Full few weeks!

Well, we've been to the Ukraine and to Tanzania. We've had Hubby come home from his course in Ontario, and a plunge into deep winter. Hubby's last full day on course the temperature was 12 C, and two days after he got home we were having -20 C and below! A few "Extreme cold warnings" from Environment Canada, but still not much more snow on the ground. There have been work Christmas parties, class seasonal celebrations, and perog making.  Yum

I forgot to take pictures of our food from the Ukraine, but we had borscht and perogies that I fried in bacon grease. OMG So yummy! I have made borscht before this one was way better. and it made a ton! definitely will either half it next time or freeze a bunch. Dessert was apple and poppy seed pie, as suggested by some of the European visitors on the course with Hubby.

Monkey had her preschool Christmas concert and activity day. They sang a couple adorable songs, decorated cookies, made magic reindeer food, and played pin the red nose on Rudolph.

She sang so loudly and did all the actions in a very big way! Completely just like her personality :) On the way to this, we heard the Chipmunks Christmas song on the radio, her for the very first time. The comments I heard from her throughout the song were hilarious! "Mom, why do they sound like that?" "Are they the mice from Cinderella??" "I only like human songs. I don't like those voices"

The next afternoon was Girlie's concert and Sergeant was able to duck out of class so he could watch it too! Girlie was so excited,she carefully planned out her outfit and made sure she brought her sparkly shoes to wear as well for it. 

They did hand movements with coloured plastic plates to the Nutcracker, sang "I saw Three Ships Come Sailing in", and a few more. It was two grade one classes and then half way through two Kindergarten classes joined in. 

Sergeant was part of a play about Santa wanting to join the NHL and slowing toy production to practice. Our Sergeant had a few lines as the NHL hockey player that was idolized by Santa and comes to play a game with him. They all did a great job.

Smarty didn't have a concert or production this year, but his school did put on a "Snowed in" activity night the same night as Sergeant's play, so we headed over there for a bit  after it was done. So they all decorated a cookie and ate it, drank some hot chocolate, shot some hoops in the gym (and were surprised that mommy got a few in too!). 

Yesterday we went to Tanzania for dinner. During the day Monkey helped me make a Tanzanian spice cake, and we had a "fragrant pilau" with fish for the meal. So much cinnamon and cloves were used!I thought it smelled and tasted delicious, the whole thing. And even though no one asked for seconds, they all cleaned their plates of the rice. Naturally, the dessert will be a repeat. This crew loves spice cake!

Grated chocolate in the cake, whipped egg whites folded into the batter. When I was separating the eggs, one of them had a double yolk, so of course I called Monkey from her crafting to see.  She was appropriately amazed ;)

Hubby cooked up some bacon and onions and I did two batches of sweet dough this week so we could have our yearly fix of perogs that the boys have been bugging us for since the middle of October! Right now Hubby is doing up another slab so we can make more. I promise to share more of these next ones. Lol.

And of course, as I tend to do when I have some left over sweet dough, I made a pan of cinnamon buns! Baking is one of my happy places and I sure spent time there this week!

Sorry for the longer post, but it's been a full few weeks!