Happy New Year! Our Holiday in review.....

1.. On December 20th, Harm & Eva arrived from Holland to celebrate the holidays with their Canadian family. They don't really "do" Christmas the same way we do, so we wanted to make sure they did it up right......complete with Egg Nog and stockings filled by Santa Claus!


2.. We had company on Christmas Eve to share some holiday "cheer." Mommy had a lot of holiday "cheer" and had a super fun time :) We want to do the same next year but give people more notice so that they are able to join us. Growing up, Christmas Eve was always a party at our house!!

3.. Christmas morning was an early one......

Olivia worked at her own pace:

Hayden was SUPER excited about this gift!!

Santa Eva!

The newest Flames fan:

The kids had some quality time to play with their toys before
we had to get cleaned up to go to Scott & Tessa's.

The ever popular photos in front of the tree:

4.. Our second Christmas started at Tessa & Scott's around 4pm. We let the kids open all of their presents first so that they could play while we opened our gifts to each other!

Aren't Ralph & Sienna pretty!!

the Christmas keg!

Mams & her boys....

So, after a VERY busy day, it was time to get the kids in their jammies! (Their new matching ones from Oma & Opa!)
5.. We decided to brave the masses and go to Market Mall on Boxing Day. We had fun! Got some good deals, and had fun people watching. Until we got home.......and realized I left a bag with 2 pairs of jeans and a sweater in it at the mall!!!!! I was VERY lucky, and now believe there are still good people in the world, because someone turned it in to Lost and Found!! Whew.

6.. On that note....I LOVE my new American Eagle jeans!! How have I not bought jeans there before??

7.. On New Years Eve, Ralph took Harm to the Flames game......his first ice hockey experience! We partied at Tessa & Scott's Monte Carlo night until 11:45 when Olivia decided to wake up and ring in the New Year with us!!



8.. On New Years Day we were all together again! We had a delicious dinner, and took the opportunity for a big family photo!!


9.. We went tobogganing, for the first time in many years, and we had a blast!! Harm & Eva had NEVER done this crazy Winter activity before, so there were lots of laughs. It was a chilly afternoon, but nothing a hot coffee couldn't fix!

10. Ralph's 33rd Birthday rounded out our holiday. Just a quiet evening of drinks and cake with a few family and friends. I think it's all we had energy for after such a busy holiday!!

Wow.....this post only took me 3 weeks to complete! My New Years resolution is that I will try really hard to post more photos. More often :)

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

Happy 33rd Birthday
to my adorable husband!


Ralph is the guy who.....

will never be as old as me, and he never lets me forget it.
would do anything for his family. Anything.
is an amazing Daddy to Hayden and Olivia.
can fix almost anything.....in case you didn't know already,
he's pretty handy to have around.
just built me the greatest shoe shelves. Easy peasy.
doesn't sit still. EVER.
is a great dancer but can't carry a tune......
though he does like to serenade me from time to time
works wonders with crazy glue.
doesn't like peas, but loves split pea soup.
LOVES buying DVD's.
loves the smell of new DVD's. yes that's right. the smell.
has a silly sense of humor that keeps me from being too serious.
is good with numbers.....
which is important because his wife likes to spend money :)

knows that if Matthew McCaughenhey came calling I wouldn't abandon our marriage.
I would just have a "freebie" :)

Why??
'Cause he's the only one for me!

LOVE you!! XOXO

Sinterklaas Celebrations!

This post is going to be a long one! You better grab a beverage and

settle in for the Deters annual Sinterklaas extravaganza!

I found a synopsis explaining this very cool tradition.....

The Feast of Sinterklaas, or St. Nicholas, is an annual event which is celebrated on December 6th. The day is observed by exchanging gifts and making good-natured fun of each other.

All Dutch children know that Sinterklaas lives in Spain. Exactly why he does remains a mystery, but that is what all the old songs and nursery rhymes say. He spends most of the year recording the behavior of all children in a big red book, while his helper Black Peter stocks up on presents for next December 5th. Sinterklaas gets on his white horse, Peter ("Piet") swings a huge sack full of gifts over his shoulder, and the three of them board a steamship headed for the Netherlands.

The old bishop and his helpmate are suddenly everywhere at once. At night they ride across Holland's' rooftops and Sinterklaas listens through the chimneys to check on the children's behavior. Piet jumps down the chimney flues and makes sure that the carrot or hay the children have left for the horse in their shoes by the fireplace is exchanged for a small gift or some candy. During the day, Sinterklaas and Piet are even busier, visiting schools, hospitals, department stores, restaurants, offices and many private homes. Piet rings doorbells, scatters sweets through the slightly opened doors and leaves presents by the front door.

