Blessed Christmas

Have yourself a Blessed little Christmas..

Had a great time of art therapy today decorating our chalkboard wall. 

Spring Cleaning in Dec

In the midst of friends and family visiting throughout the month, we have been doing stuff that we should rightly be doing in Jan 2013. Like cleaning out the store, kids sorting out their toys, kids preparing their own lunch and a new phase in responsibility training. Well...this is perhaps an unusual routine during our Dec period but perhaps cos we were traveling so much this year that some settling down has got to take place. It was a good week of independence and responsibility training for the kids.

Rediscovering old toys anew because mommy dumped it all in the store room 1.5 yrs ago

Changing batteries for their old toys

Preparing their fave lunch - Egg Yoghurt Sandwich

Buying Baskin Robbins Ice cream with her own money

Library 'play' while mommy catches up on her work

Kids' Current Comfort Food: Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Casserole

We have been having this dish very often the past couple of weeks. This is an uber healthy dish that is stuffed with pumpkin, cauliflower and carrots and my kids eat it all up because it is topped with cheddar, parmesan and mozzarella. And they always ask for more. What's more, this is really a very easy dish to prepare:)

• 1 whole pumpkin, skinned and cut into big pieces
• 2 carrots, skinned and cut into small cubes
• 1/4 cauliflower, washed and cut into small pieces
• 2 sweet potato, skinned and cut into big pieces

For all the vegetable and roots above, portions are highly variable and up to personal preference. Pumpkin and sweet potato adds natural sweetness to the dish and no sugar needs to be added. Steam them in till very soft. 

For the filling, pork and beef can be used. Mushrooms can also be added. Quickly fry the meat with some garlic and you can use spaghetti sauce for a simple seasoning. 

Shred cheddar, parmesan and mozzarella cheese for the topping.

Once the ingredients are prepared, its' easy for the kids to help put the dish together. I usually make many small casseroles that are easy to store, freeze and baked when needed. 

I like the simple instructions that 'Cbeebies I can cook' teaches the kids. So we had a similar list for our pumpkin & sweet potato casserole as my kids became my kitchen helpers for the day.

Sarah & Sammy with Aprons from Auntie CC

MASH

SCOOP

FLATTEN

 SPRINKLE

Bowls ready to be stored and frozen till hungry

CLEAN UP

Perhaps the most enthusiastic part as the kids get to vacuum up all the cheese that has dropped on the table. Hahah...oh well. 

Quotes from our cute Kids

Sammy was in the bathroom the other day and i heard this

Sammy pleaded " Pleeeeease come out".

Mommy, "Sammy, who are you talking to?"

Sammy, "I am speaking to my poo poo"

Sammy was really excited that he didn't wet his bed the night before and so this is his watsapp to Daddy early in the morning,

Joel [my neighbor Jan's son]

The kids were learning about Noah's ark and the ark has landed and its doors are opened and the animals were filing out.

Teacher, "Where do you think the animals are going, Joel?"

Joel, "To the zoo."


Don't they just crack you up :)

A Nostalgic Weekend

Time stood still on a windy and cloudy morning as we rested from the week that past, especially Dan. As the smell of pancakes and the strains of beautiful music filled the house and we looked back at our photos from Sept - Nov, a wave of memories flooded back.  Philly, Toronto, time spent with my mom and our great family reunion. I am filled with much thanksgiving - knowing that we were creating many precious memories. Memories that would last us a lifetime. For the moment, I am happy to keep these fresh in my mind till the end of 2012. 

We are entering into the season of thanksgiving - for love of family and friends and for God who made it all possible. Sigh....nice:)

Smoothie Revamp

Inspired by smoothie lands of USA and Canada, I am going to stuff more vegetables into the family's morning smoothies. Errr.....for a start, let's try safe cucumber and chia seeds for now:)

Smoothies and kids' handmade glasses from Karuizawa, Japan 

Sarah quipped: "Mommy, that is the yummiest smoothie I have tasted":)))

With that said, mommy's mind is teeming with lots of other vegetables that she is going to stuff in.

A Beautiful Morning

Our kids are pretty much over their jet lag - not because we are professional jet lag busters but we figured that our 7 hour stopover in Dubai did just the trick. 

Sarah and I had a good morning walk today at 7:30 am. I love these special times with her. She is really like my little best friend:) As we walked along the golf course, we observed a new lily patch growing at the edge of the pond, we saw an egret flying away and we gawked at the huge trampoline that was sitting right at the porch of one of our neighbor's house. Haha.

