a simple thing
to get a good picture
of five children
all at the same time.
In fact, I think it's impossible...
to get a good picture
of five children
all at the same time.
In fact, I think it's impossible...
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Literal Boy tackles the blocks
Milan's duplo tower is four-square and solid, a good 45 cm tall.
"I'm building a ship!"
"A rocket ship?"
He frowns. Adults are so obtuse. "No, a sailing ship."
I don't see a career in marine design in the boy's future...
"I buildin'!" Dominic is proud. His creation is a tower of the small blocks, with occasional larger block thrown in to ensure it falls over whenever he tries to set it down. I create a sturdy base for him.
"There. Now it will stand up."
"I buildin' bocks!"
Milan glances over.
"I'm building a ship, Dominic. Are you building a ship?"
Dominic studies his tower carefully, looks at Milan's 'ship', and studies his tower some more.
"Are you building a ship, like me? Yours is tall like mine. Maybe you are building a ship, too."
"I sink..." another glance at Milan's tower, his brow furrowed in concentration...
"I sink it is bocks."
"I'm building a ship!"
"A rocket ship?"
He frowns. Adults are so obtuse. "No, a sailing ship."
I don't see a career in marine design in the boy's future...
"I buildin'!" Dominic is proud. His creation is a tower of the small blocks, with occasional larger block thrown in to ensure it falls over whenever he tries to set it down. I create a sturdy base for him.
"There. Now it will stand up."
"I buildin' bocks!"
Milan glances over.
"I'm building a ship, Dominic. Are you building a ship?"
Dominic studies his tower carefully, looks at Milan's 'ship', and studies his tower some more.
"Are you building a ship, like me? Yours is tall like mine. Maybe you are building a ship, too."
"I sink..." another glance at Milan's tower, his brow furrowed in concentration...
"I sink it is bocks."
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Veggie Burgers
Ingredients:
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 1.2 teaspoons dried basil
2 large eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
3/4 cup walnuts, ground
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tablespoons dark sesame oil
3 Tablespoons tamari soy sauce
340-gram cake of firm tofu, crumbled
Method:
1. Saute vegetables and basil till tender, about ten minutes
2. In large bowl, whisk eggs. Add remainder of ingredients.
3. Add sauteed vegetables. Smoosh it all together with your hands. Form into patties. (The recipe says it makes 8, but I usually get ten, and if you were making small patties for small people, you could easily get twenty!)
4. Bake at 375F until golden on the outside but moist on the inside, about 30 minutes. Let cool 3 - 5 minutes before removing from baking tray.
Can be served on a hamburger bun or put into half-pitas. This mixture also makes good 'meat'balls. Formed into 3-cm balls, you cook them at 350 for 20 - 30 minutes.
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 1.2 teaspoons dried basil
2 large eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
3/4 cup walnuts, ground
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tablespoons dark sesame oil
3 Tablespoons tamari soy sauce
340-gram cake of firm tofu, crumbled
Method:
1. Saute vegetables and basil till tender, about ten minutes
2. In large bowl, whisk eggs. Add remainder of ingredients.
3. Add sauteed vegetables. Smoosh it all together with your hands. Form into patties. (The recipe says it makes 8, but I usually get ten, and if you were making small patties for small people, you could easily get twenty!)
4. Bake at 375F until golden on the outside but moist on the inside, about 30 minutes. Let cool 3 - 5 minutes before removing from baking tray.
Can be served on a hamburger bun or put into half-pitas. This mixture also makes good 'meat'balls. Formed into 3-cm balls, you cook them at 350 for 20 - 30 minutes.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Reading Buddies
The kids, Daisy and I went to the park this morning, but I didn't take my camera, so no pictures of that. While I was preparing lunch, however, Ella and Dominic provided me with a far better photo op than anything they did in the park, anyway.
Awwwwww...
Don't they look comfy?
Awwwwww...
Monday, June 20, 2011
Menu Monday
Monday: Quinoa with cranberries, cinnamon, and feta cheese; cooked carrot sticks.
Dominic enjoyed it. Ella was moderately underwhelmed, but ate a modest portion.
Tuesday: Veggie burgers, hamburgers, salad (This was served on Wednesday)
The veggie burgers were an all-round hit. Dominic had three helpings; Milan, Ella, and Nora had two; Eliana was the only unimpressed one, eating most of one helping, and not wanting more. I'll be posting a recipe!
