Jude & Asher's 3rd Birthday Party

We had Jude and his buddy Asher's birthday parties together this past Saturday. They were born 12 days apart (their younger siblings were born a day apart...) Our friend Katarina offered to be our "photographer". The photos in this post are ones that she took. I'll post some of ours in a post closer to Jude's actual birthday...mostly because I haven't yet downloaded them to the computer.

Jude ate the icing names off the cake tray...at least he asked first!

You can see the evidence...red icing fingers & face.

Jude eating one of several candy necklaces...

Look who's using crayons for colouring, not as a snack!

Soccer

Abby started playing soccer on Monday night with the Thunder Bay Chill Youth Soccer Club. Two girls from her class also play on her team. They play twice a week, but spend the first 20-30 minutes learning skills. The rest of the hour is spent playing a "game" against another team. She leaves the field t-i-r-e-d. She actually asked me to carry her to the van after her first night...

Jon was away in Toronto for both games this week. When I asked Abby what she wanted me to tell Daddy when he called later Monday evening, she said, "Tell him I LOVE soccer"... a new passion is born!

Culinary challenge... I need your help!

***Update***

Thanks for your comment Dana!! To clarify...my family has been eating... ahem...frozen pizzas, many variations of pasta and tomato sauce, homemade waffles with berries & *whop* OR we end up eating out, which is neither healthy nor cheap. As much as I admire mothers who can make EVERYTHING homemade and organic, I can't pull it off at this point in our lives. Soooo, I would LOVE any recipes healthier than frozen pizza or KD that can be pulled together in less than 30 minutes :) Jon and the kids eat mostly poultry/pork, not beef so much.

***Original post***

I'm down to less than 4 months to finish off my PhD... I spend 20 hours (over 2 1/2 days) per week with the Community Mental Health Program at the hospital and try to squeeze my dissertation and other written requirements in during naps and after the kids are in bed. Then there's paying bills, doing dishes, washing floors, changing bums, washing toilets, doing copious amounts of laundry....you get the idea! Providing a variety of healthy meals for my family hasn't been a big priority...seriously... I just can't often pull it off. Soooo, this is where I need your help!!

I need recipes... simple, yummy, healthy meals that require little planning/prep... recipes that are tried and true... done in 30 minutes or less recipes (or crock pot recipes)...

They don't need to be vegetarian (Jon & the little Gomers are all carnivores!) If you have one (or many!!), please write it/them out or post a link in the comments section. Thank you sooooo much in advance!

I heart faces- "Hats"

This week, the i heart faces theme is "Hats". This is my entry for the Kids category. It's one of my favourite pictures of Abby, taken a few years ago.

This is my adult entry... Daddy and his little girl. Check out all the great entries for this week & even join in on the fun!