And we came back with beautiful natural decorations for our dining table - a brilliant idea that I learnt from Jan (my back to nature neighbor). Sarah picked up a yellow frangipani flower on our way back and the other two red flowers came from our very own frangipani tree. Place the flowers in a glass bowl of water and it just makes me smile:)

It's a beautiful morning:)

Healthy Fluffy Pancakes with Canadian Maple Syrup

I have never been much a fan of pancakes but I married a man who IS a great fan of pancake and waffle. Of course, armed with a bottle of lovely Canadian maple syrup, that was a sure motivation to search for 'the' recipe. Simple criterion: Healthy and Fluffy.

We bought a great pancake mix when we were in Japan but feeding the family with plenty of white flour was not my idea of a good homemade breakfast. 

Found a recipe here and adapted it with a healthy twist. With this batter, I made 8 good medium-size pancakes (about 4 inch wide) and 2 tiny pancakes. 

• 1 cup organic wholemeal flour
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoon organic brown sugar [this can be varied]
• 4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoon yoghurt [if this is flavored, then you can reduce sugar]
• 1.5 cup low-fat milk
• 2 organic eggs

The batter did look heavy after the mixing and I had my doubts about whether it would be fluffy. Well, but let's not give up here. There was a man who was eagerly anticipating my first pancake foray and a hungry boy sitting patiently at our dinning table at 6 am.

Following the recipe, one important tip was to separate the egg whites from the yolk and whip it till soft peaks form. That gave me a real good work out. The other tip was to let the batter sit for 10 mins before making the pancakes.

Method (taken from here) :

1. Sift the dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt)
2. Whisk egg white separately till soft peaks form. Add yolk, milk and yoghurt.
3. Add dry ingredients slowly, whisking briefly after each addition, just until smooth. 
4. Let batter sit for 10 mins
5. Scoop a ladle of batter onto heated, lightly greased pan. Add slice banana at this stage if you wish. And cook for 2-3 mins till bubbles appear
6. Carefully flip pancake with spatula to cook the other side
7. Cook other side for another 2-3 minutes.

Here, we have it. Healthy wholemeal pancakes waiting to be drizzled with maple syrup! Verdict, it was a good recipe and I was glad the yoghurt modification worked, maybe not as well as if I were to use sour cream. Dan would have loved it if it were fluffier but nevertheless a good first attempt for healthy wholemeal pancakes. Pancake Daddy and Hungry Sammy ate four altogether:)

We are Back

We are back in Singapore. Yup. It has been a great 2.5 months away in USA and Canada. And it's great to be back at our home too.

I must say that the kids have been doing fine. The first night, they slept from 12 am - 8 am. The second night it was 9 pm - 4 am. And the third night was 10 pm - 6 pm. It is getting better - much better than expected. So for the past few mornings, we have been up early - Listening to Christmas music, having our early breakfast and watching the kids play and play and play.

And we have been busy getting 'engine' going again on all fronts - with the house and its necessities, the car, settling our mountain pile of letters and bills....

We are back -  back to perfecting what we are called to do! 

My Fave-Chubbiest-Ice Cream Maniac Nephew

I love this pic - taken as I hung around with Josiah in Royal Ontario Museum

Josiah is a such a riot. He loves ice cream and is so focussed on eating his ice cream that he is oblivious that his ice cream has splattered on Dan pants and shoes - then again, he loves anything sweet and yummy and gooey. Whenever I see I him, I can't resist squeezing him and smothering him for at least 10 secs - after which he will yell and squirm in protest [haha..who wouldn't ]. But he is one smart lad - he can refuse me politely, often giving me a very logical mature reason. I think he is a little genius:) A holistic genius - one who is fully aware of his surroundings and a coward all at the same time. Josiah shares lots of similarities with Sarah - which is also why they get along just fine.

Josiah loves Samuel. "Samuel is my favorite friend", Josiah would chirp. But I would often catch him trying to provoke Samuel secretly [you should see his face of mischief] only to incur the wrath of Sammy, the little dragon. And they would engage in a shouting spar cos Samuel hates to be interrupted in his task. But strange enough, Samuel would sometimes respond, "It's ok".

That's dear Josiah. I think we would miss all of Josiah, and Hannah, and Joash and their Daddy and Mommy. 

But till the next time we meet - and I have a feeling it won't be too long:)

Niagara Falls Canada

More photos to come...

