Celebrations!

Well, it’s been a fun-filled few days around here, with Tyler’s many birthday celebrations! And now it’s time for some photos …

Opening his gifts from us and Ethan, on the morning of his birthday:

Tyler’s Kindergarten farewell …

Marie lighting the candles on Tyler’s play-doh cake:

Marie & Wendy giving Tyler 5 birthday claps, plus 1 for “investigating” (Tyler’s choice):

Tyler and Marie looking through his Kindy portfolio:

Singing his chosen song, “Shark Attack”, with some friends (amazingly, Ethan chose the same song when he had his Kindy farewell, 2 1/2 years ago):

Tyler proudly holding his Kindergarten Diploma:

Blowing out the candles on his cake, after our special family dinner:

Finally, some photos from Tyler’s Transformers party on Saturday.

The weather on Saturday morning was atrocious. Wet, windy and cold. And remember, we had hired a bouncy castle! So about 2 1/2 hours before the party was due to start, I was on the phone to the party guests, letting them know that we had decided to change the venue!!

We ended up having the party in our church hall (I know, we are SO lucky to have this facility available to us, with next to NO notice).
The hall is huge, so we were able to put the bouncy castle up inside. And there was plenty of room for all the kids to run around, as well as a separate room for the party food and quieter games, like Pass the Parcel.

The rain actually stopped for a little while, so we played a couple of games outside.

Lolly Man Game:

Rob had spent 3 or 4 evenings sewing (yes, SEWING!) lollies onto my Dad’s old work overalls. The kids chased him all around the church carpark, pulling the lollies off! This game was a HUGE hit, and so much more fun than a lolly scramble.

Autospark & Spoon Race:

The “Autospark” is small cube that the Transformers use (for something, I don’t know what). Anyway, Rob had made about 20 little wooden Autosparks and the kids had to race with them on spoons. Tyler didn’t like this game because he dropped his Autospark (although so did most of the other kids!). He got upset and ran back inside, but Grandad and I managed to calm him down. Phew!

The party food was served on Transformer plates. Of course, Tyler arranged his food to look like a Transformer’s face:

Tyler’s Transformer cake. It’s pretty simple, but I was pleased with how it turned out. Oh, and Tyler liked it, which is the main thing!

The kids LOVED the bouncy castle. For some reason, they particularly enjoyed “attacking” the inflatable bunny on one wall …

Notice Rob in there as well, being the biggest kid of them all? TOTALLY. IN. HIS. ELEMENT.

Apart from Tyler’s brief meltdown during the Autospark game, he REALLY enjoyed his party!

He got heaps of fun presents, including lots of Transformers and Lego (his current favourites).
He also got Lego from us, Nana & Grandad, Poppa & Jenni, and Aunty Leah. Consequently, my house now looks like a Lego factory! But I (secretly) love it. In the past I have been known to take apart the odd Lego car/truck, just so I can make it again. Without the kids. I KNOW.

Now the festivities are all over, and the kids are relaxing and enjoying the school holidays — with PLENTY of new toys to play with!

Five

I canNOT believe that Tyler is FIVE.

Photofunia

I always knew this day would be emotional for me, but it’s hitting me even harder than I expected. Probably because he is my youngest, my baby. All of a sudden, I am no longer the mother of a preschooler. What?!

Last night, as I was saying goodnight to my (very excited) little boy, I said, “Let me have one last kiss from my 4-year-old”. And then a huge lump formed in my throat. Tears pricked in the corners of my eyes. But I held it together. Just.

In lots of ways, I am ready for him to be five. We are both ready for him to start school, and I’m excited to see how much he is going to learn when he gets there. Last week I bought him a couple of “Learn to Write” books, and he CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF THEM. He even took one to church on Sunday, and lay on the floor practising his letters during the service. He’s soooo ready for school!

But in other ways, I long for him to stay little. I am really going to miss my little afternoon companion. Sure, I will be able to get my work done without any interruptions, but I will MISS the interruptions. I love it when he comes up to me holding his latest Lego creation for me to inspect. I love listening to him singing and humming while he plays next to me. I will miss going out for “fluffies” with him, just the 2 of us, while Ethan is at school.

SOB, SOB.

I’m glad I have 2 more weeks — the school holidays — to prepare for his first day of school (Tyler, however, is NOT. He wants to start school TODAY).
Since I cried on Ethan’s first day of school, I am expecting major waterworks this time around. But I will try to be strong. I will try to “let go”, as hard as I know it will be.

