New, and Slightly Mad

So the big news of the day is: we have a new car! Why? Because we are planning to drive to Sydney (departing this Friday), and only found out last Friday that our old car’s transmission is on its last legs. Talk about putting the pressure on… To fix the transmission would have cost as much as the value of the car, and we’ve been talking about getting a new car for a while now, so luckily we had some car models in mind.

David put in a Herculean effort over the last four days and says, “I would rather get my skull drilled open than go through this again, but it looks like we have a car.” Yay! (Not only that, he got them to accept our old car, which would have been a pain to get rid of, so, YAY again!) At 4:30, after a whole day of teeth-grinding negotiations (about road-worthiness) and driving back and forth across Brisbane (to see the car & get it checked out), the seller really flabbergasted us by reneging on the sale. David even asked me to check with the Office of Fair Trading to see if we had any recourse. But later, after David called them to see if they *really* meant to pull out, they said they were going ahead with the sale (phew!) Now our fingers are crossed that they deliver as promised and we get a road-worthy car tomorrow.

And a big thank you goes out to our mechanic who really helped us with advice on whether the model we liked was sound, and squeezed us into his busy schedule at short notice to inspect the car we picked.

Kangaroo Fillet with Basil Garlic Paste

I was doubtful whether to post this recipe but a quick search of available kangaroo recipes revealed a theme to me: kangaroo is imagined to be tough and/or gamey, and recipes tend to focus on making it super spicy (eg. curry) or stewing it for a long time or both. Horrors! I just don't see the point of having a lovely, exotic meat, and burying the flavor.

My recipe does the complete opposite: you don't cook the meat for any longer than you like (I prefer medium rare) and it stays moist and tender. It's pretty simple, and I imagine this recipe would also work well for other meats:

Make a paste of garlic, fresh basil, nuts, olive oil and salt to taste. (Sort of like pesto without the cheese.) Spread in a layer over the kangaroo fillets, coating all over (about the thickness of peanut butter on a sandwich). I did this a few hours before cooking to let the flavors go through the meat. When ready to cook, roll the fillets in cornflake crumbs or breadcrumbs and fry on both sides.

To serve, slice diagonally.

Let Us Count the Ways to Say... NO!

1. When mama is changing the TV channels, and goes past the ABC Kids program, shout, "NO!" until she changes back. (Then you might say, quietly in relief, "There you go.")

2. In the middle of the night. Darn it! Why did we wake up? (Oh, there's that dummy.)

3. For about twenty or thirty minutes, over and over, and for no particular reason.

4. When your big sister picks up something that you had your eye on.

5. At sleeptime, after having been read two lovely stories and had "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" in a family sing-along, you have to shout, "NO!" and get off the bed as quick as a wink to let everyone know: it surely can't be time to lie down quietly yet.

6. In the bath, when it's time to wash your hair.

7. Any time you feel like it (or don't feel like it). It's a fun sound!

Green Curry

We make Thai curry quite often, but this one turned out especially well, so I thought I'd share the recipe, since it was fairly simple with not too many ingredients:

1. Fry one sliced onion on medium-high heat until starting to brown.
2. Add meat of your choice (I used pork mince; chicken would taste similar), tossing to ensure even cooking, until surfaces look cooked (the meat will continue to saute or simmer in the following steps).
3. Add several slices of belacan (compressed shrimp paste), stirring into the pan juices to dissolve.
4. Add 1 small tin of green curry paste (about 115 g) and a generous handful of curry leaves (optional) and stir through, cooking for about 2 minutes.
5. Stir in 2 cans (400 ml each) of coconut milk and 1 can of bamboo shoots, baby corn, or a combination.
6. Stir in thickly sliced zucchini or eggplant pieces and simmer until cooked (careful not to overcook!) I used 2 zucchinis.
7. Serve over rice, garnished with fresh basil and friend shallot (a condiment available from Asian grocers).

Me = Callum

I noticed this week that when I asked Callum, "Can you say Callum? Who are you?" He says, "Me!" I told David about this, and we have been trying to get him to say his name ever since, with no luck so far.

We tried to illustrate the concept this way, on our drive into town yesterday:

"Who's this?" -- "Daddy!"
-- "Yes! Who's this?" -- "Mama!"
-- "Very good! And who's this?" -- "Ah-wa!" (smiles all around)
-- "OK, so who's this?" -- "Me!" (peals of laughter from everyone)

Nothing Fancy

This was tonight's dinner, and although simple, it all tasted good together and I received more compliments for this than for many other fancy meals.

PORK - SCOTCH CUT: sprinked with salt, freshly ground pepper, and liberally applied olive oil, baked until done through (juices running clear)

APPLES AND ONIONS: slice 2 onions and 4 apples, saute the onions until soft but not brown, place apple slices on top, sprinkle with a little sugar to taste (about 1 tsp) and dot with butter to taste (about 1 tablespoon), wait until onions start to brown, then stir together and cook on medium low heat (stirring occasionally) until soft (if I had been more organised, this probably would have worked well as an oven dish alongside the pork)

CHEESY CAULIFLOWER: steam cauliflower florets, then place in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with cheese of your choice (I used a combination of Romano & mozzarella, but I think a little blue cheese would have tasted great), place under a grill until lightly browned

Anya Turns Four

Yes, our little girl turned four yesterday and I DIDN"T TAKE ANY PICTURES. David is mighty disappointed, but I was too busy being in it! First, the night before, I made THIRTY cupcakes (staying up late, since I had to do it after circus class). Then, in the morning, we brought the cupcakes in, plus chocolate frosting and mini marshmallows. Anya carried the cake holder and was very proud to do it. I was happy that I had decided not to frost the cupcakes beforehand, because then it didn't matter that they got tumbled end over end during their journey in Anya's care. :)

On arrival at Kindercraft, we paused in the lunchroom (which always makes me smile, as it's furnished with miniature tables and chairs) and I applied the frosting while Anya placed a marshmallow on each one. She chastised me when I tried to help and didn't place the marshmallow exactly upright. She also kept Callum pacified by passing a marshmallow to him every few minutes. We had the cupcakes all on a tray, and carefully decorated the central cupcake with four candles, then paraded into Anya's room. Luckily, the various age groups had gone back to their own rooms for the second half of the morning, so we didn't have more kids than cakes.

I lit the candles, then everyone sang Happy Birthday while Anya smiled to herself with pleasure.

A few minutes later, I was sitting to one side with Callum, and I asked, "Would anyone like a ballooon?" and a whole crowd of chocolatey faces looked solemnly at me and nobody answered. Too busy eating...

I spent most of the day there (from arrival to the post-lunch naptime), which pleased Anya and Callum no end. At story time, Anya sat in the front row, and I sat in the back with Callum (who spent the whole day sitting in my lap as much as possible). Every few minutes, Anya would turn around and wave at me, and soon, all her friends were also turning and waving with her. The other kids were somewhat puzzled by my continued presence, and variously said to me, "You're still here?!"

In the evening, Anya had so many presents to open it was like her own private Christmas. Her Grandma was there, as it was the usual routine for her to come over and stay Wednesday night. Her Uncle Rob also came around with a present, and earlier, her Aunt Ann Maree had dropped a present off as well.

All in all, a pretty great birthday.

I Got Dem Blues

Callum plays the blues... the tough way.

Jack in the Box

"What was that about -blblskljdlbhhh- Jack in the Box?" David demanded.

I turned my head and looked at him in complete bewilderment. "What?"

"Never mind, I fell asleep for a minute."

Yes, we are becoming those oldies who drowse in front of the TV and wake up shouting nonsense.

Babycino at Grub St Cafe, Gaythorne

Game No. 2

Until now, our main game (which I might have mentioned before) has been to re-enact scenes from Jack and the Beanstalk. Even David has been roped in, often to proclaim, "Fee fi fo fum!" Today we did the story from start to finish, with Anya changing horses mid-stream to play whichever role she felt was having the best action, even becoming the beanstalk a couple of times. Callum watched the whole play, and joined in by offering me food whenever Anya (as the giant's wife) offered me (Jack) food.