Love the..

High Park, Toronto, Oct 2012

Love the colors of the season
Love the big natural playground of trees, leaves and squirrels
Love the free, unihibited spirit of the children

Making Friends

Children can make friends easily and almost anywhere - in Japan, in America and in Canada. Give them a playground, give them lots of space and they will find their means to communicate and play and cooperate and create. It's great! And mommies are making friends too:)

Linvilla Orchards

Sarah in Her Ballet Class

I am sitting here in my apartment in Toronto, overlooking the harbor and CN tower and waiting for David, CC and their kiddos and Auntie Ching to arrive from the airport. It's a special early Christmas reunion for the family and a mega surprise for the kids. So as I wait, I dabble with some post processing. 

Can't wait to see the kiddos faces - should be anytime soon.

Our Navy Seal with A Great Sense of Style

Since the beginning of this year, Sarah has put together her own outfits and I must say, she has a great sense of style. 

But what fascinates me even more is what her Daddy calls the "Navy Seal" quality. This gal has a great memory and she can really react fast in desperate situations. 

At Linvilla Orchards, she could negotiate mazes fast and well. Once Sarah heads towards a path and it meets a dead end, she is able to register that route in her mind and avoid it later. So, Sarah heads out of the maze first, ahead of the rest of the family. 

Just today, we were searching for her fave box of cereal and I was heading over to some far away aisle looking for it. Sarah shouted, "Mommy, it's over here beside your green tea". This amazed me because last week, I was at the supermarket with her to buy my green tea and we passed those cereal boxes but never bought any of them. And she remembered. She has repeated this memory prowess so many other times.

Sarah is my trusty partner when we do our chores or shop for groceries because I can be such a scatter brain and I need her to remind me where I left my things. Because she observes where I place my things and she remembers and she reminds me.

Her ability to react in desperate situations has also 'saved' her. Last week, I was in the pool with Sarah and Sammy. As Sammy climbed precariously into the adult pool [with his float on], I kept my eye right on him in case he missed a step. Unknown to me, Sarah had dived into the adult pool. Unknown to both of us, she had removed her float. Suddenly, I heard, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" I turned my head swiftly to see a panic stricken Sarah. But amazingly, she wasn't sinking, she was treading water and pushing her hands frantically and she was actually swimming in the adult pool. But not for long, before I caught her. When we reached the end of the pool, we were both flabbergasted. Gasping between her breath, she said "Mommy, I had no idea I jumped into the pool without my float!" I didn't know!" 

I was speechless. Thankful for God's protection but speechless. I could only hug her and know that because it was Sarah, all is well. 

That's Sarah, and I think she inherited her Navy Seal stuff from Daddy, definitely not from me. 

Our Curious George with A Great Sense of Humor

As I was focussing my camera on the monkey bar rings to try to capture an artistic shot, an unmistakable cackle shot into my right ear. Ignoring it, I continued to try to get my camera to focus on the ring amidst the noisy leafy background. The loud cackle rang again. This time, I swung my camera towards the cackle generator and this is what I got - *Sammy*. 

"Mommy" *cackle cackle cackle cackle* "Why are you taking a picture of that ring?" *cackle cackle cackle* "That's so silly" *cackle cackle cackle*

This is my son with a good dose of humor [definitely inherited from me]. 

He cackles at all my jokes and songs. The last song I came up with, which was just yesterday at the sand beach facing beautiful Lake Ontario, gave him the cackles

"We are building a castle for the King and the Queen

We are building a castle so the enemy won't come in

We are building a castle so that everybody

Can live happily ever after"

It ain't take a poet or a musician to know that it is an awfully slapstick song. Sarah rolled her eyes at me and Sammy just cackled and cackled and cackled. 

But for the 90% of the time he is not cackling, he is raising my hair and temper:) 

One day, we were all tired from a whole day out at Dufferin and all of us were resting our feet when Sarah and Sammy spotted a photo booth. They love to play in a photo booth - I figure it is the curtains and the small box that they like - a feeling of being in a little house or castle. They entertain themselves sufficiently independently on their own in a photo booth. A few minutes later, I decided to look up and from the corner of my eye, I saw something swinging. To my muted horror *because I was really tired*, our dear Sammy has decided grab hold the edge of the black curtain and wrap his entire body around it, and started swinging back and forth. Imagine a little boy swinging in and out of the photo booth. Sigh, because I really wanted to sit down. Sigh, because I didn't want to expend any more energy scolding him. Sigh...with a stern warning, he was kinda caught and made to stand by our side. 

