Cookie, Oreo, Brownie Heaven

     To me, one of the greatest things in life that we can do for others is to offer small gestures of kindness. I love doing little things for people just to try to show them that I care or that I'm thinking of them. It usually doesn't take much effort, all things considered, but it can make such a difference to someone's day. Sometimes it might be as simple as leaving a treat for a friend on their desk at school, or seeing something in a store that I know someone will like and just buying it for them for no specific reason. Sometimes it might be baking up something delicious and sharing it with friends or sending a card to a friend or family member who you know might need it.

     This weekend Terry and I were lucky enough to be the recipients of two of these small gestures. We opened our front door this morning to find two beautifully wrapped bags full of delicious chocolate peanut butter squares. It was from our neighbour Kim (who can bake up a mean treat, by the way). It just made my day as I sank down into my couch and ate pretty much an entire bag in the matter of minutes. This pregnant girl doesn't mess around. Kim, you (and your yummy desserts) are the best. Thanks!

     Then when we were at a party this weekend, hosted by our friends Jim and Brad, they (out of the blue) handed us a gift for Mya. They bought her a fabulous wooden pie set and told me that now Mya can bake along with me. How incredibly thoughtful and sweet--thanks Jim and Brad! I just love those unexpected random acts of kindness. And really...how cute is this little set??

Something else that I love about life is that there are so many opportunities to celebrate and use these little gestures of kindness to show others that you care.

It's Judy's (my mother-in-law) birthday tomorrow, so I had the family over for dinner tonight to celebrate her special day. Again, it's not like it takes millions of dollars or hours to put together a meal...but it's an important way to show someone that you care and that you're thinking of them. She regularly brings Terry, Mya and I meals throughout the week--which is BEYOND amazing and helpful to us...so this is the least that we could do for her.

Terry and I spent the morning blowing up balloons, hanging a birthday banner that Jen made (yes, handmade--she cut out all those perfect letters out of felt herself) and getting all the food ready for that night.

Sometimes a bit of effort can go a long way. And a reason to celebrate is definitely worth celebrating.

Our two mamas.

For her cake this year I decided to bake her up a dessert recipe that I had found and made once before (and absolutely LOVED). I changed it up a bit and added a touch of my own...but in the end, you get the most delicious dessert you've ever eaten. Introducing: Cookie, Oreo, Brownie Heaven (I made up the name myself...cause really, that's what it tastes like).

With a layer of chocolate chip peanut butter cookie dough on the bottom, Oreo cookies in the middle and brownie on top...here is how I made it:

1) Using a 9 by 13 pan, line it with parchment paper and spray it or butter it well.

2) Make up any batch of cookies that you like (I chose to make chocolate chip peanut butter cookies...but just choose your favourite! --if you`re not really into baking, just go buy one of those bags of cookie mixes and it`ll taste great too). Line the pan with the cookie dough.

3) Place a layer of Oreos (or any cream filled cookie) on top of the cookie dough. I had these crazy little football Oreos in my pantry, so I just used them. But use whatever cream filled cookie you love.

4) Bake up a batch of brownies (and again..use a mix if it`s easiest for you..this is not supposed to be time consuming people!). Then pour the mix over your Oreos and smooth it out with a spatula.

5) Put in oven at 350 for about 45minutes (give or take) and serve warm...with icecream on top! Helllloooooo delicious!!

A little sunshine

     After it rains, the sunshine is always bound to come out. And if it doesn`t...you better go find it.
The beginning of the week wasn`t perfect. But oh how the love and support of others can help you get through just about anything. I'm over it now though...moving on. My theory is that it`s really not healthy or necessary to drag a bad day on..so, I decided Tuesday morning that I better (purposefully) make the most of the rest of the week. Hence, happy moments found (or created) throughout the rest of my week:

Happy moment #1

Brad took Mya out to the barn to see the cows, just the two of them. So sweet. I love how little memories can be made from the smallest gestures.

Happy moment #2

What`s better than a spontaneous trip to Dairy Queen for delicious blizzards? Did you know that DQ has `buy one blizzard, get the second for 99 cents` until the end of the month? (at least at the DQ by my house). Ya...amazing. We put Mya down for the night and I called my sister Jen and we headed down the road to pick up blizzards for our hubbies and ourselves. Ice cream just makes everything better. Period.

