News About Our Possible New Home

Okay, a while back I mentioned in a post that we're looking for a house to purchase.  Rumor has it that we might have found THE house.  We put in our very first offer a few days ago.  ON A HOUSE!  That is so crazy to me.  The frustrating thing is that the seller is playing games.  The kinda games that are in violation of our contract.  It makes me a little bit mad, almost enough to say Scratch you!  I'm taking my offer back!  Because if they're already playing games so early in the process, then who knows what kind of games/tricks they are going to pull on us along the long road of "house transferring."

But then again, why should I be so stressed about finding the perfect house when our little guy seems so happy with only a box to contain him?

Standing Sleeping Baby

Sleep training is the worst part of motherhood.  It is for me anyway.  Poor little Ethan...  We've been sleep training him, again.  I hate hate absolutely hate sleep training.  It pains so much me to hear my baby cries and yet I am not allowed to do anything to comfort him.  The Chinese have a saying that goes something like this: soft mommies make unsuccessful sons.  They are harsh words but I can't deny the truthfulness in them.  I'm not a tiger mommy but I do believe that sometimes you have to be firm.  So here are a few screen shots from our baby monitor tonight.  Ethan was holding on to the railing crying until he fell asleep standing up.  It's the saddest thing ever but maybe in twenty years I'll be able to laugh about it.

He woke up from swaying too much in the standing position so he crawled to the other side of the crib, cried for a couple of minutes and then fell asleep standing up again.

After an hour of crying, he finally fell asleep sitting down curled up like a ball.

Downton Abbey

Photo from itv.com

We don't watch television in our house.  We do have a TV but it's not even plugged in to the wall: it's used for the occasional movie.  I don't have anything against TV but I never had time to watch it when I was in college and I never picked it up again so it just turned into a habit and I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

But then...

My sister-in-law introduced me to Downton Abbey when I was pregnant and there is no going back.  I can't pinpoint the exact reason that I love the show so much, but perhaps it's the house, or the era.  Or maybe it's the people and their relationships, or the costumes and the accents.  In truth, it's probably all of the above.  The bottom line is that I'm hooked.  I might have forced encouraged Jake to watch it with me and now I think he is interested in what season three holds even if he refuses to admit it.  Last week I also got my mom addicted while she was visiting.  She watched both seasons in less than a week.  You go, mother!

The really crazy and exciting thing is that I saw advertisements for the show all over the city when I was in Hong Kong last Christmas.  I'm not sure--maybe it has already been shown on TV there but if you still have a chance all my fellow Hongkongers, watch it and you can start calling me m'lady when you come visit me at my house.

Scottsdale Old Town Farmers' Market

I love Saturday mornings.  What's not to love about waking up right next to your favorite person and not having to jump right out of bed to start the day the second your eyes open?  Perhaps another reason I love Saturdays mornings so much is their association with adventures.  Today's adventure was the Scottsdale Old Town Farmers' Market.  It was quite tiny.  So tiny that we walked through it in approximately 15 minutes, but I'm starting to think that it was a meticulous decision by The Board of The Old Town Farmers' Market to set it up such that costumers can walk through the market and still remain uncooked under the blazing sun.  And when it's 108 degrees outside, a fifteen-minute walk is just as much as I can take.

p.s.  I think my maxi skirt needs to come down a little lower.  Finally!  Something I own that doesn't drag on the ground.  Let me tell you about the life of a five foot nothing girl...

I'm Going Bonkers

Please ignore the PDA in the picture above.
We're all about playing footsie while we read.

Just a little bit.  It's the heat.  You see, it's so hot here I gave up long ago asking what the temperature is when I wake up.  Like Jake said, it really doesn't matter when it's above 100 degrees: it's just HOT.  I'm running out of ideas what to do with the mini during the day.  Google isn't very helpful, either.  When I search What to do with kids in Phoenix, 90% of the results are outdoorsy.  And malls are out of the question.  It's not that I can't take it, it's just that the credit card has been seeing too much light lately when we "go for a walk" at the mall everyday.  It's best to keep it in the dark where it's safe if you know what I mean.  So all ye mommies out there who live in hot places: what do you do with your little ones?

On another note, I started reading actual non-baby-related books again these past few days which makes me so happy.  I don't know how I had stopped reading after Ethan was born.  Looking back, I should've given up eating instead.

I hope you have a happy weekend!  We're planning on staying indoors :)

In Withdrawal

I'm in withdrawal.  Of my sweet mom.  She came to visit after Leah's wedding and we had too much fun.  The house is so insufferably empty and lonely without her.  I'm sure Ethan would agree if he could only talk.  My favorite thing about having my mom here is that she has immense faith in Ethan and what he's capable of.  When she feeds Ethan, he eats a cow.  Seriously, I never knew my little baby has a bottomless stomach until my mother's arrival.  Her insistence and patience are now my aspirations.  Also, she thought the way Ethan was picking up his food (with his whole hand) was too clumsy so she started showing him how to pick food up with just his thumb and forefinger.  At first I thought it was a lost cause but lo and behold the child only uses those two fingers now when he eats.  She is amazing and we are missing her so so much.

Chicken Alfredo Biscuit Casserole

A ten-month-old is so much fun, especially at meal times.  Ever since Ethan learned how to sit, we've been letting him eat with us at the table.  One of my many hopes for my children is that they will grow up to be adventurous and good eaters and that they will learn to love and appreciate food so we've been slowly introducing "adult" food to Ethan and I'm happy to say that he is an excellent eater.  At nine months old, he started eating what we eat (except for honey and nuts) and it has been working really well.  I love watching him explore new foods and flavors.  Here is his dinner menu for these past few days:

Saturday:  Brown rice, tofu, steamed fish, Chinese kale, Mandarin oranges

Sunday: Hong Kong style BBQ pork (cha siu), choy sum, tofu, watermelon

Monday:  Chicken Alfredo biscuit casserole, blueberries

Tuesday:  Rice, BBQ pork, green beans, mango

Wednesday:  Tortellini pesto soup, rolls

I made this chicken Alfredo casserole on Monday and both of my boys loved it.  It makes me so happy that in addition to Jake, one more person is enjoying my cooking now.

{ Chicken Alfredo Biscuit Casserole }

From Pillsbury

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 jar (16 oz) Alfredo pasta sauce

1/4 cup milk

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed

1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1 can (7.5 oz) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking

spray.

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat.  Cook mushrooms and onion in butter, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in Alfredo sauce, milk, chicken, broccoli and basil. Cook until mixture is thoroughly heated and bubbly, stirring constantly. Spoon into baking dish.

Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit in half crosswise. Arrange around edge of baking dish, overlapping slightly. Drizzle biscuits with melted butter; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.