LEGO KidsFest Review

We had an absolute blast today at LEGO KidsFest! I knew that my kids would be so excited to go - I just didn't realize HOW excited they would be. They basically ran over one another just to get through the door. 

I knew that they would want to see everything so I was sure to print out a copy of all the different activities that were available to us and made sure that we got to the ones that the kids really wanted to see first. 

The very first thing that we saw was the LEGO Model Museum. My kids were amazed to see all the different life-sized figures. We made sure to take pictures next to all of the ones that they went crazy over. The full sized LEGO Batman was a huge hit for all three of the boys, but there were plenty others that made the cut. My boys kept asking if we could make them at home with our own LEGO bricks - I encouraged them on, but said that we would have to go to The LEGO Store to supplement our collection of LEGO bricks. 

Next stop was the Big Brick Pile. Was it even a question that my boys would be all over this - literally?!? As soon as they saw it their eyes lit up and their jaws actually touched the ground. We spent quite a few minutes here before they were racing to the next awesome activity.

We had to visit both the DUPLO construction zone and the LEGO construction zone - so my husband and I split up. He took the older two to see the LEGO zone and I kept the younger two with me at DUPLO. This was the area that we spent the most time at. My 4 year old is just starting his love affair with DUPLO so he wanted to show me how many different things that he could build with all the different DUPLO pieces that we do not have at home. (It was a lot!!) 

We took our time at the Monochromatic build and then of course at MINDSTORMS. My boys are also huge fans of LEGO Starwars, and LEGO Chima so we stopped there too! There were so many really cool activities that I can't even begin to go through them all.

In all it was the best event that we have ever been to with regards to LEGO. If LEGO KidsFest comes back to Calgary in the future we will be buying tickets for more than one day....we needed more time! 

ps. Thank goodness that there was a retail section there as we were able to buy some new sets while the kids still had all that creative energy coursing through their veins after being able to meet real life Master Builders (oh did I mention, that was an activity too!!!)

Birthday!!! and more LEGO

It was my son's birthday yesterday and I let him know that we are going to LEGO KidsFest this weekend. (Hurry if you want to get tickets as they are sure to sell out!!) He was so excited!
As usual he got some really great sets as gifts and I didn't even see him until he was finished building. I really was amazed at how much he has grown.

When we first started building with LEGO bricks he would always need my help. Now, as a tweenager he is able to build really complex sets in record time. The best part is how it really boosts his confidence. (not to mention his imagination).

I bought him Cloud Cuckoo Palace from The LEGO Movie. He really wanted a Uni-Kitty mini figure and that is the set that has her. I pulled my mom magic and had The LEGO store call me as soon as the new sets came in (as they were back-ordered) and got my mom to pop in and grab one minutes after I got the phone call. (thanks mom!!)

My grandmother bought him another set, the Castle Cavalry. It's really neat as it is a 2 in 1 so he built it one way today and said that he wants to try and build it the other way tomorrow.
He also got a CHIMA set from his friend. This one was a little tricky, but he was super proud of himself after he figured it out.

Of course my other boys were really jealous of their brother and all the stuff he got for his birthday, but I made sure to pull out all of our LEGO and try and make other lands for the boys to all play together.

Nothing is better than the silence and quiet cooperation that LEGO brings (I would step on many a LEGO brick to get that regularly!!!)

I really can not wait to see what my kids will build at LEGO KidsFest. The monochromatic area is where I think we will set up shop for most of the visit, well that and the MINDSTORMS area.
I will be writing up a blogpost as soon as we get home to review our visit so make sure that you check back on Friday night to get the scoop on what my kids thought of LEGO KidsFest and it's visit to Calgary.

Vegetarian Mulligatawny Soup

All my kids are sick with a nasty cough. No one is feeling well, and with this perpetual winter I decided to take a great Moosewood classic and put my own spin on it. My kids are not into spicy soup, but I wanted to use one that had all of the Indian flavours that are so soothing to the senses.

They gobbled this one right up!!

