My Adventures in the US of A

Projects

2012-02-02T00:02:00.005-06:00

1. Treadmill

This one was the one that prompted the hubby to say, "Next time, remind me to pay for delivery!".

We got a new treadmill from Sears the other day.

The one we had was ailing and becoming ironically, somewhat of a health hazard.

So, the hubs went to the Mall and hauled the new one home, on a trailer.

The box describes all the ways how NOT to transport or move the danged thing, but recommended using 2 people to lift it.

Funny how things don't work out that way in reality.

Yeah, the picture says 130lbs with 2 non-Hulks lifting it with apparent ease, but that is, in fact, a horrible LIE!

It was more like 250 lbs worth of stuff in there, requiring at least 3 beefcakes to do the job, and one of them just might get a hernia from all of that lifting.

The hubs has since come to the conclusion that the aforementioned 130lbs was "each".

Anyway, with a lot of huffing and puffing and some MacGyvering, we finally got it up the 4 steps from ground level up into the house ( we live in a double-wide which is just configured a lot differently from a regular house ), and this is after the front door had had to be taken off its hinges, so that the OLD treadmill could be brought out of there.

The new treadmill has since been put together ( not without a few "uh oh" moments ) and is now up and running.

Hoy.

2. Planting seeds.

We got a few of those Jiffy mini-greenhouse-in-a-container-with-little-peat-pellets type thingies from Walmart, along with a bunch of seeds, hoping that it could be a project that the little boy could participate in.

Yeah, right.

The little boy appeared all excited and ready to have a go at "planting seeds and flowers, mummy!" when we were at the store, but once we got home, it was just impossible to get him to stay focused long enough.

So the hubs and I did a few rows after the boy had gone to bed, and then the next night I brought it in to my study, got my shows going on Hulu and proceeded to plant plant plant and plant.

Which was way less strenuous than hauling a treadmill up some steps.

Happy Birthday, Jim!

2012-01-26T00:00:00.002-06:00

A time for family,

Grandad felt strong enough and up to going by Judy and Jim's for some yummy spaghetti :)

fun,

and good food.

Happy Chinese New Year 2012

2012-01-24T22:49:00.002-06:00

We ushered in the Year of the Dragon in our family by bringing the little boy to the playground,

and then for dinner, I tried making something I hadn't had in a long while, "Soon Kueh", which is basically a steamed dumpling of jicama wrapped in a rice flour skin. It turned out okay for a first attempt, but nowhere near the real deal. :P

We also had chicken and vege curry, stir fried Napa Cabbage, home made won ton soup and wild rice.

Happy Year of the Dragon, Y'all.

Letti Thursday

2012-01-14T01:11:00.001-06:00

Any day that Grandad feels strong enough to come eat at the table is a cherished day.

p/s We had ribs last week :P

On the Go

2012-01-13T23:22:00.002-06:00

There's been a lag in my neck of the blog woods but our little family has been taking turns getting over being sick.

It's amazing how resilient little ones are, and how they bounce back, sniffles and all :)

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T23:24:00.002-06:00

We celebrated Christmas at Grandad's house with family and good friends.

The Foxes, The Mitchells, Delloreen, Lincoln and Zarina joined us for lunch in the "sun room", with much joy, laughter and good food.

The icing on the cake, however, was when Grandad decided he was strong enough, and with a little help, came and joined everyone for lunch!

The little cousins had a lot of fun running about and playing "dress up" with Grandad's hats, and so what else could the rest of us do but whip out our cameras!

Here's the most decent one... at least one where you can see all 4 little faces!

Dinner was left-overs at Oldham Lane,

after which, we stopped by to visit with Grandad, and surprise the little boy with a gift that Santa had left over there...

Then it was on home to unwrap the rest of the gifts under the tree,

after which the little boy exclaimed, "MORE presents, Mummy!"

Merry Christmas, Y'all :)

2011-12-24T23:59:00.001-06:00

Holiday Happenings

2011-12-21T01:00:00.003-06:00

1. The Lights of Abilene

We have driven around town a few times to see the Christmas Lights in various places, and we've even caught sight of what we think is a Christmas Peacock!

2. Breakfast with Santa

Hillcrest had its annual Breakfast with Santa a couple of weeks ago, and this time, the little boy WANTED to go to the various craft tables to see what was going on and participate. ( Instead of just wanting to run all over the place like a wild child - which he eventually DID get to do when the adults were cleaning up ) He was quite excited that Santa would be there, but when he actually laid eyes on "Santa", and was asked if he would sit on Santa's lap for a photo, well, he sort of went, "I don't know about this..."

3. Christmas Party at Ladies' Bible Class

Every year, the ladies' bible class has a little Christmas brunch, and this year we had it at Grandad's place, after bible class. The little boy joined us at the head of the table, and approved of the fare. :P

4. A Christmas Concert

A couple of nights ago, we went by to see the Flying J Wranglers at the Paramount theater. It was the first time the little boy had gone to a theater to see a concert/live show, I believe, and the blurry photos of him are because he wouldn't stop dancing and clapping long enough for me to take a good "non-flash" pic of him. :)

Trimming the Tree

2011-12-19T00:00:00.003-06:00

This year David got a Noble Fir for our home.

The little boy is more aware of all things Christmas-time and was very excited to help trim the tree. ( Or is it to dress the tree? )

The Food Diary

2011-12-17T16:28:00.003-06:00

is going on hiatus.

It was a lot of fun when I started out, but because of several different reasons, it's going to be a little more difficult to try to keep it up.

I hope that at some point, I will be reviving the food diary, but for now, it's going on the back burner for a bit.

Food Diary Nov 27 - Dec 10

2011-12-12T00:26:00.003-06:00

The Week Before

The highlight of last week as well as this week was when Grandad came and joined everyone else in the dining room for Letti Thursday.

Last Week

Because of the shorter days and like that, as well as overcast skies, I'm losing good light from my kitchen window. Bleh. And I don't have any fancy lighting equipment and all like that, but oh well. :)

7th Annual Feast of Sharing

2011-12-09T00:15:00.002-06:00

H.E.B has had an annual Christmas feast here in town since 2005. I couldn't believe it either, but yes, we were at the first one.

This year, we had Anastasia and Cindy with us as well...

The Foxes, whom we eat with, at Rosa's for Taco Tuesdays, were already there when we arrived.

The little boy surprised us all by sitting down like a big boy to have his dinner. It helped that Anastasia was there to be his little companion as well.

After dinner, we went back to the big multipurpose room where there were activities for kids, and the little boy's eyes turned huge whenever he caught sight of another one of them inflatable santas or snowmen.. or polar bears!

This photo was not staged, but when I noticed how it came out, I just HAD to smile.

Merry Christmas, Y'all.

Spending Time with Grandad

2011-12-08T15:25:00.002-06:00

Grandad is not feeling too well these days, and so we've been over to Grandad's a whole lot more.. :)

The little boy loves to be around Grandad, and him being there obviously lifts Grandad's spirits, so I'd say we have quite a winning combination right there. :)

Grandad's "Eye Hat" has officially been claimed. :P Oh, and we glued the missing one back on. :P

Like, Really?

2011-12-08T00:28:00.002-06:00

Come on, Lowe's. Surely you can do better than this.

However, having said that, you didn't do THIS or THIS reverse psychology thing, or even THIS .

Annual Christmas Parade

2011-12-07T23:30:00.002-06:00

We try not to miss the parade when it comes around each year.. and especially now that the little boy has some idea about Christmas and parades. :)

It was a pretty night, and quite chilly

We went to Taco Tuesday for dinner before going downtown for the parade, and so we missed the Handbell Choir, but managed to catch just about everything else.

Then we went indoors into the Civic Center for the Christmas Concert and Lighting of the Tree

The Little boy walked down to the aisle and started conducting the orchestra at some point. :P

Gah

2011-12-07T09:48:00.003-06:00

I really do NOT "Like" it when websites keep changing their user interfaces when I have gotten comfortable with how things work and where things are on the sites..

