As the year draws to a close...

Looking ahead!

Two sides to a crepe... Ben eats his plain as can be, as you can see! Jon (below) has his with jam. To compromise, I add a bit of sugar and maple syrup to the batter before it goes into the frying pan. It does seem to get burnt easier, but it's not so bland, if you ask me! The same trick I use for our pancakes!



There's no school for Jon and Ben until end of the week, a generous Christmas break that enables those travelling to other parts of the country to have a good year-end visit with their families and friends.

For us, staying home means a good break for me from the usual driving to and fro, between home and school. That's nice! But it also sees many more boy vs. boy, boy or boys vs. parent or parents, and yes, even mommy vs. daddy moments, throughout the day! No, not nice at all!

It's never easy to find something that the children will want to play just as much at the same time, because of their age difference, their different personalities and interests. How you wish when they are playing together nicely, it will last forever. But turn our backs for a wee bit, and at least one of them starts screaming!

Perhaps if I were more structured in organizing our days, but me not feeling too well became the other excuse, besides that it's the holidays after all, for the boys to take over the computer (to play games), watch more TV (it's OK when it's erm educational stuff, as the husband rationalized more than I did, in the likes of "Mythbusters" and "Dirty Jobs"), and go to bed later!

I would be happy to just read with them all day long, if they would sit still. But there are some other ideas that turned out better than I thought, and are great as fillers, and I'm not talking about the storebought kind that sometimes will only hold the kids' interest for just so long.

A bit of good old-fashioned fun here and there...

Showing the ropes to Jon -- there are names for each step that follows, do you happen to know what they are called?

... and taking a few minutes to cook up some dough for Ben to play with (click here for the playdough recipe that works for us)!

The way our break is going, for how spur-of-the-moment we are with what we do, food is about the only constant in our rather haphazard days! And the boys are asking this mommy, a lot, day in day out, "What's there to eat?". We need our supplies to be replenished faster than usual. I sent the husband to pick up the grocery instead -- just half the list, so it wouldn't be overwhelming (for him who does not like to shop), and also the boys to go along, to help him hunt for this and that!

Eating our way through the week, with our usual one-vegetable, one-meat policy. If not rice as the carbo, potato and noodles or most pasta work better than bread, unless it's pizza!

Trying not to sweat it, with a meal like this of roast pork (marinaded with soya sauce light and dark, pepper, rice wine, sugar and maple syrup or honey), I cook extra portions, so it doubles as lunch the next day, in the form of fried rice, for example, with a few other ingredients like shrimp, and eggs, for a bit of variety.

I like stir-fry this and that, which on a regular schoolweek, I do less of, because it's easier to just pop something into the oven, or leave on the stovetop to cook away!

Sometimes I do wish that things are just as straightforward as my simple one-meat one-vegetable policy, that as you can see is hard to shake off, but works to set the tone for our meals. And I don't have to rack my brains too hard, to come up with more complicated ideas.

However, at this time when you may be making resolutions for the new year, I'm thinking, we still have all these old grounds to cover! Such as, the sons, brothers two, to get along better. And besides me as mommy, me as wife too, I'm reminded, in "The Heart of Anger" by Lou Priolo, that even reversing the roles of the wife submitting to the husband, or the husband as the head -- from the biblical perspective, as stated in Ephesians 5:22-24 -- could also be the cause of family disputes.

I hope also, as the only female in our home, I will learn to share my chores (hehe!), and especially to involve the two youngest members, even though it always does seem easier if I just took care of the tasks myself. That's not a bad idea, eh?

I'm starting small, and just thinking everyday things, like having Ben take his bowl and fork and spoon to the sink for me to wash after a meal, and Jon, gladly wiping the table -- without having to be asked. Oh, and also packing away their toys after they're done playing, being a more automatic thing, with both boys!

I know, these should be things they ought to know by now. I hadn't reinforced the consistency message, and maybe I had made it a tad convenient for them. Perhaps with some stuff, it's just got to be works in progress! Might this be the time to bring back those rewards charts? Only thing is I do not really like to play up the rewards bit.

What are some of the immediate things you wish to see yourself make progress, in the New Year?

Have a great one now!

C is for...

...COOKIES and CLEMENTINES!

• These baby mandarin oranges are in season, ahead of Chinese New Year. Almost didn't get them, because they have a way of bringing on the sniffles and phlegm, I've noticed, for my boys. But I guess everything in moderation is alright, and the Clementines' really sweet, and mostly seedless!

... what's COOKING?

• Our friends made pineapple rice, kungbao chicken, curry chicken, and brinjal with beef! Yum, yum, yum!!! I made grilled chicken, pork stew, a seafoodish noodle, two vegetables, and a salad. Together, that's what we had!

... CHEESECAKE

• A lovely vanilla bean one that Mandy made!

... CHERISHED moments

• and memories are made of these!

C is also for CHRIST in Christmas...
After our party, we got an impromptu invitation from an American couple to have dinner at their home. We went and got gifts for their children before shops closed for Christmas, and I also made these cut-out cookies for them.



I know they weren't expecting us to bring anything, but the best part was that they had everything thought out -- on how to celebrate the reason for the season, and in ways our children, not just theirs, would be able to identify with!

Jon and their eldest read out verses from the bible about the angel visiting Mary and Joseph. We also sang some Christmas songs -- the carols that my own boys had told me we didn't manage to do during our gathering earlier. Every one of us, including their youngest, and Ben, also prayed what came to mind, and there were many a thankful heart there!



Our hostess had made a nice chocolate cake, that we all ate after dinner. But not before we'd sung "Happy Birthday" to Jesus, and all the children -- gathered around the cake -- had blown the candles!

