2 Days and Fathers' Day (Late!)

Hi all!  Time is zooming past so fast it is hard to catch a breath!  There are only 2 more days left in the school term and then our 2 week break.  Hooray!  Boo that the weather is forecast for cool and rainy.  40 degree overnight lows take on new meaning when there is NO heat in the house.  None at all.  Tile floors are elevated to a new level of Burrrrr!!! in the morning when it is cold!  I am grateful all over again for the gifts and trips to Pendelton to acquire our wool blankets!  Every bed is dressed with one now, which makes it hard to get out of in the morning!  I saw my breath the other day inside the house!

Today is Annika's sport carnival-track and field events are on the agenda.  Ian had his on Monday.  He got 2 ribbons and Annika has dreams of taking first in every event.  We'll see!  I think the coffee wagon will be a popular hang out for the parents as it is cool, but sunny today with winds of about 10 mph.  High temp of 65, so sweatshirts and a scarf are the dress for the day, with sunblock and a sunhat.  Crazy Aussie winters.

I got hit with a speeding ticket this last week.  Damn cameras.  I do laugh though because they send the tickets to those listed first on the registration, which is Lyle.  You can sign off to another person, but both have to have the signatures witnessed by a justice of the peace (think notary, but more common).  As there is never one open when we are both in town, he will be getting my ticket.  Burns as it was for 10 kph over the limit-which is about 7 mph.  In a transition zone no less.  They do know where to place these buggers to make the most money!

Ian's reading program has been going well.  It is taking about 2-4x longer than the author calls for as he has to learn to a specific level before going onto the next lesson.  I should not be shocked at the disengagement coping skills he has already learned in just 1 1/2 years of formal schooling, but I am.  It just drives home the frustration and acting out behaviors in older students who are struggling and use behavior to escape from difficult or impossible school tasks.  On the other hand, this kid is a master of using pictures in the book to predict the text and picks up on the patterns in the books and appears to know what he is doing.  I think I'd be more fascinated from a clinical point of view if it wasn't my kid!  He earns a hard work sticker each session and has to earn 10 to get a few dollars which he can spend right away or save up for a bigger prize.  I don't like to "bribe" but the kid needs some motivation until he can figure this out and learn that it isn't a painful thing to do.  Painful for me, but necessary to keep his interest and stubbornness focused on learning and not evading!

Happy Belated Fathers' Day to my family of men!  This isn't celebrated until August here, where Mothers' Day was on the same weekend.  Whoops!  To my Dad who taught me to be confident in my choices, and that hard choices when made, are the best choices.  Grandpa Gene for showing hard work and more hard work pays off in the long run.  Grandpa Ralph for a sense of fun and ridiculousness that makes the hard work fun work too.  My uncles on both sides-putting up with our crazy and laughing as we grew up.  For my husband and baby daddy (to put a modern twist on it you know!) for being a "with it parent" who wasn't afraid of diapers, puke (my hero!), does dishes, and even laundry once in awhile!  For encouraging the kids to try new things and cheering them on when they succeed and for letting me try new things and cheering me on too.  For letting me have a good cry once in awhile and dusting me off and getting me back onto it as well.  Loves you!

US taxes are nearly done-extensions filed so we have until October.  I am growing to despise the IRS and their rules and regulations.  Did you know they claim foreign income if you are a citizen or resident visa holder?  Grrrr.  They have more revisions to do, so hope to see the final pain next week.  Or not.  I really can avoid that.  The fiscal year is coming to an end here.  Aussie taxes are a breeze.  How much did you make?  Here's your percent to pay.  Any kids?  Daycare? Medical over a specific percentage?  That's really about it.  The accountant does them in the office and files electronically right then and there.  It took me 30 minutes total last year and I had the refund in the bank within the week.

Counting down!  Planning on making the caramel slice for dessert at the family BBQ.  Also hoping to do an Aussie Sausage Sizzle, so will have to sent Meg or Dad out on a sausage hunt for me.  Tasty and lots of fun!  Love you all!

