Month: December 2007

Scenes and Stuff

I’ve started this post about three times now and it just doesn’t read right.
All stilted.
Try-hard-ish.
Trying to be funny but coming across more grrrr.

We’re two nights into the creation of Jasper and Grover’s room (as there is Oscar and Felix’s room) and it is going remarkably well in that Jasper is sleeping through Grover’s waking.

At least someone is.

See, there’s the grrrr.

I’m just so freakin’ tired. Last night was 1am, 4am, and 5am.
The night before I actually got SIX hours unbroken sleep and that was a first in about 12 weeks. The normal night is a wake-up at 12, 3,4 and 5.
HOPELESS.
I know I need to be doing something about it.
Not getting the mammaries out as a starting point.
But I know that there shall be much crying and wailing.
And people, this little guy is the smiliest, happiest little sprogget and I just can’t do it to him.
And yes, I know how EFFING STUPID that sounds.

And I can feel this post going the way of the others before it. So instead, some pictures:

Sitting:
More Thomas the Effing Engine:

So how do you get your son to finally cut his hair short after refusing to do so for two years?

One word.

Nits.
or
Lice.
or simply put…

GROSS.

I had been threatening – in a loving caring way mind you – that the feral rats nest mop full head of ever-longer hair was going to have to come off.

Then the last few weeks days there had been so much scratching of the scalp. To the point last week even Felix said, ‘I think I have nits’.
I reassured him he didn’t as I routinely look through my kids’ hair as I am a chimp quite partial to any surface with picking potential.
Then yesterday we went to the zoo and it was so hot and there was so much scratching I just came over all parental and said that was it and the hair was coming off.
And when I went to cut it there THEY were.

CUE ALL OVER BODY SHIVER.

Grossest of the grosses.

Needless to say this is our FIRST ever encounter with the nit.

I’m now fairly convinced I have them as I can’t stop scratching.

Anyway, while I KNOW I only needed to wash his pillow slip, all bedding of both big boys has been washed today.

What I want to know is why the stunning animals verge on extinction, the filthy little nit lives on long and strong?
OH WHAT A SEGUE!

Yesterday we had a whole family outing.
It meant calling out the big guns of the HUMMER of a stroller. The one I never take anywhere because it’s too wide, too big, too everything for anywhere in the developed world. Except the zoo*.
Which really says a LOT.

We went here. (CUE: gratuitous showing off of a typical Sydney summer’s day from the ZOO)
Yes, while Sydney’s zoo has a wonderful view, it comes because the zoo is built into a CLIFF FACE. Which means very steep CLIFFS to walk up and down. I’ve documented my hatred of the zoo before and if I was in a better mood I’d link you back to those posts but I’m not. So there.

But I have to admit it was fun.
We went as a family with our friends the Ds.
The kids were fantastic. Keeping each other in check, never running off, not whinging and just adding to the whole lovely experience.

For the Jasper boy it was his first zoo visit that meant anything. He was IN HEAVEN.


Zebras freak me out in an almost similar way to clowns, but that’s for another day.

Scenes from the Indian FEAST:
My homemade paneer, which I marinated in youghurt, coriander, green chilli and then baked. OMG. SO GOOD.
The slow roasted lamb shank roganjosh and the lentil and split pea dahl. I realise now that photographed Indian food looks a lot like vomit. Sorry about that.
the table:
*****
Tomorrow my birth mother, H, turns 50.
We’re going to see her and spend the day with her (my?) family.
We haven’t seen each other in some time.
I keep saying it isn’t intentional, but I think that’s like when people say ‘I don’t mean to be rude but…’
I do know that I have probably held back from keeping in regular contact with H because we live with Mum, who just comes unhinged in the most ‘I’m fine’ unhinged imaginable when I even mention H’s name.
Which is interesting in and of itself as she adores my birth father, his wife and their kids and who curiously I see a lot more of than I have H.
I can’t wait.
*****
Tomorrow night we’re having dinner at a friend’s place who we haven’t seen in about a year.
She’s organised a jumping castle for the kids.
A good day looms.