I know that with some time, I'll get used to, and even start to appreciate and like the changes, but for now I'm just gonna be a grouch about it.

And that's You and YOU ( and all things you own ) I'm talking about. :P

The First Snow of the Season

2011-12-05T09:31:00.003-06:00

When I opened the door this morning to show Jaxon the snow that had fallen in the night, his eyes opened really wide and he shouted with glee..

"It's Winter Time, Mommy!!!"

Food Diary Nov 13- Nov 26

2011-12-01T23:22:00.004-06:00

Yes, now it takes me a couple of weeks to update the food diary. *sigh*

Week before

Lemon Pepper Salmon, Emperor Chicken, Rotini Bolognese, Cantonese Stir Fried Veges, Broccoli Cheesy Rice, Crusted Tilapia, Crab cakes and Crawfish Cakes.
( among other things )

Last Week

Sunday

Fried Vermicelli with franks & Chicken with Asparagus in Hoisin Sauce

Monday

Fried Rice and Five Spice Potatoes with Ground Turkey

Tuesday

Wednesday

Chicken with Mushroom Gravy, Sweet Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli

Thursday

Thanksgiving at Grandad's

Friday

Stir Fried Ramen and Chicken with Napa Cabbage

Saturday

Baby Bak Choy with Shrimp and Chicken Thighs in Tomato Bisque

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T23:16:00.003-06:00

This year it was all about the kids...

The hubs brought his tablet to Grandad's house, and when the kids got their hands on it, there was no stopping the Angry Birds fiends...

After eating more than we should, some of us went with the kids to the nearby school's playground,

where the adults mainly lounged around and talked,

while the kids had a blast.

Later that evening, ( after a Cowboys' win! ), we all got together again for leftovers, in the family room at Oldham Lane.

Now I can't wait for Christmas!

Food Diary Nov 6 - Nov 12

2011-11-19T23:31:00.003-06:00

The schedule over at our house has been a little out of whack lately.. we have been going over to Grandad's in the mornings and evenings to spend more time with him, as well as to see to some of his needs... and so there hasn't been much planning/thinking going on as far as dinner goes :)

Anyway, here we go.

Sunday

Pasta, Baked Fish and Squash

Monday

Chicken Kurma, Green Beans and Watercress soup

Tuesday

Taco Tuesday

Wednesday

No time to cook, ate out at Little Panda.. YUM!

Letti Thursday

Baked Chicken with Stubbs BBQ Sauce

Friday

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada :)

Saturday

Lasagna at Cindy's for Charles' birthday :)

It's Pumpkin Time

2011-11-16T22:20:00.002-06:00

About 3 weeks ago, we went by the Disability Resources Inc.'s Pumpkin Patch on a glorious fall day. Grandad was in the hospital then, or we would have tried to entice him to come along. :)

Of course, once we were there, and the little boy realised where we were, he was all about "Pumpkin Patch! Pumpkin Patch!" and running around...

I got him to pose for some "mandatory" poses with the scarecrow props

but we were soon whisked off on a hay ride around the grounds.

The tractor stopped for a little ol' lady whose house was adjacent to the grounds, who stopped by to do some trick or treatin' with the kids..

It was fun to see the glee in the little boy's face as he went around exploring the different types of pumpkins and trying to lift them up, and then turning to me and saying, "Mummy, it's too heavy....!"

Of course, I had to take pictures of my boys together..the hubs was very cooperative, but the little boy took a little more coaxing.. but I think I managed to get some really precious photographs of them.

I usually would much rather be behind the lens, but I can't have NO pictures of me with the boys, aye?

We stopped by the gift shop for a bit..

before picking up a little pumpkin for Jaxon

and heading on home.

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth.

2011-11-12T23:48:00.002-06:00

I have a few posts that are taking longer than they should to be up here.....there's just a lot going on right now.

But anyway, here is one of them...

Elizabeth had her 11th birthday celebration last weekend. I looked back at some old blog posts, and gosh, has she grown. :) I was commenting to David that when I first got here, she was just barely 3!

As always, it is a delight to see all the little boys together....

especially when cake is involved :)

Food Diary Oct 30 - Nov 5

2011-11-11T23:39:00.003-06:00

Here we go..

Sunday

Tofu and Tempeh, Tilapia and Noodles

Monday

Due to Halloweenian circumstances, we had Caesar's Salads from Sam's Club

Tuesday

Taco Tuesday

Wednesday

Fiesta Chicken Skillet

Thursday

Letti Thursday

I don't have pictures, but we had Pork Stroganoff :P

Friday

Pizza at Elizabeth's 11th Birthday Luau

Saturday

Cantonese Style Stir Fried Chicken and Vegetables, Fried Rice and Egg Drop Soup

Halloween Part 2

2011-11-06T22:51:00.002-06:00

Trunk or Treat!

The little boy got dressed up as a fireman again for Treat or Treating on Halloween evening over at the church parking lot.

We got there a little early, and already there was a short line forming ahead of us.

Jaxon's cousins joined in the fun as well....

Max and Jet, as well as Cason, were there as the 3 amigos, and they were quite the sight as well as the hit of the party.

Azmari was there as well, as DJ Lance from Yo Gabba Gabba. Yes, now that I am a mom and my daytime TV life revolves around Nick Jr., I am quite well aware of who DJ Lance is.

The little boy had already had a little practice, and so he was more than happy to go around to the church members, offering his "Trick or Treats" enthusiastically :)

By the time we got to the end of the line of cars, there was already a LONG LONG queue behind us.

We headed on into the church multipurpose hall, where carnival games had been set up.

We had some fun with a couple of the games,

but more than anything, the little boy just wanted to romp.

Afterwards, we dropped by Grandad's house much to the little boy's delight :)

I'm thinking that maybe next year the little boy might be old enough to tell me what HE would like to dress up as :)

Oh, and we are rationing out the little boy's candy.. so tightly, in fact, that the kid hasn't seen a single one of them since that night...and we are not about to remind him about them either. :P

Food Diary Oct 23 - 29

2011-11-03T14:02:00.003-05:00

Okee dok, here we go

Sunday

Baked breaded Fish, Corn and Garlic Bread

Monday

Pasta, Chicken and mushrooms and Salad

Tuesday

Taco Tuesday

Wednesday

Gen Tso's Chicken, Curried Shrimp with Okra, and Rice

Thursday

We had Letti Thursday at the Classroom on the floor where Grandad was.

Italian Herb Chicken, Wild and Brown Rice, Squash

Friday

We went the Subway route this day because yay! Grandad got discharged! And well, we went by to fetch him home and all that waiting around for discharge papers wasn't conducive to making dinner.

Saturday

Turkey Lasagna

Halloween Part 1

2011-11-01T23:15:00.002-05:00

Boo at the Zoo

About a week and a half ago, we celebrated an early Halloween at the Zoo.

This year, Jaxon went as a Fireman. We had watched videos on Youtube and looked at books about firemen and fire engines so that the little boy could see a little bit more about what they did.

At 2 1/2, the little boy wears a size 4T, but still the sleeves and pants of his costume were a little too long, so I had to use my limited sewing skills to take in about 3" on the pants and about 6" for the sleeves.

There wasn't a crazy line at the front of the zoo like last year, and we we had already stopped by the day before to get tickets, so we quickly made our way in.

We had been watching Halloween episodes of the different children's shows on Nick Jr, so the little boy had a better idea of what was going on this year.

The lines inside for the trick or treating part, were pretty horrendous though. We were glad that we weren't really there for that, but more for the animals and the general Halloweeney mood. Jaxon really enjoyed seeing the animals and still tells me about the Rhinos he saw.

