Replacement of Roof

Replacement of a roof near us. No harness, no nothing. This is in the land of the lawsuit!

Icecream Serving Sizes

Well, we stopped for icecream, and got caught again by serving sizes. Turns out one scoop is not physically 'one' scoop. We thought we were safe because one scoop was only $2 - so it mustn't be much ice cream, right?! My tip for travellers in America - SHARE your ice creams. the stores are quite happy to hand out little bowls and spoons, so it is quite easy to divide an ice cream amongst a couple of children.

Bethany Beach, Delaware

Day trip today, to the beach, a proper beach that looked out onto the ocean! It was not quite what I expected, but lovely all the same. Bethany Beach is up the coast from Ocean City, which is the high profile beach in the area. It is described by Lonely Planet as the more family orientated beach (compared to Ocean City). It was quite an experience - everyone comes with what looks like a supersized grocery trolley bag (you know, you buy your groceries, put them in this bag on wheels and then trundle home with them?!), that holds beach chairs, beach toys, esky, beach umbrella, possibly a few boogie boards, and then they set up camp. The beach is kilometers long, and it gets covered with camps of brightly coloured beach umbrellas. You can hire umbrellas and chairs if you want. I saw some sunscreen use, but also some tanning lotion  use, and people lounge on the sand all day, getting wet at irregular intervals. There were little dumpy waves, not very kid friendly, and the water got up to chest height very fast. There were life guards at regular intervals, but not many people properly in the water, more paddling. Lots of sand play - one family made a track for a little ball to go down, another family had a sort of shallow pit with walls, and the biggest John Deer dump truck I have seen yet (probably two sizes up from what we see in Australia?). At the back of the beach, is a board walk, with houses and shops built right up to the board walk (on sand...). A very big day (2 hours there), but it involved beach, chips and icecream (more on that later) so feeling very satisfied.

Chesapeake Children's Museum

The name is probably a bit deceptive, it is actually like a big playhouse, with a room that has a play boat in it (as well as trucks, and a train table!), and another room with a play kitchen and fruit and veggie shop, and yet another room with dressups, as well as access to crayons and textas for drawing. it doesn't look like much, but the kids loved it. In addition to the toys, there are assorted reptiles - turtles, a boa constrictor, a bearded dragon, a gecko, some fish and crabs (my kid was especially impressed with the real live crab, after so recently seeing dead ones!!). It is run by volunteers. They also have a story/craft time. The only down side was that there was an excursion from presumably a summer school of some sort, so the place was packed, and loud.

Blueberry Pancakes

I must repeat, how awesome it is to have plentiful berries... The blue berries are coming from New Jersey now, so I expect they'll start finishing (the strawberries have too).

Robots and sticky tape

Meet Robot. Neither boy nor girl (I checked). This mornings craft activity for the 4 year old, when we got to the point that I didn't feel I had any other option but to suggest it. And how to keep the baby occupied?! Sticky tape and scissors! He started it, I encouraged it, by bringing out the decorated sticky tape. We got a melt down when it was time to put it away, but I got half an hours uninterrupted robot making too.

The other mornings activities -making Honey Joys. Highly recommended, except that I find them very moreish.

Ikea potty review

I oscillated over whether to get this potty, to the point that we ended up with one because we weren't getting back to Ikea, not because I was overjoyed with having one. It looked too small - I honestly thought the baby's bottom was bigger (and, who knows, maybe it was a couple of months ago?!). But here we are, toilet training, with an Ikea potty, and it seems fine.
We also looked in Babies R Us, but it was the week that potties were 25% off, unbeknownst to us, unfortunately, so there wasn't much to look at, although we did note they all looked that small.
I don't like that this potty doesn't have a high back. We have had some interesting tumbles because the baby overshot. But otherwise, it does the job so far and is a nice cheap potty (because, who does manage to resell those expensive potties?!).

