Happy Things Friday: 16 February + Bloggy Break

This was another week that whooshed by; the hours seemed to melt away.

As part of my commitment to rest and restoration this year, the next week (or so) will be a bloggy break for no reason other than the fact it feels like a nice time to take some time “off”.

Until then, some Happy Things from this week.

BIRTHDAY SUPPER

It was my mom’s birthday recently; we were busy with various activities + John was going to be leaving for a work trip on her actual birthday…so we celebrated early with supper at our place.

I made a roast for what felt like the first time in my life – so rare for us. I made Yorkshire puddings for what is most certainly the first time in my life. It was a delicious meal – horseradish dip and whipped potatoes courtesy of John, slow-roasted carrots, roast, puddings, coleslaw, and gravy…and homemade carrot cake for dessert. It is special to be able to carve out these memories with my parents. My mom is very “low-key” and lived so many years without much celebration, so it feels nice to bring our relationship full circle and be the one baking cakes for her birthday.

MORE BIRTHDAY FUN

Both kids had birthday parties to attend on Saturday. *Side note: I feel like my kids attend about 10x the number of birthday parties I did as a child. I, admittedly, didn’t have many friends…but I also feel like friend parties are so much more common now? I try to look at it as a very special luxury but sometimes get a bit grumbly about how often we’re trying to source gifts. Thankfully A has moved into gift card territory.

Anyhoo, both kids had a delightful time. One of my birthday hacks is that I never buy cards. They get thrown away immediately so why bother? This week, I had L colour his gift so it became a built-in card. (His name was in bubble letters on the back). As a bonus, he then proceeded to spend TWO HOURS doing art projects.

A had been invited to a swanky Oscar-themed birthday party. It was like a murder mystery but minus the homicide. In this mystery, an Oscar had been stolen. The girls were to come dressed up and A loved every second of getting ready. She and her friends looked SO old. Weren’t these kids all just in diapers? The host did a phenomenal job. The parents were tasked, before leaving at dropoff, to be the paparazzi. So many fancy dresses and high heels and lipstick! An especially sweet moment for me was when someone prompted the girls to shout out “who they were wearing” expecting them to come up with fancy fashion labels like Dior and Versace and it was a chorus of Frenchys and Valu Village (the two main thrift stores locally). It made my heart sing. And yes, of course, A’s dress (and my shoes – which she wore) were thrift store finds 🙂

VALENTINE’S DAY

Valentine’s Day is a holiday that flies below my radar. I don’t dread it, but don’t require much fanfare. This year, I hadn’t planned to get anything for the kids but at the last minute I put together tiny bags for them – a package of gum, a chocolate treat, and one Dollar Store item I knew they’d like/consume (a face roller for A who is suddenly VERY in to face care and a $4 pack of Pokemon for L). Done. They loved exchanging things with their friends at school.

For my part, I celebrated solo. John often seems to be away over Valentine’s and I don’t feel the slightest pangs of upset over that! We love each other and show it frequently and the day feels rather irrelevant to me. That said, he posted a comment on my Valentine’s post and it made me so happy. He reads every single post (okay, he skims my book review posts and may have moved quickly along through Monday’s post because he has lived it in real time!)…but he had never commented and it felt like this little cherry on top of a perfectly lovely – albeit ordinary – Valentine’s.

I got to spend some time with Jan Coates at our local coffee haunt on Valentine’s Day and she brought a treat along, so we sipped our tea and chatted…and nibbled on delicious Sea Salt Caramel chocolate.

BONUS ROUND

• Toasted quinoa. My friend Joy let me in on this little secret and it is sooo good. Toss cooked quinoa with a bit of olive oil and salt, put on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and roast – stirring occasionally – until toasted. I think it took about 30 minutes at 400F (but I can’t quite remember). It holds crunch for DAYS in a sealed container and is so, so delicious and easy. #Obsessed.

• How excited A’s bestie is over the outcome of the Superbowl; she is a HUGE Chiefs fan and even though I was rooting for the 49ers (let’s allow another team to have a chance, shall we?), it was fun to see youthful enthusiasm over the result.
• A quiet half hour at home one afternoon; L was at a playdate, A was at drama. Ahhhh.

• Picking up holds at the library. Such a privilege and delight. Two books I ordered in to complement my Year of Shmita. I already finished On The Clock and it has given me a lot of food for thought.

• A quasi-last-minute invite for supper at my parents. It was an unexpected meal I didn’t have to cook which felt like pure decadence. I played hide and seek with the kids and watched the weather report with my dad (my dad watches the weather report each evening RELIGIOUSLY). Little things that feel special because…they are! We have a little over a month left before they go home so I’m trying to make each visit count.
• A very light work-week; plus, next week is reading week at the university so it should be two consecutive “easy” weeks. Three cheers!
• Speaking of work, corporate taxes are submitted AND paid. A good feeling to have that behind me; though we did get dinged because I failed to submit tax installments I didn’t know I was supposed to submit during the year. Oops. I will NOT make the same mistake this year.
• Doing yoga every morning this week before starting my day/leaving my bedroom.

• Sunshine through windows.
• Consecutive good nights of sleep.
• A simply gorgeous afternoon on the ski hill; cold but sunny, perfect conditions, and I managed to fit in fifteen flawless runs. Plus, A was skiing with two friends…and I was there with a friend so everyone had companionship! Practically perfect in every way…
• One evening after supper while I was picking up the kitchen, the kids started playing a game of Pictionary together. They were so…content. They spend a lot of time pushing each other’s buttons but at the end of the day, the love runs deep and it’s special when I get to see it.

• Taking L and a friend to a local university basketball game with my dad. It was so funny to hear them cheering for the local players who, incidentally, are their coaches in a local basketball league. It added such a fun element to cheering when the kids know the players personally (and, obviously, admire them; they were scrambling all over the place to get high fives from the players before the game began).
• John gets home today. Yay!

Your turn. What’s your go-to birthday meal/dessert? Favourite card game? Did you watch the Super Bowl last weekend? Have you ever had toasted quinoa? Highlight of your week?