My do I ever need to post. I've neglected my emails for over a month now and have finally reemerged on this void that sucks me in so often. I'm finally up to speed on everyone else's life anyhow and may I say how that time is fleeting lately. Everyone's children are looking so grown up! What sweethearts. I don't know how much I want to get into whats been going on lately in too much detail. I've been avoiding writing to avoid the doom and gloom I suppose.
We all ended up with the flu a couple weeks back followed by a wicked cold for the kids. On the 30th we met up with Pam and the kids at MP so the kids could play at the park. By that evening Madison was sick, followed by me and Stirling Saturday and David on the Sunday. I think I am still trying not to get the cold, and David seemed to be overcome with it last night, the kids are getting better. I don't feel as congested as I did yesterday, yey.
Mom's husband has cancer in his thyroid and is scheduled for surgery tomorrow to have some or all of it removed, they're not sure yet. At the end of the month he goes in to have a possibly cancerous spot on his kidney removed. This has all been on going since February with many tests and biopsies. He's also developed COPD which we hope will be eleviated when the tumor on his thyroid is removed.
I haven't been seeing my mom too much lately to avoid making her sick and contaminate Richard with something his body really can't handle right now.
David's mom is still in Viking and we haven't seen her since February eiher, except now she plans to move to Riley when social services has found them an apartment. Hmmmm, she has no way to get into the city. Thanks Vern for taking her further away from the people who really care about her; you a$$.
We had mom and Richard over for Mother's Day brunch, that David cooked. It was really good; scrambled eggs, toast, hashbrowns, pancakes, sausages, it was so good and didn't cost $50.00 for two adults if we had gone out. I got a trip to EC to have my hair cut for my gift, but I went on Saturday to have it done. We tried to go to Tony Roma's with the kids on the Saturday, but both proceeded to have their own little "meltdowns" so David took them to the car while I sat for takeout. So much for a nice evening out. It was much calmer eating at home and hey if anyone had a meltdown they could have went to their rooms :o)
I took the Wilton Cake Decorating Course 1 at Michael's last month for 4 weeks and just had my second class of Course 2 last night. I'm having a great time with it. Just tuning and honing my decorating skills. Two more classes to go. We started working with Royal Icing and Color Flow Icing, it's a lot of fun, learning so many different techniques. I was late however as our babysitter "forgot" ohhhh I was so angry. Especially when I spoke to her on Saturday and reminded her 4pm tuesday. Her mom even knows when, anyhow....lalalalala Happy thoughts; frantic many phone calls finally were answered as follows: me:Hello O:Hi me:Is O there? O: Umm,oh,oh no,I'll be right there me:yes see you soon click I was a little late but if I had missed my class I would have been devestated. So much prepration goes into getting ready for the class and there is so much covered in a class and missing it would be a crucial portion of the class. David said he would come home early next week, but I think I shouldn't blow her off yet. I think she just screwed up that's all. When I called her to see if she could sit for me once a week on the same night she said she would. The first day David came home early still feeling sick from the flu, so when she showed up (she comes from school) we gave her $10 cause I felt terrible having to cancel, but told her we would use her indefinetly for the remainder of he classes.
Anyhow....here are the pics from Course 1; the Rainbow cake I made for class two, and the final project was a choice of our own, I chose the Grape motif from the course manual. Both turned out quite well, as Wilton course insistes you use shortening "buttercream" icing! Yuck; the instructor told me that shortening holds together better. I've always used true buttercream icing and have had no problems. But for the course I am doing as instructed. She was a cake decorator at Safeway; ummm, they use shortening because its cheaper than butter, anyhow. Shouldn't she know that? And you guessed it with the wilton "buttercream" icing you add butter flavor to it if that's what you prefer, yuck yuck yuck. I suddenly want to be sick. LOL I stuck with clear vanilla.


I made these cookies in between classes to use up all the extra icing. I previously did the same with the colours of the "Rainbow" cake but forgot to take pictures before they were all eaten. Simple sugar cookies and buttercream icing. This batch I sent to preschool with him that Friday for a pyjama party he had mid April at preschool; the fancy one was for his teacher. I called them Black-Eyed Susans - funny the teachers name is Susan, just a coinsidence I assure you. The third class had me left with a tub of yellow and black icings.


I chose to fill it with strawberry jam and freshed whipped cream; it was really quite lovely; I did it in a loaf pan; used a cake leveler - leveled it and halved it so it was a "two-layer" cake.
I have been making royal icing flowers to use on my final project; this one isn't optional as my son wants me to recreate the stemed flower cupcakes with color flow ladybugs that is in my Course 2 manual. They are awesome and they would coincide perfectly with his year end party. However, we do not have options, that way we can perfect our basketweave technique on the oval cake we have to provide. I am really loving these classes, can't you tell??
Things are finally coming together here for us at home, and calming down. To back track a little Easter was really wonderful - Madison completely understood and completely enjoyed her fill of chocolate delights the Easter Bunny had hidden. Anything below Striling's waste line was meant for Madison and anything above was for him. However the Easter Eunny stratigically placed the Lindt mini eggs at adult shoulder height heh heh heh. What a smart fellow. Stirling for the chocolate fire truck he wanted so much. I think everyone had a great weekend. I made a ham and my mom came for supper. Here's the kids on the hunt - Madison also got her first set of big girl dishes "Disney Princess" themed stuff.


She's doing really well using regular cups already and trying to talk. She said diaper this morning when I changed her bum; haven't got here to say it since, but you know how it goes at first. She has her regulars; "I want" - "up; down; that" "Mum"; she loves to say and "Daeeee" (Daddy) everywhere we go.
My mom was so wonderful to buy us a playset for the backyard; its the Westvale from Toys R' Us; its enormous. Being sick and the holidays have set us way back in building the darn thing. I haven't told the kids yet as we really want it to be a surprise. I'm sure hey will love it. Madison is really into palying in the sandbox on her own or with Stirling.

In the sandbox.

My new hair cut; I don't think the pic does it much justice, I love it; it's so light. I can't wait to get it colored in a few months when I can afford to, hopefully.

My little girl growing up!