But I have to admit, as Dan and I recalled Sammy's antics as we lay down to rest that night, we had stitches just laughing over his antics. 

That's our curious george - always getting into some sort of trouble of some sort - with a distinct cackle. 

My Fave Food in Japan - Updating in the Process

As I write this entry, its interesting to see what made it to my list. I think it was food for the much needed occasion. I love authentic Japanese food - for its taste, for the integrity of the ingredients and its preparation - for everything [despite the radiation scare]. 

N/B Huiling, this entry is specially for u as you travel to Tokyo:)

Kyo Hayashiya Japanese Tea Sweets

I was on a lookout for a genuine green tea dessert shop. In my mind, I had envisage a bowl of cold, light mochi like green tea dessert. So, I was literally  'Over the Moon' to stumble upon Kyo Hayashiya. There are several branches of Kyo Hayashiya and I frequented the one at Lumine which was connected to Shinjuku station. It was definitely my fave Green Tea dessert shop in Tokyo. It is a tiny branch that seats 6 persons the most. And the seats all face the wall [like almost every little tiny eatery in Japan]. 

On my first outing there, it was interesting to note that almost everyone indulging in their little green tea desserts there were women. For two reasons, most women were free during the afternoons and women love green tea. But of course, men are not excluded from this green tea indulgence.

On a hot afternoon, sitting there alone, and enjoying my green tea dessert was nice. Real nice. 

Tokyo Disneyland Ice Lolly

I never could imagine that I would spend 300 Yen on this pure ice lolly without blinking an eyelid. But I did and not just one - but 4 - one for Sarah, one for Sammy, one for Rubi and one for me. And we loved it! Because after spending hours in Tokyo Disneyland in the sweltering heat, this was indeed a life saver and a relief. Our ice lolly break allowed us to rest our tired feet, stare blankly into the sky and people watch. Largely for mommy and rubi to stone awhile:) before we headed out to conquer Disneyland again. For the record, we left our hotel at 8:30 am and only reached back home at 11 pm. And the kids were still not tired!! 

Yayoiken

This makes it to our family's fave comfort food joint. Hassle free, easy and freshly cooked food. Yayoiken is a typical Japanese joint and this was just round the corner from where we live. Ordering from a vending machine, getting the ticket and handing it to the staff behind the counter is the modus operandi. I like it this way - where cooks don't handle money and they don't have to wait tables but just concentrate on doing their trade right and good.

Hina Sushi Buffet

This was a really delicious sushi buffet [slightly on the steep side] and I thought the ingredients used were really fresh. Great place to enjoy good sushi. But then again, you can eat good sushi almost in any little shop in Japan.

Osaka: Okonomiyaki 

Tried a few Osaka pancake when we headed to Osaka. These pancakes with some sake were really good. Nothing much like what we are served in Singapore - these were huge, delicious and perpetually kept hot as they were served on huge hot plates built into the tables. 

Menya Muashi

The famous flagship ramen shop in Tokyo was surprisingly near to where we live and tucked in an obscure lane. I guess no trip to Japan is complete without trying their ramen. This was a huge bowl at 1000 Yen and I think we burst ourselves at the seams trying to finish our bowls. Sarah and Sammy did well to share a bowl but I think when they were done, there was still half a bowl left:)

Karuizawa: A Summer Time BBQ

We headed to Karuizawa over one weekend and the owners at the inn prepared a BBQ dinner with the yummiest marbled beef and lots of local vegetables. 

Lastly, the best we did almost everyday in Japan was to stuff ourselves with Kyoto grapes, peaches, nectarines and champagne grapes. Those were the best desserts ever. 

Updating of Three Countries

It's going to be between Japan - America - Canada - Japan. I think I can never organize these entries anymore:) So I thought I better give a prelude before swinging all around for our updates.

Linvilla Orchards

We were one of the last to leave the Orchard - simply because we were the only tourists among the sea of locals and we didn't have a car. Thankfully, our hired taxi was reliable and came to pick us up.

