This post is happening hot on the heels of a very long run so I'm in a little pain.  I'm also in a little distress because it's the last long weekend of the summer.  Back to school and work happens in two days.
Now I'm not complaining here because I know what you all are thinking.  Probably something like:
'Must be nice to have the whole summer off'
'If I had the entire summer off I would be so rested'
'If I had the summer to enjoy I would never complain again'
etc and so on.
I'm with you.  I'd be thinking the same things if I were you.   It seems just too good to be true.
Here are some of the cons to having the summer off that you might not have thought of:
1.  You get used to getting up at about 7:30 or 8 a.m. and the adjustment back to 6 a.m. is a bitch (ok, that's not really making my case here is it)
2.  I can't take off during the cold months.
3.  I don't get paid during the summer 'vacation'.
4.  The kids are always off when I am off.

So right now I'm broke, trying to re-adjust my body clock and trying not to feel too sad that this is it for vacation until Christmas.
Our kids had a fabulous summer though.  They are not complaining at all.  Kid #1 is going into gr 6.  She is also doing dance, piano and choir.  All are going to be requiring a little more work from her this year so she is feeling some pressure.  Given her summer though she's off to a great start.  We did everything (except getting her some cheese bagels while in Montreal which I'm still feeling kinda bad about) including a trip to Niagara Falls while our family from the UK were here.  The thing is that we were a little unsure about how we would get there.  Our car only fits 5 and we were 7.  Not gonna work right?  That's when Fr. A stepped in.


Fr. A is good friends with my BFF KT and works at the school that I work at.  He is our archivist... in every way.  Fr A has been working at the school for a very long time and in the priesthood for even longer.  If there is a better, nicer more generous person out there though I sure as hell haven't met them.  Get an picture in your head of what your perfect Grandfather would be like and that is pretty much Fr A.  Maybe even a little cooler than you (read: I) would have pictured.  Fr A has a minivan and he let me borrow it for the day to drive our crew down to Niagara.  Who does that?  Just let's somebody drive off with their vehicle for a day.  Needless to say Fr A got his van completely filled to the brim with gas (he never keeps it very full at all) but I still felt like I needed to do something else to say 'Thank You'.
My BFF told me that he loved muffins and oatmeal.  Well that decided it.  Muffins with Fr A's name on them... and a big hug and a bigger Thank You.




Oatmeal Muffins adapted from 'More with Less'
makes about 13 medium muffins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Combine 1 cup of rolled oats (you can use quick but I used regular) and 1 1/4 cup boiling water.  Set aside for 20 minutes.
In another bowl combine:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour,
1 tsp baking soda,
1 tsp baking powder,
1/2 tsp salt,
1 tsp cinnamon and a
dash each of nutmeg and allspice.  Set aside.

Meanwhile cream together 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, 1 cup brown sugar and a scant 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in two large eggs.  Mix in 1 tsp vanilla.
Add the oatmeal to the butter mixture.  Mix well.
Add the flour to the butter/oatmeal mixture.
Add in some raisins if you feel for that sort of thing.
Fill a cupcake tin lined with papers or whatever with the batter - just barely up to the top.
Sprinkle with some streusel if you feel for that sort of thing (which I did).
Bake for 23 - 28 minutes depending, until a tester comes out clean from the centre muffin.
Cool and then deliver to your favourite person or somebody who's done something nice that they didn't have to do and put a big bow on it and say THANK YOU.