The little boy had a pretty grand time, and so did we. :)

Food Diary Oct 16 - 22

2011-10-27T23:21:00.003-05:00

We ate out a lot more this week because of Boo at the Zoo ( post coming up ) and Grandad being at the hospital

Sunday

Spicy Chicken with Eggplant, Green Bean Omelette and Tom Yum soup with Tofu

Monday

Baked Seasoned Chicken, Salad and Rolls

Tuesday

Taco Tuesday

Wednesday

Fish with Sweet Dark Soy Sauce and Baby Bak Choy with Mushrooms

Letti Thursday

Chicken and Dumplings ( didn't manage to take any photos tho. Bleh )

Friday

Subway Sandwiches!

Saturday

Golden Corral

It has been a more hectic week than usual

2011-10-26T23:07:00.002-05:00

Grandad had been coughing for about 2 weeks, and last Friday, we brought him to the hospital, and he has been there since.

We have been up there to see him in the mornings and evenings, and almost all of the time, there will be one member of the family or another up there with him. Usually in the evenings, we will stay there until the little boy's bed time. David then brings us home and then goes back to the hospital to keep Grandad company till late and Grandad falls asleep.

It has been quite the challenge to keep the boy occupied and not too loud, but he is usually pretty good, and now we know Grandad's floor pretty well :)

The little boy has also had a meal or two up there, and certainly a bunch of snack times :)

The Rangers STL game was postponed tonight because of rain, but we did bring Grandad a Rangers Cap to watch the next game(s) in, and are planning on bringing food to the hospital to have Letti Thursday in the family room on that floor tomorrow.

New Neighbors

2011-10-23T23:43:00.002-05:00

They haven't moved in yet, I don't think...

But their house has been brought in and set down on a pad next to our place.

They had put in a lamp post with a light for a few months now, so we had known for a while now that we would have new neighbors settling down next to us, but it was still a little unsettling to see a house where there wasn't one before, for so many years now.

( They have since moved in the other half of the house and put it together )

Nevertheless, we'll look forward to this as yet another Adventure in the US of A!

Food Diary Oct 9 - Oct 15

2011-10-22T14:35:00.003-05:00

I'm a little behind in posting this, but here's what we had a couple of weeks ago

Sunday

Lemon Pepper Baked Chicken, Tomato Leek and Bacon Spaghetti and Garlic Bread

Monday

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Beans and Spanish Rice

Tuesday

Taco Tuesday
( Okay, Mr. Shark, so I DIDN'T go for Taco Tuesday, but Jaxon and his daddy did! )

Wednesday

Salmon Pattis, Salad and Baked Fries

Thursday

Stir Fried Noodles, Shrimp with Napa Cabbage Carrots and Mushrooms, Sweet and Sour Chicken with Vegetables

Friday

Panko crusted Flounder and Salad

Saturday

No pictures for this, but we had Chili Dogs

Saturday Excursion with Grandad

2011-10-17T00:19:00.005-05:00

Well, it wasn't so much an excursion, as a short drive down US 277, with its spectacular views on a gorgeous day.

Jaxon spent most of the drive asleep, and I dozed off too, towards the end :P

After dropping Grandad off at his house, we went on to the Dittos for Kiddos half price sale day, and then on to the playground at Clyde.

The last time we were here, the little boy was hardly old or big enough to do a lot with what they had, but this time around, he was game for just about anything :)

Food Diary Oct 2 - Oct 8

2011-10-12T00:03:00.003-05:00

This is what we had last week

Sunday

Potato Pancakes, Salad, Corn and Tomato Garlic Chicken

Monday

Chicken Cacciatore on Couscous and Squash

Taco Tuesday

Wednesday

Fried Rice, 5-spice Chicken with Napa Cabbage, Vegetable Egg Rolls and Won Ton Soup

Letti Thursday

Steamed Broccoli with Cheddar Cheese and Garlic, Baked Chicken with Soy Honey Glaze, Baked Potatoes and Crescent Rolls

Friday

Baked Lemon Pepper Flounder, Fried Egg Noodles, Spicy Kangkung

Saturday

Slow Cooker Chicken in Mushroom Soup with Carrots and Potatoes, over Rice

I'm no Chinese Acrobat

2011-10-08T14:39:00.003-05:00

or contortionist,

but when the little boy looks at me and goes, "Mama, tent, pleeeeeeeeeaaassseeeee? Sit down, pleaaaaaaasseeeeee?", it is VERY difficult to keep saying "No, mama's back hurts", especially when after you say that, the little boy comes over and kisses the "owie" on your back so that it'll feel better.

Jaxon and The Great Pumpkin

2011-10-08T14:30:00.002-05:00

It's Pumpkin Time!

Linus wishes he could have been there. :P

A Week without Blogging

2011-10-08T09:31:00.002-05:00

I know it's not something THAT unusual for me at times, to go for a week or so without blogging, but there have been several things going on.

For one thing, the little boy got sick and had a horrible sleepless, crying, stuffed up night, and momma had to sleep sitting up, letting the boy sleep against her chest so the little boy could breathe. And THAT gave momma a horrendous backache for a few days.

Then, there's the Dittos for Kiddos sale. I've been entering, pinning and tagging for the last couple of nights and we will be delivering the few items that we have this afternoon if the impending rain doesn't do too much to hamper our efforts.

( photo taken from the Dittos for Kiddos website )

Food Diary Sept 25 - Oct 1

2011-10-01T23:40:00.003-05:00

What we had this week

Sunday

Pork Stroganoff, Salad ( corn for Jaxon ) and Cantaloupe

Monday

Pizza Night

Tuesday

Taco Tuesday

Wednesday

Stir Fried Noodles, Baby Bak Choy with Shrimp, Ginger Teriyaki Chicken with Sate Sauce and Clear Soup

Letti Thursday

Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy, Mashed Potatoes and Peas with Cinnamon Muffin

Friday

Creole Dirty Rice with Italian Sausage, Turnip Greens and Garlic Mini Loafs

Saturday

Crusted Perch with Sweet Chili Sauce, Mixed Vegetables, Shitake Mushroom Soup on Brown Rice

A Visit to the Doctor's Office

2011-09-30T20:11:00.003-05:00

Jaxon and I accompanied the hubs to a routine visit with his doctor,

and while a doctor's waiting room may not be the most exciting place in the world, the little boy and I made it work :)

Climbing chairs and messing with television remotes - and when the remote does NOT seem to do anything to the TV channels, we go old school and just punch the OFF button manually.

After a while, daddy gets called in for his appointment and we watch some videos and have a treat while peeking to see if daddy is coming back.

And then there is some under-the-chair Commando crawling action until daddy finally reappears.

Big Country Balloon Fest

2011-09-28T00:06:00.003-05:00

We still haven't made it to the Balloon Fest at Albuquerque, but we're optimistic :)

For now though, we try to make sure not to miss the one here in Abilene whenever it comes around each year.

We'd never been to the grounds during the daytime, and although many of the stalls were not quite open yet, we got to a feel of what fun could be had.

There were food stalls,

stalls with various trinkets and vendors, and even a little train!

We went back again at night for the night time balloon flare. We parked at the parking lot of Golden Corral that was just in front of ( or is it behind ) the park where the balloons were. This turned out to be a good thing, as far as not being in a massive traffic jam afterwards.

This year, we did not just stay in the car, but strolled over into the thick of things, although we DID have to stand back a little bit because the loud flaring blasts were a little disconcerting to the little boy.

As for the tethered ride, we may have to wait a few more years for the little boy to be just a little bigger/older :)

Up there in the Creepy Factor

2011-09-25T22:39:00.002-05:00

Okay, the first time I caught a glimpse of this ad, I did a double take.

Since then, I've seen it a couple of more times, and every time I have to avert my eyes...

It is just way creepy.

Food Diary Sept 18 - Sept 24

2011-09-25T14:43:00.005-05:00

Here's what we had this week.

