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)

Advent 2012: Week 3

Well, Christmas has arrived, but here's our update on Advent activities.  They have helped me focus more on the season of preparation this year.  I felt surprisingly calm and organised - I hope it lasts!  Here's what we got up to in Week 3...

December 15: Due to a short ban on DVDs for a young man, we postponed watching a Christmas movie until a few days later!  Instead we opened our piggy banks and helped him divvy up some money to give to the Salvation Army bell-ringer at Walmart.  He has been fascinated with the bell each time we shop there, so he was keen to give - even if it was more for the bell than the need we explained to him simply.  Near disaster - the bell-ringer wasn't in place as we entered the shop but (phew!) was cheerily ringing as we exited.

December 16: We lit the third candle on our Advent wreath.  J can now tell me as I light each candle during breakfast, "That's the hope candle. That's peace. That's joy!"  He likes trying to blow them out too.

December 17: This morning we hosted our playgroup friends.  Only a couple of families were able to make it but we still expended some energy!  We watched "Jacob's Gift" as our Christmas movie and some relaxation in the afternoon.  It is based on a book by Max Lucado of the same name, telling the Christmas story from the perspective of a carpenter's apprentice whose family runs the inn by the infamous stable.  It has a wonderful message about gift giving.  We have watched and read the book MULTIPLE times during the week since.

Source: Amazon.com

December 18: We bundled the boys up in pyjamas and drove over to Highland Park (a swanky Dallas suburb) to see the Christmas light displays.  Many have been installed by professionals and they can be spectacular. (Not that you can tell from my evidence!  The blurry photos don't do the displays justice.  Props to anyone who can identify what is shown in the third photo.)  J could identify snowmen, Santa Claus, trees and houses that looked like "gingerbread house[s]".  I was disappointed that (here in the Bible Belt) there were hardly any nativity scenes.  I think I only saw one in half an hour's driving!

December 19: We made an early start and made Peanut Butter Squares before we went to the local library's story time and shared Christmas stories and cookies.  This is one of the recipes my mum makes around Christmas time, and is the reason I love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups so much!  Apart from the essence, they are pretty alike.  The boys helped crush the graham crackers to smithereens (since wine biscuits are hard to come by here) and I was amazed they didn't even attempt to hit each other. :o)  I think the recipe was originally from an Alison Holst cookbook but I can't be sure.

December 20: Today we made gift tags for presents.  I traced some shapes onto paper (stars for J and circles for C) and wrote in the to/from details.  The boys went crazy with the crayons and I doctored them up afterward and cut them out.

December 21: The boys helped me wrap the presents they are giving to each other and Dad.  We made sure to stick on the gift tags. At the moment the presents are stashed away because little prying fingers have no mercy and I don't have shares in wrapping paper companies.  They'll come out under the tree closer to Christmas Day.

Fun food

The last wee while has seen us ordering our food co-op basket every fortnight (every 2 weeks for the North Americans).

Here was one week's treat - corn that had pretty red kernels when raw...

 that faded when cooked but still had the red colouring on the cob!

In August I ordered an 'extra' one week - 20lbs of tomatoes.  More about that later.

And this week we have squillions (well, it feels like it) of Hatch chiles.  Quite a seasonal treat down in the Southwest!  We had a casserole version of chiles rellenos for dinner, since it seemed easier than the rellenos I made a while back when Grant visited.

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.

Spring Break

Here's the round up of our spring break with Uncle Andrew.

On Monday we drove south down the I-35 and stopped for lunch at Heritage Homestead Farm, just north of Waco.  J and I had visited before, when we came down to see out friends, the Smiths, last September.  This time the temperature wasn't in the 40s(C)/100s(F) so it was much more pleasant to wander in the gardens, see the animals, and visit the different homesteading craft buildings (pottery, woodworking, forge, mill, fibre arts).  We ended our visit at the cafe.  Yum! (Best falafels ever!)

We carried on south to Austin, where Andrew's friend (Stephen) is studying.  Before we unpacked the car, S suggested that we stay in San Marcos where he had access to a family house.  So after a quick pit stop and wandering his campus, we climbed back in the car and headed for dinner on the way.