Vegetarian Mulligatawny Soup

Yield 9 Cups
Time: 55mins

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 1/2cup chopped onions
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
1 fresh hot pepper, or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (you can omit these if you have kids who don't like spicy things)
4 cups of water
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup seeded and diced bell peppers
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup *cooked* rice (make sure to make this before hand)
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 can of chickpeas or lentils
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice. (I cut cut up half a lemon and squeezed)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

As with all Indian inspired dishes the secret is to cook the spices right into the oil at the very beginning. First take your oil and warm it into the pot. Then add the onions and salt and cook until the onions are softened, around 10 mins. Then add the ginger, turmeric, coriander, and hot pepper and cook for 2 mins. Add the water, carrots and potatoes and bring to a boil. (if you do not have any cooked rice on hand here is where you would add an additional 1/2 cup of water and 1/4 cup of rice.)
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover for 10 mins.
Next add the bell peppers, tomatoes and the cooked rice. (unless you are doing the uncooked rice version). Simmer again for 5 mins, or until all the vegetables are tender.
Lastly, stir in the coconut milk, chickpeas/lentils, lemon juice, and cilantro.
Simmer again for 5 mins.
If you would like you can add more salt, lemon juice, cilantro to taste.

ENJOY!!

R is for RAINBOW

I am taking two weeks to do each letter of the alphabet with my preschooler and Kindergarten/Grade 1 child. The first letter that we have looked at is the letter R.

We started by doing a whole week on Robots which was a whole lot of fun! (check it out here)

I decided to also touch on the Grade 1 Alberta program of study objective of "Creating Colour" by continuing our lesson in R with Rainbows. 

The first day we watched some videos on Rainbows. The kids really enjoyed all the different "Sing a Rainbow" versions. We also watched some PBS videos on how rainbows are made. 

Next, I gave the kids some bingo daubers and let them have at it. My kids are extremely kinaesthetic learners so smashing the daubers on the paper to make the ink fly was the highlight of this project. While they didn't make a rainbow, they definitely enjoyed themselves seeing all the colours that they could choose from to make for a really open ended art project.

My oldest son just did a science project on polymers for his Grade 3 Celebration of Learning, and so the next project that we did with the younger boys used the same materials.

One polymer that my kids LOVE to play with are water beads. If you have not had your kids play with water beads before you need to stop reading this post right now and buy some off Amazon and then come right back!

Water beads are SO much fun! They are sold as a substitute for soil for plants and for decoration, but as a learning toy they are much more useful! First I had the boys try and separate the beads into all the different colours, which was a true test of fine motor skills. Next I had them use pipettes to fill the test tubes with water. It took about an hour for the beads to absorb all of the water, but when they did the kids dove right in! It is one activity that really fills that need for sensory play. The beads are slimy and bouncy so the kids kept squishing them and popping them, and then sorting them again and again and again. They spent at least a good two hours each day just playing with them. So the $1 investment for the beads it was well worth it!! 

The next polymer that we played with was "InstaSnow". This stuff is incredible! You just use a tablespoon and some water and it expands to a 4th of a cup or so. To make the rainbow I took a little bit of the snow, put 3 drops of each food colouring into separate cups (using 2 drops of red/ 1 yellow etc to make orange etc.) and then put them all into a shallow dish in the correct order. It was so pretty for about 10 mins, and then it was all mixed up. All was not lost though, as it showed the kids what happens when you mix all the colours together....grey!!!

We saved the best for last. As a kid I remember making rainbows with Fruit Loops and loving it! I happily bought the colourful cereal for my kids to do the same. Of course they were able to sneak a few into their mouths without me noticing (or they think that I didn't notice). I always like to have a box of Fruit Loops in my craft room as they are really fun to play with, completely non toxic (lol), and they smell good too! I absolutely loved the rainbows that the boys made - they went up on our display wall as soon as they were dry! 

Once we finished our project with the Fruit Loops our lesson on the letter R and rainbows was complete! However, the boys had a different idea. My middle child decided to use the Fruit Loops and make himself an R out of them and exclaimed "Look mom! A rainbow R!" He was so pleased with his creation.

My older son who was participating in the crafts was influenced by the rainbow theme going on as well. Later that day I found that he had organized all his Trash Pack by colour. It was neat to see them take the lessons one step further.

Crockpot Monday - Vegetarian Butternut Squash and Chickpea Coconut Curry

I love coconut curries. I tend to make a ton of them in the winter months when I want something to warm me up.

I just registered the kids in a karate class that spans two hours at dinner time and we were always rushing to eat before or after, which was causing me so much stress.  To combat this I decided that the best solution for my dinner woes was to make crockpot meals every Monday so that we are not eating at 9pm.

This one is my absolute favorite. It can be eaten on top of rice, noodles, in a bread bowl, or all by itself for those who are grain wary. It's also vegetarian (actually vegan) and it has a ton of protein and iron!

My kids love it (and love helping me make it) so it is win/win/win for me!!