Sunday

Fettucine Alfredo with Chicken, Spinach and Feta Cheese Sausage, Tomatoes, Lima Beans and Grapes

Monday

Chicken Rendang Curry with Ketupat Palas and Green Beans

Tuesday

Taco Tuesday

Wednesday

Turkey Burgers with Taco Seasoning, Sweet Potato Chips and Sweet Potato Fries

Letti Thursday

Cheesy Chicken and Salsa Skillet, Salad, Garlic Parmesan Rolls, Honey Dew and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Friday

Fried Noodles, Mixed Vegetables, Teriyaki Ginger Salmon and Daikon with Carrot Soup

Saturday

5 Spice Chicken with Carrots and Mushrooms, Napa Cabbage with Baby Carrots and Tomato Vermicelli Soup over White Rice.

Random Curiosities

2011-09-22T22:46:00.003-05:00

1. A Pickup with a Bolted Driver's Door

2. Kung Fu Instant Noodles

How Time Flies

2011-09-21T00:31:00.003-05:00

Max celebrated his 3rd birthday last weekend

He had a pirate theme going on this time around,

and even looked the part!

The party was held at Mamo's house so that the kids could run and play in the yard.

But of course, for our little boy, the playing started IN the house. He KNEW where the toys were, and made a beeline for them :)

However, it didn't take much coaxing for him to go outside to play play play! He decided that he was going to practise kicking a ball around the yard, and even offering the ball to a little doggie that was there that day, before deciding to dive into his OTHER favorite thing there, the sandbox!

AND, when you get these 2 cousins together, there is sure to be a lot of running and chasing and shrieking involved :)

Some of us preferred a slower pace :)

Here's the little boy sharing a "deconstructed" sandwich with me after I made him wash his hands after coming in from outside.

And to top off a fun fun birthday, there was CAKE and CUPCAKES!!!

I can't believe that in 6 months, OUR little boy will be 3 too!

Food Diary Sept 11 - Sept 17

2011-09-17T22:59:00.003-05:00

Here's What We Had This Week

Sunday

Fried Rice Noodles with Bean Sprouts, Sweet and Sour Chicken with Peppers and Onions, Spicy Fried Tempeh, Squash and Watercress Soup

Monday

Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms on Fettuccine, Rolls and Pears & Plums

Tuesday

Taco Tuesday

Wednesday

Hainanese Chicken Rice with Sliced Cucumbers and Tomatoes, and Chicken Soup with Celery

Letti Thursday

Shrimp Boil with Shrimp, Turkey Sausage, Potatoes, Carrots, Corn and Cream Puffs

Friday

Spaghetti with Ground Italian Sausage, Garlic Sour Dough and a simple salad

Saturday

Fried Flounder on Stir fried Watercress and Mushrooms, Spicy Eggplant with Tomatoes, and Tom Yam Soup

Learning with Jaxon

2011-09-16T23:48:00.003-05:00

A couple of times a day, I'm off in the kitchen making meals or doing some kitchen/laundry room area related things.

The little boy usually spends that time in my study, playing with his puzzles and blocks, "reading" his books or watching something on Nick Jr.

Sometimes, when I go check on him, I find THIS type of scene in there.

He loves to come hang around the kitchen while I do stuff, and sometimes I get him to participate - there are endless teaching opportunities here, I'm sure.

Just the other day, I was shucking corn for Letti Thursday and he wanted to "help".

Of course, part of the "lesson" was also to pick up all that husk laying on the floor and put them in the trash can.

Other times, I try to find an activity for him to be close by.

This is where our dishwasher ( and sometimes the fridge ) comes in to play

Our little Dollar Tree magnetic note board has come in handy for practising those pen holding/scribbling/cleaning/erasing skills.

And I made a few colored craft stick magnets for "open ended" play for him.

I hastily made a "container" for him to put them back in, but have since come to realise that it could be improved upon.

One of my next projects would be to make MORE shape magnets and leave the composition to his imagination, AND make a better "pieces" holder.

I've just noticed

2011-09-13T15:37:00.002-05:00

that our eggs have a spokes-hen

She even has her own facebook page...

A Parade

2011-09-11T23:12:00.005-05:00

to kick off the West Texas Fair and Rodeo..

We had a feeling we were not going to get as good of seating as we did last year, so we went extra early in search for a good parking spot for Grandad to have a good view of the parade.

We were there early enough, but the streets and parking spaces were filling up really quickly.

Jaxon wasn't going to be strapped into his car seat the whole time, so we went strolling a little bit and finally parked at a street corner under an umbrella that we had brought.

There were men ( and a cute little boy ) in uniform...

Cowboys and cowgirls....

Horse-drawn carriages....

Different, more modern modes of.. transportation...

Cheerleaders!

and the little boy's favorite part ... The Marching Bands! ( I suspect that a certain episode of the Bubble Guppies contributed to this... )

I was surprised the little boy lasted through the whole parade, which lasted a little over an hour, and I'm hoping we get to go to the Fair so the little boy can go see the animals and all that good stuff. :)

Food Diary Sept 4 - Sept 10

2011-09-11T19:11:00.002-05:00

Here's what we had this week

Sunday

Ikan Masak Kicap ( Fish in Dark Soy Sauce ) and Stir Fried Okra

Monday

Grilled Chicken and Eggplant with Potato Salad ( & salad )

Tuesday

Taco Tuesday at Rosa's

Wednesday

Lemon Butter Perch with Asparagus/Cauliflower and Wild Rice

Thursday

Letti Thursday - Kansas City Style BBQ Chicken with Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and Watermelon

Friday

Chicken Fajita with Spanish rice, refried beans, guacamole and chips

Saturday

Angel Hair Pasta with Herbs, Southern Fried Flounder and Peas

I think I'm gonna start doing this as much as I can, even if it's just so I can keep track of what has been cooked and not try to be too repetitive...

Bubblicious Fun with Uncle Lin

2011-09-10T00:29:00.003-05:00

We haven't been on excursions for a few Saturdays now,

but Jaxon had lots of fun last Saturday. I was out in the "courtyard" area of McD with him, when Uncle Lin appeared with hey, a soapy bubble wand thingy :)

The little boy watches Uncle Lin anxiously in anticipation of lots of bubbles to chase

And off he goes!!!

Pure unadulterated glee

This next photo, especially, makes me grin from ear to ear.

The ones that had gotten close to the ground weren't spared either :) Stomp ! Stomp !

P is for Precious and Priceless

2011-09-07T23:23:00.003-05:00

Sunbeams and Hand Shadows make me Happy

I've never done a Wordless Wednesday post before, but I guess there's always a first time. And I'll let John Denver do the talking/singing. :P

Why do some foods look so pretty

2011-09-03T21:27:00.006-05:00

That I feel compelled to fill up my camera's memory card

with pictures of meals cooked in our humble kitchen?

Meal 1

Stir Fried Napa Cabbage with Fried Tofu and Shrimp
( and tomatoes that the hubs grew in the greenhouse )

Spicy Teriyaki Pork with Red Bell Pepper and Scallions

Meal 2

"Oriental Style" Shells with Scrambled Eggs

Hoisin Pork and Tofu with Red Bell Pepper and Broccoli

Kangkung ( Water Spinach ) with Soy Sauce and Garlic Chili Sauce

Won Ton Soup

Meal 3

Spaghetti with Crushed Tomatoes, Parsley and butter with lemon pepper Salmon and Corn

Meal 4

Asian Style Rice Sticks/Vermicelli with Stir Fried Pork and 5 Spice Potatoes

Then there's a couple of Letti Thursdays that I didn't take photos of, but were

1. Mini Thanksgiving Spread with Baked Turkey, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Stuffing and Turnip Greens

2. Buffalo Chicken Legs with Mashed Potatoes, Salad and Rolls

The last one isn't really a meal, but one of Jaxon's breakfasts. :)

A Self Indulgent Food Post

2011-09-03T14:49:00.005-05:00

Stuffed Jumbo Pasta Shells ( The protracted version )

( Not that there is a "in a nutshell" version... )

So, we had had these Jumbo Pasta Shells sitting on the pantry shelves for aeons, and for some reason, I was a little intimidated to take them on.

