Still At It

Life is much as it's always been around here, busy with kids' activities, school, playdates, going to the gym and so on and so forth.  What is not happening around here much lately?  Blogging and housework.  I was much more motivated to keep up with both in the spring and summer.  I think that is always the way though, as winter approaches and the days get shorter and colder, it just seems harder to keep up with everything so somethings slide.  No big deal, I'm sure the motivation will be back....at some point.

So my house is in a bit of a constant state of disaster.  I do the bare minimum to get by, but that's about it.  We do need to do a pretty thorough cleaning soon, but I'm not losing sleep over it. 

As for the blogging, well I have no excuse!  I'm just not as interested in keeping track of every little thing as I have been in the past.  There will be other phases of mega blogging, but for now it's like the housework, the bare minimum gets done.  Not that anyone else really cares!  But it's for me anyway, so it can get done when I feel like it.

Tristan is doing great with school and he still loves it.  His teachers enjoy having him there and he has made so many friends.  We're so thrilled that he is thriving there, it really seems to be such a great environment for him.  Next week is his Christmas concert and I can't wait to go see him.  The kids have been practicing songs for it and he likes to sing them at home.  "Deck the Halls" is his favourite.

Things are great with Finn too.  He is talking loads now, though only I understand him as he pretty much only uses vowel sounds.  But the words are there, and he is really trying, so I'm sure the rest will come with time.  He is loads of fun, and he's really growing in confidence.  Just in the past week he has started enjoying going to the childminder's at the YMCA, and he doesn't cry when I leave him there.  He even enjoys playing with the other kids and toys while I'm gone.  The ladies have commented that they've noticed such a change in him.

I'm still trying to work out as much as ever, though it never seems to be as much as I'd like, probably only 3 or 4 times a week.  I'm excited for the new winter schedule as there are lots of programs that I can do.  There is hula hooping workshop that I am going to register for that should be loads of fun, but most exciting is, zumba is back!  YAY!  So my week is pretty full between spinning, zumba, 20-20-20, hula hooping, and trying to get into the gym here and there to do a bit of strength training.  The good news is, all this exercise has got me feeling great!

The holidays are upon us and as much as I enjoy Christmas, it really is such a stressful time of year.  Between wanting to spend money on presents but not being able to, and juggling all the family events that we have, it usually ends up being a chaotic time.  We are last minute people and are never prepared for the holidays.  It sneaks up on us every year and we are always left doing all our shopping at the 11th hour.  You'd think we'd learn our lesson but we never do!  Every year I resolve to be more organized but it just doesn't happen.  Maybe next year.....

So that is life with us right now.  Not terribly interesting and yet never a dull moment.  Can't believe another year is winding down and excited to see what next year has in store for us!

Finally Some Pinterest Interest

Everyone has been all over Pinterest so a little while back I figured that since I am a major internet junkie anyway, I best check it out.  I signed up and found it confusing, so never bothered going back.  I kept getting emails that people I knew were following my boards, and I would wonder if they knew they were following...nothing.  Today I decided to go back and have another go at it.  Yeah, it guess it's pretty fun.  I can see how people are addicted to browsing the boards all day, I feel like I want to go back on there to kill some time.  It's not mind blowing, but another good way to waste time.  Though for now all Pinterest has done is make me wish I were more healthy, sporty, crafty, a better cook, and had more money.  Oh well.  Kids are napping, best go kill some more time on Pinterest.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Stevia Ice Cream

So I don't blog for ages and when I finally do it's about ice cream.  I guess we can see what's important to write about here!

What I really wanted was the chocolate chocolate chip cherry stevia ice cream I had made awhile back.  So I had went out and bought all the stuff to make it, except the cherries because I thought I had some.  Today it was a toss up between making the ice cream or taking a nap (it was a hard decision).  I decided to make the ice cream, got everything out, then realized the cherries had gone bad.  Arrrghhhh!!!  But it was too late for a nap and I still wanted ice cream, so I decided to make just chocolate instead.  And instead of searching out a new recipe for chocolate, I went ahead and made the same one minus the cherries since I knew from last time that it was yummy.

HEAVENLY!!!!  Is all I can say.

Here it is:

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Stevia Ice Cream

3 squares unsweetened baker's chocolate

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

2 cups cream

1-1 1/2 tsp powdered stevia (I used 1 1/2 tsp because I wanted it sweet!)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

Melt chocolate in a pan, add the cocoa powder and milk slowly and stir until smooth (this was tricky and I could never get completely smooth).  Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, add cream and chocolate.  Mix, then add stevia and vanilla.  Add to ice cream maker.  When ice cream thickens add chocolate chips.  It didn't take long for mine to finish, maybe 15mins.

Oh.my.goodness it was so good.  I honestly wasn't sure if it was going to be any good, but it was amazing.  SO creamy and SO yummy.  I'll be making it again for sure.

Lazy Blogger

I have been lazy.  More posts coming soon.  Hopefully.  Once I get my lazy butt in gear.  That is all.