Caramel Slice

Yes!  Another recipe!  This is one I have been trying to make practically since we moved here and finally found one that works.  They all tasted fine, except for the one the crust was awful.  Scraped the caramel and chocolate off and just ate those layers.  Would you believe I found it on the back of a Nestle chocolate melts bag?  Some of the best recipes in the world come off places like this-look at Nestle toll House choc chip cookies.  Nuff said about those!

Here's the recipe and my substitutions for you statesiders that just HAVE to give this a try.  I'm planning on making it when we come home in less than 2 months for the family BBQ.  Yummy!

Set oven to 350.
Crust:
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup desiccated coconut (this is the dried, ground stuff, not flaked or shredded)
1/2 cup butter melted
Mix all together and press into the bottom of a 8x11 baking pan lined with baking paper
Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.  Cool for 1/2 hour or so.

Filling:
2 cans sweetened condensed milk (I use the fat free.  As rich as this is, you need all the help you can get here)
1/4 cup butter
1/3 golden syrup (cane sugar product, similar to dark corn syrup.  Use what you can find)
Place in a medium saucepan and stir on low heat until everything is melted and smooth.  Pour over cooled crust.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 300.  Directions say to use 350, but the edges burn and get really hard.  Low and slow-until the caramel layer is golden brown.  Cool for an hour.

Topping:
1 cup milk or semi sweet chocolate chips
2 T canola or vegetable oil (Don't use shortening here!)
Melt and mix until smooth, spread on top of the cooled caramel layer.

Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares or so to serve.  Super rich and tastes heavenly with a cup of hot coffee or tea or cold glass of milk.

OK, some tips to keep this going good.  I found that if stored in the fridge the chocolate layer gets too hard to cut and just shatters.  No bueno.  So, cover and store on the counter, or cut into pieces and store in a tightly covered container with baking paper between the layers.

I have to think that a creamy peanut butter layer would be an excellent substitute for the caramel.  Need to work on that one next, don't I!

On another kitchen note, I finally broke down and spent the $8.96 for an electric kettle.  Who knew it would fast become my favorite kitchen appliance?  Practically instant hot water for making coffee, oatmeal, cup o noodles, and pouring down the stinky sink!?  It really is the small stuff, isn't it!

I also received the materials for Ian's reading program.  He sounded out 10 words yesterday.  He also knows the silly songs to remind him of the sounds.  Crazy, but it works.  He seems to like it fine, but would rather be playing with his cars or legos.  Buck up baby, you're going to learn to read!

We all have the day off work and school tomorrow to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's birthday.  Happy Birthday Elizabeth!  Course the forecast is for plenty of rain so we may just have to take in a movie.  Lyle is also home this week-yay!  But travelling the next 3 weeks.  Boo!  2 more weeks until end of term holidays.  The kids are tired and cranky by the end of the week now, so ready for some sleeping in.

The girls and I went to see the Bolshi Ballet yesterday for our adventure.  We had second balcony seats, so the nosebleed of the ballet, but it was absolutely beautiful!  The dancers are so graceful and athletic.  It was 2 hours and felt like it was much shorter.  I could have watched all day!  We will all be going to the Queensland ballet next month and have better seats in a smaller venue.  Can hardly wait!

Hey There!

Yeah, time did get away from me the last couple of weeks.  School is busy heading into the last couple of weeks for the term with assessments, report cards, activities, you name it, it is looming over all of us!

I went book shopping last Friday when I had a lunch date in town with my hubby!  Would you believe all these years we have met 2 times for a midday lunch date?  Neither of us have had jobs where it is remotely possible for such a civilized happening!  Teachers are not renowned for their long lunches (HAHAHA!!) and with Lyle on site and all the security and safety rules it never happened.  So, I took the bus into town, walked to the office and sent him a text that I was downstairs!  So nice!  Granted, it was a quick order type of place, but we did get to sit down and visit like real people with no kid interruptions, so plenty enjoyable.  We even walked all around the botanical gardens on the riverside before he had to get back to work.  Anyway, book shopping!  You will get to see them when we get home for a visit.  Grandma and Grandpa-would you like a field guide to Australia birds, or a common birds and their habitats in narrative form?  I found both!