While "Jack" is good fun, since the story is so classic, I was pleased this week that Anya seemed to start a new interest in pirates and treasure hunting. This afternoon we took turns being blindfolded and "hunting" for treasure strewn on the rug (everyday objects we had designated as "treasure"). After finding the treasure a few times, Anya then gathered them up and "buried" them (under my desk) and I helped her make a Pirate Treasure Map. Then we followed the map to find the treasure.

The amusing part is, she didn't quite understand that a dotted line just means a path on a map, so she pretended she was seeing each dot on the floor as we walked around, and pointed them out as landmarks that we were on the right trail.

Mixed Messages

The scene: Callum’s just had a bottle instead of finishing his dinner (pasta, which he normally loves, but this time started flinging around the room) because I thought he needed to get something in his tummy to calm him down. Afterwards, I thought perhaps some proper food would help.

Elaine: Would you like some bread? Or cheese?

Callum: Bed.

Elaine: Okay, I’ll get you some bread. [Starts to get the bag open.]

Callum: Chee.

Elaine: Cheese? You want cheese? [Pauses bread maneuver.]

Callum: Bed.

Elaine: Bread? So you DO want some bread?

Callum: Chee.

Elaine: Here you go, here’s some bread.

Callum: T'ank-oo. [Takes the bread and wanders back to his spot in the lounge room, where he gobbles up the bread like a POW.]

Happy Easter!

We had a great time watching Anya and Callum hunting around the house this morning for hidden Easter eggs. One got the biggest laugh when it was found under "Jingly Bunny" (Anya's current favorite toy). It was really nice to see the kids so excited and cooperating: Anya would hang back when we asked her to let Callum "find" the eggs, and Callum was very good about putting all the ones he found into the carry bag that Anya was collecting them all into. Anya then surprised us by finding more when we thought all the eggs had been discovered.

After breakfast, it was time for the Giant's lunch... Sandwiches! This is one of our favorite games, where the giant's wife (usually me) makes lunch for the giant, and he comes stomping in, "Fee fi fo fum, where's my lunch?" Then the lunch runs away...



The rest of the Rees are up the coast at Peregian Beach, but we don't feel that we're missing out that much, since it has been drizzly all weekend. Tomorrow a lot of friends are coming over for brunch, which will be a lovely way to finish off the four-day weekend.

Ah-wa

Lately Callum has been saying all sorts of words, too many to remember as they come bursting out in the course of the day, but one that I really noticed this week is that he's started saying Anya's name. He can't pronouce it properly yet, instead saying, "Ah-wa" but it is clearly referring to Anya. For example, looking through the box where we keep both their shoes: "Ah-wa shoes... my shoes..."

Gross, Tacky and Just Plain Icky

Seen on a church billboard yesterday evening:

FOR ALL YOU DO
HIS BLOOD'S FOR YOU

(Readers take note: Budweiser is not even sold in Australia!)

Memory Lane

This week, my mother's cousin, whom I know as Aunt Jo, came to visit, as part of a longish holiday she and Uncle Chuck were taking around Australia. She first visited her mother's sister, who lives on the far south side of Brisbane (read: as far from us as possible while still being within the Brisbane region). After spending a few days with Aunt Marion, they met us for dinner, drove Aunt Marion back to the convent (Aunt Marion is a retired sister) and came to stay with us for a few days.

Aunt Jo brought a packet of photos and talked to Aunt Marion about family stories (in between excursions to the Gold Coast) and on their last night with us, she in turn shared those photos and some family stories with me. It was a very special experience, as I have never known very much about the family history on my mother's side.

Usually we see all David's family on a regular basis, but hardly any of my family. So it was also special to have some family from my side spending time with the kids.

Melbourne Foodspot

I was in Melbourne last week for a conference and since then have composed this blog entry in my mind about a thousand times. Should it be about being away from home & family? Should it be about the quirks of corporate travel?

I decided it all comes down to food. Melbourne is widely recognised as the food and wine capital of Australia, although now I'm sure I will hear strong protests from Sydney and other capital cities. However, as a self-accredited foodie, I can definitely support Melbourne's claim. Every meal I had in Melbourne was good, even though I was not expecting it -- for example, the catering at the conference was good. So was the dinner at a corner pub, which normally would (by its appearance and location) have led me to expect a stodgy steak and potato menu, unenthusiastically dished out. And I mean good by foodie standards, not just "good enough" for non-foodies. I wonder if Melburnians feel disappointed when they eat in other cities?

On my last evening in Melbourne, I was left to my own devices, so I decided to seek out the Greek precinct. Melbourne once had the second largest Greek population of any city in the world, exceeded only by Athens. Considering Melbourne's food reputation, I thought that I would easily find a restaurant to surpass my favorite Greek restaurant (ever), Sofi's in LA.

Unfortunately, the Greek precinct (one block of Lonsdale Street) is now embedded within the Asian restaurant scene which sprawls like wild ivy creeping out from Chinatown just a block away, taking over streets in all directions. Therefore, during my quest, I passed by many crowded and delicious smelling Asian restaurants -- Korean, Thai, Japanese, Indonesian and Chinese, to name a few. In addition, on my way to Lonsdale Street, I happened across Hardware Lane, with busy Italian cafes on either side of the pedestrian-only laneway. Feeling amazed at how many restaurants there were, and how full they all were, especially for a Tuesday night, I steeled my resolve and continued along Lonsdale Street.

I found a paltry three Greek restaurants in a row and one Greek bakery. The bakery looked scrumptious, but hardly dinner-worthy. I saved the thought for later. Going window to window, I compared the menus of all three restaurants and peered at the empty rooms with only two or three tables taken in each one. Nothing looked terribly inspiring. I thought about the Chinese restaurant that had snagged my attention earlier, with a photo of the chef making handmade noodles. Noodles, especially handmade ones, are one of my favorite foods.

Circling the neighborhood, I considered various Asian offerings, but in the end went back to the place with the handmade noodles: Dumplings Plus. It broke several of my rules around restaurant selection, with decor (too fancy for a lowbrow Asian restaurant), name (sounds like a franchise), and signage (big plastic monstrosity) but I couldn't resist the appeal of handmade noodles. I ordered Northern style noodles (served in a sour spicy broth and garnished with pork mince and pickled vegetables), stir fried mushrooms and seasonal vegetables (a lovely assortment of mushrooms, not just button mushrooms), and steamed man tou.

And, of course, it was good.

Me! Mine!

Having mastered important basic words such as "bye-bye" and "more please" (which at this stage sounds more like "moh pee"), this week Callum has started shouting out "me!" and "mine!" For example when I say, "Who wants some grapes?" it's hard to know whether Callum or Anya is quicker to shout out "Me!" And of course, when playing with just about anything (toys, pens, gadgets, bowls) it is now common to hear Callum insisting "mine!"

On the weekend we set up his new bed in Anya's room and showed it to him. He was not terribly interested -- sat on it briefly then wandered away -- but when I invited Anya to try it out, he knew it was his bed, and immediately cried out, "Mine!" (By the way, he slept in his new bed last night... very exciting for David and me!)

Meanwhile, for the last few weeks, Anya has been writing letters. Or perhaps I should say, she dictates the words to me, then signs her own name and adds artwork. It started with a letter to Grandma because she was missing her. When Anya realised how the postal system works (what?! someone ELSE takes the letter to Grandma after I put the letter in the box? AND we use a special sticker stamp? whee!) and received a letter addressed to her (wow! a letter for ME!) the floodgates opened. So far she has written a letter to her Aunty Wenda, and her cousins Lauren and Jessica. Yesterday she received a letter packed with replies from Lauren, Jessica and a bonus "BOO!" note from her Uncle Don (Lauren and Jessica's dad). I wonder who's next?

Suffering for Art

I enrolled in circus classes through Circa a few weeks ago: "Conditioning" on Monday evenings and "Beginner Aerials" on Wednesday evenings. (Thanks, David, for singly shouldering the evening duties!) The Conditioning class has been truly the toughest and most challenging class I have ever done, and I don't just mean in a boot camp sort of way. To impart acrobatic fitness, the class includes a lot of flexibility moves combined with strength -- like Pilates on steroids. I was really worried that I would get injured in the "warm-up" part of the class, which involves first running up and down four flights of stairs, then hopping up them on one leg.

