author & illustrator

January 2015 is fast approaching its close and I have been very lax about this blog. Blog subjects have come to mind in the past days and weeks but they seem to lose steam before I record them.  Taking a look around this weekend I realized an art update might be a fun blog as drawings and crafting continue to be the kids' main activities since Christmas. Kate has authored and illustrated at least a half a dozen books/novels in the past weeks including my favourite How Much Fun Can You Have With a Papa (no punctuation). Elliott is on his second novel this morning's being Halloween Spirit a six paged, six chapter book of creepy costumes - to be completed tomorrow.

As I write this I can honestly report that Kate has been immersed in a PlayDoh world for over four hours today; breaking only for lunch and a pee break. Elliott too has spent most of the day with Kate -talking, moulding and creating colourful dreams breaking only a few times to play with some toys, the dog and going outside to snow blow with Cody. OCD types would have a heart attack if they saw the mountain of mixed dough and tiny pieces that steadily grow on our dining room table and floor. It's pure magic.

So here's a peek...

 Kate and Mummy at Niagara Falls. Note - she got our hair, eyes and lashes bang on.

 My little Tim Burton.

A sampling of Kate's books including a book on flowers, horses and dogs.

A couple of Elliott's pieces from school. His first attempts at sounding out and writing "at" words and then practicing numbers.

A picture and story. Kate gets a little impatient when sounding out words and often just puts one letter down from each word.

 

My favourite drawing as of late - a young Maleficent and her enchanted friends. For those of you who have not seen the movie, I included a reference image below (Disney, please don't sue). 

Kate with the first stuffy she received after birth from Grandma Sherri and Grandpa George. It remains a favourite.

Elliott's picture of the Easter Bunny with a belly full of eggs. His caption Don't talk about yolk is some bizarre joke that Kate came up with and that they both find hilarious.

Today's PlayDoh Mountain and a plate full of brown bugs.

Our permanently blue-nosed boy with his colourful plate of bugs.

This shot was just taken by Kate of their collaborative sculpture. For some reason I see a big clean up in my future. 

  

Craft on everyone! And in case I don't say it in two days time - Happy Birthday Cody!

xoxo CAKE

resolutions

I was just reading the resolutions that my favourite blogger made for 2015 and I thought I would record mine as well. In prepping I quickly went back to read my 2014 resolutions and I didn't completely fail. For instance I wanted to take the family more Paleo and I did, for months but then later in the year after having consulted with an sports nutritionist she made a strong case why that wasn't a great approach for active people. Done. Happily, done. I wanted to learn to rug hook. I did start a project - I was quickly going blind so I pretty much abandoned that one. Three strict pull ups. Well I can kip some but no strict. I can however do three strict chin ups. Last one - learn to do double unders skipping. I have in fact learned to but am still at the point where I skip a double then a single, then a double and a single. It's a start.

So on to 2015. I think I'm going to throw the double unders and pull ups on the list again. Followed by a dedicated family night. We regularly do popcorn and a movie but I'd like to do popcorn and a board game with the kids now that they're old enough. Next - read more. I'm nearly done my second book of the season so I'm starting strong. My last is to simplify - shop less, keep less, decorate less, donate more, organize more.

Then there's Cody - his two from 2014 were to learn French and participate in a weight loss challenge. I'll let you guess how those turned out.  This year he's looking to read more and work less. He's getting off to a very good start as well.

Cheers to a grand 2015!
CAKE

twenty fifteen

Happy New Year everyone - here's to a healthy, peaceful 2015!

We ended 2014 very well. Our trip to Ontario was wonderful thanks to clear weather, great family, amazing hosts and two very good kids.

The drive that I have admittedly been dreading for a month wasn't even half bad.  On the way there the kids and I were together following Cody in a customer's truck. And for 18 hours Kate and Elliott entertained each other, themselves and me. There were one or two hairy moments - in particular sounding out and spelling words with the kids.  If we could have, we would have been slugging it out in a fist fight as I was not able to - in Toronto 401 rush hour traffic - describe clearly enough to either how to write a "b" versus a "d".  I bet you're saying to yourself, "what, a fist fight over a b versus a d? She's exaggerating?" I am not. It didn't matter that 2 out of 5 letters in each of her words were backwards she had to get a b versus a d nailed down. "Which side of the circle does the line go on?" Just typing those words sends me into convulsions. Three people screaming at each other as Papa chilled out in his truck quietly listening to stories on the CBC.

Once at the house, we stayed busy: visiting, eating, drinking, sleeping, playing, walking, unwrapping, cleaning, washing and even a little biking. We took the kids to a boxing day movie and to Niagara Falls for a big walk in some crisp misty air.

The kids were spoiled with goodies, gifts and love from their multitude of grandparents (3 sets). Not a bad gig to be the only two kids with a nine plus adults doting.

So on to the festivities...

Two very tired travellers - plus one lazy Boo.

Me and my babes

We've got some serious Nutcracker envy.

Great Grammie and Great Grampie Jorgensen - I know the kids fell hard for both of them.

Our four kids on the night before Christmas. Two snug in the Christmas jammies and blankets.

We had a serious thunder and lightening storm on Christmas Eve and then this was our Christmas morning view. Strange to say the least.

Our cup runneth over. 

Our Christmas Angel. She was a trooper as she had to be taken to the clinic Christmas Eve with a cold and a very painful ear infection.

 Elliott with one of many Christmas zombies.

Pirate Kate sitting amongst her sizeable booty.

Zombies are strangely photogenic. 

 Crocs too.

 Getting some fresh air.

Another pretty shot of Kate.

Sitting down to a beautiful Christmas dinner.

 Kate, a rainbow and the Falls.

 Quiet contemplation.

 Me and my little lady.

Cody and Kate with a very good replica of Heath Ledger's Joker that fascinated Elliott.

Two days left of the kids' Christmas holidays and about nine more episodes of Breaking Bad season five for Cody and I; the possibilities are endless.

March on and much love - CAKE