it's my girls' world

So cold outside and it actually snowed today. Lots!! Time for some wonderful reading... This month were a few great ones, one okay one and one dud. Here we go.

The Light We Lost

This love story between Lucy and Gabe starts on 9-11 when they were both university students. Based on their close encounter with this horrific event, they decide they want their lives to have meaning. Their story spans decades, continents, other life events, dreams, desires and betrayals. This poignant tale is probably the best one I have read all year... and it has been a great reading year. It is devastating well written and haunted me for days after. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Life and Other Inconveniences

This book examines three generations of a family: A very wealthy grandmother, an abandoned grand daughter and her daughter and how their lives intertwine again after a long, understandable estrangement. I found myself identifying and getting annoyed with each of the characters in turn. It was very real, raw, human and touched on many very relevant issues today. It was a great read!

Ladies Who Punch- The Explosive Inside Story of "The View"

I love The View and watch at least a few episodes a week. This one was a page turner with many interviews with current and past co-hosts and great access to the behind the scenes of the show.  It was juicy, delicious and an easy read. If you are a fan of The View, you'll love this one.

The Best Staged Plans

A quick read about a fifty something home stager going through a home crisis with selling her own home at this stage in her life. Lots of relationships, back and forth, quirks and quips. I didn't enjoy this one and struggled to finish it. 

The Hypnotist's Love Story

A love story about a hypnotist, her boyfriend and his stalker... and ex girlfriend. It's told from the hypnotist's and the stalker's point of view and I found myself empathising with them both. A love story and a bit of a thriller as well, I enjoyed this and was intrigued to know how it ended... a great one by Liane Moriarty again! 

What are you reading lately? I have a couple good ones that came in from the library all at ones... It's going to be a busy few nights. My kids might have to feed themselves dinner :-P

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 I totally forgot  to do my usual birthday questions for my newly minted five year old and of course girlie loves a good interview... see kids behind the blog. 

Sooo... a full month after her birthday....here we go.
 

What is your favourite colour?

Rainbow.... and pink
 (both worthwhile choices, kiddo)
 

And your favourite Food?
Candy
I mean... potato

(potato was after I informed her that candy isn't a food)

What toy do you like most?

A cash register with little pay things that you pay up for stuff.

(she has one but her friend has the very same one with different gadgets that she loves)

What do you like to do the most?

Play-Doh

(that with slime might be my two least favourite toys.)

Life is never dull with this little one around that's for sure!

The kids behind the blog  is one of my favourite linkups with Beth and some other lovelies!A little Q & A with the kids always has me cracking up.

(For the newbies to my blog, C is eight and A is almost five)

Do parents get a summer break?

C- Sometimes. Some people who work at stores get a summer break (??)

A- Noooooo.  

 
If you could change your name what would you change it to? 

C- I like my name. (I do as well, doll)

A- (After a short but thoughtful consideration) Emma. 

How much do you grow in the summertime? 

C- A little bit

 A- I don't understand you. I do not even understand you.

 

Would you rather go to the beach or to Disney World? 

C-Disney world

A- I would rather go to both. When are we going to the beach?

C- Mango. No, no, no strawberry frozen yogurt.

A- Strawberry... no, no, no coconut.

 
Least favorite? 

C- Chocolate

A- Strawberry. (then I had to explain to her what 'least' meant-) Oh chocolate. I don't even like chocolate the candy. 

(she is clearly not my child)

 A two-fer link up today with Shay and Erica with Working It Wednesdays on how we keep our kids busy in the summer. Let's preface this by saying though keeping busy is good, I believe that it's so important to have down days as well with not a lot going on. Kids get to entertain themselves which I think is an important life skill to have. Boredom is not an allowed word in this house. However, here are a few ways we keep ourselves busy around here.

Books- We borrow library books, buy new books, reread old ones and magazines! Reading is a huge part of our lives. This summer we are hopefully looking into a library reading club. 

Activity Sets- Lots of stickers, crayons, paints, play-doh and colouring being done around here!

TV- My kids don't get to watch TV during the week here but we relax the rules in the summer. They are HUGE fans of this. LOL.

Camps- This year we have a couple camps planned so that breaks up the summer just a bit. We are also doing summer soccer and swimming lessons in the evenings.

Playdates with other families- Lunch and playing with some of our favourite people who we don't get to catch up with during the school year!? Yes, please.    

Cooking- my kids love helping out in the kitchen and summer is the perfect time to try out some new recipes. Our annual jam making sesh is one of our very favourite days of the year!

 

Swimming- lots and lots of pool time!   

Weekend/Day Trips- markets, movies, museums, splash pads, parks and berry picking are just a few examples of great trips to do. My kids even love Costco and Farm Boy with all the samples. 

Walks- we live about a block away from a busy street with lots to do. Sometimes a quick ice cream trip or lunch is an awesome treat.

What are you up to this summer?

 

It's that awesome time again... time to try to understand the inner workings of my kids' minds with a just a few random prompts. Your guess is as good as mine as to what comes out of their little mouths!

FYI - C is a newly minted eight year old and A is 'techmacally" five. (her exact words)

If you had a magic tree-house that could take you anywhere in the world where would you go?

C- Paris... or like umm Italy

A- Either Trinidad or that place where we went close to Legoland and we got sugared strawberries. (I eventually realised that she was talking about Yogen Fruz- a chain where you choose your fruit and they mix it up with fro yo)

(Sidenote, all of these options sound wonderful to me)

Finish this sentence…red rover, red rover…

C_ perplexed expression 

A- (Full disclosure, I didn't even try this one with A, I cut my losses early) 

 
What is your best childhood memory?

