A huge thank you to Jes for featuring me, I loved answering your questions.

Tell me that name does not want you to rush to the kitchen right now and whip these babies up right this second- possibly just me then!

If you needed extra proof of why to cook this, see above photo and tuck in with the same enthusiasm!

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 large banana, diced
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips- chopped up if big ones.  You can use any type of chocolate, we like the semi sweet chips

1. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, eggs and sugar. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, being careful not to over mix the batter.
3. Gently fold in the banana and chocolate chips.
4. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, and coat with a bit of the leftover butter from whatever you melted it in.  I use my silicone brush to just swoosh the melted butter over the pan
5. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the pan, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

My kids love Spongebob.  At 6am on a Saturday and Sunday morning I love Spongebob as my kids watch it as I try and close my eyes for at least another half an hour! 

The other day I sat with my cup of coffee, snuggled next to my two bundles of trouble and started to watch Spongebob. 
I can only assume it emits some subliminal message that forces you to continue watching as the episode ended and I noticed I was alone on the sofa, watching Spongebob by myself!  Both boys had retreated to their bedrooms leaving me in that awkward moment you realise you are watching kids TV by yourself! 

I am pretty sure you have been here too?  I know my Mother in law particularly likes Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (Sorry Janet, the secrets out of the bag now!)

Harry loves to ask questions.  He is so happy to ask questions most of the time he barely has time to get an answer before he asks his next question. 

Whilst watching a film you can expect a torrent of questions.  We don't answer them as we have explained that if he shuts up for 5 minutes he will get the answer from the film. 

This is what you can expect:

"What is she doing, why is he going in there, what is that car doing, why is he up there, when did she go out, how come he is wearing that, why can't she get in, what did he do wrong, what are they doing, why is she eating ice cream, can I have some ice cream, what will happen if she does that?"

In the car the other day, heading for the library:

"What books can I get, how many books can I get, will they have books about dinosaurs, will they have any red books, how long can I have the books, is it far, will they have any spongebob books, are we nearly there yet, can I pick my own books, will you be in the library with me, will you pick me any books, are we nearly there yet?"

I love that he is inquisitive and soaks information up like a sponge but the quicker I can teach him to ask Google all these questions the better as at times it feels like my head may explode!

I just wanted to share a little proud parent love.  Harry is so good at drawing it makes me smile.  He drew this for my Mum:


Keep up the fab work Harry!

On the 22nd September 2011 I posted my first blog post here on Life Without Lemons.  So after three:
Happy birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday dear blog,
Happy Birthday to me! 


I have loved blogging here and long may it continue.  I love that my family read it in the UK and its a precious link when they are 4228 miles or 6803 kilometers away. 

Thank you for everything over the last year little blog, lets have a gin and tonic to celebrate!

I have seen many bloggers do a little feature where they show you what is in their handbag.  They line all of the items up, neatly and give you a little explanation of what each item is and what it is used for. 

Yesterday I cleaned out my handbag.  I did this as it felt like I had a cup of biscuit crumbs in the bottom (I actually did have a cup of biscuit crumbs in there- FACT!).

Disclaimer: This is not the contants of my handbag, for shame I cannot show you what fell out of my bag!

I did not photograph what came out of my bag, partly for shame!  Here is what tumbled out:

• My beloved Radley Purse- it's looking very battered these days (hubby if your reading this a new purse could be the perfect Christmas gift, not that I am hinting- HINT ALERT!)
• 3 pens- 2 working, 1 not working
• 1 pencil- not very sharp
• Post It Notes- all drawn on
• 2 dog poo bags
• Buzz Lightyear
• 1 bouncy ball
• 1 tampon- I do wish companies who make these would understand that by wrapping them in bright, colourful outers, children will pull them out of your bag in a very busy public place and declare "Ooo, what's this, is it a sweetie, can I have it?"
• 1 toy car
• 4 tic tacs- orange flavour, I think.  They didn't look very tasty anymore!
• 4 lip balms- small ones from the dentist.  They give Harry and Alfie one each time we visit
• 1 lipstick- I had actually forgotten I had this one
• Large quantity of biscuit crumbs
• 6 dried up raisins
• Large bunch of keys
• Darth Vader keyring torch
• 1 pair of boys underpants- clean ones I hasten to add
• Pair of kids socks- kids have to have them on if you wish to drop the children off in the Ikea kids play area for an hour of peace, strolling around aimlessly so they are a VITAL item in my bag!

