Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Happy Birthday CC
It's a big one, but we won't tell which big birthday it is...
but we will say how much we love and adore CC! She often travels across the world to see us, and even did this pre-Sophia, she loves her children and grandchild(ren). We are so thankful for CC.
We wish you many blessings this day and every day. Can't wait to see you in just a few months!
too much fun at the beach in Thailand with Poppy and CC
I love my CC
but we will say how much we love and adore CC! She often travels across the world to see us, and even did this pre-Sophia, she loves her children and grandchild(ren). We are so thankful for CC.
We wish you many blessings this day and every day. Can't wait to see you in just a few months!
too much fun at the beach in Thailand with Poppy and CC
I love my CC
Monday, April 6, 2009
Trying western food
Our helper's mom came today to eat lunch and dinner with us. When our helper came in at 9 a.m. I asked where her mom was. She said she didn't know when/if she was coming. The conversation went something like this:
Me: She said she wanted to try western food,
her: (with a laugh), she can't eat it (literal translation)(the real meaning: I have warned her about your food, how gross it is)
Me: But she said she really wanted to try and was coming today
Her: (with another laugh) she doesn't understand (literal) (real meaning: she has no idea what she is getting into by asking to eat your food.)
Her mom showed up around 11, and we decided to take them out for lunch so they would at least get one good meal in. I decided on Pizza and salad for the western food, not my super healthy roast veg pizza on tortilla, but the real deal. I did however make whole wheat pizza crust, and put lots of veg on it, no meat, and of course cheese on top. The crust was delicious I highly recommend it (find it here). While making it, the mom came over during the kneading process so I pretended like I was beating it up, for entertainment. She thinks I am crazy anyway.
We showed them how you eat pizza with your hands, they got a big kick out of this. Our helper seemed to like it and actually said so (she is honest, she usually answers with an 'its okay' for our other meals). The mom proceeded to rake the cheese and veg off and eat just the bottom layer (the crust), she did this for two slices. I thought this wholly incredible. Next we offered salad, which our helper always refuses again using the phrase 'I can't eat it.' Today I finally replied: 'you can eat raw pork but you cannot eat raw vegetables' (all said with a smile of course). We somewhat forced them to try it, with salad dressing. Before taking a bite the mom picked up the spinach lettuce with her hand, broke it, smelled it, and put it in her pile of scraps. But she did try it. We really had a fun time, interesting but fun, I am not too sure she will request western food again. I often make mexican food for local guests and they enjoy it because it is spicy, but I wanted to do something a little more American. We will eat it for leftovers tomorrow!
We really had great fun with them, and Sophia loved playing with the mom. During 'rest time' they went shopping and came back with some new heels for our helper. as you can see, Sophia liked them too.
both drinking their drinks and laughing about it
'this lady is too much fun' Sophia seems to think
Me: She said she wanted to try western food,
her: (with a laugh), she can't eat it (literal translation)(the real meaning: I have warned her about your food, how gross it is)
Me: But she said she really wanted to try and was coming today
Her: (with another laugh) she doesn't understand (literal) (real meaning: she has no idea what she is getting into by asking to eat your food.)
Her mom showed up around 11, and we decided to take them out for lunch so they would at least get one good meal in. I decided on Pizza and salad for the western food, not my super healthy roast veg pizza on tortilla, but the real deal. I did however make whole wheat pizza crust, and put lots of veg on it, no meat, and of course cheese on top. The crust was delicious I highly recommend it (find it here). While making it, the mom came over during the kneading process so I pretended like I was beating it up, for entertainment. She thinks I am crazy anyway.
We showed them how you eat pizza with your hands, they got a big kick out of this. Our helper seemed to like it and actually said so (she is honest, she usually answers with an 'its okay' for our other meals). The mom proceeded to rake the cheese and veg off and eat just the bottom layer (the crust), she did this for two slices. I thought this wholly incredible. Next we offered salad, which our helper always refuses again using the phrase 'I can't eat it.' Today I finally replied: 'you can eat raw pork but you cannot eat raw vegetables' (all said with a smile of course). We somewhat forced them to try it, with salad dressing. Before taking a bite the mom picked up the spinach lettuce with her hand, broke it, smelled it, and put it in her pile of scraps. But she did try it. We really had a fun time, interesting but fun, I am not too sure she will request western food again. I often make mexican food for local guests and they enjoy it because it is spicy, but I wanted to do something a little more American. We will eat it for leftovers tomorrow!