Some time, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to bite the bullet and just jump headlong into making some for dinner, after browsing online to get some idea about how to go about doing this.

I didn't use any particular recipe, but instead added together whatever I had at hand that I thought WOULD go together.

So we started with some browned lean ground turkey and sauteed onions, garlic and scallions.

In another bowl, I added some egg beaters with some Ricotta cheese and a sprinkling of salt and pepper ( all the measurements were eyeballed/guestimated - bleh ) and mixed that up,

and added it to my ground turkey and onions

I also had a packet of sun dried tomatoes in the fridge that had been waiting for something like this all its life.

Maybe not, but I thought it might be an interesting addition.

In goes the chopped up bits of sun dried tomatoes

Mix em all up,

and then it's time to bring in the other player in this dish, the cooked ( is it too snobbish to say "al dente with still some bite to it"? ) Jumbo Pasta Shells..

Next, well, comes the fun part. Stuffin' them thar shells with their intended innards.

I cut up some more scallions to sprinkle on top just for aesthetics,

and then kinda smothered them with shredded Mozarella

Then covered the dish up with foil ( after spraying the underside with cooking spray to hopefully prevent stickingness )

I don't even remember now how long I baked/convected it for or at what temperature, but I'm sure a quick spot of Googling would turn them measurements up.

ANYWAY, shortly after the aforementioned baking/convecting,

VOILA!

Letti's version of Turkey and Cheese Stuffed Jumbo Pasta

I used 99% lean turkey meat and reduced fat ricotta and mozarella, so really, the dish was a lot healthier than it looks. And "I" thought it was pretty yummy.

Another Domestication Post

2011-09-02T00:08:00.002-05:00

I don't know why I didn't start earlier,

but I've recently started wearing aprons while cooking. And the domesticated me likes it, even if it's for practical reasons like keeping my clothes clean and having some place to wipe my hands. ( Heheh )

Anyway, I have 2 aprons that I use. The first one is kinda flimsy one with a Christmas motif, from the Dollar Tree. It may not be the best made apron out there, but it does what it's supposed to.

The second one, I got from an estate sale a few years back and it looks pretty dated ( some may say vintage, but oh well.. ), and it isn't too comfy, but IT too, works.

And so, I began thinking about wanting something a little more upbeat and contemporary ( Forgive me, but I've gone back to watching some HGTV recently), but I'm such a tightwad that I keep trying to look for a deal.

I decided to look on Ebay, and look what I got!

I won the apron for $0.99! Yeah, they get you with the shipping, but all in all, it was a wonderfully comfortable quilted apron that also looks quite sweet.

It's made in China, and came with a very cute tag.

And I like it :)

Saturday Antics

2011-09-01T22:15:00.002-05:00

I just realised I didn't have any pics of Grandad

from this week's Saturday with Grandad.

My Bad. :(

We started off with lunch with Grandad at McDonald's as usual,

and then Grandad said that he would like to drop by the Garden Center where his old friends from the Big Country Iris and Daylily Society were having a plant sale.

A few of Grandad's friends came out and visited with him so that Grandad wouldn't have to get out of the car, but the little boy was not content with being strapped into his car seat, especially when daddy had disappeared through the doors of the Garden Center.

The lady who owned the place recognized us from last year, and said in disbelief, "Wasn't he in a stroller last year??" :) Ah, kids.. they grow up so fast.

There was an indoor and outdoor part, and the little boy could not wait to go running out the doors to the back

I had to keep telling him NOT to get into the water features :P

There was no less enthusiasm for exploring the indoor part either, for the little man

"Mama, Rooster! Cock-a-doodle-doo!", while attempting to redecorate

At one point, I turned around and the little boy had gotten hold of a wide brimmed sun hat from one of the displays and was attempting a "Dumb Donald" from Fat Albert

It was a very short visit, but maybe we'll be by again next year!

Awwwww Google Cares :)

2011-08-30T23:34:00.003-05:00

Well, maybe they don't,

but them folks at google.com.my changed their logo today, in conjunction with Malaysians celebrating their 54th Independence Day, as well as Eid al-Fitr or Hari Raya :)

Here's even a note from Hillary Clinton with well wishes from the US :P

Reduce Reuse Recycle

2011-08-29T23:48:00.003-05:00

Every so often, we stop by the Christian Service Center

here in Abilene, to drop stuff off. Judith volunteers there on some days as well, now that she's retired.

Gah, have to declutter and get some more bags over there :P

Walmart Strikes Again

2011-08-29T23:32:00.003-05:00

Or not..

depending on whether Precool ( other than meaning "before cool") and Lic Preschool ( other than possibly meaning licensed preschool - but why would a licensed preschool be for sale on a walmart toy aisle? ;D) mean anything. We're speculating that they may mean something in another language.... :)

I see a ONE

2011-08-27T23:30:00.001-05:00

The little boy is very into the alphabet and numbers right now, and often sees them in the things around us every day.

However, this is one that DADDY saw in his Matzo Crackers.

Just because the Colors are Pweety

2011-08-24T23:20:00.004-05:00

Breakfast for Mah Boyz

For the hubs,

an omelet, turkey bacon and hash brown,

with "Grown Up" pancakes

and some apricots

For the kiddo,

Alphabet Pancakes,

Strawberries and Oranges ( or ONGKS, as he calls them at the moment )

Hacks for the Home

2011-08-19T22:35:00.004-05:00

Some of us call ourselves Domestic Engineers

but really, we're just wives and moms who try our best to have our homes running the best way we know how, and are able to.

I had come across this "hack", maybe a year or so ago, and it was such a simple solution to such a maddening problem ( at least to me ), that I was just incredulous.

Anyway, it is the solution to the "my kitchen hand towel keeps falling off the oven door handle each time I use it" problem. I had never encountered this problem before in Malaysia, because we never ever HAD an oven. And I never cooked much either, so I guess wherever the kitchen towel WAS hanging at home, I didn't have cause to use it much. *heh*

I can't remember where I first saw this clever solution (because I really want to give credit to the person who, or at least the website which, first enlightened me on it ), but I've since found out that Martha Stewart has mentioned it on her website.

The one that I had made the first time around was getting a little raggedy, so I decided to make a few more, and hey, blog about it.

Le Prototype

Anyway, you start off with some velcro - I got the iron-on kind

This time around, I didn't do it in the "loopy" fashion like before, though. And I thought while I was at it, I would make 2.

It was really rather simple. The only other thing I needed was an iron.

Ta Da!

Letti Thursday

2011-08-18T20:32:00.003-05:00

I actually love doing Letti Thursday posts

in part due to the fact that I can indulge the artsy fartsy part of me that loves taking photographs, and then tries to make them look better, with a little help from picasa and photoshop.

ANYWAY, today we had

Baked Seasoned Chicken Thighs and Legs

Pasta Salad with Broccoli

Green Bean Casserole

without fried onions

WITH fried onions

Tuscan Melon

and Key Lime Pie Bars

without confectioner's sugar

WITH a sprinkling of confectioner's sugar

Summer Fun with Cousins

2011-08-16T16:24:00.002-05:00

We have an open invitation to bring Jaxon to go play with the cousins in the afternoons at Mamo's house, but it just about always coincides with nap time.

Last Friday, the little boy had an early nap, and we were able to finally go play play play in Mamo's backyard.

Jack in the Box Fun at Cracker Barrel

2011-08-14T00:19:00.002-05:00

Gasp

2011-08-09T00:43:00.003-05:00

The Wheels of Time are Turning..

I found 3 of these among my jet black ( well, maybe very dark brown ) OTHER strands of hair.

*gasp, shock, horror and last but not least, sigh....*

The Sky

2011-08-04T19:30:00.003-05:00

over here is usually clear and really blue.

When there is an abundance of clouds in the sky - and this last one was because of Don, it reminds me of the skies back home in Malaysia. There are hardly, if any days where the sky is just clear and, much less blue. Being tropical and a peninsula, it gets a lot of rain and hence, a lot of clouds.