Dinner.  Well, we weren't underfed!  We visited The Salt Lick, a famous barbecue eatery just out of Austin.  It was the week of SXSW (a music festival) so there were lots of folks out, but even so, you could tell this place was popular.  Think: literally acres of parking; at least 40 minutes to wait until we were seated; enough seating to feed about 500 people per sitting; live music; and then the food...

The tag line on their advertising is "You can smell our pits for miles" and that heady mix of charcoal, sizzling meat and BBQ sauce was definitely enticing.  A and S tackled the all-you-can-eat meal, where as N and I just tackled the mixed plate of brisket, ribs, sausage, potato salad and bread rolls.  Wouldn't want to be permanently vegetarian and come here.  Needless to say, the Lenten fast didn't last this night.  J snacked off our plates, but really drank more of the old-fashioned lemonade than anything else.  It was good.

Tuesday morning we made pancakes for S with a yummy cranberry mix from the Heritage Homestead Mill, and packed up.  We drove through to San Antonio and went directly to the zoo.  It was a bit of an adventure because our Google directions initially took us to the wrong place.  A friendly corner dairy owner pointed us in the right direction, and with one further stop to clarify directions with a passerby, we made it to the zoo, only to be turned aside by traffic police.  We turned into the nearby park to find a way to turn around, and found a carpark within walking distance of the side entrance!  A short wait and we were inside.  Lots of animals, lovely sunshine (enough for a little redness later), reasonably priced lunch, gift store plastic animals as a souvenir, and two tired wee boys.

 After checking in to the hotel, J napped and then we walked to El Mercado or the marketplace stalls, live music and food vendors.  We tried tripas tacos, chicken gorditas, bean and cheese gorditas, and gave A his first taste of funnel cakes.  An episode at the playground as the sun set before we all traipsed back to the hotel to crash.

Wednesday morning we walked to The Alamo, and wandered through the museum exhibits and courtyard.  I was a little distracted by a cranky 2-year-old so I think I'd enjoy it more if I could have taken my time a little more.  So we went on and found an elevator to the river level of the Riverwalk.  Had a beautiful lunch in one of the Tex-Mex eateries and then wandered back to the hotel to pick up the car.  We drove back through San Marcos and visited the outlet stores before heading to S's in Austin for the night.

Had another lovely breakfast with him on Thursday, and then A and I took the boys to the vintage shopping strip (South Congress, south of the bat bridge) while N did some study.  Some of the SXSW bands were doing performances in the eateries along the street so we heard some of the music, saw plenty of musicians and groupies (what is it about indie rockers and scruffy facial hair?) and tried some yummy icecream.  We drove back to Dallas in one hit that afternoon (because both boys slept for most of the trip).  Exhausted, but well-rested in another sense.  Ahhh, Spring Break!

Penance

Well, I'm still working through last week's menu.  The coming week's has not yet been determined because I haven't ordered our produce this week, and there's still plenty left from last week.

We went away to Austin and San Antonio for a sibling-sponsored holiday during Spring Break (more in another post) and vegetarianism went out the window with bedtimes, naptimes and limited tv for J!  We didn't specifically look for non-carnivorous eating places while we were away, but there sure wasn't much choice for a vege-lover in amongst the other offerings, usually only one token choice on a menu.  Having said that, I did have the best falafels ever, and when we shopped the food carts in San Antonio's El Mercado (Market Square) the best of our finds was a bean and cheese gordita.  However, we ate a LOT of meat in four days.  More than we usually would in a week, even when we're not fasting meat.

So now I am doing penance!  My digestion still isn't back to normal, and I will have to be creative in the kitchen to use up or store the remaining produce that was abandoned for four days.  Add to that, the need to rest from our hectic holiday schedule, and the J is all out of routine (thankfully not too grouchy today but took much persuasion to get to sleep), and that C had his (late) 4-month check up today with shots and it looks like a long night ahead.

Now that my moan is over, let me assure you that we had a great time, today is good, and tomorrow will likely be better.  I promise photos soon.  Just need to relocate the cord somewhere on the kitchen counter with all the unpacked holiday detritus that needs 'filing'.

