december at the speed of light

as always, the holidays have crept up on me so quickly. without realizing it until today, i took a much needed blogging break. a complete computer break, actually, and i missed a lot of my favorite blogs and websites.
but the basement reno along with a sewage problem (again!!) demanded most of my time.

i thought i would pop in and post some pictures of what's been going on around here this week.

a big old mess from the reno.

lots of playing and laughter.

a very special birthday.

still to do before christmas:

bake some holiday cookies

spend some time with my favorite cookbooks and plan some special meals

wrap, wrap, wrap

watch bad santa and elf

finish the one handmade gift i am making this year for glen

what do you have left to do?

wishing you a wonderful holiday and happy christmas!

thank you

every once in awhile, i have this strong sense that everything is just right. even though the messes of everyday life are still there, there is a feeling that life is good. i'm naturally a content person, but i'm talking about a stronger sense that a wave of something great is swirling around my home and my heart. it could have to do with these little ones....

and of course, glen that has been working so hard to finish our basement off in time for christmas.

for the longest while, i've been searching for some of my creative energy that i felt i let go of when life got the best of me. i know it's still there, deep down, and now i am trying to find the right outlet for it before it bursts out of me! good friends and this sweet guy have encouraged me, and that means more than anything to me. my flickr friends are also a constant source of inspiration to me, too. so, thank you!

fast face

i love makeup! even thought i don't wear that much, and need to be reminded somedays to put it on, i thought it would be fun to post about my favorite 'fast face' items of the moment.

i always start with a good moisturizer and under eye concealer. currently, i like clinique's redness alert cream and lise watier's portfolio concealer (i never use the green or blue shades, but the others work well on my skin).

i absolutely love bare minerals foundation and my handy buki brush. i am very sensitive and dry, and this still seems to work well for me. bronzer is a must for my fair skin, followed by blush (the bare radiance and glee are great!). if i have time, i use benefit cream shadow in birthday suit (not shown), and liquid liner. mascara and lip gloss or lip stick and i'm somewhat presentable.

what are your favorite cosmetic items and colours?

super scrummy snack

i took a short break to have a bite in between scrubbing bathrooms and fighting dust bunnies.

nutella + bananas are really one of the most awesome combinations. ever. don't believe me? i just dare you to try it. and if you're feeling adventurous, put them inside a fresh, warm crepe. heaven, i say!

ps. happy thanksgiving to my american friends!

reflecting

i can remember the day camden arrived and the flood of emotions that came with him. mostly, just pure love.

he was the easiest baby you could ever imagine. after a few months, some even said he seemed like a man, trapped in a little boy's body. his eyes were so full of thought and light.

and then one day, that easy baby turned into a not so easy baby. one moment so happy and full of love, and the next he seemed to have the weight of the world on those tiny shoulders.

many sleepless nights, and more heartbreak and tears than i care to remember, until one day an explanation. sensory processing disorder...autism spectrum....asperger's syndrome. all things we have become very familiar with in our house. and then everything started to make sense to us, and then most importantly, to him.

some days i just watch him in awe. his ability to connect with people is beautiful. his use & understanding of words so impressive. i fear he will outsmart me any day now.

his love has no bounds.

when he makes a wish at a fountain, he doesn't wish for a new toy, he wishes for all the people in the world to be friends.

when he says a prayer at night in bed, he says he is thankful that God put him in my tummy.

when i didn't know what was going on with him, and was consumed by frustration and fear last year, he told me "i believe in you, mama". i will never, ever forget that moment and the limitless strength it gave me.

if he was in your child's class, or you saw him at the park or a restaurant, you may not notice anything different about him at all. he would probably strike up a very interesting conversation with you and make you laugh. most people that know him well, have a hard time believing the diagnosis. but it is real, it just has so many faces. or should i say disguises?

i've been thinking a lot about the boy he is lately. and how proud i am of his leaps and bounds this year. this obviously effects our family immensely every day and i felt like sharing a little bit of that here.

better late than never

i started making the boys pajama pants a long time ago. i remember sewing them on christmas eve day last year, and getting a little stressed that they would not be ready in time to go under the tree. i tore myself away from the sewing machine before they were done because i thought my time was better spent with my boys and family in a peaceful way during the holidays, rather than alone in the sewing room ridden with anxiety.

camden found them the other day and asked if he could wear them. i am not sure why they fell by the wayside for so long. they were the cutest bandana print fabric.

but the good thing is i didn't even have to hem them since camden had grown taller. in fact, i think they may even be floods by christmas.

chocolate :: easy

the november issue of everyday food has a fabulous cake recipe on page 154. it's from a new book, by lucinda scala quinn, which has me very intrigued called mad hungry. it's a book geared to feeding men and boys and i think based on the title, and the outcome of this simple chocolate cake which you mix in the pan it's baked in, it's going on my christmas list.

the recipe is here, if you like chocolate and you like easy.

and i found a little video here, too.

have a wonderful weekend!