Sylvia: July 14th, 2000 - April 7th, 2008

I knew it was inevitable from the first day I met her. She was perfect for me... at the time. I was 23 and heading to Tennessee for graduate school and she was mine. My very own car (well, mine and Honda Finance's)! I loved that little car, but even from the first few days, I knew that this car, "Sylvia", would be perfect for only me as she certainly isn't a family car.

And so, last week, I said farewell to my first love. She's found a new home with a nice couple that is tired of gas-guzzling vehicles. Who isn't? If she wasn't a two-door, I'd probably keep her for that very reason; however, two-doors aren't great for families. Two-doors aren't even that great for pregnant women. I drove Sylvia during my final days before Maggie was born and there were days that I wasn't sure I could even get out of the car! Just the idea of shoving a car seat behind the passenger seat of Sylvia gives me a headache. I'm sure I'd bang my head with each attempt, then wonder why Maggie's first word was a curse. So, getting rid of Sylvia was simply good parenting.

We've replaced Sylvia with a much larger "mom" car. No, not a van. A "Nicola-mom" car: a Rav4. Surprisingly, I've forgotten all about Sylvia and the fun we had (which was lots and lots of travels: from Calgary to Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, Atlanta, and all over Alberta and Saskatchewan). The Rav is proving to be the perfect car for me at this point in my life... just like Sylvia was.

A Day at the Park

We took our first trip to the park a couple of weeks ago when Justin, Jen and Caden were here. We went mostly for Caden's benefit, but it seems that Maggie is ready for fun at the park now too. So much so that we went back the next day! Everyone kept telling me that I would enjoy Maggie more and more at each stage of development, and it's true. It's fun to share these first experiences with her. I'm looking forward to more!

Jen, Caden, Maggie and Justin

Maggie and Caden playing together

Justin and James with their little ones

I don't think she's too sure about the slide...

Stuffed Salmon

I'm always up for a challenge. Okay, not always, but usually if it has to do with cooking I'll give it a shot. I had invited my parents over for dinner to celebrate their birthdays (which are two days apart... in November... I never claimed to be punctual), and when asked what they would like, my dad requests "stuffed salmon".

Stuffed salmon.

Alright then, let's see what the internet can offer me. Do you ever wonder what we did before the internet? I can hardly remember that time? How did people book travel? Stay connected? Catch up on celebrities? Search jobs? Get info? Or find recipes? So anyway, after a few minutes and 18 billion hits on google, I found a great recipe. If you like salmon, you'll love this... let me know if you try it!

Crab and Spinach Stuffed Salmon

• Fillet of salmon
• Can of crabmeat
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Pepper
• Salt
• 6 tablespoons of brie
• Dried rosemary (optional)

1. Spread out the fillet and rub down both sides with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. (I laid wax paper out on the counter to avoid contamination and allowed for easy clean-up)


2. Put the crabmeat in a bowl, and shred the brie into the crab. (Shredded brie??? Crazy Canadian... that's a soft cheese. It must be really cold up there. Nope... here's the trick - freeze the cheese!)


3. Add about 1 cup of steamed spinach (more or less, depending on your preference).


4. Mix well


5. Spread mixture onto your salmon


6. Roll salmon tightly. You may need to use string. Once you begin baking the salmon, it will stay in place.


7. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for about 10 mins per each inch of thickness.


8. Spread any remaining brie on top and broil for the final few minutes.

I served the salmon with parmesan rice and steamed asparagus with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

We finished with lemon mereinge tarts with a raspberry and blueberry compote.

Give it a shot and let me know what you think!

And she's up!

March has been Maggie's month of "firsts". On March 1st, she moved from laying to a seated position on her own. Later, she found her knees and learned that they are much more efficient at helping her crawl than the "inchworm" move she was previously doing. It's amazing how quickly babies master a move once they have figured out how to do it - she's crawling all over the place now! And, three days ago, Maggie's first tooth broke through!

Her latest first occurred last night (that we're aware of anyway)... she pulled herself up to a standing position. James and I were watching closely and he captured it on tape.

Please note - no babies were harmed in the making of this video... she was ready to go to bed and was a little bit whiny.

If at first you don't succeed...

(The "thud" sounded a lot worse than it was. We're good parents. Really.)

Try, try again.

The Biggest Loser

I love the Biggest Loser. I don't know why... I usually end up watching it while eating Reece's Peanut Butter cups (my all-time favourite), and actually gain pounds while watching others lose them. Last night's episode though, nearly drove me to do a half-sit-up to reach for the remote and change the channel. First, why is Mark back? If we didn't have enough male-bonding crying and hugging when he left, we get to endure it some more. He's doing great, and now I suppose he is going to win. Second, what got into Jillian last night? She is my favourite trainer, but she was really giving Alison the gears. She was just doing her host duties and Jillian went ballistic on her! Does Jillian not know who she is dealing with? I don't care how great Alison is on BL, the fact remains that she has been Sami Brady much longer than a game show host. I wouldn't be messing with anyone who deals with the DiMera's.

Please note, I have not watched an episode of Days in years... there are just some things you don't forget.

Nonetheless, the Biggest Loser is an aspiring show. I think I'll ditch the Reece's next week.

New Look

Please be patient... I'm trying to work through the kinks of improving the look of our blog. I'm not terribly savvy when it comes to the technicalities of programming. I'm terrible, really. So, bear with me as I go through some changes. Something cute will be coming soon... hopefully.

Until then, here's something really cute!

Moms 'n' Tots

Wednesday mornings are our big morning out! We go to a moms and tots group at our church for playtime, visiting, discussion, and of course, eating snacks! Maggie has some friends there that are very close to her age and we've all enjoyed seeing them grow up together for the past 6 months. When we first started going in September, the little ones were usually sleeping in their car seats. Now, they're playing together, rolling around, and having lots of fun! We look forward to Wednesdays...

Maggie with Joe, who looks like he's about to swat her!

Maggie checking out what Drew is up to.

The whole gang...