Genius Mama

Slot in tea bag box, flash cards = 10 mins, plus more time looking at pictures and making animal noises

 

Steering wheel that you can actually turn = 10 mins (one roll slid inside another roll stuck to cupboard)

 

Balloons left over from party on weekend (plus two boys) = half an hour, repeatedly - I cannot emphasise how long and how happily my two will occupy themselves with balloons, esp with a bit of string on them so you can run with more than one in your hand)

Playdough = 20 mins

Pair of scissors plus two pieces of craft paper cut into the recycling bin = 20 mins

Torches in the entrance cupboard = 30 mins (although dad thought of this one)

Also, bubbles on the back deck, chalk on the front sidewalk (pavement for Aussies), fixing the box the cars go in, drinking water with ice cubes, stickers, colouring in, vacuum cleaning (I clean, they sit on couches and scream).

But I was most impressed with the tea box slot. The steering wheel is practically divine inspiration.

 

The reason? Potty training!! Needing to keep eye on 2.5 year old, and keep him occupied on hard floors or on rug in dining area...

 

 

 

Birthday Party!

Went to a birthday party on the weekend for a young friend, and had so much fun! It wasn't 10 days after the last storms, so the mosquitoes weren't out (my new thing to learn for the day, I think), it was overcast but still warm, there was a paddle pool and enough toys to more than entertain the kiddies, and the food was awesome.
The theme - I think sort of Mexican in food, and garden party in decorations and in vibe. I did honestly feel like the whole thing would not be out of place in a kids parties magazine shoot...It felt very innocent and relaxed and low fuss, but with lots of little details that made you feel special.
The food: Little mini burgers - presented on platter open with hot beef patty and cheese already melted on. sliced tomato and guacamole, tomato sauce and mustard available to add.
Little things called corn dogs - a 2cm long frankfurt with a battered coating that was corn based around it - the batter struck me as very close to the hush puppy mix - stuck on what looked like a lolly pop stick.
Also taco chips, diced tomato salad, little yoghurt tubs, apple juice, water, coronas, devilled eggs, watermelon, and my new favourite frozen drink - Bourbon Slushies, served in little Dixie cups (waxed paper cups with a design on the outside?)
We left just as the guests were starting to melt down, but because we'd had early dinner the evening was really easy.

Actually buying stuff

 

Things I learnt last Saturday, in relation to shopping:

• It helps to get to the mall a little early to walk around and window shop
• If you see something you like, write down the  name of the store, don't trust to memory
• Williams Sonoma is a really really nice home wears store (ie, window shopping only!)
• Nordstrum is sort of David Jones - big, lots of space, but nothing for every day wear? Actually, I'm wondering if it is one step higher than David Jones, because I have enjoyed looking through David Jones, but Nordstrum appears to have nothing of interest
• I get overwhelmed by stores full to bursting with merchandise (I knew that anyway, but it was definitely reinforced here)
• When you are in a store, wander around the entire floor area, otherwise you'll miss sales stuff shoved down the back (or the shorts, or the pants...)
• Tell all sales assistants you're just browsing, or they'll follow you around the store chatting and trying to make nice
• I am a size 10 in America, possibly nearly a size 8. This doesn't make me feel good, it has just made shopping harder.
• Even if you have four hours child free to shop in, you will find most of what you want in the last 20 mins

New Laptop!!

We finally updated our laptop... after the version of Windows we had became 'unsupported'. Coupled with the old laptop becoming slow in spite of us cleaning up all our photos (and taking them off the computer), we figured we could shout ourselves a new laptop. The old one was bought in 2005, and was very much a part of the family, as much as technology can be a part of the family. We're now getting used to the new laptop, so I expect a short period of frustration to follow. I hope it lasts as long as the old one, but am not holding my breath over that.