You see all essential items.  My handbag is less of a stylish, organised carrying device and more a place that random crap gets chucked.  Think of it as the busy Mum's survival kit.  You need distractions and technique's to keep them busy when waiting in line, waiting for food you have ordered or waiting of any kind and a handbag with Buzz Lightyear and toy cars will provide such distractions. 

That is my defence and I am sticking by it!
Do you have a bag of shame?  What's lurking in the bottom of your bag?

Harry is an excellent student at school.  He tries hard and aims to please his teacher.  But no matter how hard we try we seem to struggle with spellings.  Each week he gets his words and each Friday he gets at least half of them wrong!  He makes errors based mainly on the fact he spells just like me- badly!  He spells phonetically so because can be written bcos.  I can see where he is coming from but cracking this nut is going to take some thinking outside the box. 

What we have tried so far includes:

• Basic test followed by copying out the wrong ones 5 times (that's how I remember it working when I was at school, or more correctly not working, I still can't spell!)
• Sticking every word he needs to spell for the year on his wall so when he writes his stories and cartoons he can see how the word is spelt correctly
• Talking through each word letter by letter

Having spoken to Harry's teacher this year she has suggested singing or even rapping the letters of the words.  I can only assume she has no idea how ludicrous this idea is based on my singing voice!  My children cringe when I sing, the dog even looks at me funny!  So I am trying a no test method and simply using the words in different ways each night in the hope that by Friday's test at school they have soaked into his brain. 

These are my latest spelling tactics:

It seems like quite a while since I shared any food photos and I can assure you it's not from the lack of eating- lots of that goes on here! 

The last few tomatoes are now red ripe and juicy from our humble plant in the garden and they have been possibly the best tomatoes I have ever tasted.  Next year I intent to increase my stock as I quite like the idea of a glut of them to make chutney and fresh tomato sauce to freeze for the snowy winter months. 


Simply sliced with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and some basil from the garden.  The perfect nibble whilst cooking tea for the troops.


Roasted tomatoes ready to be made into pasta sauce with Italian sausage meatballs.


Just a few nibbles, taken with a gin and tonic in the last dregs of the summer sunshine.  Tomato and basil salad, marinated mushrooms and olives and green beans (from the garden) with a balsamic reduction. 

Alfie is a tough cookie on the outside but a softie on the inside. We are on week two of pre school mornings and so far he has cried, wailed, begged me to take him to the boring shops and told me he is too tired for school. 
I write this, tapping on my iPad camped outside pre school having drank my coffee and finished reading my book.  I had been called into pre school last week to help settle the hysterical child that Alfie had become having been left behind by his horrible mother  How dare she leave him here with these random strangers!

This is what my in car camp out looked like!  I actually rather enjoyed it, oh the glam lifestyle us Mum's lead.......

Looking at the clock in my car, I have 15 minutes to go and this will be his first time of making it through the two hour, apparent torture of being away from me.  It makes me happy to think he has done it, but sad that the little dude is growing up!

Kids eh, they do like to put us grown ups through it!  I now understand what my mum meant when she said she couldn't wait for me to have kids of my own!

My family are fab.  They are a great bunch who on lots of occasions give me reason to giggle out loud.  I feel it is only fair to share these comic moments so I will begin with a story my Mum passed to me.

My Nan has just had an operation and my Mum called round to give her a hand and make sure she does not do too much around the house etc.  It's 11.45am and Mum is about to make lunch so thinks a quick cup of tea for Nan, Grandad and herself before she starts would be a good idea.  The conversation goes:

Mum: "Do you two fancy a cup of tea before I start cooking lunch?"
Nan: "No, we normally have a gin and tonic about this time"

You see it's a not just me.  The love of gin and tonic is a family thing.  I am very proud of them and I can assure you that when I reach my 80's, a gin and tonic before lunch will be firmly in my daily routine too. 

Harry is ace with Lego.  He wanders off into his bedroom and you can hear the clicking of little blocks being sorted through in the giant box of all things Lego.  He emerges with something fab every time! 

Today he emerged with a snow mobile.  He has no plans for these things and just makes them up as he goes along- told you, a star! 


Alfie watched as I took this photo and did not want to be left out so Alfie and Buzz feature here too!

After a full week in Grade Two I decided that Harry needed a Friday treat to go with his Friday Film Night and what better than a spot of indoor camping! 