C- Serious consideration: when Kavir came to Canada (this was when my brother, his wife and son came to Canada for a year-- my heart broke a little with this one)

A- Elin (her bestie) and Kylin (her other)

 
What is your favorite part about nature and being outside?

C- I just like--- outside gives me a nice feeling inside

A- I like playing outside in the summer-- and we need summer to grow the vegetables otherwise we won't be able to have  vegetables to eat)

 What do you think Mommy would like for Mother’s Day?

C- a card and a painting....from me.  

A- french toast and cupcakes

(I'm not going to lie- one of my daughters knows me better than the other!)

Also, guess who got glasses on Monday! ?

Okay two of us did...

And one decided to try out some frames-- you know, for future reference...

Linking up with Beth and some other lovelies for the kids behind the blog!

I saw this on FB and knew I had to try it with my kiddos. Here's what they had to say...

1. What is something I say a lot: 

C- No- both kinds of no... I know and no. (hahah)

A-Goodbye  (those school drops are tougher than I thought)

2. What makes me happy? 

C- Going out to dinner with family and reading magazines and typing on your blog

A- Giving Mommy a hug

3. What makes me sad? 

C-Having to do your work

A- When I cry

4. How tall am I? 

C- 5 feet

A- This tall (pointing to the top of my head)

5. How old am I? 

C- 38

A- 37- 8

6. What's my favorite thing to do?

C- Spent time with us

A- Clean up

7. What makes me proud of you?

C- When I do something good

A- When I do something by myself

8. What is my favourite food?

C- Oysters because when we go to the Mill you eat LOTS.

A- Onions (!?)

9. Do I have a favourite child? 

C- No

A- Both

10. If I could go anywhere, where would it be? 

C- Italy... or Trinidad

A- Trinidad--- no, no, no New York

11. Do you think you could live without me? 

C- No (an unequivocal no I might add)

A-NO!

12. What's my favourite song?

C- Morning has broken (in the morning)

A- I doesn't have any word it just hums (she's talking about the instrumentals we listen to in the car)

13. How do you annoy me? 

C- By not doing what I tell you to do the first time I say it.

A- I don't know

(it was at this point that A was done)

14. What is my favorite movie? 

C- Downton Abbey

A- I don't know

15. Who do I have a crush on? 

C- Daddy

A- I want jammy toast now

16. Where was I born? 

C- Trinidad in Uncle Nil's house

A- No

17. What's my favorite show I watch? 

C- I don't know what it's called.

A- Downton Abbey

18. Who's my best friend? 

C- Daddy

A- Miss Jenn

 

19. What scares me?

C- Scary movies

A- I don't know---- a tarantula (Random but so true)

20. How do you describe me to your friends? 

C- That you're nice.

A- I told my friends that I moved last year... nothing about you.

Because I'm a bit of a rebel and though I didn't answer the questions, still linking up with Beth and some other lovelies for the kids behind the blog!

Happy almost Friday!

Also known as the one time for the month the kids sit and contemplate questions and the meaning of life. 

Here are their answers to all things love... As a reminder, C is almost eight and A is four and a half (the half is very important)

C- Ummm (looking incredibly uncomfortable)... like you have a feeling for someone.

A- Ammmmm.... heart 

C- making cookies and valentines

A- maybe give Julia something as she gives me timbits everyday. 

Girlfriend's first knitting master-piece! Better than I could do!

C- (another confused look)--- Ummm Anjali!

A- Do we celebrate Valentines? Do we celebrate everything? Whyyy?   What's a Valentine / Oh, Julian.... I mean Julia

(Julia is this girl in her dance class who shares her timbits/donut holes--- aka-- her new bestie)

C- 28!

A- Ummmmmmm none as it's February already... how many more days until Valentines?

C- hug and kiss them

A- I like Julia. 

(yeah the timbits are the key to her heart)

Linking up with Beth and some other lovelies for the kids behind the blog!

As a total side note, A brought her first home reading book home this week. A huge milestone in her little school and this Mama's heart is so, so proud!

You know I think my kids enjoy this link up as much as I do. They just love being asked questions about themselves. Am I raising little narcissists?!

Here are their Christmas answers. As a reminder, C is seven and A is four  

 

Linking up with Beth and some other lovelies!

I have begun to love these interviews for this series... and so do the kids. They take their responses very seriously, and pause before answering!

As a sidenote, C is seven and A is four (and sometimes fourteen)

What do you want to be for Halloween?

C- A majestic Queen of Hearts-- but I really want to surprise everyone. (so if you meet her, don't spill the beans)

A- A bumblebee or a mouse-- girlfriend is wearing last year's costumes and doesn't mind one bit!

Do you like handing out candy or collecting it?

C- giving candy

A- getting candy (strange that the one who likes savory stuff likes getting the candy!)

What should mommy and daddy be for Halloween?

C-  You should be mustard as Daddy is going to be sriracha

A- Daddy should be a pig and you should be pink

Do you like to make a scary or happy faces Jack-o-lantern? 

C- Scary (don't know why as she can be a bit of a coward)

A- Happy

What is the best part of Halloween? What’s the worst?

C- the best part is getting dressed up and getting all that candy

A- Best: Trick or Treating

Worst? When we had the bucket.

And look at these cuties last year!

Linking up with Beth and some other lovelies!