Spring forward

After an exhausting week, it's nice to have spring just around the corner as daylight savings start today!

Vern was away for three days, the children and I weren't without our crazy moments, and a few things (the saner ones) afoot with them...

Baby Kait (almost overnight!) finally sprouted her first tooth. She's otherwise occupied with crawling here and there!

Ben had gone ahead to invite his classmates to his party!

"Party, what party?" I had to ask him, since his birthday isn't until May.

"The one you're going to send cards to tell everyone to come," he shot back without missing a beat!

"Erm... (see how carefully this mom treads)... shouldn't we discuss it first?"

"I am discussing it with you NOW..."!

Talk about growing up too fast too soon!

And moving along with a book report due after next weekend, Jon is trying to hurry up and finish reading the book puh-lease -- I begged him oh-so-politely, and I'm the more anxious one as always! So that he can go on to work on the report, and hopefully it'll be one less thing to worry about, what with three tests coming up that same week! This week, the teacher had sprung a surprise Math test on the class. Only, Jon preferred to call it "a SECRET test... because surprises are meant to be nice!"?!

But nice or not nice, fair or not fair, how do you encourage children who'd rather be laidback about homework, (and honestly, I'm trying not to dread it), that keeping up with it day by day is the only way forward? It is (time and again) driving me quite crazy!

From 0C to 0F

The top story of the miraculous crashlanding of the plane in one piece into the Hudson river, is something not to be taken for granted. So is staying safe and snug in this cold snap...

Two days ago now, Wednesday was when temperatures plunged. From around freezing point (0C) that morning when Vern went off, by a few degrees every hourly, to 0F (-18C) by middle of the night. That night, Jon and Ben put aside their differences and went to sleep huddled together on the same bed. For extra warmth!

The saving grace is, it's less windy in the day. Road conditions are normal, and many schools stay open. Kait remains my faithful companion, driving the boys to school and back. And I can't be more thankful for parking garages, so we're bolstered from the cold. Also, it's very kind of the chess teacher to drive Jon home last evening after a tournament that I was going to have him skip, sparing us another trip out after picking up Ben first -- not in this deep freeze if we can help it.

Inside our home, our radiators are turned up, and the furnace comes on whenever temperatures dip below comfortable. We are also beating the cold with such simple warm comforts as hot cocoa, that was Ben's perfect excuse to have marshmallows, and beef stew, for which Jon asked for thirds though I'd accidentally upped the heat with more black pepper than usual!

One hot meal, one day at a time, the extreme weather will let up soon. Thank YOU for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers during this time that Vern is away! I really appreciate it.

And trying to keep my cool...
The old challenge remains though: why does it feel harder to keep my cool than for us to keep warm? Seems every time I turn my back, either one of the boys is going "WAAAAA!!!" or "OWWWWW!!!" over something the other boy has done to him. It's hard not to intervene, someone's going to get very hurt! And no, children don't like to do as they are told. But yes, it happens to Vern, too; why, our kids are fair, just not mom and dad. *sigh*

Hopefully, the next two days before their daddy comes back, Jon and Ben can agree more or less on what things to do within the four walls of home, and Kait can still nap a little, amidst all the pandemonium that her crying does not drown out!

A quick update, and catching a breather here. Kait's just gone down for a nap... ssshhh...

And you didn't hear it from me...
Who's the loudest of them all?

According to Jon, as he wrote in his homework the other day...
- Daddy is... he is like a T-Rex! (And I just had to ask Jon, "You mean, like: RRROARRR?!!" ;p). *
- Followed by... Ben when he is restless.
- Then, this mom... (I'm surprised, only third in running?) Still, loud enough for Jon to compare me to a microphone!
- And Kait, though her crying is LOUD!

* Truth is, Vern isn't that loud, only when he's really driven up the wall =(. But it does feel like one has to run this place as if it's the military, to be heard! Maybe those of you in the "spare the rod, and spoil the child" camp, can send me one from back home? *takes a deep breath* *more deep breaths now*

Like father, like sons

Above: At Ripley's "Believe It Or Not" Museum, the other place we visited in Branson last weekend, the boys getting a kick out of comparing their shoe sizes with that of the tallest man, after seeing their daddy do it first (inset)!




It's Father's Day! Wishing all dads a great time with your family -- our own dad who inspires us, and also the dad of our children who inspires them -- to be just like Daddy, and much more!

From my own dad, I know that fathers never stop worrying about their children, no matter how big we've grown. And well, it's in my genes, worrying. Yet my Pa's latest fatherly advice to me was, "Don't worry, be happy!" =)!