But I will not dwell on that stuff today. Because today is an exciting day, and is not the time for being melancholy. There’s no chance, really. Not when there is an extremely cute little guy reminding me every few minutes, “I’m FIVE, Mummy!”

This morning, he woke up early (6.30) and ran into our room for a cuddle. He didn’t even ask for presents, he just wanted hugs. His smile was a mile wide. When we DID give him his gifts, he was like, “Oh wow, presents!!”.
His haul so far includes LOTS of Lego. He’s one happy chappy.

I love how every time somebody says “Happy Birthday” (he’s had a couple of phone calls already), he answers, “Happy Birth– oh, I mean …”

Today promises to be a fun (and busy!) day for Tyler. First, he has another school visit (orientation). Then we’ll go to Kindy and he will have his “official” farewell. After Kindy, we’re going to BB’s for lunch (his choice). He doesn’t know yet, but Nana is also meeting us there.
Then we’ll go home and make Tyler’s birthday cake together.
Nana, Grandad and Aunty Leah are coming over for dinner. As the birthday boy, Tyler gets to choose what’s on the menu. His choice? Homemade hamburgers, with “egg wrapped in bacon inside them”, and hot chips. Followed by cake & ice cream.

Tomorrow night, I will attempt to construct a Transformers cake (Bumblebee, to be precise), ready for Tyler’s PARTY on Saturday. Speaking of which, I’m praying for this rain to stop, because we’re having a bouncy castle (a surprise for Tyler) and a few outdoor games. I was also planning to feed the 15 children (at tables) outside. Nice weather would be a very good thing!

I will be sure to share photos from the party — if I manage to take any! Does anybody else find it REALLY hard to remember/find time for taking photos at their childrens’ birthday parties? Or is it just me?

Speaking of photos, I decided to put together a collage of Tyler’s first 5 years:

Happy 5th Birthday, Ty. I love you!
~hug, kiss, secret handshake, kissing hand, high-five*

*This is our special goodbye/goodnight ritual, which I hope will continue even though he is a “big boy” now.

Sonshine

“I just wanna see you shine, son
As bright as you can
You’re an exceptional boy, you’ll be a helluva man
Whatever you decide to do, just give it your best
And that’ll be fine
I just wanna see you shine, son
Wanna see my son shine.”

~ Dennis Locorriere (former lead singer of Dr Hook)

I’ve been feeling a little sentimental today.
I’m guessing it could be partly due to the fact that my BABY is turning FIVE in just a few days’ time. (Hold me).
Also, I heard a tragic story during the week about a young girl who died suddenly from a deadly infection, with no warning. Sad stories like these always make me a) cry like a baby, b) hug my kids a little tighter, and c) thank God for them a little more often.

Ethan and Tyler, you guys truly are my sonshine. You light up my life, and shine so much warmth into my soul.

My wish for you both is pretty simple, really.

I just wanna see my son(s) shine.

“Healthy” food

I wrote about this on Facebook this morning. Since I already have more than 20 comments on it, and it seems to be an extremely “HOT” topic, I thought I would post it here too (especially for those of you who aren’t on Facebook or who didn’t happen to see my update today).

This morning I read the latest Kindy newsletter. Apparently “home baking” now falls into the “unhealthy food” category, along with chips and processed foods.

WTH??

Why can’t I give my child a homemade cookie or blueberry muffin in his lunchbox, along with what I think is a pretty healthy morning tea/lunch (wholegrain sandwiches, fresh/dried fruit, popcorn, fruit/cereal bar, crackers, pretzels)?

MADNESS!!

What really gets me is this: EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. at Kindy, the kids are allowed to bake their own muffins. Surely this is considered “home baking”??

Tomorrow at Kindy they are having Pirate Party. The kids have been encouraged to dress up as pirates, and they are going to dig up a Time Capsule that was last buried & opened 4 years ago. They will also be BAKING A PIRATE CAKE and having a sausage sizzle. Hmm … double standards, much?

I don’t think ANY Kindy parents would have a problem with their kids a) baking muffins at Kindy, b) enjoying a sausage sizzle, or c) baking a “pirate” cake. So why do the teachers have a problem with kids bringing a homemade muffin or cookie as part of their lunch?