Instead, I got injured in the kind, gentle Wednesday class! Normally they just get us to play a game that will warm us up, such as throwing around a fitness ball. Last week, the instructors swung a long rope while the students skipped in and out of it, initially hopping three times before moving off, then twice, then once, then graduating to other more challenging moves such as crossing over in front of each other, tumbling into the skipping area, cartwheeling out, and so on.

I, however, did none of these things. I couldn't get the hang of simply running in and starting to jump, and the rope would stop dead on me every time. After several rounds, the instructors gave me the advice that I needed to start jumping immediately when I walked into the skipping spot. On my next try, I ran eagerly in, all set to jump on cue, and... rolled my ankle.

I spent the next fifteen minutes watching everyone else get more and more proficient at skipping while icing and elevating my ankle. It didn't feel that bad and looked OK (the ice was doing a great job), so I decided to stay for the actual aerials training. To my horror, the next morning I was in excrutiating pain. Had I made a foolish decision and exercised a broken ankle?

David stayed home and shepherded me to the doctor, the x-ray clinic, and the doctor again (amazingly this took almost all day). Anya tagged along and loved shopping and lunching with David while they waited for me. Callum stayed home with his grandma (it being a "grandma day" anyway). Luckily it turned out that my ankle was not broken, which was a huge relief.

Today I am back to class for more aerials, but I've dropped out of conditioning for the rest of the term - still can't walk at normal speed, much less run and hop up the stairs!

Traffic Signal Box (TSB): finished!

I finished most of this painting before Christmas, except the gravel around the bottom of the aquarium. This weekend, I finally found some time when the weather cooperated (not raining and not too hot) and did the last part . I also went over all the rest of the box checking for touch ups -- for example, by some incredible oversight, I had left out the white stripe next to the tail, on both clownfish. Shocking!

David is still voting for painting a black border around all the fish, but I decided not to do it, as that is a complete change of painting technique. Besides, this whole effort was done "rustically" using Anya's paintbrushes. Next time (assuming I get the chance to do this again) I think I will opt for a non-rustic approach, as I found it frustrating to have all the random feathering of edges. Maybe I will apply my t-shirt screening techniques and use a stencilling approach.

If you click on the photo here, you can go through to flickr and see all the other photos of the TSB including progress photos. You can also see my listing (with this same photo) and rate it (for the annual prize!) on the Artforce website at: http://svc189.bne146v.server-web.com/artforce/rating.asp?id=1034

Jasmine Sends Us to the Dump

Anya told David this week, "When I'm queen, I'll have the power to get rid of you!" (like Princess Jasmine, in Aladdin)

"Oh? How will you do that?"

"I have a special truck that will take you to the dump!" (the way the pigs got rid of the dingrel in The Three Little Bush Pigs)

He got Anya to tell me about this while we were driving in to town, and she added, "You too, mum."

I then boo-hooed and said, "But who will take care of you -- and kiss you -- and hug you?"

She relented, and said, "I changed my mind -- not you, Dad." (So I would still be taken to the dump.)

David gloated later, "I get to stay, and you don't!"

Bye, Bye

Our little boy has started saying, "bye, bye" this week and is very pleased with himself about it. He is also much more clearly repeating other words, but "bye, bye" is his favorite. Tonight he looked so sleepy before bedtime, but once laid down with his satin comforter, rather than settle in, he spent half an hour saying "bye, bye," then perked up when his sister came into the room. I had to take him with me for her bedtime story, then start again and listen to another half hour of "bye, bye" before he fell asleep. I even spent part of this time saying, "sleepy time... close your eyes... bye, bye" which normally prompts him to make a genuine attempt to close his eyes and sleep, but tonight only fueled the "bye, bye" madness.

Sydney Opera House Graphic

I made up this graphic yesterday, because I was not happy with the graphics out there (that I could find, anyway). So, just thought I'd share...

When I had the logo made which was meant to incorporate this, we ended up doing something totally different (to my disappointment, but I don't really have time to mess around):

http://www.dhigroup.com.au/Training/TWeek09.aspx

Stats

A snapshot of Callum's growth so far -- about 13 kg (43.3 lb) and an estimated 108 cm tall (42.6 in) and how he compares to Anya at the same age (about 1.5 kg heavier and about the same height). From my aching shoulder blades I was so sure he would weigh even more than this!

Anya weighs 18 kg now and is 3-3/4 years old.

A Milestone of Sorts

I have been reading other parental blogs lately and feel quite insufficiently amusing and witty and wry. Must remind myself that I am not writing this in order to gather fans, but to share some warm moments with faraway family and friends.

So get ready to feel all warm and fuzzy as I tell you that... Callum has now successfully used the potty twice in the last week. I have no idea what is going on, as we are not actually trying to potty train him right now. But just by chance, twice now I have happened to guess that he was about to poo, and sat him on the potty. Meanwhile, he is still happily weeing on the floor when left nude for more than two or three minutes, and certainly doesn't seem inclined to let us know when he needs to do some business.

As for talking -- he has been getting more and more vocal, but still talking his own language most of the time. Lately he's started saying "uh-oh!" quite often, which sounds very cute. Other than that, he tends to blurt out words when surrounded by a few other people talking, as if he's been following the conversation in his head and couldn't help joining in. I feel as if one day, he will suddenly break out with a fully fledged sentence.

Simple Baked Chicken

I made up this recipe tonight based on what I had in the fridge, and how much time I had, but it turned out pretty well. The beauty of it is, it has no seasonings, so you can dress it how you like afterwards. Tonight I served it atop coconut rice and garnished it with freshly chopped coriander and dollops of sambal barjak (chili lemongrass relish). I can equally well imagine it served on plain rice or pasta and drizzled with olive oil, and italian flavors such as chopped kalamata olives, sundried or fresh tomatoes, and fresh herbs. Or go Moroccan and serve with couscous, preserved lemon & harissa... or dress with cheese sauce...

2 onions, sliced & browned in some oil on low heat
3 or 4 cloves garlic, sliced & browned (throw into onion pan, when onions are nearly done)
1 large red capsicum (bell pepper), sliced
1 large carrot, julienne
1 large zucchini, cut into large chunks
1/2 eggplant, sliced (1 cm thick) & browned in oil
3 or 4 chicken thighs

Toss together all the ingredients except the eggplant and season with salt and pepper. Add oil if needed to moisten all items. Place in a baking dish, making sure the chicken is buried. Place slices of eggplant over the top to cover. Cut some baking paper or foil to the shape of the baking dish, to act as a lid without sealing around the edges. Place on top. Bake at 180C (350F) for at least an hour. (I baked mine for an hour and a half because I was busy doing other things.) The resulting dish should have a lovely broth developed from the chicken and vegetables, so it tastes great with rice.

Here is my easy recipe for coconut rice, by the way:
1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup coconut cream
1 cup water
1 tablespoon fried onion (Asian condiment, or if you don't keep this in stock, simply sliver some onion and fry it gently until well browned)
pinch salt

Bring to a boil and allow to boil gently (not vigorously) for about 4 minutes until the liquid has evaporated to the same level as the top of the rice. Cover, and turn heat to low. The rice should be done in about 8 more minutes. Note if you prefer brown rice, use 2 cups water and adjust the timings accordingly.

Australia Day 2009

We visited Government House (also known as "Fernberg") today and enjoyed looking at historic items and relaxing on the grounds. As the weather continues to be extremely warm & humid, I was happy to cool down on the slightly damp grass under a wedding-style marquee, complete with chandeliers and a small stage. The kids loved the stage, and strangely, most people stayed on other parts of the grounds, so there was lots of room to run around. I used the "fashion shoot" setting on the camera (I don't know its real name, but that's how I think of it) to capture several action shots of Anya, airborne as she twirled and hopped around Callum on stage. Anya soon started playing with another little girl and as they ran back and forth, squealing, Callum followed them this way and that, clutching his chicken drumstick tightly.

Gung hay fat choy!

Yeasty Goodness

This recipe was so delicious and easy, I immediately made some more the very next day after trying it for the first time.

