216898_2265903775774_1493915306_32652532_2796360_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634099672960873106" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div>Cassandra Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873609310672283264noreply@blogger.com1