Nightmares

Last week I took my kids (on a terribly windy, rainy day) to this sweet video store that has every movie ever filmed. They have a deal to rent 7 movies for a week and I was in the mood for some new entertainment to keep us happy during this cold, rainy afternoon. So we pick out all kids movies (mostly Disney, I'm trying to familiarize the kids with as much Disney as possible before our big trip this Christmas). One of our picks was 'The Great Mouse Detective" and Ella chose to watch that during Lucy's nap that afternoon. Well, she liked it. So the next day she watched it again, and the next day again. I was happy, it's an old classic to me, I love it!

The Culprit

Anyways, the next night the nightmares start! She is having nightmares about a "scary octapus" (there is an octapus in the movie, but he is nice and like, tap-dances) But in her dreams he is ferocious or something and kills birds (big ones) and puppies (apparently, that's what she says half asleep anyways).

So the first nightmare night, I was sleeping peacefully when suddenly Mike pokes me and says "look!" pointing beside me... Well Ella is standing on my side of the bed, just watching me! I didn't know what I was seeing really, I just knew there was an unexpected visitor beside me so I jolted upright and screamed! I quickly realized it was Ella and (after reassuring her I knew it was her now) got the gist of what was going on. I took her back to bed, and went back to sleep. In the morning we discussed the importance of not frightening mom in the night with instructions to gently tap me and say "mom!" IF the need should arrise again.

The need arose the very next night, and every night since! At least I am less started by the gentle tap, but it is less than my favourite thing getting woken up...But I am comforting & patient with this new fear, although I am really hoping this will be over soon! 


Fidget

It's puzzling really that she chooses an octapus to be scared of when the movie features a super creepy, kidnapping bat "Fidget", and the terrible & villianous "Ratigan". Personally, I would probably be haunted by the wierd and jerky robot Queen of England.....



Ratigan

High Praise Indeed

On Tuesday evening, I hosted a small get-together for Mike's birthday. I made dinner & dessert, and invited my parents, and sisters & their spouses. It was kind of a last minute idea (aka that morning), so I quickly threw together a menu and got to work.

The menu was the following:

Ham & homemade macaroni & cheese

Sweet & sour meatballs & wild rice

Steamed cauliflour

Carrots & peas

Croatian coleslaw

Crusty rolls

Double layer pumpkin pie

Strawberry-Kiwi Cool Whip Pie

So we ate dinner, sang 'Happy Birthday' and had an enjoyable evening. After dinner was over, my mom leaned over to me and said "wow, that was so good, I feel like I just had dinner at Nana's house". To me, this is the absolute highest praise that one could receive. To me, my nana is one of the best cooks in the world (my mom is also a talented chef). Anyways, I think my mom was being generous in her praise, but it really made my day!

Summer Wedding



It's only taken me 2 months to finally write about this but here goes: Mike's brother got married this summer (July 16th) on a not-so-beautiful summer day, ya that's right, it poured rain! But according to legend, that's actually lucky(?). Anyways, Mike was a handsome groomsman and my beautiful daughters were both flower girls! So cute! Here are a few pictures! We are so happy to have this family expansion made official! Congrats Jamie & Lisa :)



Coming down the aisle...Lucy the straggler blurry in the background!





At the starting line, waiting to make their grand entrance

 



Mike & his sister Faylen trying to keep dry





Giving my hubby some sugar...most handsome groomsman ever!