So this past week, when there were more clouds than usual, I had a pang of homesickness when I looked up at the sky.

With An Asian Flair

2011-08-04T15:35:00.004-05:00

Last night for dinner we had mango curry chicken with potatoes and stir fried vegetables with shrimp.

Tonight, for Letti Thursday, we will be having Char Siu Chicken, or Baked Chicken in Chinese Barbecue Sauce.

Saturday Excursion with Grandad

2011-08-02T23:38:00.005-05:00

And Iridescent Clouds

Charles and Joy moved into their very first house of their own a few years ago, but we had never had the chance to go by there, and neither had Grandad. So Cindy suggested that we do that for this week's excursion.

On the way there, I'm sitting in the back with Jaxon and staring out the window, and just looking out at the clouds.There's more than the usual amount of clouds in the sky because of Don, and it was kinda reminding me of home.

It was then that I noticed some colors in the sky. It wasn't raining, and it looked like it was on just one cloud.

Then, it went behind another cloud, merged with YET another cloud or something,

and came out on the other side and looked spectacular!

This second picture here's been enhanced a little to show a little more clearly the colors

Then we were off to Charles' and Joy's beautiful home. We went out to the backyard for a little bit, and Jaxon was at first a little nervous around the doggies, but he soon kinda warmed up to them.

When we left, I kept a lookout for more iridescent clouds, and there they were again! ( Albeit a little fainter this time )

I still can't believe that neither Cindy nor David nor GRANDAD had ever seen them before. Woah.

Cousins

2011-07-28T22:57:00.002-05:00

Okay, so when the kids get together ( especially now that the older cousins are out of the house and at college and such ), we always like to "capture the moment".

Except that capturing the moment entails super mad photography skillz enhanced by years of camera trigger happiness that in turn were probably enhanced somewhat the asian stereotype of being camera trigger happy.

ANYWAY,

there was a whole lot of THIS

but then there was some of this

and of course there was only ONE of these

where everyone was looking forward and somewhat at the same place, and the MAJORITY of them were actually smiling :D

Food is in demand

2011-07-26T01:16:00.003-05:00

A Jason's Deli opened a couple of weeks ago at our end of town, and we've been there a couple of times. Each time it's just been absolutely crazy with a line all the way outside the place and all that.

You'd think we were totally deprived or something. :)

Letti Thursday

2011-07-26T00:25:00.002-05:00

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole Revisited

According to the "archives", I've made this twice. Once HERE and the second time HERE. The original recipe is from the Pioneer Woman.

I guess I decided to post some pictures because they were colorful and I happen to like Chicken Spaghetti Casserole. :)

Colorful bell pepper, diced onions and pimiento.

Mix em in with some cooked spaghetti and shredded cooked chicken breast,

followed by a can of mushroom soup and a can of chicken soup

Add in some cheddar cheese,

Mix it all up,

and top it off with MORE cheddar cheese before baking.

Once again, I don't have pictures of the finished product, but I thought it tasted all right. :)

Blankity Blank Blank

2011-07-25T00:04:00.002-05:00

I really want to have lots to blog about and like that but I just noticed that I hadn't done anything here in like, 10 days.

Now that I look at that number, maybe it isn't that bad after all.

I was going to use being sick as an excuse, but I've been blogging over at the child's blog, so that's kinda lame.

Okay, now I'm just rambling on incoherently. I think I'm going to click on "Publish Post" and go work on the next post on the kid's blog.

:P

Puppy dog tails and such

2011-07-14T10:27:00.003-05:00

I don't think one is ever truly prepared for parenthood,

what with all the different ways it pushes, challenges, scares and delights you as well as make you want to scream and tear your hair out at times, dragging your exhausted frame into bed, begging for a few more milliseconds of rest and alone time.

More often than not, however, it makes you want to laugh and jump for joy and grin till your face hurts and fills your heart with so much love that you think it will burst at any moment.

Here's one of those heart bursting moments... the little boy having play tea ( iced peach tea )
with his aunt Cindy using a quaint little Chinese Tea Set.

I mean, how can your heart not be doing little flip flops, seeing that little face delighting in the little tea party, both hands on the tea cup, eyes closed and loving the sweet tea :)

And I just DARE you to resist those curls :)

Heat + Drought

2011-07-13T23:22:00.004-05:00

Never ever a good combination.

EVER.

This sort of scene has become so common around these parts, it is just truly tragic.

Just a few days ago, as we were coming home from an excursion with Grandad and Cindy, we saw smoke billowing above the horizon, just about in the direction of where our house is. That is always a disconcerting sight, to say the least.

As it turned out, it was across the highway towards the direction of Lake Fort Phantom.

Just last month, we were on another excursion

and passed by the aftermath of another huge fire that had raged and burnt over 72,000 acres near Maryneal.

It was just so awful and sad to drive for miles and miles and seeing the black charred earth stretch on still for miles and miles ahead.

Some folks who had been evacuated from their homes were staying at the community center, which also served as a sort of headquarters for the whole operation.

My thoughts and thanks go out to all the fire fighters and personnel who are working endlessly battling all these fires around us and trying to keep us safe.

In Memoriam

2011-07-13T23:08:00.003-05:00

Johnny Lee Robinson

10/25/1940 - 7/1/2011

You will always be in our hearts

4th of July Roundup

2011-07-05T01:12:00.007-05:00

It had been a long day,

an action packed, yummilicious day :)

First off, we woke up bright and early, got ready and went off to fetch Grandad to watch the Hillcrest Neighborhood Parade.

Grandad stayed in the car with a great view facing the parade, and I got Jaxon in the stroller and started looking for a place to park ourselves. We hadn't walked very far when we came across Cindy, Frances and the grandkids.

We had brought a few little flags along with us, and Jaxon was having a grand time waving it around. I was amazed he wasn't screaming to get out of the stroller to run around ( flashback to last year's parade )

We sat for a couple of minutes watching,

and then decided to get up and join right in! ( But not before handing my camera over to Frances to help take a few pictures of us. She was very sweet and took some more photos of the rest of the parade for me )

Then, at dusk, we went over to Grandad's yet again, to bring him over close to the Zoological Gardens where the fireworks show was going to be held.

The little boy had a grand time watching the fireworks with Daddy and Grandad :)

It was a dark and stormy night

2011-06-28T22:47:00.002-05:00

With crazy cobblestone freaky clouds.

I'm sure there's a name for these formations, but I'll get around to finding out what it is later :P

A Random Dinner

2011-06-27T00:27:00.003-05:00

Pasta and a Salad

Birthday Yums

2011-06-26T23:17:00.002-05:00

Carter told me to look out for a surprise in the mail

for my birthday guess what he sent me? :)

Maggie Mee, Asam Laksa flavour, no less!

Creamy White Rabbit Candy

Dodol, Durian Flavour
( Dare I open this in front of David??) :P

Preserved Mango

Letti Thursday

2011-06-25T00:57:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, we had good ol' fashioned Chicken Pot Pie,

and I was searching online everywhere to see what sides went with it, and a lot of people seemed to think along the lines of a salad.

Some mentioned a Waldorf Salad, which I had never made, but thought what the heck, let's try something new :)

Working at the Hospital

2011-06-25T00:12:00.002-05:00

Can be hazardous to your health.

The Hendrick Medical Center's expansion project, dubbed Project 2010, has been under way since October 2009. We'd been to the hospital on and off for different things since then, and it DOES seem like the construction has been going on forever.

Earlier this week, part of the scaffolding at the construction site collapsed, injuring 2 workers. The next day, we had made a short stop at the emergency room because Johnny and Cindy were there to discuss some medical issues with Johnny's doctor. After visiting with them, we swung by the scene of the incident to have a look.

Electrical and ThunderStorm

2011-06-24T23:41:00.003-05:00

It has been a very hot and dry spring

and now a very hot and dry summer. We've had all kinds of record breaking days above 100 degrees F for a stretch now, bringing with it crazy sustained wind.