Big time score here as well, I bought 3 tickets to see the Bolshi Ballet next weekend!  They will be performing The Bright Stream, which has not been performed outside of Russia until now, and was banned under Lenin.  The tickets are on the 2nd balcony, so nosebleed section for sure, but the girls and I are very excited to go!  Since the boys missed out on this one, I bought family tickets to the Queensland ballet to see Giselle.  It is a much smaller venue and we have decent seats, so pleased there.  The kids really enjoyed Annie last year, and Ian and Annika are so good when we take them out (as long as there is a parent between every kid, we are gold!) it is a pleasure to take them with us.  I have to remember to buy Ian a new pair of dress pants though-I put his old ones on him-and yep!  He has grown nearly 4 inches this last year!  High water pants!

The lower grades had their Fun Day yesterday.  They have all sorts of stations they can visit to make, create, and enjoy.  Ian made a pasta necklace, got a spider painted on his face, listened to a story and got a cool bag from the public library ladies.  He also drew a funny face on a balloon!  I got to take a couple of his friends around with him and we all had a good time.  He certainly did not argue about bedtime last night and slept an extra half hour this morning!

I had a meeting with Ian's teacher and the school psychologist as well yesterday.  I requested that they test Ian as he has been struggling so much with remembering information, processing information, and reading.  He knows just a few sight words, still doesn't know most of his letters, and looks to see what others are doing so he can understand the instructions for an activity.  On the good side, they didn't tell me what I didn't already know, which is our boy is bright, but struggles with learning.  His math is well above average, and his patterning and problem solving skills are literally off the charts (you should see the intricate layouts for his cars, legos, army men, etc.  Military strategist bar none here) but his letter recognition and recall is waaayyyy low.  His speech has come a long way and no problem understanding him now!  We will be working to figure out how he can learn in the classroom, but multi modal input is going to become a primary focus for him.  Think drawing letters on his back, him drawing with his finger on the table or on his hand, lots of repetition, etc.  He also has very poor working memory skills-this means that he cannot hold more than 1 piece of information in his head at a time and use it.  No wonder reading is so hard!  It is as if he is seeing the words new every single time.  Since he is a great puzzle solver and pattern maker, I am looking for home reading systems that will break reading down into patterns.  It will be a very phonetic approach, with lots of repetition (and mom, this goes above and beyond Spaulding method!).  What a ride this will be.  The psych did note that Ian is a sunny personality who is willing to put his best into a task and such a polite guy!  Ian loved the time spent with him, and wants to see him just to play those games again!  On a clinical side, the psych is fascinated with kids like Ian as he doesn't see them too often-really high in areas and really low in others, complicated with the memory issues.  Challenging, but rewarding to work with.  I'm grateful that I am his mom and know what to DO with all this information to help him to learn.  I'm grateful Ian is so good at trying his best and willing to work to please me and himself.  I'm grateful for his sunshine and happiness and crazy games he can play for hours.  I'm grateful for his sisters who are willing to read with him and help him with his homework and step over his layouts instead of messing them up and causing world war III in the playroom.  I'm grateful to his daddy who loves his boy over the moon no matter what.  I'm glad I have a kid who will be able to find what he wants to do with his life and be happy.

On that positive note, I'm off until next week!

13 and Mothers' Day

So the biggest turns 13 on Friday!  So hard to believe she is a teenager.  Such a nice kid too.  I know we love our kids, regardless of who they are, but it is so fun to really like them as well!  She is having a few friends over on Saturday to go shopping at the mall (and taking the bus on their own there and back again, hope it doesn't turn out like the Hobbit) and a sleepover, which we all know there will be little sleep to be had by anyone!  Her cake will be chocolate with white frosting and sprinkled with mint m&m's.  Yum!  Some things for her to look forward to-getting a facebook account!  She has to friend any family member who requests her, including me!  Ah, the fun of venturing into social networking.  She also has an instagram account, but with no wifi at home, has limited availability to upload and share photos.  Bummer for her!