2 tsp dried yeast (1 small packet)
100 ml warm milk
100 g plain flour, sieved
Mix together & knead for 2-3 minutes (speed 2 on Kenwood mixer). Cover with plastic wrap or damp cloth and set in warm place to rise until doubled in size.
150 g plain flour, sieved
½ tsp salt
50 g caster sugar
25 g butter
1 egg, beaten
Mix together and add to the risen dough. Knead for 3 minutes. Roll out to 13" × 18" on a non-stick surface (baking paper, or plastic board).
40 g brown sugar
40 g butter, softened
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
30 g dried fruit (eg. currants, sultanas, craisins, etc)
Mix together the sugar, butter and spices, and spread across the dough. Sprinkle the fruit over the surface evenly. Roll up the dough from the long edge. Slice into pieces 4 cm thick, making about 12 scrolls. Place scrolls into a deep, greased baking tray. Cover with plastic wrap or damp cloth and set in warm place to rise until doubled in size and spongy to the touch. Bake at 200°C for 15 to 20 minutes. Glaze while hot (50 g sugar dissolved in 80 ml water on low heat).

The dough is also supposedly suitable for making doughnuts (simply fry and roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture) but I haven't tried it yet.

Fun With Homonyms

I walked into the kitchen this evening just in time to hear David say, "No Callum, don't put poo on your penis."

I stepped closer and realised he meant Winnie the Pooh, whom Callum was clutching in one hand.

Making Choices

This morning I asked Anya, "Would you like Weetbix, or corn flakes for breakfast?" She didn't answer me, so I said, "Shall I choose? I guess I'll choose Weetbix."

Then she piped up, "No, no, don't choose Weetbix. You can choose corn flakes -- with honey."

Urgent Matters

Mid-afternoon, Anya raced up to me and asked anxiously, "When are we going home?" I thought, "Oh dear, is she having a bad day?" (She'd just had a long play with Rebecca from next door, who is completely her match in bossiness.) I said calmly, "In about a week -- why?"

She hopped in place and answered, "I have this money, and I need to put it in my money box!"

Laughing Boy

Callum has developed quite a sense of humor -- initiated peek-a-boo with Raema (grandma) over the end of the bed, and again at dinnertime he played peek-a-boo with me by ducking his head under the table and meeting my gaze when I ducked under as well.

Peregian Beach on Holiday

Swimming early morning then crashed after lunch. Callum was great at the beach -- not worried at all by the waves or getting facefuls of water -- he's such a water lover!

He just loves toddling around & around the unit here, and Anya is getting very comfortable with roaming freely to play with her older cousins. Next door there's a little girl, Rebecca (age 5) who Anya wanted to go play with, but we missed out; we'll try again tomorrow.

Merry Christmas!

25 Dec 2008 We All Love Dorothy
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

Walking Not Dreaming

I see from Paul's blog that Heather is walking! (and she's two months younger than Callum) And here I was all set to announce with trumpet fanfare that Callum has been walking this week. So it is true, boys are slower than girls at walking. All and sundry have repeated this folk wisdom to me. Therefore it must be true... (I don't get it, because at the same time, folk wisdom is that boys are more advanced than girls at physical stuff like climbing.)

He's actually been capable of walking for quite some time, but just too comfortable with having my hands there helping him. So getting him to walk on his own has required a bit of trickery on our part until the small steps increased to multiple steps and from there suddenly this week he's started walking the length of our house (albeit not a very big house).

Yay! No more endless laps of the living room and kitchen for me!

Punching News

We have a winner – Anya informed me last night at bedtime, “Today was Punching Day, and I won!” I asked her who else played. “Claudia…” she said, “Claudia and I punched each other, like this --” and alternated punching her fists straight out in passably good boxing technique, better than some of my fellow kickboxing students! (I wonder how Claudia felt about that?) I then doubled over her pillow against my front, and encouraged her to punch it, which she loved.

Punching Day

“Dad,” she interrupts our conversation on the way home in the car. “Dad, I have something exciting to tell you.” (We’ve told her many times that she needs to wait her turn to talk.) “Yes? What is it Anya?” “We’re going to have a Punching Day tomorrow!” “What’s Punching Day?” “Punching Day is when we all punch each other until we fall down. Then whoever wins gets a prize!” (A long pause as we imagine a Kindercraft-wide punch-up.) “What?!”

The concept was clarified this morning as David asked, “Anya, could you tell me about Punching Day again? Will everyone at Kindercraft punch everyone else?” (We smirk at each other.) “No, it’s at Mama’s gym!” (The light dawns… she’s made this up out of what I told her about my Saturday morning kickboxing class!)

One More Good Reason to Be a Parent

“Mum, mum,” gasping with laughter as I tickle her, “stop, stop, stop,” squirming and wriggling, “stop that business,” and as I start laughing at her turn of phrase, giggling harder, “settle down mum!”

There’s nothing quite like laughing with your kid!

Stats

Just a quick snapshot of Callum's growth (generally above the 50th percentile) so far and how he compares to Anya at the same age (almost 2 kg heavier and about the same length).

Anya weighs 17 kg now and is 3-1/2 years old.

A Groggy Weekend

We had a very tough weekend -- kids not napping and both of us exhausted by day's end. Seems like Callum may be going from two naps to one nap per day, and Anya is moving toward no nap at all. One benefit hopefully would be to have earlier bedtimes at night, but I really don't know how I can survive a napless day! We indulged ourselves in a lunch outing today and although it didn't alter the napping situation, it helped us both feel a lot more relaxed, so I think we'll be doing more of that!

Anya said something that surprised me yesterday. We were watching In the Night Garden (by the same folk who did the Teletubbies) and she said out of the blue, "I think there's a person inside Iggle Piggle." I replied, "Really? What about Upsy Daisy?" and she said, "I think there's a person inside her." (She also pronounced this in that strange way you can say something tentatively, with a rising inflection at the end of the sentence so that it almost sounds like a question.) I was amazed... I didn't know she would have any idea about them being costumes, although of course it makes sense as she loves "dress-ups."

Meanwhile Callum has been getting us to read books to him (when not indulging in his primary obsession, walking) -- he literally opens my hand, puts a book into it, and inserts himself into my lap. He can point to pictures of cars, dogs and so on when asked. His favorite book is This Old Man...

Going Back in Time

I made a quick list of highlights that I missed posting when I didn't have time to blog (May to August) -- see the "Backtrack" post, August 23rd.

Jacaranda Season

The jacaranda trees are blooming all over Brisbane at the moment, coloring the skyline purple and lacing the ground with beauty as well. I took all sorts of photos this morning while walking to work because the University of Queensland lakes are a particularly stunning setting -- they have masses of yellow water lilies blooming as well -- unfortunately I couldn't seem to get the right composition to capture the effect. As well, this camera doesn't seem to do purple very well, as if it's automatically adjusting it to a less surreal color or something. I shall have to go try again at lunchtime.

Secrets

I read PostSecret regularly and quite enjoy it, but often what goes through my head during the viewing experience is, "I wish I had a secret worth posting," followed closely and indignantly by, "these aren't SECRETS" (while looking at someone's arty farty made-up secret or not even secret, just some sentiment). It seems to me that quite a few people send in "secrets" just so their art can appear on the site. Not cool.

Great Events

Today is our eleventh wedding anniversary, but that's been eclipsed by my mother-in-law's 80th birthday party. David's oldest brother, Don, hosted the party of thirty people, one of whom said that he'd known Raema for 65 years. That is pretty incredible. It was also pretty incredible the way he kept patting her on the head like a pet, but I guess that's the familarity that comes with time...?

The day started with a mist over everything, like a foggy mountain morning (not the usual sort of weather for sunny Brisbane), then burned off to become quite a warm day. So we had our first swim of the season in Don's pool.

The other big event of the day was Callum's teeth. I noticed that he was sporting two new top teeth, bringing the grand total to six (four on top, two on bottom). This explains quite a bit of his recent restiveness during sleeps. He was a big hit at the party -- always is, to be frank, because he is so friendly and relaxed almost all the time. I do worry he's going to grow up to be a bit of a Casanova.

Anya had a great time running around with her cousin Siena, who is only 3 days older but looks about six months older as she is larger and sturdier. Luckily for Anya, Siena is the youngest of three, so doesn't mind Anya's bossiness.

