:: moving out from blogspot ::

It is still not too late to announce I have moved my Blogspot to Wordpress fernandson.wordpress.com just few days ago. Please do feel free of visiting. I will no longer updating my fernandson.blogspot.com and a farewell for me and Blogspot.

:: happy easter ::

I am thinking of making cupcake batch for Mini M's preschool this year. How will the kids respond to these little cuties? "I  WANT! I WANT! I WANT,TEACHER!" or "Max, you have such a lovely mommy". Come on, all I hunger for is just this. I am finally decided to give a try on these from Disney FamilyFun.

Instruction

1. Frost a cupcake [any of favorite cupcake recipe] with icing sugar and I do not use shredded coconut as the bunny fur.
2. Cut a large marshmallow in half widthwise.Squeeze each half slightly to give an oval shape, then dip the sticky side with pink crystal sugar amd set them in place as bunny's ear.
3. Add pink jelly bean as bunny's nose and any different jelly bean color [blue, red for mine] as bunny's eye.
4. Don't forget the small marshmallow for the bunny's cheek. 
5. Draw the bunny's whisker or pupils as you like using gel decorator.



After all, the growing bunnies are in my kitchen instead of garden.

What about another cupcake batch for next Easter? Stop first! I haven't discontinued my bunny try-out yet. I am making another bunny batch since Mini M shows great support and appertite. But this time with bunny bun filled with mocha paste.

+ Let's gather the above ingredients 

+ Knead all the ingredients smooth + soft [ except mocha paste ]

+ Remove from it when it is done. Roll out 20 dough balls. [ I mean of cause accordance to one's favorite biting size ]

 + Flatten the ball dough and fill it with the mocha paste + wrap it up.

+ Roll the already fill-in-dough-ball on table to give a nice round + smooth dough. Then shape the dough ball this way for oval shape as the bunny body

 

+ Cut the bunny's ear and tail out by using a scissor. [I advice to practice the cutting on the kneaded dough before starting cutting out in this stage]

+ And stick ke chi to a bunny as its eyes. 

+ Place all the bunnies to rise more than 30 minutes and steam for 5 minutes. [ mine took 2 hours cause I always believe sufficient rising gives tender + soft bun's skin ]

Here are the eat-licious bunnies!

:: frog springs to life ::

I believe many of us have neglected this tiny long tail fella. Me too. This is the first time I spot tadpoles have survived in our residential pond. Now it's a natural pond full of natural activity. And also the first time I have spent long looking at tadpoles. An enjoyable and educational 30 minutes for us [mini M + me].

I then overheard these tadpoles were actually kept into in our residential's waterfront to remind us, residence not to forget the greenery while living in this busy bustling city.

Yes though. How many of us have actually watched the metamorphosis phenomenon? We often get involved into busy + stressful working life and devote all our energy towards it. In this process, we tend to neglect all the naturalism surrounding us.

But after a second thought, we can achieve perfect happiness if we can maintain a balance between all  those aspects that really matter us, mammal - family, friend, the natural green, career, money

:: make the mini M cooks ::

I recently discovered a new joy of motherhood: letting mini M into the kitchen. I always agree the kitchen could be the hub of household educational. Cooking with kid provides amber opportunities of discussion. I love it especially when he asks me the curiosity questions that I can answer! Right now, cooking is also letting us get in lots of math and science practice.

Mini M is obsessed with noodles, so I have started letting him make own one. If you have a noodle diva in your house, I highly recommend you to give it a try! Start off with a simple step for plain noodle and make sure you have enough clean counter.

1 + 2. Like myself, I would like him to gather all the cooking utensils and materials by himself.

[ The conversation goes like this on that day ]

3. Q : Mommy, why there is lots of bubble in the soup?
    A : Meaning the soup has boiled.  It is time to add in our noodle sticks into it.
    Q : Oh! Mommy, you see! The soup is boiling! Can we add in the noodle sticks?
    A : Sure, we can. And we need to wait until the noodle is cook first.
4. Q : Mommy, I can take out the noodle or not?
    A : No. Only until we see no more noodle sticks but soft one.
5 + 6. Son : Wow! Mommy, I can cook my noodle all by myself. I am good boy or not?
        Mom : You are doing fabulous, M. You are such a good boy.
          Son : Mommy! I love cooking!!

:: sand theme-outside ::

Mini M was back with us to attend his beloved grandma's [ our mom ] burial last week. Our mood is still not on the track yet. Thus, I need to twist my brain to pop out with kid-parents-games availability game in Spring to "dilute" the situation. Talking a walk on beach? Nopes, this is bit hard to-do in Chongqing. Having considering the weather is perfect for outing rather than wasting it. Quickly without second click, I grasp mini M's sandbox and chase everyone to jump into our residential sand pool. 

I love observing mini M at the sand pool brings joy + fun, seemingly greater pleasure derived by mini M using his own hand to model in the moist sand.

He is releasing just more than fulfillment of physical to grasp, feel, and experiment. It involves  the whole of him. This physical and mentally are naturally expressed in it.

:: begins with alphabet ::

Most children are taught of writing an alphabet in chronological order. Taking alphabet lowercase of "g" as an example. First, draw a circular strokes. Second, draw vertical stroke with a tail to left. This is the actual order of writing "g".

But I am pretty confused with Mini M early writing stages recently. As I mentioned before, he could trace an alphabets now somehow in a different order. Guess what? Dean and me tried "Mini M's order" and it's easier + faster. Yet we are still sticking by re-correcting Mini M's writing logic by explaining + showing him the actual one.

I have also enrolled Mini M for Art class last month. I know, I know the way of he is holding a pencil is not right too. And that is why the class for.

:: condolence // 23 Feb 2011 { The Chens Family } ::

I still can not accept the fact that my mom-in-law has passed away. The reality hit me when I was there to help prepare for the funeral in Hainan. And when I saw with my own eyes her pale remains, as if in a deep peaceful sleep. I was still unable to diffuse the gamut of emotions which currently seem to feel like one big untidy knot in the very pit of my being; ranging from sadness to grief to fear to I do not know what. It is tough to figure this out on my own. 

She was a pillar of support to all of us. She has left a big void that is hard to fill. Thank you for all your well wishes, prayers and kind words during this difficult time. Perhaps work would keep Dean and my mind occupied so we do not feel the sadness as much. We are grateful to know that my mom-in-law was loved and cherished.