A bit of everything

I heard her say, "You're my best friend cum mommy!"!

Could it be she has learnt the word "cum"?! Or more likely she was saying: COME mommy, hurry up with your housework and play with me ALREADY! ;p

Before I even finished vacuuming, she dumped out the four loads of clean laundry I had done but not got round to folding, onto the rug. She called the huge mound a MOUNTAIN and dived right into it! It was CANNONBALL one moment, SWIM, SWIM the next, and then Mommy, you like my SNOW-ANGELS?!!

Oh yes, that's my adorable, cheeky and naughty 3.5 yo rolled into one! I still have not taken a picture of her scaling the fridge for the licorice I put on top of it and whatever stuff to keep out of her reach... Because most of the time I am yelling to her to GET DOWN RIGHT NOW!!!

With her brothers, when one of them praises her with a "Good job!" and "Hi 5!" for being his accomplice, I roll my eyes when she replies him with an enthusiastic "Oh, THANKS! (read: it's my pleasure)"! But ask her and she'll tell you also how much she enjoys playing soldiers and watching "Ninjago" with the other brother. Why, all their Tom-and-Jerry (her current fave cartoon) ways keeping me on my toes! ;)

This is her new hideout she set up herself...

Right smack in the middle of our kitchen floor, in the tight space left after she's flung open the cabinet doors and slid open the drawers, next to where I stand to cook :).

I was trying to lie low at the end of last week, too, after more than a bit of works for three teeth with the regular dentist (loose crown), endo guy (retreat), and implant guy (surgical extraction).
By Fri I wasn't smiling anymore as I drove back in heavy rain and snow after that roughest of the week's visits. Tried to be positive and laughed it off as I know the drill, haha. But no, pain is not funny; I'm halfway there with the meds.

Thinking happy thoughts helps! Thankful for the progress made.

Amidst our busy schedules and running around for this and that, I've been relying even more on easy meals to fix and deliberate leftovers.

Let me just wrap this up ALREADY, with another funny moment with meimei :)...

At the supermarket, I was wondering out loud how much the pizza was, there was no price next to the 'Buy 1 Get 1 Free' sign.

My discerning helper said, "Maybe sixteen hundred dollars?" *pause* And then she added quickly, "I think I am a bit right!"!

Haha, I think so, too, LOL!

HAPPY midweek! *Breathe in* *Breathe out* :D

"Hungry, hungry"... Food made after my visits to the friendly you-know-who(s): Meimei's leprechaun lunch ahead of St Paddy's earlier; meat broth I slowcooked and put the cod and napa in last; and a ham and cheese skillet tortilla for the supportive hubby. He stayed home to watch our youngest when I could not fit the longer visits in during her preschool time, so we worked them around his busy schedules.

Steady does it

"Steady" does not reflect my frazzled state.

When I got pulled over for the first time in my years of chauffeuring duty, my youngest asked me, "Why is the policeman taking FOREVER?", when he disappeared to print out my ticket ;p.

That little (little bit!) funny moment actually spoke to me to take a breath...

*BREATHE*!

Life is busy, there are more things we try and juggle than being a hurry-er so we are not running late, not again! I've also been feeling weighed down by our worries and more.

And I am reminded to cast our cares, and also the cares of those we love and care about, on Jesus (1 Peter 5:7).

This tongue-in-cheek quote tells us how to get a better night's rest:

"Every evening I turn my worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway." 
- Mary C.Crowley

After tucking her last child into bed, my amazing friend who inspires me with her strength and faith through her family's journey, emailed me the story of the philosophy professor and golf balls in the jar.

Read also the "The Invisible Mom" that SAHM, another great friend and a great mama she is, shared on her blog. Nicole Johnson's sketch of it is in this YouTube clip on "The Invisible Woman".

May these sharing uplift us, and encourage us to focus on the big picture and to keep going daily...

Steady does it, by His amazing grace!

The Amazing Scout Derby Race. It was nice also that hubby could be there after his consecutive worktrips, to cheer our eldest on. There were also the singing concert, and the inspiring school band and strings visit and other opportunities for Jon to develop his musical interests.

Sea-food

The preschool's beach theme one cold winter morning was refreshing!

It was also Kait's turn to bring snacks.

We brought: blue jello (sea), graham crackers (kids crushed them to look like sand), and the teacher had suggested gummy fish also that I substituted with good ol' goldfish crackers.

The little ones were happy with them :D.

At home, my sons asked me for oven-fried fish for dinner.

They eat it, this mom is happy!



Another day, another sea-food idea...

Using a knife, I halved the sausages and made slits before boiling them to get these cool "octodogs" at my youngest's request for lunch, after she'd enjoyed some at first in her preschool!

Ours in the picture are missing some eyes though. Mini choc chips, or sprinkles, or black sesame seeds as a friend suggested, can be used.

I went on and chose yet another super simple way, by just piercing two tiny holes in each sausage with a fork.

Very easily done. It worked for us, and also helped perk up quite an upside down day it'd been!


Oven-fried fish

If not with flour-egg-breadcrumbs, I use storebought fish fry to cut short the process on our busier schooldays.  

It's the same faux deepfried method that works wonderfully for chicken, and I like to use it with pork, too.

For fish, it's nice with swai (basa, below) and works well for tilapia (right), cod, and halibut also.

Baked at 425F for 20min or longer till crisp.

What's really nice about this method is, whatever oil splattering takes place inside the oven, not on the stovetop. So cleaning is a cinch, especially if you have a self-cleaning oven! I also do not need to give the kitchen floor a mopdown, yes!