We each brought a few dishes -- I made an enormous supply of nasi goreng, while David made a green salad and the birthday cake -- all absolutely delicious. I never actually looked up a recipe for nasi goreng before and was surprised how simple it was -- I used to buy it frozen from Trader Joe's (when I lived in LA) and add slivered almonds, and it seemed to have some ineffable flavor. Turns out that's a blend of kecap manis, shrimp paste, soy sauce and chili sauce! Not so mysterious now that I live in Australia where Southeast Asian food is practically home cooking.

I Can Do It! I Can Do It!

Last night Anya finally realised how buttoning a shirt works, and was proud to button her own pajama shirt. It's funny how such a small thing for adults is such a huge achievement for toddlers!

She has also continued to practice her jumping and balancing -- can balance on one leg for up to 30 seconds at a time now. (This doesn't sound like a lot, but you try it!)

Her drawing has also developed incredibly -- we were astonished yesterday by a cat she drew all by herself, complete with ears and whiskers. I shall have to scan it in and post it. :) (fridge art taken to the next level...) She's also been practicing her lettering (mainly focussing on her own name) and can write a very passable capital A now as well as several numbers.

Look Ma, No Hands!

This week Callum has been surreptitiously freestanding without support. I say surreptitiously, because he started doing it only for microseconds while next to secure supports. I started noticing when he grabbed interesting items with both hands and stood on his own without realising it. His most advanced move was to grab a newspaper while seated, and stand up while still holding it. I seem to remember other parents telling me their sons seemed to walk and stand more easily while holding a toy. This never happened with Anya because she started by holding my hands for walking, but I guess boys are typically more independent.

Jack and the Beanstalk

For fun yesterday I downloaded the words for "Jack and the Beanstalk" from Sur La Lune and printed it out with spaces inserted for me to do my own drawings. This is pretty rough as I did it in a hurry, but I might do a more polished version if everything turns out well. (I've also been doing a similar project with Puss 'n Boots but much more carefully and slowly.) Below are just some of the sketches.


Jack meets a stranger who, curiously, knows his name and offers him five magic beans.


Jack wakes up the next morning to a shady bedroom and finds a giant beanstalk outside his window.



The ogre throws down three calves from his belt and says, "Here, wife, broil me a couple of these for breakfast." (I wish I had drawn the table a bit lower, but I love how Jack is peeking out of the oven, where the ogre's wife hid him. I had trouble not thinking about Shrek when sketching up the ogre!)

Bittersweet

The annual Riverfestival started this weekend with a spectacular fireworks display along the Brisbane River bridges and F-111 flyover with afterburner, but we missed the whole thing, as Anya informed us that fireworks are scary (too noisy) and we were not keen to brave the crowds anyway. Maybe next year. So we spent the weekend pretty quietly, with small forays to the library and the park. I managed to attend my usual Saturday morning kickboxing class and had fiery thighs the rest of the weekend. I guess that’s good – one day, I might have thighs of steel, if I persist.

We’ve recently had the bittersweet pleasure of our little boy pottering around the house until all hours. (Meanwhile, his sister did not fare much better, playing surreptitiously in her bedroom when she should have been in bed and asleep.) All I can think is that perhaps the thrill of being in charge of his own destiny has gone to his head. He spends his daytime hours insisting on being accompanied at almost all times (“I’m crawling over here, but you’d better be there when I turn around!”) but in the evenings he is quite happy fossicking independently through all the kitchen cupboards, the recycling bin and various storage boxes while we spectate bemusedly from the living room. He doesn’t seem tired at all, and protests mightily when we finally decide that he must go to bed despite being terribly cute. This is quite a change from his easy sleeping ways since birth.

As for Anya… I was planning to report triumphantly that we had managed to banish lice from Anya’s head after three strenuous weeks of foaming, combing and “sit still! Anya! SIT STILL!” but this morning I was dismayed to still find several eggs in her hair. Her hair is so fine that the eggs are really hard to remove, and there is so much of it that it really feels like a Sisyphean task when I sit down to comb out the eggs one by one. I can only be relieved, anyway, that Callum, David and I have managed to avoid getting infested. I still feel itchy whenever I think about it, though…

Anya Portrait

Anya Portrait
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

Callum Portrait

Callum Portrait
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

Life, the Fast Version

I’ve decided to try posting via email from now on. Sadly, I can’t seem to find time to blog properly, so maybe this will work. You’ll notice I started back at work mid-April and stopped posting in May… (except for one or two uploaded photos)… We actually hit a lot of milestones recently which surely merited blog entries, but time continues to shoot past like whitewater rapids, so I’ll just have to recap quickly now:

This weekend Callum’s two top teeth started to break through so he’ll finally have a complete set for biting… he’s already a menace whenever anyone is eating (wants to eat everyone’s food!) Now he’s really set. As for walking, he is still “surfing” the furniture. I’ve tried holding his hands for walks, but so far he only takes a few steps and sits down. Talking consists of babbling although a few times he’s seemed to repeat a sound back, and his main form of communication continues to be laughing (most of the time) and screeching (when he wants something NOW, or is frustratedly trying to remove his shoes and socks).

Anya is starting to be interested in spelling out words, but so far only spells “DANGER” and her own name. She knows “DANGER” from going to the train station and seeing lots of construction sites around town. She’s been pretty indifferent to the Olympics, but it’s been good to introduce her to the idea of physical contests. She’s got a great broad jump, a tiny hop for vertical jumps, and super yoga-quality balancing and flexibility. Going from point A to point B usually involves running enthusiastically or sauntering slowly, with no in-between speed setting possible.

I turned 40 on August 2^nd and Callum turned 1 on August 11^th. It’s rather unnerving to be confronted so emphatically with the age gap between us (Anya’s birthday is in May, so I tend not to think about it too much, with her). The same week, Brisbane had the “Ekka” (Royal Exhibition), an annual week of agricultural displays and competition which has somehow become popular as a fun fair. We duly went along and showed Anya and Callum all sort of animals and took Anya on some rides, and went home exhausted after just a few hours. Since then we’ve felt a bit partied out, so haven’t been up to much.

What did I do for my big four-oh, you ask? My day started with my usual Saturday morning kickboxing class, after which I went to a beauty salon, where David had arranged for an hour long massage followed by a facial. Then it was home for lunch and naptime (not for me, unfortunately), then over to our in-laws to celebrate more birthdays (my nephew Isaac and niece Jessica). Last, in the evening, we went out to dinner with friends at Mondo Organics, a restaurant whose chef I’ve enjoyed watching on Ready Steady Cook. At day’s end, I collapsed gratefully into bed – really feeling my age.

Backtrack

A quick summary of Callum events (missed when I didn't post anything from May to August...)
21/5 waves back
3/6 gets keen on pulling himself up on furniture to stand
12/6 mimics my actions -- feeling a book, tapping a box
15/6 first tooth
2/7 Callum had been napping -- Raema (David's mum) heard a brief cry, and didn't go in right away; she found Callum crawling out the bedroom door, much to her shock (must have climbed out of his cot from the bassinet insert, across our bed, and somehow got down to the floor) -- we stopped using the bassinet insert!
8/7 loves to point; Anya has been licking his finger to make him laugh
14/7 second tooth
20/7 climbed a full flight of stairs, at Rob's (David's brother) house
27/7 clapping
11/8 first birthday! ...says "ah-ta!" peeking out from behind a cloth; puts things into a box (until now was only pulling them out!)
21/8 hands things to us over and over; loves rummaging in drawers and cupboards
23/8 third tooth (top left)

Going to Town

5-Aug-08 Gaythorne Station
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

This is our typical arrangement when going to work for the day. Behind David you can see the stairs we know very well from crossing the train tracks to get to the city-bound platform from the carpark. Anya now has legs of steel from traipsing up and down these stairs three days a week!

Man Enough

This is the tale of one man, two children, and several Samaritans...

David was taking Anya and Callum home on the train yesterday when Anya started to cough. She coughed and coughed and coughed until she started to gag and then... she threw up.

Two men nearby immediately moved out of the vicinity.

Three women immediately came forward to offer help. One even gave David her towel to mop up the mess.