Happy moment #3

Thinking of Mya becoming a big sister. Seeing how much she absolutely adores her cousin Oliver melts my heart. She is so loving and caring towards him and actually wiggles with excitement when she sees him. I love seeing her natural instincts kick in as she tries to put blankets on him, hand him toys that he can't yet play with, kiss him excessively and hug him until he lets her know that he's had enough. I can`t wait to see how much she loves on her new sister or brother.

Happy moment #4

Mya helping me hang laundry outside. I love how she's growing into such a wonderful little person. Watching her pull laundry from the basket and try to put it on the rack makes me realize how much she is learning from every single thing that we do (good or bad). Big responsibility--but so much fun to see.

Happy Moment #5

Swings! Enough said.

 Happy Moment #6

Spontaneous dance party with my kindergarten kids today. Sometimes you just have to let kids dance. So after noticing some wigglers at my carpet during a lesson, I decided what's better than cranking up the tunes and just letting them dance. And oh did they ever dance! I love that these are the kinds of childhood memories that they'll hold onto.

...and tomorrow is my day off. So meeting with friends and just relaxing with my babe is what I'm most looking forward to. I guess a bad moment at the beginning of the week can be altered pretty quickly if you find some joy in the little things that really matter.

New baby on the way!

     So our big news that we've been trying to (unsuccessfully) keep a secret for the past three months is finally out...we're having another baby! The nausea, incredible fatigue and tight pants are all telling me that this wee baby is growing just as perfectly as Mya once did in my belly. Hellllooooo stretchy pants! Here is how we broke the news to our family...handed them each an envelope telling them we were having a party.

     I don't think I'll ever get over the reality of what is happening in my body. I'm just in awe, yet again, that I'm actually growing a tiny human being complete with every exact pore, wrinkle and cell that he/she is supposed to have. I still remember just staring at Mya when she was born and examining every inch of her. I was just in awe of the miracle that was in front of me. I can't wait for that amazing feeling to fill me once again with this new baby.

      The incredible thing about this pregnancy though, this time round, is that I knew that I was pregnant before even taking the test. The nausea hit me so quickly and the cramping started right away, just as it did with my first pregnancy. Terry would look at me laying on the couch, trying to ease even an ounce of the nausea that I was feeling..and he'd smile at me saying "You're so pregnant". I thought that I might be too, but I didn't really believe it. It took so long for us to get pregnant with Mya, but this time round if it was true, it would mean that it happened on the first try. Not possible.

     The day that we finally found out that I was pregnant was such a crazy day. Mya and I were at Val's for the day and at 5:30pm I got Mya bundled up in her snowsuit, I strapped her into her car seat, put Meika (our dog) in the back of our SUV and started driving home. Of course this is the one day that I decided that I would take the expressway home instead of the back roads.

      It takes me a little over half an hour to get home from Val's. So when we were about half way home, driving in rush hour traffic on the expressway, cars flying by us, Mya started crying in the backseat. I could tell this was a cry like nothing I had heard before...it was coughing and crying at the same time. And the dog started crying along with her. She knew something was wrong too.

     Then it started. Mya was throwing up all over the backseat, coughing, choking. My heart sank, panic set in and I tried to remain calm as a million thoughts ran through my head as cars sped by and there was nowhere where I could easily pull over. All I kept thinking, as I was trying to find a safe spot to pull over, was "Why on earth did I decide to take the expressway today?".

     When I finally found a relatively safe spot, I quickly pulled over, turned my flashers on, turned off the car and climbed into the backseat to find my poor little girl completely covered in vomit, with more coming up. With my heart pounding as I watched cars speed by us, I took a deep breath and started taking Mya out of her car seat. I pulled her out and she continued to be sick all over the place, while screaming and crying at the same time. As I pulled her out she held her little sweet arms out to me, just wanting me to hold her close. I had a moment of realizing that THIS is what true love really is. My sweet little baby, covered in vomit, continuing to throw up all over me...but it was okay, I told myself, because what she needed I could provide. I held her close, had a little moment of cringing at the feel of vomit all over me...and let her nuzzle in as I kissed her head and tried to comfort her through it. I felt in that moment that I was officially placed into the real world of motherhood.
   When she finally settled, I stripped her down, wiped off her face and used a plastic bag that I just happened to have in the car to clean up what I could in her car seat. Thankfully I had new clothes in her diaper bag, so I used my own sweater to wipe her body clean and put a new shirt on her as I tried to avoid the mess that surrounded us. I put my poor baby back in her disaster of a car seat and knew that all that I could do was try to get her home as quickly as possible.
    I knew that Terry wouldn't be home yet from work when I got home, so I prayed with all of my might that my dad may have dropped by our place to work on our basement that night.
    My prayers were answered as I drove up and saw his car on our street. As the adrenaline eased and the tears started coming, I carried my poor child into the house calling for my dad to come help me. He took one look at us, completely covered in vomit, Mya and I now both teary eyed and he told me everything would be alright and he immediately went outside.