Why You Should Visit the Library Regularly

In the six months we've been here, we've visited the local branch of the Dallas Public Library at least once a week.  (I think we've been more regularly than we've made it to church!)  Anyway, the upshot of having J and C charm the librarians each week (and shuffle the kids' DVD section) is that one of those gracious ladies handed us complimentary tickets the other week (and a second gracious librarian made sure we'd been given them when we checked out our books).  We're either well-loved or notorious!

And today N took J for a Dad and Son outing to "Big Bird's house" (a.k.a. the show Sesame Street Live) in Grand Prairie.  God really blessed us, because not only were the tickets free but while he queued to enter the parking lot (for $15) a woman approached the car and handed N a parking pass to the VIP parking area that she didn't need.  So it only cost them the gas to get there and back!  (There was a side trip to the Scottish restaurant for a kiddo meal on the way home, since the parking money wasn't used).

There was a play area in the foyer before the show.

The characters were pretty true to the tv version.

J was entranced as soon as the music began.

He cried at intermission, but just said, "Bye bye Elmo.  Bye bye Big Bird..." when the final curtain fell.

You Know You're in Texas When...

...there are stars on everything! One of J's favourite things to spot is stars. He sees them on license plates, signs, buildings, highway pylons,... You name it, there's probably one here somewhere with a star on it!

...the average main meal at a restaurant is enough to feed two hungry adults. It is considered 'normal' for half your meal to remain on your plate and be whisked off to be put in a take-away container as you pay the bill.

...the majority of billboards along the highway are advertising either lap-band surgery, or heart surgery (or other such serious procedures) at Hospital X, or some form of Christian advertising.

...the State Fair features competitions in deep-fried food. Deep-fried bubblegum anyone? (This year's winner) Check out the rest of the finalists.

...every form you fill out is bilingual (Spanish or English). Makes a change from Maori or French for us!

...in the supposed coldest month of winter, today it is warmer to have our door open than closed. At 2pm it is 80*F/27*C outside and 71*F/22*C inside.

A House Guest

Look who wandered into our house today while J napped. (Apologies for fuzzy focus - I didn't download this until it was released.) There is a 1cm gap under our front door and I saw it sneaking across the carpet out of the corner of my eye. I think it may be an aptly named Mediterranean House Gecko. This one is only about 3-4cm long so it must be a juvenile. He or she sure is cute though! We've seen this lime green anole in the gardens here, but this is the first lizard to make a visit.

Sopaipillas & Posole

Our visit to the US over Christmas had some pleasant foodie sidetracks. As well as savouring homemade hamburgers for dinner on Christmas Day at April's mom's place in Denver, we had the pleasure of staying with April's friends, Eric and Gentry, in Laramie, WY.

Here we are from left to right: Jada (3), Gentry... holding Eric... holding Macy (under 1), me, April, and Nathan.

They treated us to a special American meal, usually tasted in New Mexico (where Eric grew up). First on the menu was posole, a stew made with pork, green chillies, and hominy (corn kernels soaked in lye).

It was hot and delicious! (Sorry, the photo of Chef Eric was too blurry to keep.)

Gentry was trying to make sopaipillas (soap-a-pee-yas) for the first time and enlisted my help as a baker. We used this recipe, which is much like a scone dough. The dough is rolled out to a few millimetres thickness,

cut into pieces (squares and triangles are common too)

and then deep fried for a few seconds each side until golden brown.

The sopaipillas puff up in the hot oil and develop a crispy crust.

Next you split a side open and squeeze in some runny honey.

Gentry and I felt very decadent as we supped on sopaipillas and posole that night. The sopaipillas certainly help temper the heat of the posole, and they taste great when washed down with Eric's Belgian home-brewed beer!

I have since discovered recipes for both posole and sopaipillas (called Navajo Fry Bread) in a Christmas present I recieved from April's mom; "I Hear America Cooking: The cooks and recipes of American regional cuisine" by Betty Fussell. (Betty is a cousin of April's grandmother, and was featured in the August 2008 edition of Vogue.)