Now I lay me down to sleep...

It's important to document all the ways your kids sleep. Here are a few pictures of my two youngest. First, Ruth, who likes things in order and in a certain way...
And Elyse... who had a temper tantrum and ended up like this...


But, mostly, she looks peaceful and quiet. God bless them.

Student- Led Conferences

Anna and Ruth were so excited to share their ideas, achievements, and projects at their student-led conferences. It is so strange to have the kids boss me around in a classroom, as I'm usually the one doing the "bossing". We played Math games, read journals, looked at ways to improve, and celebrated success. We are so thankful to have children who do well in school and have teachers who bless them every day. Great work, Anna and Ruth!!

Mike-- Olympic Volunteer!

Mike's Volunteer Experience for Vancouver 2010 started last year when his boss approached all the staff in his office with the idea of taking time "off" to enjoy the games and represent all BC government workers. He was offered a driver's position in November, but declined when he thought he would be taking too much time off work. But, with the offer of "half-days" off, he couldn't refuse and decided to use his class 4 licence for something other than a bookmark. He was outfitted with an official uniform, had training, and the offer of an apartment in New West from our friend Nell B. All the ducks were in a row-- let the games begin!! He had to commit to 10 shifts over the course of the 3 weeks. Most of the time was spent waiting for someone to call, but he did have a Whistler trip and some Richmond "runs" over the course of the time he was on-call.



As a volunteer, Mike could get really close to places that noone else could. He got to drive BRAND NEW vehicles, and got plenty of free gifts.

Here is the cauldron from inside the fence.
This is at the athletes' village. He had free access to all the great spots, saw the Canadian Olympic hockey team eating lunch, and spent some time shopping in the athletes' exclusive store. It was a great experience for him and he says he'd do it again in a heartbeat! It was an experience he'll never forget!

Of course, he was away from home a lot. But, we decided that we would make the most of this experience together. So, we spent 3 Saturdays in a row travelling between the Fraser Valley and Vancouver. Every day we saw something different, every time was a new experience.

Our last Saturday was spent at the Heineken house. We got to skip the line because our friends Joop and Grace Admiraal have Dutch passports. It was a party!! Here's a few pictures of our time in Richmond:












The Heineken house was so much fun. We ate a lot of Dutch food, tried to speak some Dutch, and whooped it up with our new-found friends. The kids loved it. Mike bought me an official jacket as a "thank you" for allowing him to be away so often. We got a great deal on the one for Anna, too. Her pink jacket was getting a little small, and there was one orange jacket left in her size. It didn't have the official patches, so we got it on sale! Hopefully it lasts her for another 2 years.

Finally! Some photos of our Olympic Experience!

It's about high time that I posted some photos of our Olympic experiences. We've had some camera trouble, recently!

This was the first Saturday on the bus to the events. It was a rainy, yucky Saturday, but we had a blast!

At the Ontario 4-D experience with our crazy Dutch companions, Joop and Grace.

Yup, there's Scott Oake and Me (and Joop)
Our Second Saturday-- week 2-- Beautiful, bright and clear. We had tickets to a hockey game. Here are the 3 siblings that went together at the Olympic Cauldron. Just the week before, we couldn't get anywhere near it.

Easter bread

I was searching for a paska recipe (after I enjoyed it so much at my "evening" class) and found one that works in my breadmaker.
SUPER YUMMY!
Happy Easter everyone.


steph’s paska
breadmaker version
(aka cheater pants version)


I cup lukewarm water (I just use tap water)
2 tablespoons instant dry milk powder
2 tablespoons margarine or butter softened
3 teaspoons grated orange/lemon peel (I never measure, but I know I add a bit more- I like it zesty!)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt (I use a little less- maybe ¾ of a teaspoon)
2 medium eggs, beaten
3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Add ingredients in order listed, ending with yeast, to the baking pan of automatic breadmaker. Follow directions for mixing dough and allowing to rise. (On my bread machine there is a DOUGH/PASTA setting and it takes 2 hours).

In two hours, when dough is ready, turn it onto a lightly floured surface and divide in
Half- if using standard loaf pans
Trios- i use aluminum superstore “loaf pans “ they come in a pack for 4 for maybe $2 (dimensions are: 20cmx10cmx5.5cm) they are a bit smaller in size than a standard loaf pan.

Put into 2 or 3 greased loaf pans (kind of shaping it in there) and let rise in a warm area for approximately:
Half- 40 minutes
Trios- 30 minutes

Bake in preheated 350F oven for:
Half- 30 minutes
Trios- 20 minutes.

Turn out onto a cooling rack and let cool. Eat with cream cheese icing and rainbow sprinkles (our family favourite) or toasted lightly with jam.

Yum.