Another Dream

To add to the list of things I'd like to learn how to do......

How amazing is she?

I could seriously see myself enjoying hula hooping as much as I enjoy bellydancing and zumba.  Now, to get myself a hoop and find someone to teach me how....

Hey, remember when we used to want to live here?

Long before we ever thought of leaving the city, we used to joke about living up here.  My dad had a vacation chalet here, and before we had T we came up for one last trip away as a couple.  I was 7mos pregnant and we stayed for a week, it was the most lovely holiday ever.  The weather was amazing, and we enjoyed every minute.  One day while we were driving along the waterside and I was gazing out over the bay, I sighed and said, "I could live here". 

Here we are.

So many times the views out here take my breath away and I sigh once again and say to myself, "Yep, I live here".  It's so amazing.

Of course anyone who has been reading my blog (Hello, are you out there?) may remember that I hated it here for a good year at least and wanted nothing more than to pack up and go home.  Not anymore.  Nope, no way.  You couldn't pay me to go back.

You know what I am really loving though?  Yes, I love the bay, and the trees, and the fresh air, and the fact that a million fun things are just waiting for us around every corner.  But what I really love is the community.  I know more people and have more friends now, here in this small-ish place, then I ever hoped to have in the big city with it's massive population.  There, where there are over a million people, I felt so alone.  Here, I never feel alone.  There is always somewhere to go and someone to hang out with.  Even if I just run out on some errands I usually see a familiar face.  I love it.

Another thing I love about this place is how health and environmentally conscious everyone here is.  People here CARE, they care about their health and their care about the state of the environment in which they live in.

I love that there is almost no traffic, and even in 'rush hour' it only takes me 10mins to get anywhere.  When I think about how much of life is wasted sitting in traffic back in the GTA, that alone is enough to make me happy that I call this place home.

Hey hon, remember when we used to joke about living here?  I never believed it at the time.  We are so very lucky.

Life is still pretty good.

Exercise

F's swimming lesson was cancelled this morning so I decided to squeeze in another spin class this week.  I already went to my normal Monday class, but I'm loving it so much that I didn't have to convince myself to go again today.  The energy is so great and it leaves me feeling so amazing.  When I am there my muscles are burning and all I can think about is it being over, but when I am not there I just want to be there.

On Mondays the instructor is amazing.  She has the most addictive energy, I can't help but smile through her classes.  She wasn't there this week though as she is in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii this weekend.  How amazing is that?  Go Claudia go!  Today's instructor was great too though.  She had a good energy too and I really enjoyed her class.

I like to see all the different people who turn out to spin class.  I used to avoid trying it, because I was worried about looking like such an amateur.  I figured the only people who did that class were hardcore cyclists, and that I'd totally look out of place though.  I was wrong, spin class is great for everyone, and I am in constant awe of the different people who join me there, of all shapes, sizes, ages, and fitness levels.

Like the guy in the back corner, a little overweight and not looking like someone who exercises, trucking along trying to keep up.  I'm so glad that he comes.  Or the lady who is almost 8mos pregnant who is always there, giving it her all and keeping up with the rest of us.  What an inspiration, I hope I can still keep up when I'm 8mos pregnant next time around!  Or the woman in front of me, who bobs her head back and forth to the music throughout the whole class, I don't even think she knows she's doing it.  I like watching her rhythmic bobbing, it looks like she is in the her zone.  I see other moms in there, people training for races, elderly people just trying to stay fit.  It's such a great mix of people.  I like to park myself at the back of the class and watch them all (plus no one has to watch my slow butt when I'm back there!).

It's fun to have this common ground with all these people I don't know.  I am there to stay fit and feel good.  Some of them are there for the same reasons, some are their to get in shape, and others are there to maintain their shape as they train for bigger things. 

There is something so motivating about being there with all those other people, and listening to the music.  Music is very motivating.  It gets me going, makes me feel good, and pushes me to work harder.

I'm still pretty novice in there, but I work at my own pace and keep up pretty well.  I'm glad I got to go a second time this week, and I plan on going again early Friday morning with Hillary.

I've made a commitment to get more exercise in.  I've been doing great with my 4 classes a week, but I think I need more.  I don't feel like I need to lose weight, but I'm still not looking how I want to be looking despite my current efforts.  So I've added a 20-20-20 class to my weekly routine, and will have to see where else I can fit stuff in.  I'd like to do one more spinning class at some point, just have to figure out when. 

I would love to get more yoga in too.  I really like Matt's yoga classes on Tuesdays and Fridays, but I wish there was another evening one.  I know there are some on Mondays and Wednesdays, but they are at 7pm which is too early for me because I have to get the kids in bed. 

Anyways, now I'm just going on about it with no real point left.  I love exercise, I guess that's my point.  I can't believe how many years I wasted sitting around and not doing anything.  Even when I was bellydancing several times a week, I thought that was sufficient but now I know that it wasn't.  If only I knew how much fun and exhilarating it is.

Oh well, at least I know now!