At least with home baking, I know EXACTLY what the ingredients are. I know there are no chemicals, preservatives, artificial flavours or colours. If I want to, I can choose to bake with reduced-fat margarine, skim milk, or even a sugar substitute. I can control portion size, freshness and COST. I am also helping the environment by saving on all the packaging!

As several of my Facebook friends have pointed out, WE as parents should be able to decide what our children CAN and CAN’T eat. I know there are parents out there who feed their children crappy diets and fill their lunchboxes with junk food. But the majority of us know what we’re doing! We know about healthy eating, balanced diets, and all-things-in-moderation (because depriving your children of “treats” will only make them want those things more).

Most of us are perfectly capable of feeding our children healthy meals at home, so why not TRUST US to also provide healthy food for them to eat at Kindy/school too?

All I can say right now is I’m glad Tyler only has 1 more week at Kindy. At least when he goes to school I will not have to worry about the Food Police. The only enforced food rules I’m aware of at the boys’ school are:

1. When you eat, park your bottom on a seat.
2. Eat your sandwiches (or equivalent) first, before eating the rest of your lunch.

Fair enough, I say.

As for the rest? Trust us parents to do the right thing. I think we can handle it.

Recipes

A while ago, when I asked my readers for blog post ideas, Tracy said, “I really enjoyed it when you shared the odd recipe from time to time. I’m always looking for family dinner ideas. Trying to decide what to have is sometimes a bit of a chore and I tend to get stuck in a rut every now and then.”

Here you go, Tracy!

Meatball Bolognese Pasta Bake

My kids love meatballs, so this recipe is a family favourite.
Making the Bolognese sauce from scratch takes a little time, but is definitely worth the effort. I’m sure the recipe would work with a jarred bolognese sauce though, if you didn’t have time.

Cooking oil spray
500g minced beef
1 egg
1/4 cup stuffing mix
375g pasta
1 quantity Bolognese sauce (see below), made without mince
2 cups grated cheese

Spray an ovenproof dish (14-cup capacity) with cooking oil.
Combine mince, egg and stuffing mix in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix well. Roll tablespoons of beef mixture into balls.
Cook pasta and drain. Place in prepared oven dish. Top with meatballs then Bolognese sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake at 200C for about 25 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through. Remove and stand for around 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6

Bolognese sauce

1T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500g minced beef
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 x 400g cans crushed tomatoes
1 cup beef stock
1 bay leaf
2 tsp dried oregano
1T brown sugar
salt & pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic, cook until soft.
Add minced beef and cook, stirring over a low heat, until it has changed in colour. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add wine and bring to boil. Add tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, oregano and sugar. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat.
Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Season and remove bay leaf.

Serves 6

Oakhill Potatoes

This is an Alison Holst recipe. I remember my Mum making this, and when I found the recipe re-published in our local newspaper, it brought back so many memories! I had to make it straight away.

4 large cooked potatoes, sliced
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
2 rasher bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
50g butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1/2 cup grated cheese
1T butter
1 cup breadcrumbs

Place potatoes in a shallow baking dish, sprayed with cooking spray. Add the eggs.
Cook the bacon and onion in the first measure of butter in a large saucepan until onion is clear. Stir in the flour, mustard and salt, and half of the milk. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining milk and bring to the boil again. Take off the heat and stir in the grated cheese.
Pour sauce over the potatoes.
Top with buttered crumbs (made by melting the second measure of butter and stirring it into the breadcrumbs).
Bake at 180C for 30-45 minutes until crumb topping is golden brown.

Serves 4-6

Stir-Fried Adobo Pork

I found this recipe in one of my recent Weight Watchers magazines.
The first time I tried Pork Adobo was at a shared work lunch. One of the girls in my team is Filipino, and she made Pork Adobo for us to try. Amazing! This version is a little different, but I like the fact that it is so easy to make and only 4 1/2 POINTS!

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2T soy sauce
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed
600g piece pork fillet
500g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
400g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
2tsp oil
1T chopped chives
2 limes, cut into wedges

Combine vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves and garlic in a large bowl. Add pork and marinate for 3h or overnight.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place pumpkin and potato on tray and spray with cooking oil. Bake at 220C for 25-30 minutes or until cooked.
Meanwhile, drain marinade from pork and cut diagonally into 1.5cm slices.
Heat oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat. Add pork and cook until browned. Sprinkle with chives.
Serve with lime wedges and roasted pumpkin and potato.

Serves 4

And finally, a dessert. I know Tracy asked about dinner recipes, but I wanted to share this one too.

