Who Said Dollhouses Were Just For Girls?

Okay. Probably no one actually said dollhouses were just for girls...but anyway, let's pretend somebody really important did...because tonight we proved them wrong! With some help from our scissors, painter's tape and empty toy boxes - we designed a little palace that we like to call - Transformer Headquarters. {But when you say Transformer Headquarters it's important to say it in a deep, robotic voice - and then maybe add a dun dun dunnnnn at the end.}

xo

PostScript :: Notice the plates and cups. That was my decorating touch...A special thanks to Hugh for indulging his dollhouse-mama on this project.

12 hours later...

And so it's a helicopter. Next level please...
xo

I am no 5 year old.

While Hugh & Arlo were taking care of dinner...I was taking care to not throw this thing across the room.What is this thing? I don't know. Okay, I sort of know. It's a Level 4 Transformer. Which means it's REALLY HARD. Like ages 5 and up hard.

Here's the bit where I make a wee confession - you see, I got a bit braggy about my Transformer skills. I whizzed through Level 1 {where there is absolutely no transforming involved...you simply flip the car over to produce a robot/autobot which has been cleverly painted on the underside}. I skipped to the lou my darling on Level 2 {which I think I had to twist a head around to transform it into a robot}. I coughed a little during Level 3 {Okay, Level 3 was tricky. Lots of transforming and clever thinking involved...tricky indeed, but I started to get kind of good...a little braggy, perhaps...and then just plain foolish when I challenged everyone to a 1,2,3 Level 4 Transformer War!!!}.

Level 4. It's not going well. And my hands hurt. The worst part is I don't even remember what I'm supposed to turn it in to. Is it a plane? Helicopter? Motorcycle? Part after part keep falling in my cramped hands. Every twist I make seems to produce a more distorted version of the last twist. It's unbelievable. Like only the kind of unbelievable-ness created by toys for Ages 5 and up.

You know, it's times like these when I reflect upon the days of playing Builder. Come to think of it, playing the role of the two dimensional bulldozer was really rewarding. As in ages 4 and up rewarding.
xo

Aunt Peg Reporting For Duty

Arlo, are you excited?Hugh, are you excited?Hooray! We are so very, very excited (or as Hugh says 'Super Stoked'. I taught him that one when I was going through my I-wish-we-were-a-family-of-surfers phase. Super Stoked hung on...Hang Loose did not.) Yes indeed-y. The most excited we have probably ever, ever been. Yesterday, a wee one came into this world. His name is Max. He has a lot of hair. His Uncle Jamie Daddy is a Super Hero. And he is Hugh & Arlo's real live 7lb 14oz cousin. We love him like a crazy short robe. We want to squeeze him. Don't we boys? We are super stoked.
xo

Confession :: I'm still going through my I-wish-we-were-a-family-of-surfers phase.

New Year's Day & The Flourless Chocolate Cake

Tonight we hosted our 2nd annual New Year's Day dinner celebration. I took a chance and omitted the traditional dish of good luck - Ham and Black Eyed Peas. Partly because nobody believes in my ritual and partly because I so desperately wanted to eat Butter Chicken. As I was buzzing around the kitchen melting butter, sauteing garlic and pinching spices...I had a brilliant idea - Share Butter Chicken Recipe With All - Even the pickiest palates will devour bite after bite of this delicious meal. It is bound to go down in your history cookbooks as Fave. Meal. Ever. And in my excitement of recipe sharing...I even thought of an adaptation for vegetarians - leave out the chicken!!! ah-HA. Simply perfect for all. Even for the children.

Just as I was twisting my arm around to pat myself on the back and imagining the millions of comments praising the simplicity yet gourmet sensibility of our beloved recipe, our dinner guests arrived....with competition - Flourless Chocolate Cake.Butter Chicken Who? aka. Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe -
6 Tbsp unsalted butter + butter for greasing pan
1 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
6 large egg yolks
6 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar

Set oven to 275F. Place rack in centre. Butter bottom and sides of a springform pan. Place butter and chocolate chips in bowl - microwave in 30 second increments until melted (about 3 times). Whisk in yolks.
Beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar. Beat until thick and glossy.
Whisk 1/4 of egg whites into chocolate chips gently. Then pat chocolate mixture into the whites.
Pour into pan.
Bake until cake pulls away from sides about 45-50 minutes. Let cool then remove from pan.

So Long 2010

The last day of 2010 went like this ::
1. Good morning. Let's eat pancake and sausages.
2. Wait. Mummy needs another cup of coffee.
3. Hold on guys. One more cup of coffee here...
4. Just the two of us? Why yes, Hugh. I would love to go on a date with you to your best restaurant. 4. Arlo gets a haircut by our in-house stylist...Daddy. I collapse from cuteness overload.5. Honk-shoo. Honk-shoo. {after root beer date snooze}
6. Play. Play. Play.
7. Let's get gussied up - time for celebration.
8. If you get dressed I will be the happiest Mummy in the whole world.
9. For the love of everything good in us...GET DRESSED!
10. Fine, I'm leaving without you.
11. I'm selling you to the gypsies.
12. Fake knock at the door.
13. The gypsies are here.
14. Dressed.
15. In the car.
16. Eat fancy pizza and drink Shirley temples.
17. Take last family photo of 2010 - Ah, blurry...perfect, that's our signature family photo look. 18. And finally on the last day of 2010, we deliver one big fat kiss to YOU! Happy New Year's Eve. Smooooch!19. Goodnight.
20. So long 2010.
xo

Brotherly Shove Love

Part I
Me? I remember only love and kindness from my older brother. Sure he liked to tease me...but for all who know me...let's face it, I am a teaser's dream come true. So perhaps I withstood a few verbal punches from time to time...but the physical stuff...like shoving or say sending my bottom tooth through my lip - from my brother, it just didn't happen.

Which brings me to two brothers called Hugh & Arlo. They are a lovely duo. Truly. But as of late, Hugh has taken the pleasure in pushing Arlo down...hard. Hugh's brotherly shove is oddly not a malicious act, more like something created out of boredom...excitement...or curiosity. Whatever the reasoning, I find it desperately unacceptable. It touches on sibling territory unfamiliar to me. And therefore, I find myself at a loss...a complete and utter loss.

Part II

Did I know a tooth could go through a lip? No. In fact when I've heard stories of such an incident, I thought it was an exaggeration. Like, 'Oh yeah, he fell so hard his tooth went through his lip'. In other words, blood...lots of blood.

Yesterday, Hugh performed the classic boredom shove. Arlo fell hard. I scooped him up and noticed immediately his chin folded as a chin should not be. I gently relieved the crease and there with my very own eyes saw the tip of a tiny tooth poking through his...not lip, exactly... the location right between the lip and the chin. Um, I'm pretty sure that area is called the Chip. My first thought was, Wow...a tooth really CAN go through the chip. And then I don't remember exactly the panic thoughts following - perhpas it went something like, 'We need ice. There's a hole. Emergency room. Why? Why? Why the shove? There's a hole. An actual hole. E.R. Blood. Hole. Tooth. Chip'.

A short time later we took a breath, stopped the bleeding and iced the chip.

Part III

Hugh loves Arlo. Arlo loves Hugh. Their brotherly bonding? love? will be an ongoing learning process for me. I suppose my first lesson is to accept the falls as much as I embrace the recoveries. But seriously, can't we all just get along?

xo