Tangalooma 26-Apr-08

Tangalooma 26-Apr-08
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

Swimming with Dolphins

We had a great Anzac holiday weekend with Paul and Teresa and Heather (now 6 months old) at Tangalooma, a resort on nearby Moreton Island where dolphins come nightly to be handfed by willing tourists. I had imagined myself swimming with dolphins (yes in a fantasy-like mini-movie starring Elaine) -- the reality was quite different, with long lines of tourists going down to the water like an assembly line, but it was still pretty amazing to be that close to the dolphins. We waded out with a staff member and each had a fish to place in the water. I wasn't quick enough and my young dolphin (3 yr old) nipped my fingers a bit by accident. Anya, meanwhile, was keen initially, then ended by climbing my body in fear when Storm and Silhouette were actually circling us. (I'll post the photo soon.) So David fed Anya's fish to the dolphins as well, then the staff member even gave us more fish to prolong the moment. Paul gloated afterwards that he got THREE fish to feed their dolphins -- I didn't realise it was a competitive point!

The other great activity was snorkelling the wrecks just off shore. All of us enjoy scuba diving (Paul used to be an instructor) so it was the perfect holiday activity for us, and largely fitted in with the constraints imposed by two babies and a toddler. Paul earned platinum status by looking after both Callum and Heather while Teresa and I were snorkelling -- both babies needed naps and he had to walk up and down the beach carrying them both until they fell asleep. Meanwhile, David was back at the villa waiting for Anya to finish a nap. He went snorkelling after we came back, and Paul went back with him.

From Anya's perspective, the best part was probably having four adults to talk to. I don't think she considers herself a child! She enjoyed being right on the beach with grassy areas, sandy beaches, a swimming pool and playground all within a short walking distance. It certainly was great being able to swim at a moment's notice (the family unit at Peregian Beach is a couple of blocks away from the beach).

Silver Clouds

warhol4
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

Took Anya to the Gallery Of Modern Art today to enjoy the kids' area. My favorite part is a high-ceilinged room with fans blowing around bouyant Mylar pillows (the silver clouds). I had a hard time convincing Anya to pose at all for this "celebrity portrait" as she was more interested in using the controls in the photo booth -- hence the odd expression.

For some reason this photo reminds me of the Frieda Kahlo self-portrait with herself repeated three times as goddess, mother and child sitting inside successive embraces.

Thunderbirds Are Go!

This Easter weekend, we stayed at the family units in Peregian Beach along with our in-laws. Last year Anya had followed her cousins around without real understanding, while they hunted chocolate Easter eggs (the youngest, Isaac, by cunningly following their dog around); this year she actually did some hunting herself, with everyone chiming in, "hot!" "cold!" to clue her in. I wish I could remember what Americans do, because my childhood Easter memories are mostly formed from school activities as my parents didn't do much special for Easter. I remember dying and decorating hard-boiled eggs, crafting bunnies and chicks from cotton balls and pipe cleaners, and just maybe getting to eat a tiny bit of chocolate and marshmallow. (That's another discrepancy -- no marshmallow chicks are sold here.)

Meanwhile, Callum really got moving this weekend and started going across whole rooms and down hallways, groaning with the effort as he went. Life's a whole new ballgame for him now! Today he also stepped up the pace with making not just one, but several different syllables in one continuous burst of sound -- for example: "Mamamam bab bab buh mam mam buh bah boo..." (Until today he would only repeat one syllable over and over.) This morning I could swear he talked for a solid fifteen minutes (and David could hear him from the other end of the house) while I lay groggily next to him and occasionally lifted my head to murmur to him encouragingly.

Other milestones for Anya: sleeping overnight without a nappy (she's been dry for a few months now but we were too chicken to try it); swimming across a lane and back, talking the whole way; writing letters and numbers... and generally acting like a little adult (except for a baffling need to delay and naysay proceedings at random times throughout the day).

Our Celebrity Portrait

warhol1
Originally uploaded by jaguarish

I finally made it to the Andy Warhol exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art this week. Strangely, I ended up feeling that I was more impressed by Yayoi Kusama's works. However, I imagine that it's probably hard to take in Warhol's work because he's been so influential. His way of seeing and creating art has so pervaded our cultural environment that his artworks seem (in hindsight) obvious and nothing special.

Rainwater Tank Installation

This is only a temporary location, but still annoying that the tank completely blocks access through the yard.


David looks like he's grinning, but actually he is grimacing in pain as his head is aching from a cold and the machine vibrations are getting to him (not to mention the general fatigue of a long day of hard labor).


This is the tank overflow pipe (should we ever be so lucky to have that much rain). It was a real bugbear to complete the installation since this neighborhood doesn't have a stormwater system, so we were required to connect to a 1m x 1m x 1m rubble pit. Thanks to the tank installers, we learned this fact after the tank had been placed in the only through access, forcing us to be inventive about how to bring in the earthmoving equipment.

It was lucky for us that our neighbors had their house razed recently (to build a new one) and were happy to let us drive in through their property. David simply cut out some of the rotten old fence (to be replaced anyway as part of construction) and set up a ramp over our back retaining wall. Once situated, the digging was not so straightforward either as he discovered some 60-yr-old construction rubble in the process. Fortunately, the rubble was useful for filling the pit, which was for the rainwater tank overflow. This job took all weekend. Kudos to my manly man!

Terminal Fatigue

David is conked out in bed with a cold and the rest of the household has also been under the weather for about the last two weeks. I haven't gotten terribly sick (had maybe a couple of days of feeling headachy) but I am very tired from coping with two grizzly kids. Callum seemed to be on the mend earlier this week but went downhill again with new, scarier symptoms. The doctor thinks he probably got a second virus just as he was getting over the first one.

Nonetheless, there are some fun things to report. Last night we had several friends over for a games night -- "Man Bites Dog" was first, then "Listen Up!" No PCs or game consoles involved! Just great food and conversation.

Also despite being sick, Callum has continued to show off new skills such as waving his dummy or toy between my mouth and his own -- he also did this with his grandma. It really seemed like he was trying to insert his dummy in my mouth.

Anya surprised me tonight by properly counting objects in a picture. She's known how to count up to 13 or 14 for quite a while, and recently mastered the idea that holding up fingers = a number, but until now had never seemed to understand about pointing at objects one by one to count them, and would randomly point all over the page while reciting her counting sequence.

Figure Drawing

This is Anya's latest skill. /tears/ She's really growing up!

Her first figure drawing (Feb 8th):


Her drawing of me (Feb 23rd):


Her drawing of David (Feb 24th):


Another drawing of me (Feb 24th):

Asian Beef Salad

David and I made up this recipe last night -- he did the greens, and I did the beef and onions:

Marinate 2 or 3 small flank steaks in lime juice + pulp, chili sauce, kecap manis, soy sauce and honey. (Approx 2 limes, 1 Tbs chili sauce, 2 Tbs kecap manis, 2 Tbs soy, 1 Tbs honey, but I just drizzled it into the bowl without measuring.) Grill on the BBQ or sear in a pan, then slice up for your salad.

Slice 2 onions and brown on the BBQ plate or in the pan. Set aside.

Simmer the marinade on low in the pan until thickened (approx 3-5 minutes). Return the onions to the pan and toss to coat. If there's a lot of sauce then you can also toss in the sliced beef.

Serve warm on a bed of mixed lettuces, fresh basil, tomato wedges & freshly toasted walnuts lightly dressed with sesame oil, fish sauce & rice vinegar.

Some Movement, Please

We've known for some time that Callum is raring to get going -- hates to be left lying around, rolls every which way, and constantly insists on being sat up (preferably in someone's lap) for a better view of the world around him. I've tried to show him how to slide forward on his tummy, but so far he still only scoots forwards if given something big to push off from (then he gets so excited that he's moving!)

Today he was making his usual break for it off the change mat, and I noticed that he was getting up on his knees. So it seems we'll be skipping phase one and going straight to hand-knee crawling. He's also been much more stable when sitting on his own (tipping over after several seconds rather than instantly) so that's the other problem sorted. :)

He's been much more vocal over the last few days despite (or perhaps because of?) having a snuffly cold. Vav vav vav, mam mam mam, bla bla bla (didn't you understand that?) Laughs like it's the greatest joke ever when we say "achoo!" and "boo!"