We are really city bumpkins:) The acres of land filled with apple bushes and pumpkin patch were jaw dropping for us. Once we entered the orchards, all our senses were tickled. The sight of kids and parents carting off wagons of apples, the sound of music and laughter coming from the playground and many competitions that were held that day - hula hoop, pie eating etc, the smell of deep fried churros and pizza was enough to make Sarah and Sammy sprint across the undulating land towards everything:)

It was a good day, a fantastic day in fact! And the icing on the cake - was the obscure row of raspberry bushes which we stumbled upon. Even though it was 'savaged' by pickers perhaps a few weeks ago, we had so much fun, stooping and nibbling at whatever was left. And like Sammy and Sarah pointed out accurately, "Mommy, we are like Sal! Blueberries for Sal!" 

I am sure Linvilla Orchards is a money spinning farm that is perhaps too commercial for its own good - but well, for city bumpkins like us - we lapped it all up.

For the Record

I Love Washington DC!

And my inspirational fave - the National Portrait Gallery !!
[and to think we only spent less than half an hour there. We will definitely be back]

Philadelphia: City of Brotherly Love

While I am doing catch up with my updates of Japan, we are kinda making Philly our home. We have been here for 18 days to date and it has been an eye opener. Kids are excited that they have finally arrived in America [the country that they hear so much about] and we are observing and learning as we go along. 

So far, we have explored Philadelphia's Historical Monuments, celebrated my Mommy's birthday at Penn's landing, spent a day at the kids' absolute fave spot - Please Touch Museum, headed to New York City, seen Central Park,visited the World Trade Centre, plucked apples and gobbled up remnant raspberries from bushes from Linvilla Orchards....not to forget, learning to read, write and do their Math and swimming a lot in the hotel's indoor pool:)

I think I will never be able to catch up with my updates....oh well...

Exploring Takashimaya Time Square

Exploring Tokyo is such an easy and safe endeavor. The streets are safe almost anytime of the day and the city lights are bright. With two toddlers in tow, it was still easy. It was one of those mornings out where we spent the entire day playing at Tokyu Hands and reading at Kinokunya [Foreign Book section]. Out of inspiration, I bought two books only to learn that they would have cost me much less through amazon. Oh well - inspiration is priceless:)

A Day at Ueno

Headed to Ueno for a Saturday with Dan's Japanese colleague. 

National Children's Castle at Shibuya

We had no idea that this place existed until we found ourselves there. Our day started when mommy wanted to bring the kids out to play at the 'free' admission Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Hall at Shibuya. As we headed out of the station, we were lost. It was a massive and busy junction - pedestrians and cars zipping right across our faces. My attempt to ask for directions fell flat as my English could not be understood. And a major part of the reason why we couldn't find the place is that the Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Hall has been closed since the March 11 2011 earthquake in Japan.

But of course, we knew nothing of it. So, right in the middle of busy Shibuya, we did a 'Pied Piper of Hamlin'. Since it was Japan's summer holiday, we saw Japanese mothers, with their distinctive hats, umbrellas and sun sleeves and their children all walking towards a particular direction. So, we followed the 'silent music' and found ourselves at National Children's Castle - a 6 storey playarea filled with lots and lots of children. But it was so big that we were comfortable. I think we spent a total of 5 hours there, only scooting to a nearby onigri shop because Sarah and Sammy wanted to eat and pop right back to the play area.

Settling down in Tokyo - Konichiwa!

Here we are - at our hotel apartment which is to be our home for the next month. Things are settled down nicely because everything is very convenient - a 24 hr Tesco Express just beside our lobby, the local Chuo Line station which is 2 minute walk from our lobby and many many restaurants line our street, including the famous Menya Muashi Shinjuku flagship branch which is a 10 minute walk from our apartment.

It's back to our usual routine of studies for the kids, home cooking, heading to the gym - peppered with lots of sightseeing and exploration. 

Three and Half Countries - Transit through Thailand

According to Sarah, Thailand is her fave country ever. Haha... and we only stayed there a night, did not even enter Bangkok city because we were transiting there enroute to Tokyo. What sealed the deal for Sarah was that  there was a pool [albeit small one] which Sarah had a whale of a time jumping in. Armed with 2 ring floats, Sarah would sprint about 1 meter from the edge of the pool before flying right into the pool with a great splash and emerge exhilarted with the experience. I would have stopped everything to snap a shot but I was enjoying the moment too much. I think she did about 30 jumps in total. Sammy had already long retired into his hotel room, complaining of the cold. Haha.

For Dan and us, revisiting Thailand was memorable for us. Squeezing in those short getaways whenever there was a uni break, hopping onto to budget flights and enjoying the yummy, spicy and very affordable Thai food. Those were the days - without kids:)

Thailand was fun while it lasted.