March Adventures

Here's the round up of our adventures for March (in pictures):

J started trying to colour inside the lines

One day I couldn't find J during nap time (when he usually doesn't sleep) and it took me a moment to spot a hand and foot here.  He slept for 2 hours!

We went with friends to the new Perot natural history museum in Dallas.

J liked the interactive screens.

C liked the magnetic puzzle.

We had a picnic at the airport...

so we could see Auntie Naomi as she passed through

She brought presents!

We visited the Dallas Zoo with friends.

We had lots of fun.

J got up the courage to pet a native Texan possum.

After the keeper gave her talk.  Did you know they not only play dead to avoid predators but also let of a 'dead scent' to make the act more realistic?

The children's zoo had a fun spiderweb so our budding Spiderman had a go...

and was joined by his brother.

The weather has got warmer, and C has decided he likes air on his skin... a lot!

We went to a friend's 5th birthday party.  J discovered 'little legos' and was quite happy building with and without assistance.

The lego theme included a cake of 'bricks', chocolate bricks, gummy bricks and men, straws and streamers with lego-man faces, favours of lego-man soaps and crayons and lego notebooks and 'tattoos'.  E had fun getting ready!

And she lent us her silicone molds so we melted down some of our old crayons and made our own bricks.

And that was all before Easter weekend.  More on that later.

Making Mozzarella

Ever since a brief mention in our now-abandoned first blog, I've been fascinated with mozzarella cheese.  On our tour of Italy we had lunch at a farm south of Naples where they served food primarily produced on the farm itself - tomatoes, basil, salami, cheeses, fruit, limoncello, and wine are mostly what I remember now!  (We consumed rather a lot of limoncello since it was soooo good.)  Behind the restaurant there were two women stirring giant stock pots on gas burners, making mozzarella and a by-product, ricotta.  So when I saw this easy recipe for mozzarella online I was keen to try it.

I wasn't sure how to find rennet tablets, but discovered some in the clearance section of our supermarket for 99c, that were good until 2014. :o)  I found that kosher salt can be a good substitute for cheese salt, and I had some in my pantry. I borrowed a candy thermometer from a friend and I was good to go! The photos and instructions in the link are far better than mine, so I won't go into the process here.  My one 'hiccup' was that the "8-10 minutes" for the curd to set was more like 3 hours, so my 30 minute mozzarella took more like 7 hours as I worked around dinner prep and bedtimes!  Here's my finished mozzarella:

 I gave some to my friend who had lent me the thermometer, and there was still plenty for a couple of meals.
We had some on our favourite artisan pizza (corn and garlic 'sauce' on a homemade base with tomato, mozzarella and basil on top).

 It didn't seem to melt as well as commercial mozza, but it sure tasted good.

Then I grated much of what was left and sprinkled it over seasoned tomato slices, grilled (broiled) them and served it over pasta tossed in olive oil, garlic, roasted yellow peppers and lemon.  The boys loved the pasta and cheese but left the tomato.  The grown ups loved it all.

The day after the marathon mozza session I followed the directions in the rennet tablet pamphlet and made ricotta with the whey and curds I had strained off during the mozzarella making.

I made about a 3/4 cup of ricotta,

 which then was substituted for most of the yoghurt in my favourite lemon cake.  (Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the finished cake!)

By the way, my friend has 'made over' the lemon cake recipe and I'm looking forward to trying it out soon!

On a side note, I'm not the only  member of the family currently obsessed with dairy.  N is know for his late night habit of being "cheese hungry" and I caught C eating the butter I'd accidentally left out after lunch - straight!  I reckon he got about a tablespoon's worth before I caught him.  Blech!  No adverse effects immediately apparent, though some hard arteries may be on the cards if he keeps this up.

Whee! He's Three!

It's has taken me a while but here are the pictures from J's birthday at last.  He opened presents a day early (the day of his party) because we figured he'd just be overwhelmed if we spread it out!

 He's really into Spiderman at the moment, so C's gift was exciting.

 Auntie A gave him some stamps and coloured stamp pads (which he is using right now while I post this!)

The Cat in the Hat game has become popular, but it was assumed to be dress-up material at first! 

 His cake was a race track in the shape of a number 3.

 And there were shortbread traffic lights (3 M&Ms), shortbread cars (with M&M wheels), chocolate dipsticks (pretzel sticks dipped in chocolate), fruit cars (slice of apple with grape wheels attached with toothpicks), plus some veges and dip, popcorn, and club sandwiches.