Late Night Musings

While cooking some pasta last night I wound up thinking about my friend William. I pretty much think about him every time I cook pasta, although I haven't seen him in over fifteen years (though nearly caught up with him at the turning of the millenium) and haven't exchanged email or anything with him in probably seven years. The reason I think about him is that he's the person who showed me how to slightly twist a bunch of spaghetti before letting it fall into the boiling water. I still remember how "Eureka!" that moment felt to me. I suppose to most people in the world, cooking pasta is a very ordinary event, but to this day, when I stand some spaghetti in a pot and then let it fall in a spiral, I feel a little thrill.

This got me thinking later that night about food memories. I guess they keep coming back because you never stop eating and the food still tastes like it did the first time, bringing the memory right back again. Especially if you're as into food as I am. (I do realise that I've just rather inelegantly re-capped that famous bit about madeleines and tea, but they're my own inelegant words, so there.)

I'll think of Jill every time I eat artichokes. A "wow!" moment when she showed me how to steam one and dip the leaves one by one into scrummy dip, after which I willfully broke away from her recipe (lemon juice with a tiny bit of melted butter) and ventured into high-fat territory (melted butter with a squeeze of lemon juice, and aioli, and anything with lots of butter).

Gosh, anyone reading this who's never met me would never know that I am NOT as big as a house. /laugh/

I also remember my sister "inventing" cheese cooked in a pan, after realising that her favorite part of a grilled cheese sandwich was the cheese that melts out the sides and browns in the pan. At the time, we thought she was weird. She was just in the wrong family! She should have been born to a Swiss or French family... of course, raclette is not traditionally made with a slice of American cheese.

Whenever I cook eggs, I think of my first boyfriend, who astonished me by cooking his eggs in butter. As my parents cooked everything in vegetable oil, it had never occurred to me to cook eggs in butter. His mother is German, hence the butter. I now definitely prefer eggs cooked in butter. Also broccoli cooked in butter. And most anything cooked in butter.

Which reminds me, when I first flew to Australia (to visit my not-yet-husband and in fact he was my not-yet-fiance), I went on Air New Zealand and was amazed by the delicious butter served on the plane -- a weird thing to be impressed by, but I later found out that New Zealand is in fact renowned for its dairy. I learned in the Gina Mallet book (see my list of good reads) that a small increase in the quantity of butter fat can make a world of difference in the taste of the butter, so I'm guessing that's what impressed.

This entry is starting to be all about butter... when my hubby (pre-affiancing) first asked me how I like my toast buttered, I answered him truthfully, although afraid of seeming fussy, that I like to let the toast cool slightly so that when I butter it, the butter doesn't melt all the way. I was gratified when he replied that he did exactly the same thing! The first in a long list of things we do the same (to match the equally long list of things we like to do exactly opposite).

Meanwhile, here is the little pasta recipe (without any butter) I made up last night:

2 small onions, diced small
2 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
2 red capsicums (bell peppers), diced small
approx 1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 large chorizo sausage, diced small
handful arugula leaves, chopped coarsely
handful fresh basil leaves, chopped coarsely

Cook the onion on low heat in some olive oil until softened, then stir in the garlic, capsicum, mushrooms and sausage. Keep going until the mushrooms are cooked. Stir in the fresh herbs. Serve over spaghetti tossed with fruity olive oil or chili infused oil, and garnish with grated Romano cheese or crumbled Danish feta. (I think some fresh sage would also go well, but I didn't have any to try when I made this dish.) If this dish isn't saucy enough for your tastes, add some diced tomatoes to the pan as well and let them cook down a bit.

How to Blog It Right

I've been reading Notes from Inside My Head with awe and delight. I write my little blog as a sort of news posting for friends, but this author writes about motherhood with such verve that even commonplace events such as colds, tantrums and tender moments take on a special patina of significance.

Frangipani T-shirt

One of my main artistic outlets these days is screen-printing t-shirts. My niece Lauren asked me for a frangipani and I came up with this design. I like that it's different from the common frangipani design I've noticed on numerous shirts and tableware ever since she asked me for it.

Flexiboy

Callum has recently learned to eat his toes!

Whimper whimper

So this morning I had been asleep for what seemed an eyeblink, after coaxing Callum to go back to sleep (he'd woken at 5:30 with the birds and started playfully rolling around the bed), when I was abruptly jolted awake by a few firm pushes to my bottom (did I mention my fractured tailbone?) and a bell-like voice saying, "Mama! Wake up! I need to do a wee-wee!"

I couldn't help it -- I started whimpering.

Time to Chow Down

Callum is not quite six months old yet (the age recommended for starting solids) but he's been so demanding that I decided this week to get started with some banana. Unlike Anya, who initially just let the food bubble out of her mouth, Callum immediately got into the swing of things and ate everything I gave him (about a tablespoon). Today was the fourth day and I decided to give him a lot more -- three tablespoons -- and to my surprise he ate it all. Occasionally, he stopped and winced as if the taste were weird, but he kept eating.

The first week you're supposed to do just one meal per day, but the boy is so keen I'm tempted to skip right to having three or four meals! (A meal being one to three tablespoons, at this age.) I can't wait to give him some veggies... maybe then Anya will get back into eating them! She used to eat all sorts when she was a baby, but now will only eat peas and corn (other veggies go in hiding in pasta sauces and the like).

Supreme Butter Chicken (not for the anti-fat brigade)

We cook a lot of curries at home -- mainly Thai red or green curry -- but lately I have been using Indian butter chicken curry paste. Last night's effort was especially tasty...

1. Marinate 3 chicken thighs in 2 tsp butter chicken curry paste mixed with 1/2 cup yogurt. (in fridge, preferably overnight, or 3 hours as a minimum)

2. Grill chicken in the oven until done. Slice into bite-sized pieces.

3. Meanwhile, saute minced garlic (to taste), one diced onion and half a green bell pepper (capsicum) until soft; then turn down the heat and add 2 chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon butter chicken curry paste and large pinch of fenugreek leaves (methi). Simmer on low until tomato breaks down.

4. Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup cream (to your preference for sauce consistency), the chicken pieces & juices, and 1/4 cup corn niblets. (I microwaved an unshucked cob of corn for 3 minutes, then cut the niblets off half the cob for my recipe. Don't forget to run the back of the knife over the cut area to scrape off the part of the corn that stays behind when you cut it.)

5. Add salt to taste.

6. Serve over rice steamed with potato pieces, and garnish with unsalted roast peanuts. (Simply dice a washed unpeeled potato and add to the rice cooker -- no extra water needed.)

As with all curries, this probably would taste better the day after making it, but of course you can't make a dish like this and hold yourself back from eating it right away!

Running With Scissors

Not quite running with scissors, but I did slip and fall. I was going down the back steps, which were slippery with rain, and carrying Callum -- then mostly focussed on protecting him when I started to fall. X-rays showed that I had fractured my tailbone. Hence the dearth of blog entries. I can't sit comfortably and I'm a bit sleep deprived as well since lying down is not too restful either. There's not a lot of useful treatment for this type of injury (you can't set a tailbone) so I just have to put up with the pain. The doctor recommends I wait and see how I'm going in three months. Not a great injury to have when one has a 7.5 kg boy and 15 kg girl to handle!

I do have quite a few journal notes that I want to type into this blog, and will be back-dating them, so for Anya/Callum fans out there, please read back for entries since Xmas to see if you missed anything.

Look at ME! Watch ME!

Being on holiday with the family was great -- swimming at the beach every day (even if it was raining) -- and lots of people to play with Anya and hold Callum. There were times that I found myself wandering around the place WITHOUT ANYTHING TO DO. Amazing. We were there for two weeks, then had to go home since David was going back to work.

One thing Anya learned from her cousins was the catch-cry "Look at me! Watch me, watch me!" They tried to teach her to do a forward roll, but she found it too intimidating. She can, however, do some stuff they can't, because she's so flexible: stand on one leg and lift the other out straight by holding her foot with her hand (just like a yoga pose); slide into the splits; downward dog yoga pose (hands and feet on the floor with heels touching the ground). She can also jump great distances and hop (very briefly) on one leg. All this jumping has made her legs really strong, and she can even run uphill now.

It's funny to watch her run, as she hunches her shoulders slightly and lumbers from side to side like a football player. She also sometimes prances through on tiptoe, which makes her hair bounce fetchingly. It's such gorgeous hair, I'm jealous! Her hair is so long now, and she speaks so well, she often seems more like a four year old than a two year old. It's hard to remember she's a toddler when I need to discipline her for misbehaving.

