Monday 23 June 2008

Mia's Birthday Party



Thanks to everyone who left birthday wishes and lovely comments in the post below. Another wonderful thing to add to her scrapbook. You know, that scrapbook I started 9 months ago and got up to page three? My baby shower? Yeah, that one.

Mia's party was full of sunshine, good food, and lots of laughs, which is everything a good party should have. She devoured her cake, two fistfuls at a time. She sort of had the hang of opening presents, but would lose interest and crawl off to go eat a leaf. She got brave and took steps with only the gentlest of hand holds, and even stood on her own for a second (i.e. until I shouted out "OOOH!!" and startled her.) She wore a pointy party hat for ages and kept her party dress surprisingly clean. She clapped. She danced. She made everyone smile. She is so beautiful and I'm so glad we celebrated her birth accordingly.

On to the next one.

(Click the photo to see more images from the party.)

Thursday 19 June 2008

w00t!


Hurrah! I can retire now! Look what just arrived in my inbox!
Your email has won $4.6M from the UK Lottery draws on 01/06/08 held in BANGKOK-THAILAND.Lucky #:GHDJ487304JDGD9W.contact Mr. Walter Dou (walter_dou7@yahoo.com.hk) with your official names,Nationality/resident country,address,sex,age,tell,occupation,date of draw.+447045722060.

Ohmygawd! Lucky me!

In other news, it's my beautiful baby girl's first birthday today. Happy birthday, my Mimi pixie princess bunnypants. (Soppy video montage available for viewing on the baby blog.)

one princess


Wednesday 18 June 2008

Duck Cake


Duck Cake
Originally uploaded by Lisa Durbin
It was one of those things that looked really easy but turned out to be a big headache, and it was one of those things that reminded me why I don't usually do these sorts of things.

I am NOT a domestic goddess.

I thought it would be a cute idea to take a rubber ducky cake into nursery for Mia's birthday. I found this recipe on the Betty Crocker site that looked both cute and fairly simple. Let's review what happened, shall we?

-Recipe required one 8" and one 9" pan. I only have two 9" pans. It also required something called a "custard cup", so I improvised and used a stainless steel ramekin.
-Recipe required various candies for decorations that don't exist in this country. The closest I could find were two fried egg jelly sweets for the beak and/or eyes, but decided to get royal icing and make the features myself. Why do I think I can do stuff like this? Been watching too many episodes of "Heroes" and seem to think I can acquire skills by seeing them done on TV.
-Recipe required cake mix that seems impossible to find here, but I'm going to make my own because I've seen it done on TV, goddammit.
-Followed Nigella's recipe for buttermilk birthday cake to the letter. Cake came out smelling beautiful, all golden and puffy. Left it to cool for 10 minutes, and suddenly it was 1 inch thick.
-Put one layer on a plate, globbed on a 2" layer of icing in an attempt to make the cake look a normal height. Kids like icing. It'll be fine.
-Decided to deviate from the recipe and cut the cake so it tapers towards the back. Cake now looks like a frosty yellow coffin. Add more icing to round it out. Kids like icing. It'll be fine.
-Attempt to sit head piece on top, but it keeps rolling off. May frighten small children. Skewered its head with a large bamboo stick, which I'm sure won't be at all scary.
-Add more icing to the head because it's currently shaped like a hockey puck. Kids like icing. It'll be fine.
-Fashion eyes and a beak out of royal icing, using techniques gleaned from several Play Dough sessions with Jack.
-10:30pm, cake finished. Looks a bit like my duck was too slow crossing the road on the way back to his pond. Add more icing. Kids like icing. It'll be fine.

Really, seriously, slap me the next time I embark on something like this again.

Monday 16 June 2008

one year past due


One year ago today was my due date. (I thought that) my waters had gone, and the sleepless nights of pre-labour had just begun. Mia decided to rotate to an anterior position (the little stinker), and the happy/nesting/organised phase had passed into the grumpy/irritable/exhausted phase. But it was all very, very exciting.

Reading back on entries from a year ago, I feel a sad longing in my heart because I so loved being pregnant and Mia's birth ROCKED. I don't want any more children, but I would like someone to invent a machine that allows me to go back and experience pregnancy and birth again. Apart from that big evil thing that was on my ass. We could fast forward over that bit. Maybe if I was 5 years younger and our house was 2 rooms bigger (we still need an extra room for guests), we would consider another baby in a few years' time. As things stand, it's just not in the cards, and reminiscing about this time last year will just have to do.

And yep, still breastfeeding.

Thursday 12 June 2008

maybe they taste like chicken?


Last week, Jack was bitten by a classmate in his preschool. Nothing serious; it just left a little red mark. The following day, Mia was bitten - or gummed - by a baby in her room at nursery.

Perhaps I should start dipping my children in ketchup before sending them to school.

Monday 9 June 2008

Kalila's Birthday Party


Kalila's Birthday Party
Originally uploaded by Lisa Durbin
In brief...

-Went to a lovely, sunny, outdoorsy, BBQtastic birthday party yesterday. I sampled all the desserts because it would be rude not to.
-Mia's got a new toothy peg coming in on the top. I was starting to think she was only going to have 4 teeth forever.
-Jack is learning Spanish from "Dora the Explorer."

And finally, a Jack Quote of the Week...

[Playing football with Jack in the back garden, and the ball rolls into the bushes.]
Me: Oh, no! You'll have to rescue the ball!
Jack: NO! I'M NOT A TOW TRUCK.

Thursday 5 June 2008

Thurleigh Farm


Thurleigh Farm
Originally uploaded by Lisa Durbin
Sorry ladies, Jack Durbin has been claimed by Miss Lucy Turner.

So cute, I could just cry.