Butternut Squash and Chickpea Coconut Curry
serves 8

2 1/2 cups diced butternut squash
1 1/2 cups chick peas (dried or canned)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

I didn't have any fresh so I used these!

1 can 13.5 ounce organic coconut milk (light or whole fat)
1 bunch of fresh spinach, rinsed and roughly chopped (or kale, or chard)
1 1/2 cups freshly shelled edamame (you can use fresh or frozen peas as well)
1-2 large tomatoes, diced
3 cups vegetable broth or water
3 tablespoons yellow curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (if you don't have any fresh you can use frozen as well)

Kids love to help cook!!

Take 15 mins to prep all of your veggies. Take the skin off the squash, remove seeds and cut into squares. Add them to the crockpot. Add the onion, garlic, coconut milk, edamame, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, curry powder, salt and cilantro.

If you are using dried chickpeas, sort and rinse and add at this step. If using canned add them 30 mins before you want to serve. Add spinach (or other leafy greens) 30 mins before you are going to serve as well. 

Cook on high for 6 hours. If it seems too watery to your liking you can add a little cornstarch 15 mins before serving to thicken it up. It does thicken as it cools. 

 You can serve over brown basmati, jasmine rice, noodles, or even in a bread bowl.  Toppings can include mint, fresh cilantro, basil or some shredded coconut. (anything goes!) 

Bon Appetit!! 

My Last Birth Story - The birth of Audrey Jean

Well, I had been having braxton hicks pretty regular for weeks so when I woke up on the morning of the 22nd with more of them I just ignored them. I did feel like absolute crap and went to have a nap right after I woke up. I posted a depressing status about morning sickness returning and went to sleep for an hour. When I woke up it was 11am and they had still not subsided. We went to do some errands and I felt really tired. They were super consistent at 2 mins apart and 1 min in duration. So when we got home at about 12:30pm I called my midwives just to tell them that the BH were not stopping. They asked me to eat, rest and drink water and call back in an hour. 

My midwife actually decided to call me back before the hour was done and asked if they had stopped - which they had not - so she drove over (40min drive - Thank GOD it was a sunday). 

She got to my house around 4pm and we talked about what was going on and she asked if she could check me - even though it kinda inconclusive for 4th babies. I was 4 cm - and so she asked how my labours usually go - I told her they ramp up after the kids go to bed so we made a plan for her to come back around 7:30pm/8pm just to see what was going on. 

I had an hour long nap and then walked and walked around my room listening to my awesome playlist - no change - just WAY more pressure - I felt like my water would break any second....and at 7:30pm when my littlest son fell asleep it did. 

All over my bathroom floor. 

I frantically called the midwives and my doula and everyone made their way to my house. The contractions stopped for about 30 mins, and then picked up again once my doula and midwives made it. 

I just kept walking for about an hour - they were stronger but still really manageable - I was waiting for them to hurt like my last birth - but they didnt. 

At 9pm I got in the tub and stayed there until I was 8 cm. I didnt feel any contractions in the tub. It was amazing. I was irritated that it was taking so long and I was SO SO tired. I kept asking just to sleep. 

I decided that the tub wasn't making them strong enough to do anything, so I got out and was given some homeopathics and flower essence to speed them up..... I stalled completely, and when checked it was because her head wasnt on my cervix and there was too much forewater - so my midwife asked if she could break it - and I agreed. 

I still had pathetic contractions and so I did about 4 flights of stairs to try and get her head on my cervix. That worked and the contractions picked right back up. Back to 2 mins apart and 1 min long. 

I was offered the tub again, but I just wanted it done so I declined and kept walking and walking. 

The contractions started to ramp up (I am sure I was at 9cm) and I started to complain about doing it again, and feeling the panic, and not wanting to do anything but sleep. I started to have to lean on my husband and my doula used counterpressure on my back as I could no longer walk through them. 

I had about 5 contractions leaning on him, and then 2 on my hands and knees. I complained pretty loudly at this point. 

I asked my midwife if I could push and she said sure, so I climbed up on the bed and started pushing.

For some reason the contractions during pushing hurt - but if I pushed with them it didn't - which is something that I did not have happen before. 

I have to say that the push before crowning made me cry and doubt myself - but everyone was so supportive and my husband held me so tight (we were spooning) that I went by pretty quick. 

It was 10 mins of pushing and she was out.

Since we wanted a water birth - we did not protect the mattress - so it's a write off..... ;)

All in all, it was a great birth. Second best for me. No tears, no stitches and 4hrs of active labour... pretty great for the last one! 

