Staying home or going out

This short post is once again all about the girls. We were supposed to go for a full family outing but one member of the family decided this was not his idea of fun. So the girls headed out. And we ran into the Rogers mascot. Which has got to be the dorkiest costume ever. But great for a photo op.

We went to one of our favourite playgrounds and surprisingly, Gaelle could have stayed there all day. She had a blast. There were several kids that she interacted with and she also spent time showing off for me. And I can't forget the wonder mom of the playground. One mom started a rousing game of tag and soon had almost every child there participating. Laughter was ringing out all over.

The family was also supposed to go to a local nature park and once again, a certain member of the family decided this was not part of his plans. So it turned into a daddy daughter event. I think it's safe to say the nature park ended up being more fun than the stay at home event. Altho the stay at home event was great for me. I lit my candle and pulled out my book and notebook, put on some coffee, played my new instrumental CD and just had a nice relaxing afternoon. I don't mean this to be snarky at all. Lately we have struggled with outings and bad attitudes. It's difficult to know exactly how to handle it. We're not used to being snubbed by a child when we attempt some family fun. But I think we've found the solution because I love solitude. Neither child does. So if they choose to stay home, they are choosing indoors and quiet with mom. Surprisingly the last time we suggested a family event, the whole family was on board. No solitude for me, but I like being with my family even more. So it was a win win for everyone.

Crafty Giving Girls

Emily has a passion to help the children in Thailand with mental and physical disabilities get the services and opportunities that will enrich their lives. Julia is her friend who shares the same passion. Julia LOVES the orphaned women and girls who spend their lives in the wards there. All she wants to do with her life is to be there for them. Emily wants to help her be there.

We recently spent an evening helping Emily put together corsages and bracelets with every single penny of the sale going to help Julia stay in Thailand. Not only is this helping Julia help others, it's also an environmental bonus. She has been using left over material I have been hoarding for years.

My great Aunt Ruth took apart her old worn out slips and saved all of the lace and gave me a lot of it many years ago. I have used bits of it on several projects. Now it is going towards Julia. I know that would make her happy as she donated so much of her own money through the years towards missions all around the world.

Random photos

Gaëlle plays hard every single day. And at night she falls fast asleep. We've been fortunate that we've never had any sleep issues with her. Another cute thing is how she has become attached to this huge stuffed dog. She sleeps on it every night.

Now that Emily has her own apartment we are always excited to have her over for a meal. Or just to hang out.

Just missing one child this year on Mother's Day. But Kaylin took me out earlier and we had a nice time together.

With all this healthy eating nobody made dessert for Mother's Day. But Robin picked up a small chocolate cake and he didn't eat a single piece. Way to go.

Healthy Eating

Robin has always battled high cholesterol. He's often borderline and with his job he has regular check ups so he often has reminders to watch his cholesterol. Well this spring he was more than borderline high cholesterol and so he has taken steps to really watch what he eats. So we've tried a few new recipes to help him with his goal.

We're boosting the times we eat fish. I've always tried to have fish once a week but am not always successful. Now I'm working harder to have fish 2 times a week. At least for Robin.

This is actually a recipe we had before but it's a good heart healthy one. Crock Pot Black Bean Pumpkin Chili. Surprisingly you can't taste the pumpkin but it just helps to make the chili smooth.

I have several variations of black bean salads that I have been making. This one is a Southwestern Black Bean and Corn Salad. The kids chose to take this to school for lunch over a chicken sandwich.

Even with the internet recipes I have found, I bought a small cookbook called Heart Healthy Recipes. It's not specifically for low cholesterol but for better eating. This heart healthy meat loaf is one of the recipes we tried. The flavor wasn't as intense as we would like, but it was certainly a great alternative. Robin made this one and froze the individual meat loaves so he could just take one out and reheat it. I certainly hope this helps him to lower his cholesterol. We're all rather fond of him and would like to have him around as long as possible.