Here's a picture of her new bed!  We went to Ikea last weekend and picked up a Malm style (classy lines and all white) bed frame and ordered her a new comforter set and sheets with some throw pillows.  She loves it!

The new bed.  Yes the slats show-we got a queen for her double mattresses.  It was intentional!

A blast from the past!  Alex "helping" daddy shovel snow our first winter in Massena, NY

In other news, working 2 days a week is so nice!  I have time to get things done, but also get my teacher fix and make a bit on the side.  Happiness for the mental state and for the bottom line.

The picture below is my little friend.  Not sure what species he is, but figured grandma and grandpa Curtis would like him.  He has been banging on the windows that flank the front door.  Body is about the size of a chickadee and the blue on the head and neck is brilliant!  The rest of him is black and shiny.  His tail is very long and quite an agile flier.  Very pretty birds and they are all over our neighborhood.

Ian and Annika love to put together bouquets of flowers for me.  They use the hibiscus flowers accented with cuttings off the hedges and long stems of grass.  Quite the budding florists!

Here's Ian's tough look!  He finally got his uniform for tae kwon do classes.  LOVES it!  The instructor is a gem.  He's from Korea, has a high level black belt in the sport, and speaks very little English, but the little boys who do his class adore him!  Such patience and the enjoyment he gets from sharing his sport with the littlies is so fun to see!  Yes, I did let the appropriate people know how much he enjoys his job!  Unfortunately his visa is up in July and has had no luck getting it renewed.  I haven't told Ian yet. . . Annika has been loving the rhythmic gymnastics class she does at the same time.  So much giggling from all the little girls!  She gets to use the aerofit practice clothes from aerobics last year.  Thank goodness!

And it wouldn't be Mothers' Day without saluting my mom!  Because of the confidence you instilled in me I am who I am today and letting me know that there were no limits on what or where I wanted to be and do with my life!  I don't think you quite thought I would go this far away, but the strings leading home are always there to be followed.  Your grandkids love you and sleep under your quilts of love every night.  How excited are they to see you in a couple of short months!

From my grandma Louise I have my love of baking.  I remember making so many Christmas goodies with you and Aunt Carol-once we were big enough to not destroy the kitchen we cooked in!  One of my most treasured possessions are the hand written recipes for those candies.  Yum for many holidays to come-but the divinity will have to be made here in August!

To grandma Carol-you have filled a place in my heart left by the loss of grandma Bonnie.  Your sense of humor, ready laugh, and vibrant personality I so look forward to when we are home!

I so love all the ladies in my life-my aunts are the best and from each of you I have learned something about being a better mom and a better person all around.  My cousins and cousins-in-law, so nice to have girls of our generation to figure out how to navigate our own kids through the modern day pitfalls of growing up.  My mother in law who raised an incredible man who gifted me (on a no return policy!) with his children.

And my sister-a devoted mom with an adorable chick who is growing up so beautifully!  I thought of you when I saw this a few days ago and had to put it in here for all of the moms I know!  I think we can ALL relate no matter the age or stage of life we and the kids are in!

Love you all!

School Pictures

Finally!  Alex had hers done the first week of school, the others before the end of the first month.  We just got them last week-nearly 2 months to see how they turned out!  Alex doesn't like her hair-the pony was not cooperating, but she has such a great smile!  Annika had just cut her own hair a few days prior-of course.  Ian just smiles and says how handsome he is.  That's my boy!

Plugging away on everything else!  I've been on a bit of a cooking jag and obsessively wanting to share recipes, so here's another one.  SUPER yummy-even Ian eats his veggies this way!

Pumpkin Muffins

1 cup mashed pumpkin (note all squash is called pumpkin here.  Canned pumpkin works great, but even better is baking your own, scooping from the shell, mashing/pureeing and using.  Use butternut squash-delicious!)