Opening hours

Westfield Mall at 8.30am on a Wednesday morning...Only the coffee shops were open. Gymboree opens at 9, most other stores between 9.30-10.30am. Then they stay open until 9-10pm. Which gives our young family approximately an hour to shop and get home for lunch before naps. Good one.
On the other hand, if you want to enroll in the Anne Arundel Medical Centre Energize program, (even if you don't) you can turn up early and walk the walking path spelt out with little stickers encouraging you every 0.1 mile or so. There is an advertised loop walk, and it is used. Before you pooh pooh too much, remember how humid and how cold it gets here! I see lots of active seniors!

Chick Fil A

While we're on food...
Chick Fil A is a chain restaurant, not quite a McDonalds, but not a restaurant either. They serve chicken. First store was opened in Atlanta in about 1960. Their advertising is based on the concept that a group of cows have got together to encourage people to eat more chicken (Eat Mor Chikin). The food is actually quite good, it doesn't leave you with that sinking feeling afterwards (the heavy junk sitting in your stomach feeling). The playground is nice and clean, and they usually have a person walking around offering to take away rubbish/help with drink refills/high chairs etc. One other idea they have is that parents can go through drive through, order a meal, and it will be ready when the family gets into the building (ie, no standing in line with restless children. Quite clever really)! They have chicken nuggets that are just little fried chicken bits, chicken burgers (grilled or fried with more or less lettuce) and chicken salads. The kids meals have an option of milk, plus the toy can be a little board book, and the fries (chips for Australian readers) are in this funny cross hatch pattern - so they're not rectangular, they're circular. I think I should take a photo next time we're in.
They choose not to be open on Sundays, and still maintain a large amount of restaurants around the place.
The downside - no hot tea (although there is both sweetened and unsweetened cold tea) and no beef!

Old Bay Seasoning

I have mentioned Old Bay Seasoning several times in relation to cooking with seafood. Here is a picture of the spice container. Apparently, according to one friend, if I want to take one thing home that says I've been to Maryland, Old Bay is it. We will bring home a packet, and see what Australian Customs says!! The ingeredients are sparse, I suspect they're keeping a secret recipe secret -
celery salt  (salt and celery seed), spices (including red pepper and black pepper) and paprika. On the back of the tin, in mentions a unique blend of 18 herbs and spices. A quick internet search comes up with any number of 'recipes'.
Created by a German immigrant called Gustav Blunt, in 1939, and named after the Old Bay Line, a passenger ship in the Chesapeake. Bought by McCormick in 1990.

Crab Feast

Louisiana blue crabs steamed in a special pot, with special crab seasoning (Old Bay sort of seasoning). Some grilled corn, grilled on a grill that had hot charcoal under it, and then crawfish, potatoes and more corn all boiled in the special pot, with more seasoning. A table covered with brown paper bags - old shopping bags - and the drained shell fish just poured into the middle. With 'Natty bo' beer (National Bohemian?), which tastes like beer, sort of, but probably was 'classic' American beer with low flavour and low alcohol content! It was described as Maryland blue collar beer.
The beach was a bank on the Severn River (which opens into the Chesapeake, eventually), and the community ships in a load of sand each year. The water was shallow, and warm, and sort of silty. Highly enjoyed, and recommended.

Birthday Party at the Gym

We went to a birthday party today at a gymnasium. I thought they'd have some sort of course for the kids to follow, but no, they gave them a quick warm up, a five minute talk to outline rules, then let them go! I am surprised that in the land of the lawsuit they just let them play, in a gymnasium, for 1.5 hours. The kids had a ball, we had high hopes of the baby going straight to bed, but I'm not sure he has. Our other son is asking about gym lessons.

Radio Flyer wagons

We went to an indoor picnic this week, indoor because of the weather. Got to give the baby a ride on a Radio Flyer wagon, which he was very impressed about. These carts are everywhere, they're even taken to the mall. People put small children, picnic gear, dogs, you name it, often all at once, and cart them from A to B. Better than a pram in many ways, if you're past needing to secure your child in a harness!
The baby now squashes himself into the last carriage of the train we made in the hope someone will pull him around.