I introduced the "yelling room" because she's been yelling so much. I told her she can yell as much as she likes, but I don't want to listen to it. So she can go into her room, close the door, and yell. Her cousins thought this was a great idea and would often join in.

Always Laughing

Callum's first laugh was November 20th (yes, I wrote it down!) and he's been laughing so much ever since. He used to only laugh if we kissed his tummy and laughed at him, like he needed company to laugh. Lately he's been laughing if we just laugh with him (no tickling) and then January 8th he laughed after falling asleep. I was so amused by this that I chuckled, and hearing my laugh got him laughing some more (still in his sleep). Amazing!

No talking yet, just cooing -- I'm still waiting for the first "da-da-da" (that was Anya's first syllable).

In other milestones, he rolled over for the first time on January 5th, and since then has been practicing it every chance he gets. Still no good at rolling back again (from tummy to back), though, and he only rolls on one side. I also discovered that if I placed something solid at his feet, he could scoot along on his tummy with his mighty leg kicks. Without any help he can also wriggle a little bit, but has not yet worked out that he needs to dig his toes in. The boy is definitely on the move and keen to get going.

He also grabs all sorts of things now quite well. I have to be careful what I leave near him now. This morning I was eating from a bowl, and he was grabbing the rim (I let him) then he managed to grab some of the food (yikes!) It's fun to lie face to face with him and let him explore my face.

I'm still feeding Callum through the night, maybe because he sleeps with me, which makes it easy for him to demand a feed. Anya started sleeping through from 20 weeks and I was hoping the same would happen with Callum. He even weighs more than she did, which should help with sleeping through, but no such luck. (Boys weigh more than girls anyway, but his current weight matches her weight at 3 months older!) I'm now holding on to hope that starting solids (at 6 months) will help him sleep through. There is no way I can go back to work if I'm still waking through the night and only getting total of about five hours' sleep overnight, unless I get to have a midday siesta.

Tickle Time

Callum is now 20 weeks old. He's been smiling and laughing for quite a while now, but this is first time the laugh has been captured on video.

More Anya Tales

Anya's been going to swimming lessons since late October, and swims at Don's (David's brother) and Newmarket Pool (a great local pool with slides and fun pools) quite often. So I guess it's no suprise that her first comment upon finding Mrs. Incredible in the doctor's toy basket, with super-stretched arms, was, "She can do BIG ARMS -- BIG ARMS!" (this is the way they teach them to do freestyle/forward crawl).

Another moment that really made David laugh happened when he took her shopping. He likes to cycle with her, towing her in a trailer, and puts the groceries in the trailer for the ride home. Since we live at the top of a hill, the last leg is pretty tough with all the extra weight. He was panting heavily on the upward climb, and didn't answer Anya when she tried to talk to him. "Daddy? Daddy?" she called. "Can't -- talk -- right -- now --" he gasped back. Once home, he stopped in the driveway and panted some more. "Daddy! Why are you hah-ing? Stop hah-ing! I want to talk to you!"

The naughty spot has been in force for a while now, but Anya still doesn't quite understand (or doesn't want to understand?) that we put her on there for a set time, and don't talk to her while she's on it. Recently I had to try really hard not to laugh: she told me she was ready to say sorry, but time wasn't up yet. I simply reminded her, "No talking, time isn't up yet," and she said forcefully, "Unggh! I HATE the naughty spot!" and smacked the wall with her hand. I had to go away because I was afraid I was going to laugh... (Yes dear, that's the point of the naughty spot!)

Anya's First Rock Climb 27-Dec-07

Anya's been pestering us to take her rock climbing, and she does climb things quite well at the park. So we brought her to Rocksports to try it. She only climbed up about a meter, twice, then declined further opportunities, saying, "I'm supervising."

Christmas '07

We started this morning with opening presents at our house. Grandma (David's mum Raema) had stayed overnight and joined in. Mid-morning, we all trooped over to Don and Ann Maree's house for a massive family get-together where more presents were exchanged. It took forever to open presents for six kids and seven adults!

Anya's favorite present of the day was a miniature Winnie the Pooh tree house (complete with honey pot). Her other favorite is a magic wand which makes jingling noises when waved. This morning she enjoyed waving it at Raema and "magicking" her into a baby, a dad, a mama, and back to herself again.

Christmas '07 Video

Waily waily waily!

Anyone who's read Terry Pratchett's Wee Free Men knows what "waily waily waily" means... if you don't know it, there are "pictsies" (little men who are, well, Pictish, in that they're blue skinned, speak with Scottish accents, and love fighting and drinking) who bewail unfortunate circumstances by yelling "oh, waily waily waily!" (they especially love to do this in groups, like an aggressive form of keening).

 

I've managed to find amusement in Anya's latest infuriating mannerism by thinking of this line from the book.  In Anya's case, this involves suddenly flipping from being happy and cheerful to feeling fussy.  She then works herself up from low level fussing up to concentrated snivelling and ultimately full blown wailing, by which time she's forgotten what she's upset about, but she's darn well upset and intends to stay that way.  This happens at least four or five times a day, usually about nothing of importance, more as if she's checked the clock and thought, hmm I haven't fussed for a while, better do it again.

 

So far we've managed to stay pretty even tempered about it, simply telling her we can't talk to her while she's wailing, but it is VERY annoying and tiresome, and I hope she stops doing it soon!

Bitey Boy

Our boy continues his winning ways, not only smiling at all and sundry but now also willing to lick and bite just about anybody...

Anya+Callum Photo Comparison

Everyone keeps saying how much Callum looks like Anya did. I felt at the beginning as if we had Anya all over again, but as Callum got older I didn't find them very similar after all. So I put these photos together to compare.

Springbrook National Park 5-7 Dec 07

This was the second day of our mini-holiday at Springbrook. David really did the toughest bit, carrying Anya on our bushwalk. We were just happy she was over the mysterious allergic reaction she suffered the day before during our walk to Natural Bridge. You can just make out the top of Callum's head in the sling I'm wearing.

Purlingbrook Falls (Springbrook) 6-Dec-07

Natural Bridge (Springbrook) 5-Dec-07

My Jumping Elf

Anya's changing as quickly as Callum... time seems to be going so quickly.  I just realised this week that she's developed the habit of running from A to B full pelt, then arriving with a jump at the end.  Jumping is also fun across gaps, up steps (still not doing that one properly, but keeps trying), on one leg (while holding on to furniture), up to the sky (while David and I hold her hands and she swings her legs way up) and into the pool.  She's very excited to help Callum jump as well, bouncing him up and down in the Jolly Jumper.

 

Less engaging habits lately include yelling songs at the top of her lungs, doing exactly what I've just asked her not to, and other typical toddler behaviour... luckily for me I haven't yet experienced a public tantrum, although David has: while carrying Callum in a sling, holding Anya's tricycle in one hand, and trying to get Anya to keep moving through the shopping mall (in aid of giving me a break at home).

Jolly Jumper 1-Dec-07

Lots of firsts this week: jolly jumping (well, mostly swivelling on tiptoe so far), standing supported (looks delighted every time), sitting up (with help), rolling to one side, reaching out and grabbing things... and best of all, LAUGHING! Rather than a giggle, Callum's laugh is sort of a "heh-heh-heh" as if he's surprised to be laughing.

By way of comparison, Anya's first turn in the Jolly Jumper was at 5 months, so Callum seems to be developing physically a lot more quickly. It's amazing to watch him try so hard to sit up -- cranes his neck and lifts his head. Anya only sat up after months and months of being carried around upright and never seemed to be trying to sit up by herself.

On the other hand, Anya was already reaching out and grabbing things at 12 weeks old (Callum is now 16 weeks) so she was ahead in other ways. My hairdresser (who has 4 kids) said she thinks boys are lazier and don't develop as quickly! Funny, as general consensus seems to be that boys are usually ahead of girls in physical skills.

I've also been reading about birth order (Time Magazine) -- apparently we can expect Anya to be more intelligent/ambitious, conformist/conservative and serious, while Callum will most likely be more agreeable, rebellious and humorous. Firstborns are also usually physically larger, but so far that's not the case! I was interested to read that elder siblings' intelligence is boosted by the tutor effect -- having to explain things to their younger siblings.