Wednesday: Carrot salad, char sui pork, rice (This was served on Tuesday)
Eliana loved, loved, loved the pork. Nora liked it. Dominic and Milan tried a mouthful and declined more. Dominic filled up on leftover quinoa, and Ella decided she liked the quinoa much better today than yesterday. (Ah, the vagaries of toddler eating...)
Thursday: Peanut butter sandwiches, cucumber slices
Friday: Lentil-dill salad
Dominic enjoyed it. Ella was moderately underwhelmed, but ate a modest portion.
Tuesday: Veggie burgers, hamburgers, salad (This was served on Wednesday)
The veggie burgers were an all-round hit. Dominic had three helpings; Milan, Ella, and Nora had two; Eliana was the only unimpressed one, eating most of one helping, and not wanting more. I'll be posting a recipe!
Wednesday: Carrot salad, char sui pork, rice (This was served on Tuesday)
Eliana loved, loved, loved the pork. Nora liked it. Dominic and Milan tried a mouthful and declined more. Dominic filled up on leftover quinoa, and Ella decided she liked the quinoa much better today than yesterday. (Ah, the vagaries of toddler eating...)
Thursday: Peanut butter sandwiches, cucumber slices
Friday: Lentil-dill salad
Friday, June 17, 2011
Tim Horton
equals Timbits!!
Plain or sour cream, no glaze.
Two each for the kids,
and a coffee for me! A morning outing for less than five dollars. Who can argue with that?
Plain or sour cream, no glaze.
Two each for the kids,
and a coffee for me! A morning outing for less than five dollars. Who can argue with that?
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Snail in the park
It was Milan who spotted the activity over by the playhouse. He was chattering to me about "the snail" long before we reached the playground. I was scanning the ground for snails and finding none, not realizing that what I needed to do was look UP...
Well, look at that. An enormous, bright orange snail. The boy was quite right.
He was also the Very First Child to ride it. (Doesn't he look excited???) Actually, he was, but had gotten into a "you can't make me smile for the stupid camera" moods just about then. Every time I tried to sneak the camera to my face, he'd yank the smile off his his face. I have half-a-dozen shots of Milan in mid-smile-yank. This was the best of the lot... Little weirdo. :)
It's big,
But nothing Ella can't handle!
And Nora? Nora was deeeeeelighted!
Well, look at that. An enormous, bright orange snail. The boy was quite right.He was also the Very First Child to ride it. (Doesn't he look excited???) Actually, he was, but had gotten into a "you can't make me smile for the stupid camera" moods just about then. Every time I tried to sneak the camera to my face, he'd yank the smile off his his face. I have half-a-dozen shots of Milan in mid-smile-yank. This was the best of the lot... Little weirdo. :)
It's big,
But nothing Ella can't handle!
And Nora? Nora was deeeeeelighted!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Menu Monday
Monday: Bean and cheese quesadillas, cooked carrot sticks
They surprised me by being largely indifferent to the quesadillas, which I had assumed would be popular. Could be the presence of... [cue sinister music] tomatoes!!! Dominic in particular has no love for the horrible things.
Tuesday: Tabouli
We've had this before, when it met with middling enthusiasm. Same today. A rousing "meh" from all of them.
Wednesday: Aloo gobi, pork chops, applesauce
Milan was thrilled by today's meal. Well, one aspect of it, at any rate. "Oh, meat! I like meat!! This is really good meat, Ilona!!!" (Think I should offer it more regularly to the poor, protein-deprived child?) Everyone chowed down with decent enthusiasm, though no one raved about anything.
Thursday: Carrot-cheddar casserole
No casserole today. We had peanut butter and banana sandwiches instead. HUGE hit. Of course.
Friday: Southwestern bean salad, honey-glazed carrots
Everyone ate it without comment, except Nora, who sang to hers and ate thirds. "I like to eat, eat, eat, APPLES AND BANANAS!!!!" Very cute.
They surprised me by being largely indifferent to the quesadillas, which I had assumed would be popular. Could be the presence of... [cue sinister music] tomatoes!!! Dominic in particular has no love for the horrible things.
Tuesday: Tabouli
We've had this before, when it met with middling enthusiasm. Same today. A rousing "meh" from all of them.
Wednesday: Aloo gobi, pork chops, applesauce
Milan was thrilled by today's meal. Well, one aspect of it, at any rate. "Oh, meat! I like meat!! This is really good meat, Ilona!!!" (Think I should offer it more regularly to the poor, protein-deprived child?) Everyone chowed down with decent enthusiasm, though no one raved about anything.
Thursday: Carrot-cheddar casserole
No casserole today. We had peanut butter and banana sandwiches instead. HUGE hit. Of course.