So, even though the rain that fell a few days ago, came with some hail and mucho crazy non stop lightning, it was a welcome respite.

6 Years Ago Today

2011-06-19T20:33:00.002-05:00

Happy Juneteenth, Father's Day and Anniversary :)

Letti Thursday

2011-06-19T18:07:00.002-05:00

The Down-Home Edition

Last Thursday, we decided to have a back to basics southern meal for the family.

So, we started off with some Pinto Beans and Ham

with sides of corn sticks

and fried okra

along with some jello with pears

and finishing off with some Lemon Bars

Saturday Excursion with Grandad

2011-06-18T23:20:00.003-05:00

Petting "Zoo"

A couple of weeks ago, we went by Sikes Farm again, and this time around I think Jaxon appreciated all the animals a little more than the last time we were there a year ago.

As we drove slowly through the farm, the little boy pointed excitedly at the animals.

There were many baby animals there that day, and the first one we saw was a baby donkey with its momma.

Jaxon called out "Mama horsey, baby horsey!" when he caught sight of them.

We saw some Llamas, but I didn't manage to get a picture of them. We did see a whole bunch of goats, though, and there were several that were just a couple of days old.

At first Jaxon felt pretty brave about wanting to reach out and pet them, but when he got closer to them, he seemed to change his mind :)

We may have to make this a yearly visit, as the little boy will be able to appreciate things so much more differently as he gets older...

But I suspect he will always like his Rice Crackers and Naps after an "exhausting" excursion.

Letti Thursday

2011-06-13T15:17:00.003-05:00

Simply Simple Meals

Sometimes I get super lazy and go for the easy fast route of making a meal, and serve stuff out of a can or a box.

I was just remembering with L. David the other day that back in Malaysia, we always ate fresh leafy greens and I don't think I ever saw any kind of vegetables in a can, unless it preserved in some form or fashion. ( One exception is probably the button mushrooms which I loved and still love ) Which was why when I got here and saw BEAN SPROUTS IN A CAN, I almost gagged.

BUT there is no getting around the fact that sometimes canned corn, mushrooms and beans help to make a harried housewife/cook's burden quite a bit less.

Italian Style Green Beans

I am so used to having at least one vegetable dish, a protein dish and a carbohydrate dish ( rice ) back home in Malaysia that I still do that here.

Our protein dish for the night was Baked Seasoned Chicken, which came seasoned from the refrigerated section of H.E.B. and at $1/lb, it was very affordable.

Rice isn't exactly the staple here, so we had Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes instead.

Memorial Day Weekend with Cindy's Kids

2011-06-10T23:07:00.003-05:00

We don't get to see Jaxon's cousins who live in the Fort Worth area very often, so when they were in Abilene a couple of weekends ago, we went by to visit with them.

Cindy had a little kiddy pool set up in her back yard and invited us over so that the little boy could play with her grand kids, Allen and Anastasia.

Jaxon's never one to turn down a swimming pool of any proportions, and was soon in there whooping and splashing with the cousins.

Pretty soon, Anastasia decided she'd had enough and it was just the boys lounging and chillin'.

till Allen decided HE'D had enough as well.

By then, it had gotten later in the day and it didn't take much convincing to get the little boy back into the house, out from the cooler wind.

The next day we met up with the cousins again at Grandad's house before they had to leave the next morning. There wasn't any swimming that day at Grandad's house, but the kids enjoyed some PBS Kids time together :)

A Taste of Home

2011-06-06T19:11:00.004-05:00

Happiness is

having yummy Asian food that you don't get to see at a Chinese Buffet or American-Asian restaurant. *dreamy sigh*

Coconut Curry Chicken/ Ayam Opor

I added some Tofu Pok to the dish, and it was yum yum yummilicious

Stir Fried Mixed Vegetables

Glutinous Rice with Chinese Sausage ( Loh Mai Fan )

Letti Thursday

2011-06-06T18:54:00.003-05:00

The Satay Meal Revisited

I can't believe it, but I've made Satay for the boys TWICE BEFORE, and yes, it was once in 2009 and then again in 2010.

Satay with compressed rice and pickled vegetables was once again on the menu a couple of Letti Thursdays ago.

Of course, I always cheat and use a prepackaged mix, which makes me very "Semi HomeMade"

I marinaded the meat overnight

and revved up the indoor grill to cook the kabobs.

They never turn out quite like the ones I am used to seeing back home in Malaysia, but it still tasted yummy :)

Birthdays are for Little Boys to Get Together

2011-06-01T15:25:00.002-05:00

And Play Play Play

We were over at Stephanie's house last Saturday for Tony's Birthday,

and when all the children get together and rule the house, we look at each other and wonder what we ever did before they were in our lives :)

I mean, I didn't even manage to get a shot of the birthday boy, I was so besotted with the kids :)

Misery Index = High

2011-06-01T14:51:00.002-05:00

Heat, heat, go away, and bring this gusting wind along with you.

Le Lootage

2011-05-28T16:33:00.005-05:00

Just Another Chapter

in the continuing adventures of the usage of the lootage from the Dallas Trip, in our meals.. Hurrah!

Lotus Root

I grew up with this made into Lotus Root Soup, but this time I thought I'd use it in a "dry" form with some stir fried chicken to give it some yummy crunch.

KangKong aka. Water Spinach

Stir Fried Noodles

Sour Mustard soup with Tofu aka. Kiam Chai Tng/Ham Choy Tong

Sliced Thai Chili/Chili Padi

Some of the other loot(age) which had also been gotten to are the Salted Eggs

And a Bak Chang/Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Pork and Mung Bean Paste

So What's for Dinner?

2011-05-28T01:00:00.002-05:00

I had bought a couple of different types of Won Ton noodles at the Asian Market the other day, and I thought we'd better have some before they start to go....

So we whipped up some blanched/stirfried asparagus,

5 spice powder chicken with "tofu pok" ( fried tofu )

The aforementioned "wide" wonton noodles.

and Won Ton soup.

West Texas Traffic

2011-05-24T15:50:00.003-05:00

It's harvest time..

The wheat had turned the fields into seas of gold a week or so back, and the combines were out there in force, even getting onto the highway!

In spots, even in the far-off horizon, there would be the telltale plume of brown wheat dust as the combines worked and worked to harvest the wheat.

A Trip and some Loot

2011-05-23T12:03:00.005-05:00

Last Tuesday, we made a trip to Dallas

for David's annual checkup. The doctor's visit itself was rather uneventful other than the fact that his former doctor had ?retired and so David was now under the care of someone new, and whose office is in a different building.

Seeing how it was a 3+ hour trip one way, I tried to make sure we had whatever we needed on hand in case of a toddler meltdown situation. One of the things that we try never to go anywhere without these days, is our little ASUS Eee computer that has all the little boy's favorite shows.

We got there a little early, so daddy helped the little boy stretch his legs out a little bit before he had to be confined in a stroller again when it was time for the appointment.

Then it was off to the Garland area to pick up some stuff, and hey presto, we stumble upon a sort of ChinaTown.

We had some yummy noodles for a quick lunch before heading over to Hong Kong Market Place for some long pent up shopping. Turns out we had chanced upon one of the bigger Asian markets around.

It didn't exactly smell like a bed of roses in there, but I was too excited to find all kinds of things there to be too bothered by it. Yes, I know it sounds like I've been quite deprived. Oh well.

Our next stop after that was Costco, on the way home, where we had a "Dinner" of Pizza, Salad and Very Berry Sundae.

This is the little boy asking "More Mama, PLEASE!" with regards to the Very Berry Sundae. :)

The little boy was such a trooper during the whole trip. Considering that he was strapped into his car seat for that many hours to and fro, he was very good about it. Sure, there was the occasional flare up and the pleading of "up, mama, up" ( asking to be picked up, out of the seat ), but he was soon distracted by the different things we brought for that purpose, and of course, his videos. :)

I've put away the things we got at the Asian grocer, and have cooked some of them, and hopefully will have some documented on the blog soon :).

