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Monday, February 25, 2013

One less tooth

This morning, just like any other mornings without school, the kids came into our room right when they got off bed. But today, they came in running and talking together at 120 mph. "Tor has a loose tooth"

I was excited more than any of my kids were, or so it felt that way.

Let's back off a minute. Ever since the kids had friends in their class with loose or missing tooth, they have been so wanting to have one too. Iza has been trying so hard to wiggle her tooth. Since the dental hygienist told her she will loose a tooth soon (in around a year), she has declared she has one.

Let's rewind a lot of years back. I and most Filipino kids have not heard of the word "tooth fairy" growing up. It is not a tradition we follow or something we believe in. I don't exactly remember what we did with our teeth but I remembered something like burying it on the trunk of a tree... any tree. I am not sure if we ever practiced that or it was a story I heard. Pffft! that was 30 something  years ago.

This afternoon, while the kids were busy in the office, hubby and I decided we chill and watch a movie together on Netflix. The door to our room was slightly ajar so the kids gets a chance to knock and we pause whatever movie we were watching.

Halfway through the movie, the kids came rushing in....again. This time with a tooth on Tor's hand. "Tor's tooth fell off", Iza declared.


I jumped out of the bed, instructed hubby to get him a glass of cold weather for him to gargle while I went to grab my camera. This was a big thing to me! It honestly was.. I guess it has subsided a bit. But it felt like my kids are growing up so fast I am at a loss for words.

Click....click...click.


 Then I pulled my mobile phone, snapped a picture of my first toothless kid and sent that image to Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Philippines and Florida. Then same picture went to in-laws in town.

Tooth fairy. I had to ask Joe how it was done. But we decided to go a different way. Because he already declared to Tor this morning that tooth fairies are not real.They took it pretty well though. Now we are worried they will tell their friends about it. Oh well...

So we decided we start a tradition. I don't really call it a tradition. We only have two kids, and there will only be one "first" for each of them.

We had chocolate mix in the cupboard and cookies n' cream ice cream. Hubby decided we'll celebrate.

And I thought we should let the kid write a note about the event. Then I keep it in an envelope with a picture of the first toothless smile and keep it in their memory box.

He requested a paper with a clone trooper on it so I had to find one online.
 My Twinkies enjoying their sweets.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Snow day project: priceless...

And so after a long drought, we finally got a substantial amount of moisture... snow. And with that comes snow days for kids.

The weekend of President's Day we got a 4-day weekend. Back to school on a Tuesday and then again Wednesday, then we got snowed in. Off from school, Thursday and Friday. And weekend rolls in, and here we are again, awaiting another snowstorm.  I was getting ready for the kids to go to school tomorrow, lunch prepared, bathed and fed early and bed by 7:30 pm.

Then the email comes... no school tomorrow. Just what I hoped after watching the radar.

Thus, with all this boredom... kids and I have spent most of our days in the office (the warmest room in the house) where they can play the wii or the computer and I can surf the net, work on my worksheets and meal planning inside a "closet". A closet converted into my own space.

The kids used to share a card table as their homework table/desk. But after having it for almost a year, I got tired of it, it's filled with paint smudges, glue and it's wobbly and black and huge and ugly and it accumulates stuff.

So I folded it and tucked it away. But my dear daughter always loves to draw something. But nowhere to do it now that the table is tucked away.

Solution: a file drawer, sterilite drawers, which we have a lot of, wired shelving with laminate that I bought 2 yrs ago from a garage sale and some existing printed contact paper from Dollar Tree.

No I do not have a Before picture for this project. I don't plan this, it was random, spontaneous.

Result:



This is my daughter's side of the L-shaped desk. The drawer under the printer holds recycled papers (top), printing papers (middle) and used papers (bottom). The printer has a long usb extension so it can reach anywhere in the room without having to move a computer.


 And my son's side of the desk. The 2-stack drawer on the right side holds wii games (top drawer) and remotes and accessories (bottom). The brown basket holds their Sega game and their Atari II.


We converted one of the sterilite drawers to a lego storage.






 On this desk is where we have our charging station. A plastic container from Dollar Tree for $.50.









 





Next to it is a tomato paste can reused as a pen holder to hold the kids' white board markers.















These are regular 3-stack sterilite drawers that we have around the house covered in a Dollar Tree printed contact paper. I love these prints.







I love how it turned out. The kids love that they have their own desks.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Easy Soft Pretzel Bites

Super Bowl Sunday. Who cares? I know I don't. My kids don't either. Daddy kinda does but he is in bed recovering from the flu... while watching the game. So the majority wins: Nobody cares.

The TV in the living was off.  I make it a point to check the weather before I get the kids' clothes ready for the next school day. I usually use my computer to do it but there were way too many things going on in the kitchen so I decided to check weather channel.

Sure enough, the moment I turned it on, I heard sound. Some gross sloppy sound. It was go daddy's ad for the super bowl. Both kids eyes were on the TV curious about the sound and all three of us just agreed it was too gross. So we closed our eyes and covered our ears. Whew! And the explaining begins.


And.......

I found this recipe last night on Pinterest and decided to try it as soon as I have the coughing under control. And this afternoon was that time!!!!

I didn't care for the salt and only did half of what the original recipe called for. I also made this on the bread machine.




Easy Soft Pretzel Bites
Yield: Approx. 48 pcs

Manual recipe: 
2 1/2 cups flour                                           
1/4 cups sugar                                             
3/4 tsp salt                                              
2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 + 1/8 cups warm water (110 º)

1/2 tbl canola oil                                               

for water:
4 cups hot water (almost boiling)
1/2 cup baking soda 

for topping:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon


1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer. Add the oil and the water and mix until a dough forms. If it is too dry add more water, very little at a time. If it is too wet, add more flour. Knead the dough for eight to ten minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about one and a half hours.

2. Once the dough is doubled in size, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Turn dough onto a clean, dry surface (dust with flour, if necessary) and divide it into half.  Divide each half into 4 equal parts.

3. Roll each part into a 6-in rope. Cut into 6 bites.

4. Combine hot water and baking soda in a medium bowl. Drop each pretzel/bite into the water and leave it until it floats. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing excess water to drip off.

5. Place on a lined or lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 6 to 8 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before topping. Or as soon as you can handle the heat. You'll want to do this, for sure.

6. Melt 1 stick of butter or margarine in a small bowl. Dip each pretzel/bite in the butter. Roll in cinnamon sugar. Serve or hide and try some for yourself then serve.


Bread machine recipe:
2 1/2 cups flour                                          
1/4 cups sugar                                             
3/4 tsp salt                                              
2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 + 1/8 cups warm water (110 º)
1/2 tbl canola oil                                               

for water:
4 cups hot water (almost boiling)
1/2 cup baking soda 

for topping:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Dump all dry ingredients in bread machine bowl. Add all wet ingredients. Set machine on dough setting. Let dough cycle complete.

Once dough cycle is complete, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Turn dough onto a clean, dry surface (dust with flour, if necessary) and divide it into half.  Divide each half into 4 equal parts.

 Roll each part into a 6-in rope. Cut into 6 bites.

 Combine hot water and baking soda in a medium bowl. Drop each pretzel/bite into the water and leave it until it floats. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing excess water to drip off.

 Place on a lined or lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 6 to 8 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before topping. Or as soon as you can handle the heat. You'll want to do this, for sure.

 Melt 1 stick of butter or margarine in a small bowl. Dip each pretzel/bite in the butter. Roll in cinnamon sugar. Serve or hide and try some for yourself then serve.