Smokey Joes Crab Dip

With fear and trembling, we spent some money on crab meat and sundries, to make "Smokey Joe's Crab Dip" (Smokey Joe being a local restaurant). We have seen crab dip on menus, but always hesitated to order it, mainly because nothing was offered to dip in it! Now we know you just dip the bread. It is an appetizer (entree, for those in Australia), largely made up of crab meat and cream cheese, all baked together, often in a bread bowl (ours just in a casserole dish). The recommendation with this recipe was that it went with icy cold beer, and it did. We made it as a main. Captain Fussy admitted to liking it, after we forced him to try it, but could not eat a lot, as it is quite rich. He ate bread and tomato instead.

3 lbs cream cheese (I only used half this. I do not recommend using 3lbs)

6 oz Monterey Jack cheese (prob some sort of tasty would do? not mozzerella)

1/2 oz Worcestershire sauce

1.5 oz horseradish (I used cream of horseradish, which is some sort of condiment. do not use wasabi)

1/2 cup milk

1 oz Old Bay seasoning (locally invented seasoning, used for everything, but esp seafood. Now owned by McCormick. Possibly just look up what is in this and substitute? We are going to try to bring some home!)

1/4 cup minced onion (I finely chopped as much as my eyes would allow, with the fear of Captain Fussy finding chunks of onion as a motivator)

1 lb crab meat

Mix all ingredients except crab meat and whisk together (I had left cream cheese out to soften, and used a potato masher for initial mixing. Not very romantic. Possibly a hand beater would also do). Then gently fold in crab meat (don't use hand beater for this, the crab meat does break up easily, and you want it chunky). Scoop mixture into a bread bowl and bake at 350 F until Crab Dip is hot (about 30-45 mins) serve immediately.

I reckon this would easily serve 8 adults. Buy a round bread loaf about 9.5 inches (25cm?) in diameter to fit all the mixture in, or just do what we did, and buy some ciabatta to toast for the side and cook in casserole dish with lid on. Possibly healthy to add salad or something to it too. Very filling. Don't forget the beer.

The magnificent machines at the mall

The mall doesn't have coin operated machines at the entrance to every large store like in Australia. Instead there is a bank of them in the middle of a food court. They are good for at least half an hours entertainment just on their own, no money required (and the family toilet near by the other half hour, as the baby has worked out the automatic water on the child height basin). We have actually made a profit from ours, as my son found a quarter in one of them!
The crayon in the foreground is actually a change machine, in case your excuse is that you have no change.

Wash Your Hands ?!

I don't know if this is usual in Australia, but it turns up a lot in America. My mind cringes with the thought that people need reminding about this.

Finally smelling summer

It is weird not smelling any hot eucalyptus during summer. But today, I did finally smell summer. It was 90F, but not so humid, (or at least, the warm wind kept it at bay). There was the merest hint of haze, the grass has  started browning off, the air is warm, and the greenness of the trees has mellowed into a deeper summer green, rather than an I've just put out leaves after winter green. Almost too hot to do stuff, but since the humidity was down so we weren't starting already in a lather, we went to the swings!

Blueberry Pie

I have never had blueberry pie, but if you ever manage to have enough blueberries to make one, I highly recommend it. This one took 4 cups of fresh blueberries, straight into the pie dish. You have to let it cool for an hour after cooking so the juice can thicken. I made the most awful pastry ever, but everyone was very kind about the 'rustic' look...(ie, husband and two children under 5 - hardly a critical audience). It is a very rich pie. One slice per sitting is enough!
It is a lovely taste of auld times to be able to pick the blueberries and make pie!

Picking blueberries

Yes, we are enjoying all the summer perks! Found out about a pick your own blueberry farm through the local newspaper. We decided to give it a go on Saturday morning. It turned out to be worth the effort! At $3 per pound (approx $6/kilo), we will be going next Saturday too. It is lovely to be able to connect our children with our food sources in this way. Next step - teach the baby how to put blueberries into the basket, not just into his mouth...