1 c wholewheat flour

3/4 cup plain flour

1 egg

1/2 c vanilla yogurt

1T cooking oil (I prefer olive oil)

1 t baking soda

1t baking powder

1 T vinegar in measuring cup, add milk to make 3/4 cup and let set 4-5 minutes

1 t cinnamon

1 t ground ginger

1/2 t ground cloves

Oven at 350, I just dump it all into a mixing bowl once the vinegar and milk has worked, mix until it is incorporated, put in cupcake liners and bake!  I have done regular size muffins and mini muffins, but not cake.  As it is sooo  moist, if you use a cake pan, use an 8x11 or jelly roll pan.  Muffins bake 15-20 minutes, minis 12-15.

Not a typo-there is no additional sugar in this.  The squash is sweet and the yogurt is too.  To reduce sugar further, use unsweetened Greek Yogurt.  I really can't tell a difference!

If you don't like pumpkin, replace with banana, applesauce (reduce milk to 1/2 cup), peaches or plums (reducing milk to 1/2 cup)

Also yummy to add in 1/2 cup choc chips!

Annika is selling Girl Guide biscuits this month (girl scout cookies!) and does not like the door to door approach.  She does not like hearing no and it makes her so sad!  They only have 2 varieties here!  The horror!  NO THIN MINTS and NO TAGALONGS AND NO SAMOAS!  All we have are shortbread and choc dipped shortbread, and mini choc dipped shortbread.  Yes, I will survive, but no Thin Mints??  Really!

Alex is planning her birthday party-sleepover with the girls!  A trip on the bus to the local mall, pizza and sushi for dinner with a choc cake, white frosting, and mint m&m's on top.  She scored big-a bed frame from Ikea (Malm style-white and simple!) with new sheets and comforter from Target.  Already got the bed and assembled it-the rest coming Thursday as they have arrived at the store!  Will have to post a pic next time!  It is pretty-and very Alex.

Happy Birthday to my Mom!  And almost happy retirement to my dad!

Love you all-counting the days down until we get to visit!

Working stiff again

A quick note if you want to make the ANZAC cookies on the last post-the spread out on the cookie sheets like crazy!  2in apart is not unreasonable.

Annika got to lay a paper floral wreath last week at the ANZAC ceremony and Ian marched with the Camp Hill students.  Alex stayed home and enjoyed the quiet house and Lyle came with us.  It was an experience for sure.  Bagpipes, speeches, songs, etc.  Estimated that nearly 800 people were there, so a large gathering.  What is impressive is that there were many, many of these going on all over Australia. Downtown had a dawn ceremony that thousands attended!  It was a busy morning, followed by a slow afternoon, then ready for 1 last day of work/school for the week.

We got the kids school pictures this week.  I'll get them scanned in and passed around digitally.  Will also be bringing them with us this summer!  Annika looks a bit goofy, Ian has a nice smile, Alex hates hers as her hair went wonky on her.  She has a great smile and her teeth have straightened up so nicely!  Hard to believe she is our kid-braces will be a short shift for her, thank goodness!  Annika's teeth look exactly like Alex at the same age, so hope there as well.

I'm working all week again this week-2 days for my regular job and 3 days filling in for the teaching partner in the next room.  Love these classes and glad to be working, but also like the part time schedule so I can get the grocery shopping midweek run done and have a shot at getting my hair cut!  I think next week I will just do my 2 days of paid work, then I can volunteer for the P&C Mothers' Day stall and help kids pick out gifts for their moms.  It is a great fundraiser and the coordinator for this is totally top notch! So creative with so little and everything always turns out so nice.

My Washington teacher certificate is due this summer-glad I had my transcript printed from the school district before we moved!  Plenty of clock hours to recertify-and only a 1 page form!  What a nice change from the novels I have had to write and assemble for other states.  Have to get that out in the next couple of weeks to meet their postmark deadlines. . .

Big congratulations to my cousin and wife on their new baby girl.  The pictures are so fun to see-bring back memories of ours when they were that little-oh, wait!  Mine were all HUGE babies!  Evy is pounds lighter than my smallest-lucky for her mamma!  Such a pretty little girl.  Her daddy is already wrapped up, and pleased to be so is my bet!  Their smiles say it all.