And for the busy people that fathers are, don't we love and appreciate them even more when they carve out time for the family?

I am especially thankful for the doting dad that Vern is to Jon and Ben, and do like to ask him to help me with them more than with everyday chores and errands. Because the boys love being with Daddy, and he's just great with them!

It's true, daddies do lend that different dimension, our kids will attest, that's not quite the same as what us mommies offer! Simply put, we can't fill those shoes! ;p

Have a special day, all dads out there, because you are special!!!

***

And just how special is Daddy? Let's hear it from Ben!

Vern is chasing Ben down the hall...

Vern: Come back, you haven't brushed your teeth!

Ben: I don't want to! I want to be as stinky as you!!!

***

Splish... Splash... SPLOSH!!!

Over the weekend, our boys with their daddy...

took "Splish! Splash!" one level up, to...

Splish...


Splash... SPLOSH!!!


And that was quite a plunge they took there! Not just for this water ride (above), but the other "Roaring Falls" one (below) that Ben and Jon enjoyed so very much, they went back for it again, and again!

Ready, Set...


PLUNGE!!!


Not surprisingly, because of the SUPER BIG SPLASH at the end of the 'dive' from supposedly five storeys high!


Which created that pretty rainbow effect!


Refreshing? You bet!


And so much so, that after the last of the rides, both boys were game to just wait at the platform/viewing deck, to be splashed at, all over again!!!


This is probably the closest we get to experience a HUGE WAVE here in Missouri, where there isn't a real beach anywhere close by, unlike back in Singapore!

Shioooook?!!


Ben to his daddy: "This is better than a bath!"!


And see the big smiles on our boys' faces?


I'm glad we squeezed in this impromptu trip to Branson, that's almost a 5-hour drive away, where this "Celebration City" is located. Though not a big theme park, it worked for us wonderfully, especially since Jon and Ben just met the height requirements for the kid-friendly rides. Jon was able to ride on his own for those bigger kids' rides, and Ben, to be accompanied for rides that had he been a wee bit shorter, he wouldn't have been able to take!

Me? With nearly everything, even the Ferris Wheel, off-limits to preggies, I wasn't the least bit soaked through... hehe! Can you guess what was one ride then, that I did take with the boys, among other fun rides they enjoyed? (More on that later)!

Most of the time, I was happily clicking away! And for those who asked to know (and see) how I've grown, that's a big me -- trying to duck the boys, to stay dry!


Jon the fashion maven...
didn't have to tell me, "Mommy, you are so round and F-A-T". And he spelt out the word "fat", not say it! Amazing, how he already seems to know females are allergic to hearing it!

He happens to also think I should "wear tighter clothes" -- his idea of a hot mama (?), instead of the non-maternity ones like this babydoll top (from Walmart's young adults' section), part of my budget-friendly wardrobe, that's worked... so far! ;p

Seriously now, with the little one coming in two months, a weekend getaway like this is great, as don't think I should venture far.

Back here...
This week, we are adjusting to a new schedule as Jon starts a "playground camp" today, an affordable summer programme in our neighbourhood that's all about play, no academic stuff at all! That, he likes!

Ben isn't warming up as well though, to the safety town program for younger kids that also just started. He had a big meltdown on the way to the program premises, and I ended up staying with him throughout the 2-hour session.

It's back to shuttling to and fro, and more juggling of time, as the daily programmes run a shorter duration than Jon's and Ben's usual full-day and half-day school. What I like is that these activities are giving the boys something productive to do, and lessening their "sparring" moments!

"Alien" Pancake and our down-to-earth Asian appetizer

"Alien pancake"! That's what my little boy Ben calls this...

He was eating it for the very first time, while big brother Jon couldn't remember having eaten it before!

Do you know what it is?

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No, I didn't make it from scratch...

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but from this...


Alien pancake?!! Oh dear! My poor boys don't know what (else) they are missing from home sweet home Singapore! Ben, always a pancake and crepe person, took an instant liking to the rather authentic, I must say, Malaysian-made roti canai (or roti prata as we call it in Singapore). He ate two pieces, and asked for more!

I think my husband would have liked to eat it "kosong" for breakfast, with a bit of sugar. Too bad, I was eager to savour it, and served it with curry instead, for dinner. And it had to be a super mild curry I made, so the three guys wouldn't scream, "la la"!


So, what was our Asian appetizer for the school's International Dinner?

In my enthusiasm to try and come up with something reasonably decent, I also picked up these fruits from the Asian grocery store...


Ben said the pomelo was like "a very big orange"! Or grapefruit, if you like, given how yellow the skin is! The flesh was pink and sweet!