It was all very informal and relaxed. In fact, she was just starting to prepare dinner when we arrived, and as she got the chicken cooking, I did the vegetable stir-fry. We chatted some, so did the two husbands; all this, while the children were running around, quite crazy at times (you know kids!), but enjoying themselves!

... and thank you for CARING!
Now, I must say, that it is truly such spotaneity among friends, not only within our immediate circle, but also with those we don't know all that well -- that we are very thankful for!

The wonderful people that God brings into our lives, to be there for us, sometimes when we least expect it! Pretty much like how with those of you out there, too, whose path mine has met, and I am grateful to have found a friend in you!

Have a restful rest of the year now, and ready (or not?) to go full steam ahead for...

A

COOL

2008!

Jon and Ben helping me with the QC (quality control) part of our last batch of Christmas cookies for the year!

From our family to yours...

Have a very blessed Christmas, and a Happy New Year! We had a wonderful gathering with our friends (more on that later), and it's always just so nice to be among dear ones.

These same wishes grace the cover of some semi-homemade gifts that arrived finally, so in that sense, the provider can't be faulted for being late. And while they aren't going to reach our loved ones -- halfway across the globe -- in time, we hope they'll still be enjoyed just the same in the New Year! (Psst... if you can guess what the prezzie is, don't go tell our families, OK?) ;p

The picture of the four of us was taken on our Chicago vacation last month, at the Science and Industry Museum. The elaborate display of Christmas trees -- adorned according to holiday customs from around the world, is still on till Jan 6, if you happen to be in the area!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God, Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

- Isaiah 9:6

Preparing, and pressing on...

Last week, I was sweating over, and ironing out some details, wanting to add a personalized touch to our well-wishes, instead of having to rely entirely on store-bought gifts. Time wasn't exactly on my side, because we were already running late for stuff meant for those across the miles.



Now I don't want to perpetuate the myth that homemakers have "all the time in the world" to do these things. In reality, unless my memory is failing me, I believe I got to sit down more throughout the day as a working mom, than now as a stay-at-home mom on my feet a lot, even though my job back home wasn't a completely deskbound one!



Maybe it's the busyness of the season, it does seem like the boys are acting up more. Or is it just me? It's not easy to keep my cool, when I'm trying to fit in this and that, on top of our regular day, which itself can be quite crazy, too!

It is also quite a crazy time of the year! Everywhere we go, outside of home and school -- not just the shops but the supermarkets, too, there are long queues, car parks are full, and traffic's crawling at first from the snow that has more or less melted, and now, as Christmas draws near, more and more frenzied shoppers (and drivers)! There are also more road closures, before very soon, a major highway will be shut down for upgrading works, and we can expect more diversion of traffic.



Along the way, with a reminder here and there, including a big one for me not to forget to take care of myself, I pared down our to-do list for Christmas. Because the exhaustion's setting in, and my hands' quite full, as it is.



But it did help that eventually, I chose instead to go with easier options, and simple recipes, and targeted to work on some things at a time. And mostly, to do what comes first, instead of being overly ambitious and wanting to get as much done ahead.

For no matter how early we start, there's always lastminute shopping to do, gifts to wrap, and cards to write out... which I still have to go work on. And I've already got the boys' understanding that I'm "saving" theirs for last, because we have till Christmas Day itself to give them theirs!



A few prezzies are held up, because of a particular service provider's own backlog, and good thing these are meant for our most loved ones, and I know they will understand! So I'm not going to worry about that... too much! Better late than never, no?



Meanwhile, the pictures scattered throughout this post are some gestures on our part, to add a homemade touch. Later, when the time is right, I'll show you a sample or two of what the end-product of that first picture at the top of this post, is all about, too! That one was trickier than I thought, and it took a few tries to get it right.



- The cupcakes were for a year-end party last Sunday, in Jon's Chinese class, that I relied on a boxed cakemix to bake the cake itself -- a real lifesaver when you're strapped for time! Only the frosting I made from scratch (quite easily done, out of powdered sugar, butter, and a bit of vanilla and milk), and used green colouring, and Jon helped add the sprinkles, to give them a festive look. The pink version was especially for the girls, and Lao Shi (the class teacher)!

- The peppermint cookies and chocolate crinkles were for Jon's and Ben's teachers, and a few people Vern does work with. Both recipes were among the simpler ones for Christmassy cookies I came across! Still, it took me all throughout the day to bake them all, on Wednesday, while Ben was in school in the morning, and the last batch was done at about the same time dinner was ready. Also because I drove half the usual amount, and Vern helped keep an eye on Ben! And yes, we've given all of the cookies away, yesterday and today -- while they were at their "freshest"!

- The cards need no explanation. I had grander plans originally, but this way worked well too, when I just left it to the boys and their creative juices, to do what they would, with the glitter glue! For those well-wishes that have gone out though, the recipients get a different version with our faces instead, as a way of saying "We're thinking of you!". Maybe I should have the boys work on such homemade cards first thing, next year.

Admittedly, at the beginning of this week, I was rather overwhelmed. But now that we're about halfway there, perhaps more, I can sit down for a little bit... while the three guys are watching "Man vs Wild" right now! What's next?...



We're really looking foward to our friends coming over tomorrow! Of course, there's also more of the house to clean, and whatever hideous clutter to put away, out of consideration for our guests... really! The husband, whom I ordinarily try not to bother with such chores, has been roped in to help, but for a very good reason! I'm sticking to familiar dishes, and marinading the meat ahead, so hopefully, I won't be working myself up into a frenzy!

You too, if it looks like you may be carried way with the much to do, try to slow down some, OK? Be sure to enjoy yourself! For joy to the world it is, the reason why we celebrate Christmas! =)