Hello Baby - A Book Review

With my fourth baby due in a month, the boys and I have been doing a lot of preparation for the upcoming birth. My oldest son really wants to be there and especially wants to cut the cord.
I am still on the fence about him being in the room, especially during transition, but I am open to exploring the options and will probably end up deciding the day of.

Since I am having a homebirth with midwives it will be easy for him to come in and out when he sees fit. I know that my labours are typically short and boring, as I tend to go inward...but the transition is pretty intense and I don't really want to be distracted or scare him because I get a little vocal. (read - swear like a trucker).

But, I also want to honour that he would like to be there, and I think normalizing birth for children is so important for when they are older. If they see birth as a normal, natural process, they will be less likely to be influenced by he media that tries to convince us that it is a medical condition that needs "fixing".

One of my most favourite ways to prepare my kids for my birth is by reading them the story Hello Baby by Jenny Overend. Hello Baby is a wonderful story about a mom with 3 kids who is having a homebirth with a midwife. She goes about her day while her husband and children set up for the birth and upcoming arrival of their new sibling. It is through the eyes of a 4 or 5 year old boy and is so beautifully illustrated that it really shows how calm and wonderful a birth can be.

I really recommend it for anyone who wants to normalize a vaginal birth, even if you would prefer to birth in hospital. The story has many questions that the boy asks that are exactly what any child expecting a new sibling would ask, and so easy for kids to understand.

Here is a link to get it on Amazon

40 Week Pregnancy T-shirt Tutorial

As I said in my last post this pregnancy has hit me the hardest out of all of the 4 pregnancies that I have experienced. I think because of this I am having more ambivalence towards this pregnancy. Don't get me wrong, I am super excited to meet my new little bundle of joy, but the pregnancy is really draining.

So to get me out of my funk and to give this baby the excitement that he/she deserves I decided to make a cute pregnancy t-shirt to help me remember to take pictures - and to easily remember when I look back!

Want to know how I made this adorable shirt? Wait no more! 

First, you need to go and buy a shirt that will accommodate your bump as it grows. I know how big I get as this is not my first rodeo. For some women a bigger t-shirt from Superstore would be great, for others a maternity shirt would be a better choice. 

I chose a cheap maternity tank from Old Navy - in case I made a mistake and had to buy another one. 

Next you need fabric paint and a stencil.

I bought spray fabric paint because I thought it would be easier - but it turns out that what I had first thought of wasn't that easy.

It still worked for me. I just used a sponge tip brush and sprayed the paint on another surface and then blotted my brush and applied. 

When using the the stencils I used a lot of scotch tape to make sure that I didn't go over and mark up the rest of the shirt. 

I wish that I had bought two stencils as the double digits were a little more challenging. 

However, it all worked out in the end and I am so happy with the results!! 

So tell me, how would you mark off the dates?? 

An Apology and an Excuse - or an Excuse and an Apology.

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will have noticed that I have not put a post up since January.

If you are a long time reader of my blog - you will have noticed that I follow a pattern like this.

I made up this picture as a "surprise I am pregnant" for my blog and meant to post it again and again... However, I have had the most horrific morning sickness that I have ever had for any of my pregnancies - and for the most part (for the last 14 weeks) all that I have been able to do is scroll facebook on my smartphone.

So, yes, this is my excuse for neglecting you dear readers. I hope that you will forgive me.

I promise that I will get back on track in the next couple weeks!!

Winter Solstice Fun

If you are a regular follower of my blog you know that Christmas is not my favourite holiday; Halloween is!

Lighted Luminaries

So when Christmas comes around in December I go through the motions mostly because both my husband and I were raised in families that celebrate Christmas - so it is just something we do. 

But there is something else that we do in December that I love a whole lot more. Every December 21st we celebrate the solstice. 

I don't consider myself to be a Pagan or a Wiccan, I just like to celebrate something that has a much less commercialistic approach close to Christmas so that my kids are not completely taken in my the gimmies of the holiday season. 

I wanted to share with you, dear reader, what we do on this day so that you may have some ideas and may even implement them yourselves.

The winter soltice is the shortest day of the year. The day when winter is officially here. We spend a lot of time talking about the science invloved as well as the connection to the changes in season. 

We make garlands out of popcorn and cranberries and this year we will be making a bird feeder using pinecones and peanut butter and seeds.

Popcorn and Cranberry Garlands

We go for a winter walk and listen to the sounds that the animals make in the snow and hang up our garlands and bird feeders. We also collect sticks and berries that have fallen on the ground for a craft later in the afternoon.