The Dutch are busy too - shopping for, and more importantly, making presents. Tradition demands that all packages be camouflaged in some imaginative way, and that every gift be accompanied by a fitting poem. This is the essence of Sinterklaas: lots of fun on a day when people are not only allowed, but expected, to make fun of each other in a friendly way. Children, parents, teachers, employers and employees, friends and co-workers tease each other and make fun of each others' habits and mannerisms. Another part of the fun is how presents are hidden or disguised. Recipients often have to go on a treasure hunt all over the house, aided by hints, to look for them. They must be prepared to dig their gifts out of the potato bin, to find them in a jello pudding, in a glove filled with wet sand, in some crazy dummy or doll. Working hard for your presents and working even harder to think up other peoples' presents and get them ready is what the fun is all about.

The original poem accompanying each present is another old custom and a particularly challenging one. Here the author has a field day with his subject (the recipient of the gift). Foibles, love interests, embarrassing incidents, funny habits and well-kept secrets are all fair game. The recipient, who is the butt of the joke, has to open his/her package in public and read the poem aloud amid general hilarity.

On the day of the 5th, most places of business close a bit earlier than normal. The Dutch head home to a table laden with the same traditional sweets and baked goods eaten for St. Nicholas. Large chocolate letters - the first initial of each person present - serve as place settings. Early in the evening, sweets are eaten while those gathered take turns unwrapping their gifts and reading their poems out loud so that everyone can enjoy the impact of the surprise. The emphasis is on originality and personal effort rather than the commercial value of the gift, which is one reason why Sinterklaas is such a delightful event for young and old alike.

We started the afternoon with the Dutch-Canadian Club
Sinterklaas celebrations for the little ones:

See Auntie Keri......I can finally wear a barrette!



Yes, Miss Olivia can drink through a straw!
Does she know how to party, or what?!



Hayden LOVES his spekulas cookies!



Opa and Sienna




Tessa & Sienna were coloring.....but paused to say "CHEESE!"

Hayden had to steal a quick hug....

Hayden, Brody & Sienna were anxious to sit with Sinterklaas.....

When we got home, Oma & Opa had
special surprises for the kids:



After dinner, and a LOT of excitement,
it was tubby time for the kids......

Then it was time for the adults
to enjoy their Sinterklaas celebration:

Paps drew Mams' name for the first time
in Sinterklaas history!

She loves to be comfy on the couch under the
infamous red blanket!

Mams drew my name and made me a much needed spa!

It turns out, I didn't have to dig through the mud
(aka chocolate pudding) bath to find my gift!!

Tessa had Paps this year and made him tear apart
"deck" boards to find clues to his gift.....

....but he didn't get off that easy.
He had two decks to demolish before he got his present.

Ralph outdid himself and made a working safe
that Scott had to find the combination for
in order to get his presents!

With some careful calculations, he cracked the code!

Coincidentally, Scott had Ralph!
A specially crafted RALPHSMAN drill held
clues for Ralph's real gift.

I drew Tessa's name and in an effort to help her find
a new hairstyle, created the Tessa 'tato head.....

...complete with accesories!

We always look forward to making our Sinterklaas presents for one another,
and this year was no exception.
It is lots of work, but it is so much fun to see everyone's
reaction when we share our surprises!

Until next year 'Sint!

10 on Tuesday!

1.. I'm in a funk. I'm feeling cranky and overwhelmed. Not sure how to get myself feeling OK and "myself" again. Not sure who myself is these days.....

2.. I tried to put a dent in Olivia's scrapbooking. My gear has invaded the dining room table for 2 weeks and I am finished documenting photos until the end of March. She was born in February. Eek! I LOVE scrapbooking but I am seriously thinking that I can't have a hobby until the kids are in school......but then I'l be working.....oh crap.

3.. My X-mas shopping is HALF done. Woot! I have to do it without Hayden 'cause he tells everyone what they'll be getting. Olivia can keep better secrets.

4.. Sinterklaas preparations are well underway. Between now and December 6th we have to make our surprise and write a rhyme for our secret recipient. It's always lots of fun, but we have a lot more to juggle this year since we have 2 kids to work around. Ralph and I are hosting again this year so stay tuned for the hillarious photos....

5.. I could have put the Christmas tree up last week. I am super excited because we have 2 kids to spoil this year, and Hayden "gets it" this year. He'll be beside himself excited on Christmas morning. I am also sad because we are not making the trip to Saskatoon this year. Technically, it was our turn to go but I've made the decision to be horribly selfish and stay home with my hubby and kids. I find it a bit stressful to travel and the weather can be so unpredictable. Everyone in S'toon is very disappointed. And thought it's not the same, I'll have to get the webcam up and running for the occcasion.

6.. the Rico Report. He's a menace. His latest misadventure.....he ate the seatbelt in Ralph's car.
And for dessert....the stereo speaker. His nightcap.....Hayden's Poang chair and hockey net.