We really had great fun with them, and Sophia loved playing with the mom. During 'rest time' they went shopping and came back with some new heels for our helper. as you can see, Sophia liked them too.
both drinking their drinks and laughing about it
'this lady is too much fun' Sophia seems to think
milk from a bowl
David taught Sophia how to drink milk from a bowl after finishing her cheerios. She still does not like to drink milk from a cup but will every so often, she eats yogurt 2x a day to make up for it. But since we bought some cheerios while in the capital, she has been asking for milk with them. She really actually cannot do it by herself very well, and has poured it down her bib, etc. when we weren't looking. But I think this makes a great Got Milk? commercial (I know that Ad is incredibly old...where I have I been? in Asia)
Saturday, April 4, 2009
seven years ago today...
David and I went on our first date....I remember these things (actually Outlook helps me remember these things), and he says I am not sentimental. It has been an incredible 7 years.
I am doing a toddler scrapbook for Sophia even though I am also doing this blog/journal. I am almost caught up, in it I have a page about David and me during her toddler years, who we are now, and a little envelope sleeve that will tell 'how we got there,' ie, our love story, etc. I haven't written it yet, but I thought she may appreciate it in the future...that we aren't just some fuddy duddy parents....unless of course we are fuddy duddy parents???!!!
I am doing a toddler scrapbook for Sophia even though I am also doing this blog/journal. I am almost caught up, in it I have a page about David and me during her toddler years, who we are now, and a little envelope sleeve that will tell 'how we got there,' ie, our love story, etc. I haven't written it yet, but I thought she may appreciate it in the future...that we aren't just some fuddy duddy parents....unless of course we are fuddy duddy parents???!!!
More of the big girl bed
Yes, this post will shock you out of your perception of where we live. We have a nice apartment, simple and nice. Fourth floor, almost floor to ceiling windows, three bedrooms (one which is guest room, office), two bathrooms, one with a squatty toilet, the other a western toilet. It is a great place for retreat and rest and hosting local friends and other expats. We live in the teacher's section of the nursing school, so all the other teacher's apartments look just like ours, but with possibly way more extravagant furniture (the thing that holds our TV, (what is the english word for that?)came from the second hand store for $20). The only thing we splurged on was the kitchen, and by splurge, meaning we put in cabinets, western size, not short like most here. The apartment originally had zero cabinets. This post is really to show you Sophia's room, which is an awesome room for a little girl, or two or three little ones for that matter, with great room to grow. The room is big and leads into a little area with a small step down that is almost like another room and has all the windows. Since we just put two single beds in the room we moved her bookshelf out to the 'play/school' area. Here are some pics, with close up of the bedding as promised. The pics aren't great, I took them really fast and lighting was bad, sorry. The original crib bedding/accessories lady bugs, etc. was an incredible gift from the U.S., (TCC, who spoils us).
view from the door: Xiao Chen and Sophia are drawing together at the table. This week Sophia learned how to say and understand: bird, sun, fly, fly away, (and much more in Chinese)!
to the immediate left is one of the big girl beds, not the one Sophia sleeps on.
the same bed (thanks again, Holly for he wall hangings!)
this is Sophia's big girl bed, the blanket on the wall was for her crib, I am not sure I like it on the wall really, but it is covering up two big silver circles that held two light fixtures for beds in the middle of the room, think hotel room, that is the kind of beds that our landlord had in here, originally wires were coming from the holes. we got that taken care of way long ago, but what was left was still an eyesore.
spanning the room, we see the 'extra room' play/school area, the pack-n-play is there too, but we will not put the baby way out there, don't worry!
I just had to include this area of her table and these pictures from ikea, SO cheap and so cute with fun animals on them. We love ikea, only get there when we go to Hong Kong or Singapore, which won't be again for a long time (we hope).
this is the conclusion to the right when you walk in. The glider we found here for very cheap (less than 50 USD, the dresser with removable changing table top and shelf above are all pottery barn inspired bought here for total about 100 USD, cheaper than what the furniture sold in furniture stores here, way cheaper. yes we are blessed. Once the baby is sleeping through the night we may put the pack-n-play where this glider is and move it out to the living room or something. Haven't quite figured that all out yet.