      As I stripped both of us down and put Mya into the bath, I knew that my dad was cleaning the incredible mess in my car. That again, is TRUE love from a parent. Funny how the cycle of love, in the matter of an hour, was being repeated.
     When Terry got home, he helped my dad finish up the huge clean up and I put Mya to bed. That's when the moment happened that will now change our lives forever.

      When Mya was asleep, and the house was now calm, I told Terry I was going to go take a pregnancy test. I was calm as I said it, since I was expecting and preparing mysef to be disappointed. But he quickly said "I want to see it first this time!".

     So looking away, I put the test on the floor and turned my back. Terry's eyes were locked on that little test as the little hourglass kept flipping up and down...then all he said was "Oh my gosh". And I quickly turned to see the word "Pregnant" on that little test staring back at me.

      We stared at each other, bug eyed, smiling and laughing and not knowing what to do or say. I remember saying "I think I need a paper bag to breath into" since I was so out of breath, not believing or feeling prepared for what I was seeing. I thought it would take at least a year for us to get pregnant again, if we were lucky. But all it took was one time. I just couldn't believe it. We always wanted our kids to be 2yrs apart, but we never thought that we would be so lucky since we were expecting another long road ahead in trying to get pregnant again.
     We both went to sleep that night staring at each other, exhausted from the crazy events of the day and smiling in disbelief at this miracle that was given to us so easily this time round. How blessed we feel. We aren't taking a second of this pregnancy for granted, we're relishing in the miracle of it all and we're trying to savour each moment as we realize how lucky we are to be so privileged to be pregnant again. I don't know how you can't be happy at the prospect of a new life emerging. We have already experienced some negativity about this pregnancy and it boggles my mind to think that anyone can be anything but excited about a new life. It's a miracle, it's a blessing, it's everything that we've ever wanted. And we're beyond excited about it.
    

Easter M&M/Oreo cookie bark

            




      I love spring. I love that it's the beginning of everything wonderful and everything that I love. Flowers bloom and our little mama robin comes back to her favourite nesting spot on our deck and lays her perfect blue eggs that we get to watch hatch into cute little baby birds. I love how the rain washes away the last of the dirty snow on our street, everything smells fresh and impromptu street hockey games start popping up throughout our neighbourhood. It's like a message is sent out to everyone that springtime means a fresh start and people come out of their homes where they've been hibernating all winter long. Spring wreaths hang on people's front doors, the sun comes out almost every day and the excitement (for me) of another holiday--Easter--coming up makes me smile until my cheeks hurt. I'm thinking Mya is already realizing that this season is just as awesome as I think it is. Her cute little smile and giggle has filled our house all week long. I just love this little girl more than I can even explain.

And I can't even tell you how excited I was to see THIS when Mya and I were playing outside the other day.

I brought her over and (with more excitement than I'd like to admit) I explained to her that these were my tulips popping up and that they'd soon turn into beautiful flowers. I encouraged her to touch them (and although her tiny little fingers almost smushed them completely), I love that she fed off of my excitement. She looked at those little green leaves as if they were the most amazing thing she had ever seen.
   This little vision of spring made me instantly get excited about Easter and all of the crafts, baking. decorating to come. So...introducing delicious M&M/Oreo cookie bark (recipe to follow below).

     It's March break this week and we spent most of this past weekend outside enjoying the sun and warmth. Terry, Mya and I started our weekend by walking to our local market and buying all sorts of delicious fruit and veggies from all of the vendors. I love how close the market is to our house and love the hustle and bustle of squeezing by people to try to get to each stand.

We then took Mya and our dog for a nice long walk and ended up at the park where we pushed Mya on the swings, ran through the sand and I watched, waving like a proud mama, beaming, as Terry took Mya down the big red twisty slide over and over again. She absolutely loved it, and I loved watching her enjoy it all.