We bought some Cars themed decorations, napkins and plates.

  Perhaps the best investment was in some checkered duct tape (see the edge of the countertop) and these signs...

Our friends came to play.

 And Uncle G stayed later to help J test out his Christmas present - American cricket, you know ;o)

Following the Herd

I've finally succumbed!

I wanted to use Pinterest to collate ideas for crafty stuff and recipes and such because it seems like a cool resource.  However, to join and prove I'm a real person (not a spammer) I had to verify my (non-existent) Facebook or Twitter account.  I balked at this... in September.  I've held out this long but kept seeing ideas for J's birthday party.

So now I've caved.  I joined Facebook - only after I discovered via N that a friend was getting married and I hadn't even known they were engaged.  Already, my fears of compulsively checking the FB account are being realised, so please pray that I get that under control soon!

Anyway, now I can pin to my heart's content and you can see the results in J's birthday party in my next post.  How's that for a cliff hanger to keep you checking here? ;o)

Random Pictures

We've been doing lots of reading.

M has been teaching C all his new tricks (like crawling and pulling up)

Fun with bubbles!

The total crop of grape tomatoes

Anniversary pressie in the mail...

Full of sweets from my sweet.

The pillowcase and sheet I made (under Grandma's quilt).

One of the new aprons from Grannie.

The Finish Line

Hooray!  We've made it to the finish line!  Tomorrow we pick up N from the airport.

The past week has included more blessings:
* The Hunters watching the boys again on Tuesday and serving us lunch.
* Independence Day celebrations with friends.
* A miraculously tidy house after a month of moment-to-moment activities.  (There's been a lot of picking up after bedtime!)
* Lots of baking - my happy space. :o)
* A birthday parcel from Mum and Dad.
* A birthday lunch with the Hunters yesterday, and flowers.
* Found that N's public address, Giving the Market its memory: Finding the forgotten Adam Smith, is recorded here if you want to hear it. 
* Some brotherly moments of hugs, toy sharing and what looks to me like a hongi. :o)

One daft moment (of many) this week:
I suffered an attack from the freezer door one evening.  Something had fallen out as I'd opened the door so I bent down to retrieve it, only to be clobbered on the temple by the door swinging shut as I stood up.  Loud exclamation (surprisingly G-rated)!  A few tears - it hurt.  Frozen peas on hand.  Even so, a nice lump about an inch high and a headache that night. Beautiful black eye - think Cleopatra - on my birthday. Guess I need to be nicer to the freezer in future.

We're also very ready for Daddy to come home.  There's been a few "tempers and tantrums and huggity hugs" (to quote Diana Neild, author of Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig).

Independence Day and Rootedness

Today we have joined in the local celebrations for Independence Day.  Happy 4th of July!

It was kind of funny that a Texan (C), a Canadian (J) and a Kiwi (Me) had to scramble around to find anything red, white, and/or blue to wear!  There does seem to be a secret compartment in the closets/wardrobes of Americans that contain outfits for days such as this.  We managed to score a couple of miniature flags to wave from a friendly parade organizer and joined some of N's classmates to watch the fun in the suburb of Lakewood.  I think my favourite float was the kids playing (original, I think) rock songs on  a big trailer - those tweens were talented!  J enjoyed collecting candy (which I kept referring to as lollies) and C munched on his hat and flag (which cleared the way for the appearance of tooth #3 today).  Some of the costumes were elaborate, the political buttons were big (election year here) and the classic cars were cool (or should that be hot?)

Afterwards we had a barbecue lunch with our friends, complete with octopus sprinkler in the back yard.  C took a nap at last, J had a blast in the sprinkler (but wasn't so keen on the sand down his pants from the sandpit) and I had fun talking with everyone.

The holiday today celebrates 236 years of independence from British rule.  Canada celebrated the birthday of their nation 145 years ago on Sunday (belated Happy Canada Day!) and New Zealand commemorated 172 years since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (between the indigenous Maori and the British Crown) on February 6th.  In reflecting on these community markers of national identity I have been struck by how much we define ourselves by (or against) our history - our roots as nations, communities, families and individuals.  It is from our understanding of the past, the values and virtues that were cultivated there and passed on, the stories that we retell and those we choose not to, that we define our present selves and move forward into the future.  For those of us with faith, that identity is even more rich as we layer in the stories that have shaped our beliefs (and, hopefully, actions) too.