Blueberry & Plum Crumbles

These are so yummy! I made them for desert last Saturday night and everybody except Tyler loved them (sometimes 3 out of 4 is good enough for me).

300g plums (I used a mixture of fresh & canned plums)
1 punnet blueberries (I used frozen)
1/3 cup brown sugar
grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup flour
75g diced butter
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Cut plums into wedges and mix with berries, brown sugar and lemon zest. Divide between 4 small ramekins.
Rub butter into flour, mix in caster sugar and almonds. Spoon crumble onto fruit.
Bake at 180C for approximately 25 minutes.

Serves 4

Memory Lane

Sometimes, I enjoy reading my blog archives.

I realise that might sound a little narcisstic, but I don’t read them because I like hearing myself talk.
No, I read them because I LOVE remembering all the cute & funny things my kids used to (and still) do. I LOVE seeing old photos and marvelling at how much my boys have grown. I like looking back over hard/sad times and realising, once again, that I MADE IT THROUGH.

Today, whilst procrastinating because I didn’t particularly feel like writing an article about the impact of home- vs facility-based HIV care on virologic failure and mortality in Ugandan infants, I took a bit of a trip down memory lane.

As I skipped along, I rediscovered my favourite posts.

Quite a few of them are from when I first started blogging. I had great fodder for blog posts back then (probably because my kids were so little (and cute (and funny))) but ironically, only 3 readers.

Others are favourites because when I read them, they make me smile, laugh and/or cry. They bring back floods of memories, and memories are good.

Some of my favourites are my more “serious” posts. They weren’t necessarily easy to write, but I always found the process rather cathartic. I think that’s why I like re-reading them. I can see and recall how therapeutic it was to just let it all out.

So here they are, my favourite posts from 2005-2007. I don’t expect you guys to read them all, I just wanted to have them listed in one place. Because we all know how much I like lists. Yes, we do.

But feel free to check (some of) them out if you’re bored.

Sugar Sugar
Death of the Dummy
20 Things I Love About My Husband
My Heart Melts
My Story of Healing
Loving the Love
Chocolate
Clothes
From the Mouth of Tyler
Dodos and Kiwis
ABC
LMNOP
Do You Have What I Have?
I Hate PMS!
In The Night Garden
Grateful
Beer and Hail
Blame it on the Boogie
The Variety Show

Berry Sweet

Just thought I’d share my example for the latest “Spring it On” challenge over at The Sketch Book.

BERRY SWEET

Heidi set this one, which is to create a layout using the following:
1. Buttons which are not round and/or something metal
2. Patterned paper
3. Circles
4. A tag of some sort
5. Fabric & lace
6. A title which includes your journalling

Deadline: midnight, Sunday 13th September.

We are offering weekly prizes as well as an AWESOME grand prize at the end, so it’s definitely worth entering!

My Dad

My Dad is awesome.

It doesn’t matter how many Father’s Day cards or Birthday cards I write in, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to find the words to truly express how much my Dad means to me.

But this poem comes pretty close:

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle’s flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it … Dad
~Anon

My Dad is strong, calm, generous, comforting, wise, faithful, patient and more … I am so grateful for everything he has done for me, taught me and shown me over the years.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad.
I love you.

Return of the mojo

Not long after I wrote about losing my mojo, I spent a day scrapping with Megan & Annelie. Lo and behold, I found my enthusiasm again!

Since then, I’ve been happily creating on a regular basis and rediscovering why I love to scrapbook. Doing it (mostly) for me, and taking (most of) the pressure off. It’s been great!

Here’s (a little of) what I’ve been doing …

First up is my example for Scrap The Boys this month.

For this challenge, you need to scrap a mulitphoto layout of your boy’s birthday.
Include on the page a list of everyone who attended and a description of the party (theme, cake, games, etc).
Deadline: Wednesday 30 September.

TURNING SIX

Next is my example for the first “Spring It On” challenge, a new competition which started at The Sketch Book on Tuesday.

Beverley set the first challenge. You need to use:

1. Spring colours (light greens, yellows, pinks and blues) with white
2. Flowers
3. Lace or ribbon
4. Bling
5. Strip journalling
6. Do a spring clean of your scraps of patterned paper and use them!
Deadline: Sunday 6 September.

LITTLE CUTIE

And finally, here are a couple of layouts I did “just for fun”.

ETHAN

YOU 3

I promise to share some more over the coming weeks.