Stitches, Uncles and Gluten Free Cupcakes

Well, it's been a week of highs and lows. I prefer to get the lows over with if you don't mind.

Lows:

Picture this: Me walk/running behind my boy as he takes off down a path we've walked/run a million times before on his run bike. Us, pausing at a familiar slope in the path so Jake could have fun gliding down it over and over. Me giving him the "okay, this is the last one then we are going home!" warning, followed by Jake doing a header off his bicycle (yes he was wearing a helmet- thank goodness!) on said gravel path and ending up with six stitches - three on his forehead, and three on his chin. Over all he was a truly brave boy. Getting stitches, and worse yet freezing for those stitches, is not for the faint of heart, but while his dad had to sit down during the stitching part, and I held back the nausea, Jake lay brave and still (well, okay minus the freezing injections part) through our whole post accident walk-in clinic doctor's visit. I guess that's what a big yellow lollipop will buy you.

For the record he was equally brave and still when the stitches were taken out five days later - but again the Doc had lollipops and they talk louder than money to my boy.

I'd share the before photos but I don't want to gross anyone out, so here is the one-week-later photo.

He'll survive and only a few faint scars will remain to tell the tale of his first stitches. Of course those few scars had to be dead centre on his face, but I have mostly gotten over that. Mostly.

The incident certainly didn't stop him from going right on to do this a few days later:

I guess that's a good sign.

Moving on...

Highs:

Jake's uncle, whom we normally only see once a year because he lives kind of far away, stopped by overnight last weekend en route to a business trip. It was just our luck that said uncle happens to be the handiest man in the family and could conveniently help/do some home renos involving our crawl space in the back yard. He was basically here for about 24 hours but he accomplished much, including but not limited to making my boy very very happy. He loves himself his uncles.

Also a high, I made these:

It was nana's birthday and we were having a small surprise party for her at our place. It just so happened nearly half the people at the party (including the birthday girl) were either Gluten or wheat free, so I went to the library took out this and found this.

Just to say, and I am not tooting my own horn or anything, but they were delish. Kind of like two bite brownies but better because there are only four ingredients in them. Gluten free or not they are worth trying. And don't worry, they are meant to collapse away from the cupcake paper as soon as you take them out of the oven. My husband thought they were ruined when I first took them out looking perfect only to have them impale a few minutes later. Ha! what he didn't know his taste buds soon told him.

Final high:

You may have noticed that Jake got a buzz cut. To go with the stitches. He now looks like the guy from Prison Break - I'm just sayin'.

Our Boyd Summer Vacation

Right, so August beat me to it. This post has been pending since mid July and somehow I got caught up in this brilliant July we've been having and it sort of slid to the bottom of the priority list. Apologies.

Here it is now. We kicked off this summer with a down right perfect two week West Coast family getaway.

Behold: Bowen Island Boyd Family Summer Vacation 2013

We sat on the cabin porch every morning sipping coffee and watching sail boats idle by below us before we headed down to spend the day on the beach.

And we did this every -

single -

day.

We bought a dingy at Walmart. Best $20 we ever spent.

 The beauty of having a sociable three year old is that he makes friends everywhere he goes, which is nice when it means parents can lie against washed up beach logs drinking cold ones and relaxing while their littles entertain themselves.

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Besides the beach there was also many a fabulous barbecues on the porch,

Yes friends, those are indeed bacon wrapped sausages you see on the grill.

 Canada Day celebrations in at the local community field, where face painting occurred,

water balloon fights with visiting cousins,

and plenty sun stroke induced afternoon naps.

I love these guys.

Sometimes he's so big, and sometimes he's still just my baby.

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Ten days into our sun soaked vacation we switched things up by heading back to the mainland to visit Jake's great grandpa at his home in White Rock. There was still beaches, good food and company, but White Rock offers up one added bonus that Bowen doesn't have.

Wait for it....

It's coming....

Yep, that's right. Our great Gramps lives kiddie corner to some pretty well used railroad tracks, and Jake was in train heaven. This particular freight train had over 100 cars, and we admired each and every one of them.

I have to say, White Rock, BC, also delivers some pretty spectacular July sunsets too.

We even made it all the way to the border to take in the Peach Arch before we decided to turn back and head to vacation bliss:

Our good old Bowen beach.

That's a wrap friends. I'd say I'll post every day for the next seven days but I'm not up for that kind of challenge. I will post again before August ends though - this summer has earned it! 

Icing on the cupcake

Hello again Blog,

Just a short note since we've just tumbled back from a two week vacation that the rest of summer is going to be hard pressed to beat. After two perfectly sunny weeks on the beach we Boyd's are sun stroked, tanned, exhausted, and satisfied. A post vacation post is coming soon I promised, but for now I just had to share this one truly delicious and amazing thing I just discovered while on vacation thanks to my sister.

Take a look at this:

True, it looks just like another store bought frosting, but wait - is it really? don't be fooled, it's better.  My sister gave me this sample as a part of my birthday parcel extravaganza (a mixed bag of Superstore goodies that ranged from this frosting, to nail polish, to paper back romance novels: best present ever). You get a basic jug of white frosting, and then a selection of unique flavors in small packages to stir in additionally. I was treated to Cotton Candy flavoring.

Cotton Candy icing people, are you with me? It doesn't get better.

The result: best birthday cupcakes I've had in a long long time.

If I were you, and I'm just saying, I'd run not walk to my local grocery to pick me up some of this sweetness.

Bon appetit!

PS: no I was not paid by Duncan Hines to brag about their new product, I just felt it too good to not share. Why I didn't think of this myself and sell my idea for millions, I'll never know.....

Summer jump starts

True to all June's past for the last handful of years, the weather on the west coast thus far has been distinctly bipolar. One day hot and sunny, next day raining with predicted thunder showers. It's muggy, the kind of muggy where you don't know if you should be wearing long sleeves, short sleeves, or a bathing suit. But heck, it's summer. And we Boyd's rock summer.

That's right, sprinkler action.

And of course there has been digging.

Lots of digging.

And the result of that rain I mentioned are some pretty spectacular garden surprises.

It's true, I thought this was a gigantic weed before it bloomed into these beautiful poppies.  I almost pulled it out. I know, I need to work on my green thumb.

And what would any season in our neighbourhood be with out these guys lounging around. Behold the afternoon view outside Jake's bedroom window.

It was nap time, who can blame the guy.

And last but not least, our summer kicked off with a pretty rad celebration for the senior Boyd Boys.

July and August, you've got a lot to live up to. I'm just sayin'.


Happy start to summer everyone!