Friday: Southwestern bean salad, honey-glazed carrots
Everyone ate it without comment, except Nora, who sang to hers and ate thirds. "I like to eat, eat, eat, APPLES AND BANANAS!!!!" Very cute.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
GIANT ANIMALS!
Rebekah has decided she has no room in her room for her GINORMOUS stuffed animals... Hardly surprising, since they really are gargantuan.
Particularly this teddy, which seems to have inspired Dominic to some sort of odd tribal dance.
Ella and Ella-phant. Love at first hug.
The bear is good for lounging, too. We're liking the new, stuffed, wildlife.
Particularly this teddy, which seems to have inspired Dominic to some sort of odd tribal dance.
Ella and Ella-phant. Love at first hug.
The bear is good for lounging, too. We're liking the new, stuffed, wildlife.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Dining al Fresco
A picnic in the park. Pretty idyllic.
Addie's enjoying her lunch.
And Daisy would be too, if the leash were just a little.bit.longer... Nora is interested, but unperturbed. As is her way.
Addie's enjoying her lunch.
And Daisy would be too, if the leash were just a little.bit.longer... Nora is interested, but unperturbed. As is her way.
Windsor Park
Some by smell. Really. When I framed this picture, she had her face buried in the bucket, inhaling deeply. (Darn that slow shutter!) Though this is certainly cute enough. :)
Some of us do it by touch. With bare feet, thankyousomuch.
And some of us just can't contain the fun of it all! Whee!
It's nice to have a friend to hold your hand for the Big Slide...
It's just nice to be at the park again!
Morning already?
Naptime's over, Addie! You can come out now!
Juuuuust kidding!
Officially, they are not to go in the dogs' crates. In practice, they all try it once or twice...
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Fun times in the Glebe!
No, it's the CRANE! Which is BIG! (Also "TALL", "HIGH" and even "LOFTY", because we work hard to Improve our Vocabularies at Ilona's house. If any of them ever use 'lofty' accurately, please do let me know. Mwah-ha.)
Addie is a more laid-back heavy machinery watcher.
And my! Is there heavy machinery in the Glebe these days!
Not just cranes, but bulldozers and back-hoes...
Front-end loaders...
SO many good things!!!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Menu Monday
Goodness, I owe you all an apology for being so negligent of the blog! Let's get back at it, shall we? A Menu Monday is an easy one. Here you go:
Monday: Grilled cheese sandwiches; cucumber slices
This was a hit. Are we surprised?
Tuesday: Apricot-almond rice pilaf; tandoori chicken
To my surprise, the pilaf, despite the apricot bits and the nice, sweet coconut milk, was roundly rejected.
(I don't normally put pictures in Menu Monday, but these pictures were too good not to use!)
Wednesday: Rosemary apple relish on rice; lentil-beet salad
Lentil-beet salad is a tried and true favourite; the apple relish, on the other hand, was not a favourite. I think the apple cider vinegar made it too tart for their taste.
No, your children were not involved in a massacre, nor did they catch and eat their own critters for vittles. It's just Wednesday's salad! Beets, nommmmmm...
Thursday: Black bean and corn chili with biscuits
Two thumbs up (Nora and Addie), two neutral (Eliana and Dominic), one thumbs down (Milan).
Friday: Beef stew, veggies and dip, (black bean chili on the side for Ella)
We went off-menu today and had peanut butter and banana sandwiches (on English muffins). Not surprisingly, they all looooooved it. :)
Monday: Grilled cheese sandwiches; cucumber slices
This was a hit. Are we surprised?
Tuesday: Apricot-almond rice pilaf; tandoori chicken
To my surprise, the pilaf, despite the apricot bits and the nice, sweet coconut milk, was roundly rejected.
(I don't normally put pictures in Menu Monday, but these pictures were too good not to use!)
Wednesday: Rosemary apple relish on rice; lentil-beet salad
Lentil-beet salad is a tried and true favourite; the apple relish, on the other hand, was not a favourite. I think the apple cider vinegar made it too tart for their taste.
No, your children were not involved in a massacre, nor did they catch and eat their own critters for vittles. It's just Wednesday's salad! Beets, nommmmmm...Thursday: Black bean and corn chili with biscuits
Two thumbs up (Nora and Addie), two neutral (Eliana and Dominic), one thumbs down (Milan).
Friday: Beef stew, veggies and dip, (black bean chili on the side for Ella)
We went off-menu today and had peanut butter and banana sandwiches (on English muffins). Not surprisingly, they all looooooved it. :)