Sophia's transition to the bed has been great so far. we put the pack n play next too the bed for a railing and those chairs down at the end in the pics are also for extra railing. On Sophia's bed we put some rolled up towels under the sheet next to the wall so she doesn't hit it hard while sleeping (concrete walls are HARD). She is not allowed to get down by herself when she wakes up, she must call for us. We practiced this with her a few times, she has done great!
That ends the tour, here is close up of the bedding:
view from the door: Xiao Chen and Sophia are drawing together at the table. This week Sophia learned how to say and understand: bird, sun, fly, fly away, (and much more in Chinese)!
to the immediate left is one of the big girl beds, not the one Sophia sleeps on.
the same bed (thanks again, Holly for he wall hangings!)
this is Sophia's big girl bed, the blanket on the wall was for her crib, I am not sure I like it on the wall really, but it is covering up two big silver circles that held two light fixtures for beds in the middle of the room, think hotel room, that is the kind of beds that our landlord had in here, originally wires were coming from the holes. we got that taken care of way long ago, but what was left was still an eyesore.
spanning the room, we see the 'extra room' play/school area, the pack-n-play is there too, but we will not put the baby way out there, don't worry!
I just had to include this area of her table and these pictures from ikea, SO cheap and so cute with fun animals on them. We love ikea, only get there when we go to Hong Kong or Singapore, which won't be again for a long time (we hope).
this is the conclusion to the right when you walk in. The glider we found here for very cheap (less than 50 USD, the dresser with removable changing table top and shelf above are all pottery barn inspired bought here for total about 100 USD, cheaper than what the furniture sold in furniture stores here, way cheaper. yes we are blessed. Once the baby is sleeping through the night we may put the pack-n-play where this glider is and move it out to the living room or something. Haven't quite figured that all out yet.
Sophia's transition to the bed has been great so far. we put the pack n play next too the bed for a railing and those chairs down at the end in the pics are also for extra railing. On Sophia's bed we put some rolled up towels under the sheet next to the wall so she doesn't hit it hard while sleeping (concrete walls are HARD). She is not allowed to get down by herself when she wakes up, she must call for us. We practiced this with her a few times, she has done great!
That ends the tour, here is close up of the bedding:
Thursday, April 2, 2009
food stuffs
The other day I made Curry spiced lentils and spinach, a healthy recipe that we thought tasted only 'okay'. I just try various recipes and keep a of list of what to make again. I had planned already to give Sophia something else, but she wanted to try it and she ate it right up, it was a little spicy. She is no bore.
Last night I made chili rubbed chicken, it did not turn out great mainly because where I buy my chickens (bigger, tender ones), didn't have any. So our helper bought from somewhere else. This was the scrawniest thing I had ever seen. I am sure this chicken didn't have a long life and probably spent most of it on the road (walking I mean) (it was tough). David asked her if she accidentally bought a quail, and they had a good laugh.
Our helper's family, the mom really, wants to come eat western food, still haven't decided when and what to make, any suggestions? I usually try to make something they may like (like mexican because I make it spicy)...so far our helper hates our health food, but eats it like a good sport, always bringing the salt shaker to the table. I assured her that when her mom comes I will make something 'unhealthy' very American.
Last night I made chili rubbed chicken, it did not turn out great mainly because where I buy my chickens (bigger, tender ones), didn't have any. So our helper bought from somewhere else. This was the scrawniest thing I had ever seen. I am sure this chicken didn't have a long life and probably spent most of it on the road (walking I mean) (it was tough). David asked her if she accidentally bought a quail, and they had a good laugh.
Our helper's family, the mom really, wants to come eat western food, still haven't decided when and what to make, any suggestions? I usually try to make something they may like (like mexican because I make it spicy)...so far our helper hates our health food, but eats it like a good sport, always bringing the salt shaker to the table. I assured her that when her mom comes I will make something 'unhealthy' very American.
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