A Mother's Day Miracle :)

2011-05-10T22:44:00.004-05:00

Judith had the whole family over at her home for Mother's Day,

and usually, all the little boys are running around in all directions playing and running and generally being little boys...

making it super difficult to get them all in the same frame at the same time.

So when we managed to get all of them AND some other cousins in a photograph where they are ALL LOOKING the SAME DIRECTION and no one was screaming their head off, it qualified as a small miracle :)

Now that's a good looking bunch of kids :)

Letti Thursday x2

2011-05-06T01:06:00.007-05:00

Do the Mashed Potato

Here's what we had this week and last.

Part One

BBQ Ribs

Squash

4 Cheeses Mashed Potatoes

Blueberry Pie

Part 2

Chicken Fried Chicken

Mashed Potatoes with Cheese, Chives and Sour Cream

Italian Flat Beans

Saturday Excursion with Grandad

2011-05-01T22:32:00.003-05:00

Our first stop a couple of weeks ago, was Cindy's office at Cisco College, where she had been teaching for close to 20 years, I believe. Since the new Abilene campus opened in 2004, Grandad had not been to see where Cindy works.

As it was a Saturday, the campus was closed, but Cindy usually goes to her office to get some work done, papers graded, etc. Because of that, she had to wait by the side door to open it for us. Of course, when the little boy saw Cindy, he just exploded with joy :) Especially when he knew that there were TOYS in her office :)

Grandad had been looking forward to this visit and we were glad that we were able to plan it for him.

Of course, the little boy took it upon himself to explore the empty hallways, and momma ( and later joined by Cindy ) had to "explore" along with him.

After a really fun visit with Cindy, we drove off to nearby Merkel, to the Texas Forest Services command center for all the recent fires in the region.

We were quite amazed with the huge fleet of different types of vehicles that had been assembled there to fight the fires that had been ravaging over a million and a half acres of West Texas land.

A Good Samaritan

2011-05-01T00:31:00.002-05:00

While we were driving to Letti Thursday a couple of weeks ago, our tire went flat on the highway into town. We had had a leak in that tire, that David had plugged while waiting to replace it.

Anyway, when the tire went flat, David immediately turned off onto a side road. Almost JUST as immediately, a pickup that had been driving behind us ( I think ) slowed down, made a U-Turn, turned off the same side road, and stopped behind us.

Long story short, a couple of very sweet gentlemen, who had all the right tools and know-how, helped us change the tire in less than half the time that it would have taken David and me to do it on our own.

We got the car less than a year ago, and bring the manual around with us in the glove compartment for times like these. We had no idea where certain things were, and the manual really came in handy :)

And we managed to get to Letti Thursday and feed everyone on time :)

Galatians 6:2

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you fulfill the law of Christ.

Because of all the Little Boys in the Family,

2011-04-27T00:12:00.006-05:00

There's all the more joy and fun to all the Easter Festivities

We started the day at church, with the little boy dressed to the nines in pastel, complete with a little clip on tie. :)

After which, we adjourned over to Judith's house for

1. Lunch ( plenty of yummilicious food )

2. Birthday Celebrations - Walter's birthday celebration continues
- Azmari's 2nd birthday
- Joy's ( 27th? ) birthday

3. Easter Egg Hunt!!!!!

Jaxon made a beeline for the "toy corner" and soon forgot trying to tug his tie off :)

Of course, it was too nice of a day to stay indoors, and it wasn't long before the cousins were running around outside, shrieking and having gobs of fun

THEN came the event the Mamarazzis had been waiting for all day - EGG HUNT!!!

That having said, I have to admit I must have been the biggest Mamarazzi out there that day. Can't help being trigger happy with that camera when it comes to the little boy :)

Here's a couple of photos flashing back to last year's Easter celebrations...

Then it was time to survey the loot and presents time for Azmari!

And where would spring be without its showers?

Yes. I let our little boy run around in the rain in his sunday best :)

It wasn't long before the rest of the cousins thought that THAT looked like a whole lotta fun!

Until it started to hail, of course. That was when it was time for all kiddos to come in and get dried off.

A few hours after the party had wrapped up however, the storm became horribly worse, with baseball sized hail causing much damage everywhere, and tornadoes and funnel clouds spotted all over the place. We were very fortunate that we did not get the worst of it.

"Jesus said unto her I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me,
though he were dead, yet shall he live; And whosoever liveth and
believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
~~John 11:25-26~~

Birthday Weekend

2011-04-23T22:23:00.002-05:00

Grandad turned 92 today.

But the celebration started yesterday, and will continue on to tomorrow.

The ladies of Friday Bible Class have been wanting to thank and honor Grandad for opening his home to "host" the class. So, yesterday, we came in our work clothes to help clean up the yard and garden, and brought food for a birthday brunch.

A great time was had, with good food and company, and Grandad even donned on his famous pink hat and pink bandanna for the occasion. :)

He got to tell stories, which the women enjoyed, and had a grand time.

I got some food for the little boy, who scarfed down his chocolate cupcake

and then ran around, strewing junk mail all over the floor to get all that sugar out of his system :)

Letti Thursday

2011-04-23T20:44:00.003-05:00

It's been way too long

since I've posted anything for Letti Thursday. It's still going on strong though. Plus now, David's sisters have joined us as well, which makes Grandad teary eyed sometimes, to have all his children sitting down to a meal with him in his home once a week.

This week's menu was nothing special, but I thought I should get the ball rolling ( again ).

Chicken Flavored Rice & Wild Rice

Chicken baked with Southwest Chipotle seasoning

Watermelon

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

There was a salad too, but I didn't manage to get a photo of that. :)

My Adventures in the US of A

Projects

Happy Birthday, Jim!

Happy Chinese New Year 2012

Letti Thursday

On the Go

Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas, Y'all :)

Holiday Happenings

Trimming the Tree

The Food Diary

Food Diary Nov 27 - Dec 10

7th Annual Feast of Sharing

Spending Time with Grandad

Like, Really?

Annual Christmas Parade

Gah

The First Snow of the Season

Food Diary Nov 13- Nov 26

Thanksgiving 2011

Food Diary Nov 6 - Nov 12

It's Pumpkin Time

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth.

Food Diary Oct 30 - Nov 5

Halloween Part 2

Food Diary Oct 23 - 29

Halloween Part 1

Food Diary Oct 16 - 22

It has been a more hectic week than usual

New Neighbors

Food Diary Oct 9 - Oct 15

Saturday Excursion with Grandad

Food Diary Oct 2 - Oct 8

I'm no Chinese Acrobat

Jaxon and The Great Pumpkin

A Week without Blogging

Food Diary Sept 25 - Oct 1

A Visit to the Doctor's Office

Big Country Balloon Fest

Up there in the Creepy Factor

Food Diary Sept 18 - Sept 24

Random Curiosities

How Time Flies

Food Diary Sept 11 - Sept 17

Learning with Jaxon

I've just noticed

A Parade

Food Diary Sept 4 - Sept 10

Bubblicious Fun with Uncle Lin

P is for Precious and Priceless

Why do some foods look so pretty

A Self Indulgent Food Post

Another Domestication Post

Saturday Antics

Awwwww Google Cares :)

Reduce Reuse Recycle

Walmart Strikes Again

I see a ONE

Just because the Colors are Pweety

Hacks for the Home

Letti Thursday

Summer Fun with Cousins

Jack in the Box Fun at Cracker Barrel

*Gasp*

The Sky

With An Asian Flair

Saturday Excursion with Grandad

Cousins

Food is in demand

Letti Thursday

Blankity Blank Blank

Puppy dog tails and such

Heat + Drought

In Memoriam

4th of July Roundup

It was a dark and stormy night

A Random Dinner

Birthday Yums

Letti Thursday

Working at the Hospital

Gasp