Of I go-time to get some sleep.  Kids are crashed in with me this week taking turns sleeping with mamma and on the floor (don't know how they do it-padding under the carpet is paper thin!) and waking me up talking and giggling in their sleep.  So funny!

Love you all!

Mundane stuff

Not a whole lot of exciting this week.  Lyle's back on the road, but will be home Wednesday.  Thursday is a public holiday, so a short week for his travel.

I have to laugh as sometimes people think that since we are living in Australia it must be some kind of vacation.  Really?  We are working, kids are going to school, and bills still have to be paid.  Traffic is a huge pain from 7:45 am until 9:30 and again from 4 until 5:30.  Yes, we are in Australia, working like the rest to get through the day, week, month.  The weather is quite nice, but other than that, it is pretty much what we have done every other place we have lived.

Annika will be marching in the parade on ANZAC Day with her Girl Guides troop.  They will lay flower wreaths at the war memorial at school.  Ian can march with the Camp Hill school group as well as Alex with the Cavendish Road group, but my bet is they will stay home with Lyle.  I may just roust them all to go though.  It is a big deal this year for the school community.  One of our families lost their husband and father in Afganistan last year.  The school community was so supportive of the girls and their mother, and continues to do so as well.  It will be a tough day for them, but also one that shows them the community will not forget.

Below is a recipe for ANZAC biscuits, or cookies.  This does not use any eggs.  This is a traditional recipe and you can buy these at store bakeries.  They remind me of a crispy oatmeal cookie.  Adding chocolate chips is not recommended-and keep in mind who that is coming from!  Yes, something that chocolate will NOT enhance.

ANZAC Biscuits
1 cup of each:  plain flour, sugar, rolled oats, and coconut
4 oz butter
1 T plus 1 t dark corn syrup (cane syrup or treacle)
1/4 cup plus 1 T boiling water
1 t baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 and grease baking sheets.  Can use baking or parchment paper
Combine dry ingredients-but not baking soda.
Melt butter and syrup.
Combine water and baking soda.
Mix wet and dry ingredients together.
Drop teaspoons of dough onto sheets 2 inches apart
Bake 12-15 minutes.  Watch carefully-don't let them overbrown.

Cool on sheets a few minutes, then transfer to racks.
Makes about 35 biscuits

Best enjoyed with tea, coffee, or hot chocolate to dip as they are a very crispy cookie.

The weather here is getting cooler at night and the humidity is down!  Nice sleeping weather.  It even feels crisper in the mornings-at least as much as it is going to get, it feels like Fall.  Temps have been in the high 50's to low 60's overnight and low 80's during the day.  There are still a few storms working their way up and down the coast-I guess April is a traditionally stormy month, but the last decade with the drought they have not been seen much.  We had a doosie of one last week that came up out of nowhere-the sky got dark super fast, clouds looked absolutely black, it opened with a huge thunderclap and the heavens opened up.  Hail the size of large peas and sheets of rain.  I could not see 20 yards into the playground! Of course it happened 5 minutes before school dismissal-we had to hold the kids for nearly 10 minutes until it slacked off to "normal heavy rain"!!  Alex caught a ride to me with a friend instead of waiting after school for me to get her.  Good girl for thinking and texting me her plans as the cell phones freaked out and even trying to call each other, neither could be heard the storm was so LOUD.  Looks like we may have another tomorrow, but predictions are it will hit north of us instead.

I started my Monday-Tuesday job today.  LOVE it!  4th graders I get to share with one of my favorite teachers and I get to do all the science!  They love it as they get a "real" science teacher, which totally makes me laugh.  Tack on an endorsement and it makes me real I guess.

I also talked to the kids about doing guest blogs.  Alex seems interested in it, Annika as long as I just type what she dictates.  Ian, not so much.  All you'd hear about would be his quite complicated war games with his army men, hot wheels, and dinosaurs anyway!  I'm interested to hear what the girls have to say though!  How about you?

Have a super week everyone!  Miss you all.  Counting the days until we come to visit.