Adding Raisins to the Bread.

We come home and have hot chocolate and marshmellows to warm up. 

Some years we go ice-skating, or tobogganing, we may bulid a snowman or an igloo. We like to spend most of this day outside experiencing the winter and celebrating it. 

When we are done outside the children help me bake braid bread and we put raisins in it. Each and every raisin is a wish for the new year. I love to listen to the wishes that little children make. They are so innocent and simple. 

Making the Luminaries.

When the bread is in the oven the children help me make Ice Lanterns. We place all of the sticks and berries into old hummus containers and put yogurt containers with rocks in them in the middle. We place them in the freezer. Once they are frozen we will put candles in them when it gets dark. 

We have a wonderful hearty meal all made with locally sourced ingredients, and I light our Yule Log. 

I love my Yule Log. My husband made it last year and it sits all year long on my mantle ready for the night that we give thanks for everything that we have.

Wonderful Feelings 

I seriously made this. 

We finish our dinner with a Yule Log Cake, and then go outside and light the Ice Lanterns to mark the shortest night of the year. 

The kids get ready for bed, and instead of watching TV or a movie as we do on Christmas Eve, we play board games until it is bedtime. 

The whole day just leaves me warm and fuzzy. 

I hope that this post was helpful to some of you and will maybe give you inspiration to do something like this with your families, or take some of the ideas here and incorporate them into different holidays that you may have. 

Have a Wonderful Holiday Season.

*Vlog* - "Work at Home" mom

I am a work at home mom. For most that means that they have a nice balance between home life and work life, so much so that they can actually get work done at home. I am not one of those moms.

Many people have told me that they "don't know how I do it!" 

Here's how. 

Do you have a good work/life balance? Any tips you would like to share?

*Vlog* - Freaked Out

When my husband works out of town I have a tendency to stay up way too late after the kids go to bed. It could be because I need that time to recharge, because I miss him, because I like the silence…or just because I am completely addicted to social media. Of course, late nights and sleep deprivation are not always a good combo.
  Have you ever had a similar experience?

A Hidden Gem - Patterson Springs Farm

Big Sky

If there is one thing I like to do it is going on outing with my kids. The more we go out the less mess that they can make inside my house and the less work I have in the long run! After a long vacation and even longer car rides back I was excited to see that my friend Lindsie, who runs Patterson Springs Farm with her mom, was having a farm play day!

My Yummy CSA

I already love Patterson Springs Farm for the yummy CSA that I get each week and wanted to show the boys exactly where their food comes from. I called it homeschooling - and my husband called it an excuse to visit my friends. Can't argue with that - it is really the best of both worlds.

When we got there after a short drive from southeast Calgary, we were instantly surrounded by an idyllic setting. I have always wanted my kids to grow up in the country - but we honestly can't afford it and I honestly don't think I could handle the work of running a farm by myself for the most part. Being able to go to Patterson Springs and just walk around the property and explore is a really nice treat.

Rock Staircase up to the Garden

Since it was the Farm Play Day (which they have once a month) there were plenty of other mothers around to talk with and for the kids to play with. Since it was a nice day the moms had just put their blankets on the lawn and were having a picnic. We packed our lunch too, so we just joined right in.

After lunch, Lindise took us on a tour of the upper garden. It was really cool to see where all the vegetables that we get from our CSA come from. And sadly, my boys did not recognise that this garden was food. It was a great learning opportunity where I was able to get down at their level and show them what a carrot and an onion look like while still growing in the ground. The kids especially loved the sunflowers and played around them for a couple moments before heading to the bees.

Sunflowers surrounding the Veggies

Lindsie showing off her Bees! 

My son holding a piece of honeycomb.

I am not a huge fan of bees as I am afraid of being stung, but I appreciate how important they are for pollination and for food production in general. (not to mention for the honey). Lindsie carefully separated the comb so that the kids could see where honey comes from. My kids were enthralled. My eldest one loved seeing all the hexagons inside the honeycomb and took a piece home for his nature collection.



After we had seen the bees the kids ran down to visit the animals. We buy our eggs from Patterson Springs as well so the kids wanted to help feed the chickens. We had an impromptu lesson on why not to put your fingers in the cage for too long! The chickens wanted a taste of my little ones fingers!! It was so funny to see the surprised look on his face!

Careful not to get your fingers nipped!

The kids really enjoyed feeding the animals and the highlight of the day was when my middle child was able to feed the goats. These are his favorite animal and they were so friendly and trying very hard to say hello. We spent some time down by the animals as the kids just wanted to keep feeding them. Once they were done we headed back up to the farmhouse for a potty break, and a snack.