I have also been reflecting on these past weeks 'flying solo' most of the time in my role as parent while N has been away.  (I am looking forward to redistributing the wife/mother balance again soon!)  In reading a blog this week I was reminded that our role as parents is really to raise kids to be independent, and to let them leave.  In teaching our boys to be independent, however, I believe we need to teach them how to 'be' with us - within the community of our family, neighbourhood(s), nations, world - in order that they might have healthy roots through which to draw strength and sustenance as their independent identies emerge and they leave the nest.

I left home when I married N at the ripe old age of 20.  Now I realise how potentially scary this was for my parents!  One of my favourite wedding presents was actually orchestrated by my mum in the weeks leading up to the wedding.  Knowing we were setting up a brand new household, she gave me a box of goodies each week with a different theme.  All those little things you need but don't realise you don't have them until you want them to hand immediately.  I can't remember them all but some highlights include gift wrap and ribbons; a bucket of cleaning supplies; a box of stationery and office supplies; lightbulbs, super glue and other fixity stuff; and so on.  It was like getting an elaborate Christmas stocking of independence every week!  Essentially these gifts represented my parents' work teaching me not only to fly the nest but enabling me to soar (as an individual, and together with N in our marriage).

When I dream of what my boys may be like by the time they leave home I hope each of them can draw their identity from who they are in Christ, our family, communities and nations. (We've sure created some interesting scenarios by providing them with multiple passports!)  I pray that they will be both independent and rooted.  I hope they will share the wealth of their heritage, in all its glory and shortcomings, with those they know and love.  And I hope I can let them soar too.

Three Down; One to Go

Yep, three weeks of N being away down and one more to go. 

I must say that this week has been mentally tough and I am SO ready for N to be home again with us!  So to keep things from spiralling downwards here is one tale of woe (in three acts) and then me counting my blessings (so they cancel out the woe - I hope!)  Once again, no pictures sorry.  (You'll be glad in a moment!)

A Cautionary Tale: How NOT to Get Organised to Go to Playgroup on Wednesday Morning

Playgroup is an informal gathering of mums and young'uns at our apartment complex and/or with connections to a local church.  We take turns hosting the group in our homes from 10am - noon each week.  This week we were not hosting.

(Act 1)
Me: It's nearly playgroup time, J.  Please pack away your toys.
J: (starts to hunt for his shoes and repeatedly tries to open the door.)  Pway-grup, pway-grup, pway-grup!
Me: It looks like C needs a quick feed.  Hold on a moment, honey. Pick up your cars, please. (Settle to feed C only to have him fall asleep in my arms, while J gets more agitated.) I guess we're going to be a bit late for playgroup after all.  Why don't you read a story for a little while? (Transfer C to crib to sleep. Read multiple books multiple times to J for 10 minutes.  Whip up a quick recipe - ginger crunch from the Edmonds Book - to bake while C sleeps and J plays again.)

Act 2:
(Twenty minutes after C falls asleep, the baking is in the oven, J is happy playing and I am preparing the icing.)
C: Waaaa!
Kitchen Timer: Beeeeep!  Beeeep!.....
Me: Bother! Hold on a moment. (Switch off timer, turn off oven, get tin out of oven.)
C: WAAAAAA!
Me: Okay I'm coming. (Hurry in to C.)
Me: (to J, while carrying C) Right, now we can get moving.  Come with me to the potty.  That's it.  Now try to go while I change C.  I'll be back in a minute. (*Disclaimer: this has worked well in the past!)
(Go to change C in bedroom.  Put him on the floor mat then move to kitchen to pour icing quickly onto warm base.)
J: (running into the living area with nothing on below his navel) Oh-oh! Oh-oh! Oh-oh! Naughty!
Me: Who is naughty?  Show me what's wrong.
(Walk into bathroom to discover entire new roll of toilet paper is unrolled on the floor.  It makes a big pile!)
Me: Oh, J!  That is naughty.  You know you shouldn't do that.  Now we need to roll it up and we'll be even later to playgroup. (Grumble to self while starting to roll up paper for next 3 minutes.)
J: Oh-oh! Naughty! Time out. Naughty! Time out. (Runs to bedroom, shuts door in self-imposed time out - still amuses me that he'll do it before I even think of sending him at present!)