Smeegle/Gollum

One evening recently my husband came home with a large salmon. I was a little surprised since I was under the impression that he had been tubing, not fishing. So I ask "where'd that come from?!" And Mike proceeds to tell me the following story:
He was tubing down the Stamp River with friends. They had just gone through some rough waters when he noticed a salmon going to brave the rapids. So he decides to leap from his flotation device and see if he can catch the fish (no he did not have a net, rod or anything other than his bare hands) So he pounces and manages to get lucky and catch it! So he's got this big, flopping salmon caught in his arms (don't be deceived, salmon are extremely slimey and wriggly, this would truly be a struggle) So he clutches it a little too tightly it would seem and the salmon slips out of his grip, much like a squeezed bar of soap would. But he decides not to give up! He launches again, this time managing a better grip and successfully slays the fish. So, he fastens it in with him to finish the journey. After finishing tubing, he took it to the marina to clean it at the station there. Some fellow fishermen stopped by to admire his catch (it really was a good sized salmon, about the length of my arm) and they inquired as to where he had caught such a magnificient specimen. He said he'd caught it bare-handed while tubing. They were at a loss for words :)

So he finishes the story, I was a little disturbed, but couldn't help but chuckle at the funny mental images of Mike-the-salmon-wrestler doing battle with this fish. Needless to say, we had a salmon barbeque the next night. But I still can't help but feel like I've married a character from Lord of the Rings...Luckily, he's MY precious!!!!

The Cat Came Back...

Our family has had our cat since 2004. She is a very sweet, timid puss and despite my usual fright of cats, I actually have formed a lasting attachment to her. She doesn't have a real name, we just call her Kitty-Cat....and Ella calls her Puss-Puss.... So, she's an outside cat but never roams far from our house. Usually she is under the porch but she also has a hideaway up in the rafters of our detached garage.
One evening, I confessed to Mike that I was concerned for the cat's wellbeing as I hadn't seen her in a day or two and the food I had put out was yet to be touched. I was worried and a little upset because I feared she had perhaps met a wildbeast such as a raccoon or cougar :( This has been my fear ever since moving to rural. He went outside to have a look for her. I was ready for bed and he came in and told me that he was sorry but he'd found her and she was dead, but it was OK because she was peacefully laying in her "home" and no violent end had come to her.
I was pretty sad but did feel comfort that she was safe and hadn't suffered (right?) Anyways, so I broke the news to Ella and after a day or two felt that I had sufficiently mourned. Time to move on.
Well, one night outside our bedroom window, I heard this faint cat yowling sound! I sent Mike to investigate but he couldn't find anything. I was sure it was our cat, she has a very distinctive meow, I was so confused and wondered if perhaps we were being haunted! (I really did!) Anyways, the next morning at 5am when Mike was leaving for work, he woke me up with our cat writhing in his arms (she hates coming inside) and exclaimed "Look, she's back!" And indeed she was.
So that left the question, what was the dead thing in the garage if it wasn't the cat!?! We're not entirely sure if was a wild cat or a raccoon (due to rapid summer decomposition, gross and too much information I know) It was a weird/gross and also a bit funny experience that won't soon be forgotten.
So the cat really did come back (not quite the very next day), the cat came back, she just couldn't stay awaaaaaay (meowwwwww!) - Raffi (?)
And Mike has vowed to never break such sad news to me again without being really and truly sure.

Sunday Dinner

So get this, it's Labour Day weekend and as per usual the annual Salmon Derby is happening. So my husband makes plans to be away fishing for the weekend. I got no beef with that, I fully agree that all work and no play would make Mike a dull boy. Anyways, so he was supposed to be gone until Monday afternoon.
Basically long story short, he came home late on Saturday night unexpectedly but much to my delight. So after spending a nice low key family day together today (both the girls are sick) I decided to make a delicious Sunday dinner. The menu included baby potatoes, steamed broccoli & cauliflour in cheese sauce, tender asparagus spears and some delicious pork cutlets in (what I thought was) a fabu demi glaze. Haha apparently I was wrong!
So we're all at the dinner table and Mike is the last to dish up and take a seat. He takes a bite of pork chop and says "What kind of sauce is this?!" I say "Why?" He says "Because it tastes like beans". I say "Beans?!?" He says "Yeah beans, you know, the gross kind in chili. It tastes like you marinaded the meat in gross beans."
Needless to say my delight at his early homecoming was short lived! If I didn't think it was so funny, my feelings might have actually been hurt....
To borrow a line from the broadway musical Showboat, "can't help lovin' dat man of mine!"