This goat was hilarious.

Magic Show

While having our snack Lindsie's son shared his magic tricks with us. He is my oldest son's best friend and so they were happy to be the magician and assistant for the duration of the show. Another friend of Lindsie's shared a Waldorf inspired puppet show with the kids about fall after the magic show. I was surprised how my kids sat so quietly and attentively for this soft, beautiful performance.

The Yurt

We ended the day by grabbing some more snacks in the Yurt (which is used much more in the Winter Farm Play Day's as it has a fireplace). The adults chatted while the kids played inside and outside until their hearts content.

As we left Patterson Springs, I felt a sense of gratitude that these ladies open up their home once a month to share it with city dwellers to get away from the hustle if only for a day.

For more information visit www.pattersonspringsfarm.com or like them on facebook.

Lindsie and Lousie (mom&daughter) owners of the farm.

*This is not a sponsored post - all opinions are my own.*

Calgary all the way to Winnipeg

5 mins into the Epic Journey

In my last two blog posts I explained that my husband and I were taking our 3 sons across Canada in an epic 5 day roadtrip to get to the cottage. I explained how to pack your suitcase to save time and stress and also what to pack for entertainment in the car. Make sure that you check them out if you haven't already.

The thing is that we actually didn't take the full five days - we gunned it and made it in 2 and a half. (no speeding).

We started the trip early at about 6am leaving our house in the far south of the city of Calgary and of course we had to go back not once but twice to double check and grab last minute forgotten items...we then stopped at our local Starbucks to grab coffee and a chai (a must need for early mornings in our family) and finally set off at about 7am.

Where is Dora?!

Our first stop and pee break was at Medicine Hat where we saw the "largest" tpee in the world. My middle son was incredibly disapointed that it wasn't the largest TV as we had promised. After being thoughougly unimpressed we continued on until we hit Moose Jaw.

The Front of the Moose - on purpose! 

I remember seeing that moose as a child but thinking that it was much bigger than it actually was. We lined up the kids for the obligatory tourist picture and my oldest commented that the moose had gigantic testicles!! (the funny part is that I remembered noticing that as a kid too - why exactly does a plaster moose need them? - especially when it is missing its penis)

We got back on the road and headed to Regina. By the time we entered the city it was only 3 o'clock and the thought of staying in a hotel and waiting until the kids fell asleep at 10pm (at the earliest) was more petrifying than just continuing on. I called the hotel to cancel our reservation and we continued on to Manitoba.

Cute little grain elevators in Saskatchewan.

We made a quick pit stop for a pee and a bag of chips in a small town 2 hours out of Brandon. The kids had the DVD player on by this point and we were listening to episode after episode of Ninjago. I am not a huge fan of media for my kids but in this case the quiet was worth it. We powered through to Brandon Manitoba and stopped for our final break at the Quiznos on the highway.

I know that I have said before that we are vegetarians, but more of the problem with food is actually the cheese. Both my oldest son and I are allergic to dairy and so most vegetarian options are out fr us when travelling. We decided to just get turkey subs for the kids so there would be some protien and I grilled the clerks on what was vegan and what wasn't. I think that they may have thought that I was speaking a completely different language. By this time my husband had really had it and we had been driving for over 15 hours. I told the clerks as much and tried to get the kids fed and to the bathroom with as little drama as possible. There may have been some tears and some sharp words exchanged.... But this being the one time people were showing signs of stress we decided to put the kids jammies on and make a reservation in a hotel in Winnipeg.

15 hours in the van and he is still smiling.

It got dark rather soon after we started driving again and the kids were really unhappy that we had turned the DVD player off and rudely expected them to go to sleep. (sleep?! What is that?!)

In classic kid fashion both the littles fell asleep an hour outside of Winnipeg and I bribed the oldest to be quiet with a "surprise" for the trip in the morning. We pulled in, took the dog for a pee, my husband took the bags and the dog and the oldest and put him to bed and came back down to help carry child #3 while I carried #2.

We made it!!! 

We walked as fast as we could through the lobby, prayed that the elevator didn't wake them. Put them into their beds and as quiet as mice we slipped out of our clothes into our pjs and crept in beside them.

We work really well as a team in instinces like that. (any other time - not so much).

Stay tuned for the second part of this blog - Winnipeg to Sault Ste. Marie.


***update - since it was a crazy trip there and an even crazier trip back - the second day is all blurry so not sure when I will be able to blog about it***