Act 3:
(Me still in bathroom rolling...)
J: (as he opens the bedroom door again) Oh-oh! Naughty! No.  In the potty. Oh-oh!
Me: Yes, that was naughty but I'm nearly done.  (Pause.) What do you mean, "in the potty"? (Turn to look at J.) Oh man!
(* J hasn't done anything in the potty, but has lost control while he was in his room.  And since he has nothing on to catch it, has left FIVE deposits on the carpet, in gradation of viscosity!  The least solid has been left right behind the door, so as he opens the door it is spread in the gracious arc of a monotoned rainbow.)
Me: Delightful!  Okay, now you can bring me some of the toilet paper that is still on the floor in the bathroom. The biggest piece you can find. (J brings a scrappy strip maybe one square long.) No, I said the BIGGEST piece you could find. No, don't rub! Arrrgh!... ( You can imagine the rest!  Now you are glad I didn't take photos, eh?)

Postscript:
I also managed to split open my finger in my rush to unfold the stroller before we finally got underway to playgroup - arriving at 11.25am!

Counting My Blessings

1. That C was relatively immobile while the comedic tragedy above unfolded and stayed happily rolling around between two toys the whole time.
2. That I can now laugh about this event!
3. For the Hunters, who looked after both boys on Tuesday morning so I could have some time to myself and then invited me for lunch too. Yummy dumplings Georgian style (not US Georgia).
4. Shopping without kids.
5. Mocha.
6. A needed time of reading, prayer and journalling.
7. My wonderful hubby sending an anniversary present - fancy boxes filled with sweets and treats.
8. Friends who you can visit anytime (B particularly this week).
9. Thankful for our sermon series on Ephesians - I love this book!
10. C's passport has arrived.
11. The house is relatively tidy, considering all we have done today.
12. The weather is warm enough to dry most of the washing outside, so I don't have to run the dryer as much.
13. That when J doesn't nap he will go to sleep by 7.30pm.
14. For skype and those I connected with this week.
15. For those praying for us.
16. That this time next week N will be home! :o)
17. That there is more worth counting but that I needn't bore you with it.

Halfway Mark

We've reached the halfway point of N being away, and today happens to be our 13th wedding anniversary (in NZ, it's tomorrow here).  I guess, unlucky for us, given we can't celebrate together this year.

We've had a less hectic week, but still haven't much to show for it!  Some highlights:

* Playgroup at our place this week

* A bunch of skype conversations with family and friends (Thank you all)

* An impromptu playdate with J's friends that ended up with them staying for dinner after splashing in the paddling pool

* Hearing a friend preach at church on Ephesians 4:1-16

* Fun at Kai's 4th birthday party at a spray/splash park. Left my camera on the countertop with our sunscreen, but it was awesome to watch both boys having fun with the fountains of water, and chowing down on watermelon.

* Dessert for one (or two if you're not as greedy as me!)  Here's the recipe and my modifications.

Dangerous Chocolate Cake In-A-Mug (from St Matthews Church Recollections Recipe Book 1961-2011)

Ingredients:
1 coffee mug
4 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 egg
3 Tbsp oil
3 Tbsp milk
Small splash vanilla essence
3 Tbsp chocolate chips (optional)

Method:
Put dry ingredients in the mug and mix well with a fork.  Add egg, mix thoroughly.  Pour in milk, oil and essence, combine then add chips if using.  Put mug microwave and cook for 3 minutes (1000W oven).  Cake will rise over the top of the mug, do not be alarmed.  Allow to cool, then tip out.  This can serve 2 if you want to feel virtuous!

And WHY is it the most dangerous cake inthe world? - because you are now only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake any time of the day or night!

My notes: a bit stodgy for cake so better as pudding eaten right out of the mug.  I have also made a variation (when cocoa was unavailable) substituting orange essence for the vanilla and spooning a couple of tablespoons of caramel sauce/icecream topping over the cooked cake still in the mug.  Yum!

Milestones

We've hit some milestones in the past couple of weeks. Some just growth, others glad to have made it!

* C turned 6 months old.

* C is fitting 12 month sized clothing that J was still (just) fitting at age 18 months!
* J has been weaned from a bottle at bedtime - at last!  We celebrated big boy status when the bottles were ceremonially put in the dumpster by going to the park.

* C has started solids.  Rice, oatmeal and apple so far.

* N has finished his first year of PhD classes (the 2nd semester is over but the summer holds 2 field exams and a language exam)
* J is wearing big boy underwear - and we are still working on avoiding accidents.
* April is staying with us for a couple of weeks.  She's finished her first PhD year too.