Jon carried the papaya, and raced up and down the hall! "What are you doing?", I asked him. "Playing football!", he piped up! Football as in rugby, but of course! Hahaha!

You don't see these fruits here all the time, and especially not at the regular supermarket. Perhaps the papaya now and then, but more common tropical fruits are pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew. My boys are familiar with those; even then, the fruits' availability dependent on the season.

Other stuff in my test kitchen...

Are you thinking, what I think you may be thinking? Don't! This is edible!

It's really a simple satay marinade I chanced on in a magazine here. However, it didn't smell "right", and I ought to have guessed from the list of ingredients that did not include cumin, nor tumeric. Just that the ingredients were mostly what I had at hand, so I went ahead and gave the recipe a try.

It was OK, though not close to the taste we were more familiar with, and I didn't do the skewering to make it look slightly more authentic.

Here's something else, besides the roti prata, available in the frozen section of the Global supermarket...


My husband was interested to see how this wrap would work for popiah. But for how much work it entails, besides that the turnip I saw (or jicama as it's called here) looked "old", I'm saving it for another time to try on my THREE GUINEA PIGS! Hehe!

So then, can you guess what was our Asian appetizer for the International Dinner?
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It would have been done with Tom Yum, my sis-in-law's style, and she makes a yummy version we've not eaten in years. But because the paste I managed to get had so much MSG in it, and left a lingering taste in my mouth, it was the more regular, sweet, savoury fried beehoon (with soya sauce, oyster sauce, and the usual works) I made eventually. Something familiar, that I couldn't really go wrong with!

I hope you don't think this is an anticlimax, but here's presenting our...
Down-to-Earth Asian Appetizer!!!

Much thanks again to one and all again, for your wonderful input! And to quote Nomadic Mom, "fried beehoon cold also tasty!" -- that was what sealed it for me!

What worked for us...

Getting ready the vegetables, while the beehoon was soaked...


Starting to cook... Our decent-size wok could fit exactly 1 packet of beehoon (500g) each time with the vegetables all in...


To avoid "overcrowding", I used a different pot to cook the prawn and curly squid, before tossing everything together in the wok...


Into the second wok of beehoon now, I asked dear Vern to come flex his muscle, too! The good husband lending a hand, two hands(!), and concentrating hard now... he was standing on a stool to get a better view of what not to toss out of the wok!


The final product filled two roast pans, one shown here. Before, and after, the simple garnish of iceberg lettuce and omelete was added on...

(But know what's missing? Some sliced red chilli to add to the garnish would have been nice. But there weren't any, only those tiny Thai green ones that I was afraid would have our American friends cry, "la la"!).

Our fried beehoon turned out to be the only homemade Asian dish for the dinner. Somehow, the other families and friends approached were not able to accede to the school's request, and so, the remaining Asian appetizers were bought. Vern heard there were sushi and curry. Good thing I wasn't planning on making either of those!



I hope our choice of this down-to-earth Asian appetizer went down well with the diners, that thankfully numbered not 50, only 25, at most 30. But no different from cooking for half the number of people for gatherings, it required some planning and organization. I shopped early for the ingredients, and thawed and marinaded what I could ahead. Started chopping the greens at 3:45pm, and worked as fast as I could. Still, was done only at at 5.15... 1 1/2 hours later, and running behind by 15 min!

Vern had the food delivered by 5.45pm, just in time, for diners arriving in a trolley to start dinner at the host's home at 6pm! While he was gone, I washed up the pots and pans, and went and got our own dinner ready. Again, nothing complicated...

A quick stir-fry of beef and asparagus, to go with the excess plain beehoon that "kiasu" me had soaked (as backup, just in case my estimation was off). And the boys and I sat down to eat at 6...

Ben was getting hungry already, and the Batman cartoon that had Jon (more so than Ben) glued for two hours, was ending, too! (TV's not the best way to leave the kids to entertain themselves, but it did keep them out of mischief for most part of the time I needed to be in the kitchen)!

There... quite enough cooking for one evening! Mission accomplished! *wipes brow*

Are you right now making some delicious Asian food?
Laksa, char kway teow, prawn noodle (the soup one), or Hokkien mee also can?

Can I have some, please? ;p

Singapore/Malaysian food, not even satay, isn't something we can walk into any Asian restaurant in this part of the States, and order off the menu when our craving strikes. But sometimes, we don't have to look very hard, and we can find little delights at the Asian grocery stores, or Global supermarket...


Just like this our all-time favourite DoDo fishballs (and that's one way I like to cook them -- in soup, with sweet Napa)...

... and the roti prata, of course, that's not so alien to my kids anymore, now that they've tasted it!

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone! =)