Ever watched a child with a pair if scissors?  Next time you get the chance do, it's hilarious!  They pull the cutting mouth face and move their lips in time with the blades as they attack an unsuspecting piece of paper.  It's like the scissors just wont cut the same unless you move your lips around. 



I have no room to judge, apparently hubby says I do a funny eating the food kinda face when my kids are eating.  I know I do it, I always have.  You cant help it, it's just a Mum thing like not being able to stay still when you hold a baby, you find yourself swaying back and forth like gravity just made you do it. 

You know you do it, we all do- it's just a Mum thing!

It's chaos around here at the moment.  My parents in law just left to catch their plane to fly back to the UK- we have had a fab three weeks and I am very sad to see them leave.  It's Alfie's first full week of two mornings at preschool and not to dwell too much on it, it was OK but could be better.  Screaming and clinging onto me, begging me to take him to the boring shops with me rather than leave him alone with all these strangers!  We will get there!  Harry's first full week in Grade Two and a wonderful new teacher.  I told you, chaos right! 

Oh and to top it all off, nine years ago today I married a funky, balding, scientist on a sunny day surrounded by friends and family!  Love you chuck.......

Most often that not it's the simple things in life that give the most pleasure- gin, ice cream, chocolate.  Sorry I mean simple things with the kids, the gin and ice cream are a whole different post. 

This weekend we packed up the supplies and headed off to Elk Island.  Here a few details from the Parks Canada Web Site;
Located less than an hour away from Edmonton, Elk Island National Park of Canada protects the wilderness of the aspen parkland, one of the most endangered habitats in Canada. This beautiful oasis is home to herds of free roaming plains bison, wood bison, moose, deer, and elk. Also boasting over 250 species of birds, the park is a bird watcher's paradise. Be it for wildlife viewing, hiking, cross-country skiing, picnicking or overnight camping, there is something for everyone at Elk Island National Park.
(Click here for link)



The scenery is fab and the place is quiet- until we rocked up!  We set fire to some wood and cooked our lunch.

I love a good bargain and there is no denying that you can get a good bargain at Walmart but I do wonder if it is worth what you have to put up with when strolling the isles of this store. 

Here are just a few things I have noticed about Walmart:
1. No matter how quiet or busy there are never enough checkout staff.  There is always a slow moving cue of at least 4 people
2. The fruit and vegetables look like they have been displayed by standing at least 4 ft away and throwing them at the shelves.
3. The price displayed near the item you want to buy will not actually be for the product closest to it but some other random product (usually more expensive).  It's always a bit of a gamble at the checkout!
4. The item you want will no longer be there?  It is either out of stock or just moved to another location to make your shopping trip just that little bit harder! 
5. There are always at least one couple shopping in their pj's?

And just for a giggle check this out- I am sure I have seen some of these people!

Kids don’t understand the socially acceptable times when us grownups lie or don’t point out the obvious in an awkward situation.  Kids don’t get the subtle feelings that must be protected and the obvious things that do not need to be pointed out, at that very delicate moment!  I love that about kids.
Whilst watching a medal ceremony in the Olympic Games my son noticed that one of the Team GB cyclists on the top of the podium had no hair, except a tiny strand.  Of course he asked why she had no hair.  I explained that it was likely to be a condition known as Alopecia where a person’s hair can just fall out.  He looked at me and with a wave of sudden realisation remarked “Oh, that’s what Daddy’s got”. 


Like I said, you have got to love kids and their honesty! 

For the last few weeks our neighbours have been building a deck.  I admire their determination and hard work for taking on such a large task.  Admiration aside, enough is enough!  Who knew there was a whole section at the DIY store labeled “Annoying Tools” with sub categories of “Most Noisy”, “Most Frustrating” and “Most Likely to wake you up at 8am on a Sunday”. 

It’s hot outside and I am a lover of fresh air so like to keep windows open but the moment the power tools come out every open door and window gets closed quickly as the noise is just so frustrating, even to placid old me!  It seems like they have been screwing down wood now for an eternity and there is no sign the deck is close to completion.  What is adding to our pain is the times our neighbour chooses his power tool moments.  It’s either first thing on a weekend morning or just as we are putting the kids to bed up until our bed time.  Nothing like the soothing sound of power tools to ease your kids into the land of nod! 

Enjoying every bit of sunshine before the snowy winter takes over the grass!

Let's just hope the DIY Gods are kind to our neighbours and they finish very very soon!