We had so much fun (again) and it was a relief to see Arul and Peter hit it off. As we divided up into 'ladies' (as I moved to the sofa to nurse NB) and 'mens' groups, the boys didn't miss a beat and the conversation continued to flow (I'm not sure they noticed we were no longer at the table to be honest). What a really enjoyable couple!! It's always so nice to have 'couple' friends, isn't it?
Shariza brought me some MORE food, which was absolutely delicious. Not only will I credit her for making me enjoy tofu, but she now has also introduced me to QUORN, a meat-substitute (not available in Canada though). At first, when I opened the dish she made, I was afraid she had meant the meal to be for Peter, as the crumbly brown bits resembled ground beef. I got Malou to try it ('food taster' is one of those 'other duties as required' on her list of responsibilities), and she told me it was definitely meat. I was disappointed, as I had hoped to have this meal for lunch, and did not have any energy to come up with a back-up plan. I was quite perturbed though, because when she handed the dish to me the previous evening I could have sworn she had indicated it was for me to eat, and she had mentioned it contained 'corn' (though I couldn't see any yellow kernels).
As she continued chewing her forkful, Malou began to question her initial analysis. She said, "No...I think this is tofu...it's NOT meat." I figured it was time to make a call, and was delighted to learn that it was indeed vegetarian friendly (tofu, black bean sauce, and quorn). I was even happier after I tasted it, as it was delcious. Another Shariza creation that I will have to try and re-create in my own kitchen.
This week has been good. It is nice to have Peter home. I feel so much better about dozing a bit longer in the morning, knowing that he is with the other two children. As usual, he has come home with a sore throat (he always gets sick after he flies, but it continues to come as a shock to him).
We had a delicious breakfast at the Shangri-La on Friday, with Uncle Pete (Ajay is back in Canada this week). Though I missed Gelar (my egg-chef who has returned to Indonesia), the new chef did a great job with my poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. I had to say 'See you later' to our Shangri-La friends, the Baftihars (who are long-term residents waiting for housing to be approved. Seriously--I can think of worse places to live than the apartments at the Shang), as they were heading off to the UK for the summer (although Gee will be back in a few weeks). I am hoping to be able to keep in touch, and will look forward to their return in the fall (or so they tell me). Sahar's son Adam is a really loving little boy, and seems to really enjoy our family, especially Peter. Our breakfasts will definitely be a lot quieter now (though I've noticed baby N is picking up his game).
In the afternoon on Friday, I had Henny (an Indonesian masseuse) come to the house to give me a massage. She focused her work on my hip (which although a whole world better than before, still gives me minor grief). Henny feels pretty confident that she will be able to cure me of this pain. I am optimistic as she seems to be very good at what she does.
Almost a toddler
Baby N is on the verge of walking. I'm not sure how much longer, but he has now learned to climb up onto the sofa, on his own (without leveraging off me, or NB S's head). Each day sees him get stronger and more active. He is very into books, and I am so proud to see him sitting at the picnic table (not on top, but on the little blue bench), using his fine motor skills to turn pages in his board books. He can focus and do this for quite some time. He has also been keeping busy testing Newton's law of universal gravitation, by tossing blocks and cups out of his play-pen (which I have surrounded with foam play-mats to muffle the sound for NB S).
Is that a smile I see or just gas?
NB S continues to grow. Each day she is more alert, and sometimes I swear she knows me and smiles at me. My major concerns with her are baby acne and spit-up. However, I know these are minor concerns, as she is putting on weight and appears to be bright-eyed and healthy. We have a doctor's appointment with Dr. Stiles on Wednesday, where all of my children will receive immunizations. Little A has had a bit of a problem with this bit of information.
Though she has been very happy to assure baby N in the past that it is 'just a pinch', she is not too keen on experiencing the pinch herself. She is going to be having a chicken pox booster (Dr. Stiles recommended it for this region), and it has taken a lot of support, discussion and encouragement to get her to where she was tonight--singing about having her needle tomorrow (although it's actually on Wednesday). I am proud of her.
A helping hand
She has spent the day very much enjoying a poetry book about fairies that Peter bought her on his trip. I was concerned as the book is not age appropriate, but she doesn't seem to mind. It has brilliant pictures of fairies and flowers, and she loves flipping through it and looking at all the pictures. We spent almost an hour this morning, reading the poems together. She wanted me to read her every single one. I'm not sure how much she understands, but she obviously enjoys hearing the way the words sound.
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