July 4th Parade

Today we watched a parade in Severna Park to celebrate Independence Day. There are lots of neighbourhood parades around, especially 'decorated bikes' parades, but not where we live. We enjoyed the parade, and then went to our favourite fast food - Chick Fil A (more on that later!) for lunch. Floats included brownies, scouts, school marching band, local politicians (election in November), fire brigade, veterans, local churches, hair salons, mosquito sprayers, horse ride providers, RSPCA, car clubs, mascots from local sporting teams (baseball, football, etc), local banks, gymnastics club, martial arts club (complete with dragon), eco adventures guys (complete with snake and crocodile), local nursery, and probably many more I can't think of! I'm not sure who was organising the float above, but it was one of the better ones.
It was a very quiet day - I had sort of expected that we could find a BBQ to be invited to, but that didn't happen. I expected a bit more celebration actually, but maybe we're not in the right neighbourhood (high rental population, people keep to themselves, low numbers of children). We gave the official fireworks  in Annapolis a miss (although you can buy fireworks at stalls right throughout the county!), as they started at 9.30pm, and the baby is unsettled enough as it is. I love fireworks, so maybe next year!

Trains

Just to top off the week, today we re-purposed the aeroplane to make a carriage for a train. Trains are quick, easy, and with instant pay back, for all ages (well, five and under, in our household). Highly recommended.
ps - baby still not settling on own in cot, after a week. He is tired, but screams whenever you leave the room. Something is broken. Good news is, his cough is more mobile than before, and the colour is back in his cheeks.

Waterplay!

Rockets in the morning, what to do in the afternoon? I didn't find out until the evening, but so hot that the county opened up 'cooling stations', where people could sit in an airconditioned room.
Send them out on the deck to play with water!! This was surprisingly effective, especially once the baby tried
a) pouring water through the funnel without realising it had a hole in the bottom of it, and
b) pouring water into his hat (then I shoved it back on his head)

Rocketships

Another long hot day, more craft. More windows on the side of the rocket. More technical questions on rockets that I can't answer.

Easiest choc chip biscuits yet

Try these - they were on the back of our flour packet (Washington brand, no less!). Cooking these today means I've gotten through most of my trump cards by Tuesday, so stay tuned for the rest of the weeks activities!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup shortening (I used butter)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 SR flour
1 cup choc chips

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Cream shortening and sugars, add egg and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Add sifted flour, blend well. Add chocolate chips and drop by teaspoonful onto greased baking sheets (I used baking paper). Bake 10-12 mins at 375F. Remove cookies from baking sheet to cooling rack. Makes about 4 dozen cookies

It is short, easy, and I made it with a 'helper'. You end up with more a sort of thick batter with choc chips in it, and you do literally need to use a teaspoon - no rolling into balls required! They are very slim, probably because they sort of melt into shape, and I suspect they would burn easy (but I struggle with my gas oven). Leave to cool on tray until they've cooled a bit before moving. I only managed around 2.5 dozen, so I reckon their cookies must be pretty small. Consider doubling recipe, it is so easy. Very edible, very morish.

Crafty mama strikes again

We made an aeroplane this morning. On the back of an exhausting week last week (vacation bible school), the baby getting sick and being on antibiotics, and being the most wingey baby ever, and me having a whole week to fill and it only being Tuesday, I got desperate and actually tried craft. Helped in no small way by my 4 year old, who had a pretty definite idea about what he wanted to make. My job - entertain the two year old (no mean feat), and provide materials (fairly easy given that I've been saving cardboard boxes since we arrived, and we have 45m of duct tape lying around),and cut the cardboard.
The activity took a whole hour. The black squares on the sides and fronts are windows, completely made and glued without adult supervision. The plane is big enough to give teddy and monkey a ride, what bliss!
My director of craft now has a whole heap of other ideas - trains, rocket ships, cars... I've set him to a limit of one per day. Interesting thought - I think I have to be desperate to try craft, because otherwise my perfectionism kicks in and I hesitate to start anything.