7.. Olivia has two teeth, wants to stand up to the table and insists upon walking all of the time! She's power crawling and can almost sit up on her own. I almost caught myself saying that having 2 kids wasn't that bad......until she started moving!!

8.. The new Caramel Brulee latte from Starbucks is delicious. I have also had my first egg nog latte of the season.....I think they contribute to a good 5 pounds of weight gain over the holiday season.

9.. Mmmmmmm....butter. Isn't everything better with lots of it?! I made cornbread last week, which was delicious, but it's really just a conduit for the butter. This week, banana bread.

10. Ralph is working on finishing the basement. There is a very fine line between loving that you have a handy husband, and resenting him for spending his extra time working in the basement without me and the kids. We both want the playroom finished so the kids can make a mess and we don't have to look at it. I just wish I could wiggle my nose and it would be done!

.....tis the season!

We decided to be uber smart parents this year.

We took the kids to see Santa early.
No lineups.
What a beautiful thing.
The Blakeney's joined us too!
(but you'll have to check their Blog to see the photo of Jakzen with Santa!)

Olivia was super excited......

....she was sound asleep until they called our name
to sit on Santa's lap!

We waited patiently for our turn, and when
Hayden heard Santa's jingle bells coming down the mall,
I thought he was going to come out of his skin!
He was SO EXCITED!!
He was grinning from ear to ear and jumping up and down.
What a great mommy moment.



They had a pretty serious heart to heart
about the specifics of Hayden's wish list.
A wooden track, with a tunnel (for Thomas the Train)
with Lady and Percy engines.

Olivia was less certain about what she was doing
sitting on a strange man's lap.
Hayden informed Santa she was there because
she wanted a Barbie girl.

I am so excited that this is our first Christmas
with two kids!!

Thoughts for Thursday

1.. I realized something after Halloween. Pumpkin seeds are just pumpkin seeds no matter how you toast them, season them or dress them up. Just stick to the back of your throat gross.

2.. I finished my first session of fitness classes. I enjoyed them and start the second session - the Bootie Blasting Bootcamp on Monday. However, I cannot seem to get lower than the 145 pound mark. I think I notice some toning changes in my body, but no weight change. Must be due to the fact I eat like a human trash can lately. Anything and everything.

3.. IT SUCKS having babies that are sick. Hayden came down with a wicked fever, cough and runny nose on Monday. It came on fast, and knocked my normally energetic boy on his cute little bum. H1N1, perhaps?? We have been housebound all week. I don't feel super hot but I'm managing to keep illness on the backburner. This morning, it was Miss Olivia's turn. Poor little snot bubbles and open mouth breathing Olivia. She's sleeping, but not soundly. All I keep hearing is a congested little cough coming from her room. Looks like the Deters' will be quarantined for awhile....

4.. How did I not discover how AWESOME it is to cook with silicone bakeware until today?@#! I made delicious chocolate chip cookie bars. (Gee, I wonder if this has anything to do with the no weight loss program?!) All of my metal stuff is going bye-bye.

5.. Hayden had his yearly check up at the dentist. His teeth are pretty good. The only problem....he needs to be less independant when brushing his teeth. Good luck. This means Hayden can brush his own teeth in the morning, but Mommy or Daddy have to help brush them at night. He doesn't appreciate the step backwards.

6..Finally, a shot of Olivia's first tooth! And, just to add to the joy of having a cold.....her second tooth is coming in beside this one. Grrrrrrr!

7.. On that note....we gave Olivia a teething biscuit for the first time. I had forgotten the mess they make as they turn into wallpaper paste. Yummy!

8.. Hayden has started to color differently since he started preschool. He concentrates, and really tries to stay in the lines. He's doing a really great job, and my fridge is always covered in art. I'm so proud. Therefore, I'm not going to bother him with the fact he's holding his pencil completely wrong. He's only 3 1/2 after all.

Trick or Treat 2009

Step One: Carving the Jack-O-Lantern.

Hayden wasn't at all interested in helping Daddy
clean out the pumpkin.
Or carve the face.
Or help Mommy clean pumpkin seeds.

He was curious about the stuff coming out....

We finally convinced him to stick his hand in
and grab at least one handful....

He was less than impressed
with what he felt!

Tessa & Scott and the kids came over for
an early dinner before
we went trick-or-treating.

We got the kids dressed and out the door
at about 6:30.
What a gong-show trying to get 4 kids
in their costumes!!!

Olivia spent her first trick-or-treating experience
in the comfort of the Chariot.

Olivia and Sienna
were the first to go home,
but Hayden and Brody stayed out for almost
an hour and a half.

They each have a mountain of candy
to show for their efforts!!