It's not even the end of the week yet, but it feels like we've packed so much fun into only a few days so far. And the best part is that most of our fun has been pretty spontaneous.

Tuesday we went to look after Val and I took Mya outside when her physiotherapist arrived. We ran through the grass (yes, my little munchkin can RUN)..cutest thing ever. We breathed in the wind and warm air that blew through the fields and threw sticks for our dog (Meika). It felt good. It felt like spring was here.

This picture just makes me smile. Mya and her best bud running off together to find more adventure.

Then yesterday Jen, Oliver and our friend Kim and her sweet little boy Everett and I went for a morning walk to the park and watched as Mya ran through the field chasing the dog.
I love this picture. She just reached over as we were walking and grabbed hold of the leash and held onto it until we got to the park. I'm sure it makes her feel all grown up.

 And you see...lesson here: If you hand a dog a stick, she WILL run away with it and you WILL have to chase her.

We then headed home for a quick lunch together before the babies went down for an afternoon nap.

The day ended with a trip to Victoria park where we met up with our friend Jen and her 3 adorable boys. You want to see a super mom, Jen is it. I look at her and see what I want to be one day. A mom with lots of kids (all close in age), lots of love to give and a magical way of handling three little people wanting every ounce of her attention. AND they all have beautiful red hair..cutest kids ever.

    We sat on blankets, ate snacks, watched the boys go down the big slide and finished our afternoon at the park with a walk/bike ride around the paths. It was absolutely beautiful out--we were in our t-shirts for most of the afternoon. I love how this kind of weather makes you feel so alive.

I think Oliver is trying to tell us that he's almost ready for solids.

One of the things that I love most about our little Mya is that she absolutely LOVES her cousin Oliver. She just can't give him enough hugs and kisses. He handles it pretty well too--good guy. And his mom (another super mama) lovingly lets this little munchkin get all up in her son's face and smother him with goobery kisses all day long.
With another visit today from our friends Alex and Ayva, then a dinner from my wonderful mother-in law (Judy) which awaited us tonight, I'd say this March break has been pretty stellar. The funny thing is that I had nothing planned for the week originally. Everything that we've done was planned last minute, decided with a quick phone call or email. I was a bit upset thinking that we weren`t going on any kind of fabulous vacation this break. But what I`ve learned now is that some of the most wonderful moments can come from having no plans at all, staying home with the ones you love and enjoying spontanious adventures and moments with friends and family. It's these little moments in life that make me smile. Mya and Ayva sharing tea time together, sitting at Mya's little table like big girls and actually understanding what tea cups are supposed to be used for. I love watching their minds work through life as they figure things out.

Talk about knowing a lot of amazing moms. Alex is one stellar mama too. So loving, so caring and amazingly able to still manage to care so gently and amazingly for her young daughter as she works through the incredible nausea that pregnancy brings. I love seeing great moms have more kids. Only a few more months until we get to meet Ayva's little sister!

 So anyways, back to my original point of loving spring...with spring time and Easter just around the corner, I thought it'd be fun for Mya and I to make up some yummy treats and give them to some of our friends as early Easter gifts. These are so incredibly easy to make and SO delicious. All you need are some M&M's (preferably the expensive Easter coloured ones that are out in stores now), Oreos, pretzels and chocolate.

Here is how we made them:

1) Place parchment paper over a cookie tray and lay out a layer of broken pretzels, M&M's.

2) Cut up some Oreos and place them down on the cookie sheet as well.

3) Melt your chocolate in the microwave or on a double broiler (you can use the chocolate wafers, or just buy those 1lb chocolate bunnies that are out now in stores and you'll save a bunch of money--chocolate is expensive!). I chose to do both milk chocolate and white chocolate (one whole bunny per batch), but choose whatever you'd like.

4) Pour the melted chocolate over your cookie tray then add more cut up Oreos and M&M's on top.

5) Put in fridge until chocolate is hard, then break into pieces.

6) Put in cute little Easter baskets (these are just from Dollarama) and you're ready to give away (or eat all yourself!).

     Here's hoping for more sunny days and spontaneous adventures to come before the week is up. I hope you're able to get outside, enjoy the sunshine and feel alive with whatever makes you happy this week as well. And if you have no plans at all but want to feel a moment of joy...just go outside and find all of the little tulips popping up all over your neighbourhood or your own garden. You just can't help but feel happy seeing that!