I'm Going to...

Disneyland! Well, actually, we just got back. It was hot, it was crowded and it truly is the Happiest Place on Earth! I'm still getting organized from the trip and dealing with a sick baby but will post more soon.

Insults

My mom is hilarious. One of her best insults is calling someone "white bread". It means that the person lacks substance and has no personality. One time she demonstrated how little substance a piece of white bread has by mushing it up into a teeny tiny ball. It's not surprising that she likes whole grain whole seeded wheat bread.

Pet Peeve

I have quite a few pet peeves. One is that hardly anyone seems to know how to count back change properly. They just hand you your change and tell you how much they are giving you. I recently have added a new pet peeve to the list...charities that ask for money by sending you money. Drives me Crazy!

Bad Combination

Everyday I learn something new. For instance today I learned that corn on the cob and a sleepy baby are a bad combination. See exhibit A above. And here is exhibit B:

Chocolate Zucchini Cookies

We have been eating something with zucchini in it practically every day. You can only do the same thing so many times so I've taken to Googling zucchini recipes. I came across these Chocolate Zucchini Cookies from one of my favorite food blogs Two Peas and Their Pod. They are so moist, chocolatey and tasty. You can see the zucchini but can't taste it at all. It's more to keep the cookies moist than add flavor.

I tend to not like to put dry and wet ingredients in seperate bowls...to many dishes. So I cheated a bit! Start off by melting butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

 

Stir in the cocoa powder and sugars. The mixture will be sandy (almost like crushed Oreos).

 

Mix in the yogurt and vanilla extract. Doesn't that look yummy? I admit I stuck a finger in the mix to taste it.

On top of the chocolate mixture sift the flour, baking soda and salt into the pot.

Mix well.

Add in the zucchini and chocolate chips.

Mix well again. At this point it didn't look too appetizing too me. It sort of looks like horse manure. Never fear it turns out great!

Scoop the mixture in tablespoons onto a prepared baking sheet. I used a handy dandy tablespoon scoop that worked out perfectly. Bake @ 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

 

Beautiful! Since there is zucchini in them, they are healthy too! Right?

 

Verdict from Great Grandma: Tasty! Yum yum!

 

Verdict from my non-veggie eating neigbors: Not bad for having green stuff in it!

School Days

 

My baby boy's had his first day of preschool yesterday. I figured he would be a bit nervous...I was wrong.

When we got to the school there were kids clinging to their parents unsure of the new environment. Nate looked up to me and said "You can leave now, mom." Wow. I know it's fabulous for him. It means he's well adjusted and can be comfortable in new situations. My heart, however, was breaking. My baby boy is growing up! (sigh)

A First Birthday

Our sweetie pie Goddaughter turned one last Sunday. She had a Very Hungry Caterpillar theme. See the cute cake her Mama made? Here is a close up:

Unlike our Gabs, this little sweetie loved her cake!

Her mama also made a caterpillar out of apples.

And cucumbers. Her Mama never ceases to amaze me!

I decided to start a tradition and make a birthday card each year for our Goddaughter. I recently rediscovered a joy of my childhood...googly eyes. They are so much fun! We've been sticking them on everything!

Here is the inside of the card. See the scribbles on the bottom? That's Nate's "signature". He managed to get in trouble as he signed with a permanent marker and continued the signature all over my table cloth. Oy!

Looking Good

Nate donned a blazer for the first time for the Golden Anniversary party over the weekend. He told me he "looks good...like Michael Jackson." He did good look. Though like Michael Jackson?
We've tried to introduce the little dude to a wide range of music. For some reason, in his mind, the coolest of the cool is Michael Jackson for boys and Katy Perry for girls.

The poor kid will have a rude awakening one day.

Golden Evening

 

On Saturday we celebrated my in-law's Golden Anniversary.

 

Since I have been a part of the family they have demonstrated what a successful marriage is about... a committment to each other, showing affection, conversation, faith, having a sense of humor.

 



 

They've created quite the legacy over their 50 years together. I am honored to be a part of that legacy and hope to be able to reach such a milestone with my hubby (only 42 years to go!).

Rice Pots

In the Chinese culture calling someone a rice pot can be an insult (calling them dumb) or a sort-of backhanded endearment. I call myself a Rice Pot Mama since the whole world of stay-at-home moms is new to me and I've definitely had some dumb moments. I've been a stay-at-home mom for a little over a year and have had quite the learning curve. Here are a few things I've learned:

1. No matter how hard you try there will always be toys on the floor.
2. Patience is definitely a virtue which I need to learn to have more of.
3. If your kiddos ask about something tell them as much as they need to know, not more. Big explainations are lost on them.
4. When putting underwear on a little boy it's best to do it with a hand at his front and a hand at his rear. This will avoid snapping the elastic of the underwear on a certain part of the little guy's anatomy.
5. Baby girls born with a lot of hair maybe cute but it's nearly impossible to keep it looking nice. They yank out hair clips.
6. Schedules are important but it's not the end of the world if you waiver.
7. Breakfast is essential. Don't skip it.
8. When kiddos are on the slender side if they drop food down their shirts don't be surprised to find said food in their underwear or diaper later.
9. Most Chinese don't have long eyelashes. My kiddos were lucky to take after their daddy and have gorgeous eyelashes. One downside, they do get in the way. Many baby sunglasses will actually smush their eyelashes making it impossible to blink.
10. Never buy huge loud flashing toys for kids. Whoever you buy them for will buy them for you when you have kids. And they'll make sure they are bigger and louder then the ones you bought them!

I'm still learning daily. For instance, this morning I learned when your 3-year old wants to practice cutting with scissors check the paper he wants to cut before he starts. All I can say is good things most companies have electronic copies of bills now!

I fully acknowledge I've made mistakes but hopefully none that will scar the kiddos for life. Luckily I have some amazing role models to look up to and who offer fabulous advice.

Thanks to all of you. You know who you are!

Love,
Rice Pot Mama