* and walks… which was the real reason I got it as even though Oscar was of an age he could have walked/scootered or ridden a bike he couldn’t so I needed a double stroller for him and Felix that could hold an older child.

Be still my giddy aunt

From Joke. I am far from innocent but this is just my thing:

Aftermath #2

Grover decided to start sitting unassisted (as in not leaning on his hands) on Christmas Day.
*****
Last night I moved Grover into Jasper’s cot in Jasper’s room, as we moved Jasper into a big bed (again) about two weeks ago (after the first attempt came undone by the cat jumping on his bed in the middle of the night and scaring the poor child half to death. Stupid cat.).
It was relatively uneventful in terms of Grover’s night waking disturbing Jasper, except for the 4am where the hell am I wailing.
I am sure it has been less eventful due to Jasper receiving a Thomas the Effing Engine doona cover and pillow slip from Nana and Grandpa for Christmas. A gift he carries around the house with him wherever he goes. Just incase he needs a lie down.
*****
I really need to start feeding Grover solids in a more consistent way as I SWEAR last night I saw him salivating as we ate a very basic chicken stir-fry for dinner.
If I could just stop cooking for bigger children and grown-ups to spend some time making some purees.
*****
Today is probably the first day in living memory that the house seems relaxed.
The boys are playing beautifully with each other.
Virtually no compulsory sibling antagonising whatsoever.
The sun is shining in that gloriously Sydney shiny way.
There is a light and cooling onshore breeze wafting through the house.
There is much cooking taking place but it is being done in a calm and orderly fashion.
Felix is upstairs with Grandmama learning how to play Monopoly.
Oscar is playing on his Nintendo DS.
Grover is crawling (and sitting) around the back room in his dedicating quest to find an abandoned Croc to chew on.
Jasper is having a nap.
There’s two loads of washing on the line and another ready to be hung out to dry.
It’s quiet, calm and relaxed.
And I’m struggling to remember the last time I felt like that.
Ever.
*****
I do believe that Crocs are to shoes what cockroaches are to the insect kingdom, tainting the whole spectrum of footwear and yet the most indestructible and prolific of the species.
*****
Is it bad that I took the Christmas Tree down yesterday?
It was dead.
I was absolutely sick of sweeping up ALL THE FREAKIN’ pine needles
It was wreaking all kind of hellish HAVOC with my allergies
Not having the lounge room how it’s meant to be was making my neck itch
The children didn’t seem to care one iota.
*****

The aftermath

I fear I will never get to the bottom of all the PILES OF CRAP littering our house.
EVAH.
Every meal is a MEAL, if you get my drift.
So many plates and cups and JUST USE THE SAME GLASS FOR TWO DRINKS already.
And having Chef home making 2 LITRES of ice cream every day isn’t helping.

There’s a load of washing I’ve now had to wash THREE times. One of my goals today is to HANG OUT THE FREAKING WASHING.

That said, tomorrow is my MIL’s birthday and we’re I’m cooking an Indian FEAST for the whole fam this evening. Made from scratch:

  • Butter chicken – not your creamy pink crapola from the bain marie, but thigh fillets marinated in a spice blend of coriander seeds, cloves, cardamom pods, tumeric and chilli then cooked in a sauce laden with slow-cooked onions, garlic, ginger, green chilli peppers and then a more than GENEROUS heaving dollop of cream and butter.
  • Lamb Roganjosh – think lamb shanks marinated in yoghurt then mixed with slow-cooked onions, garlic, ginger, tumeric and then SLOW ROASTED in a low oven for SEVEN HOURS overnight. The meat just melted off the bone this morning and it tastes deliciously complex and comforting all at the same time.
  • Baked paneer – homemade paneer cheese (that’s right – HOME MADE) marinated in yoghurt, saffron, green chillies and then baked until golden.
  • Lentil and split pea dahl – a new dish to the repertoire that is about to be made.

I do a seriously sublime fish curry, but to be honest I just can’t quite muster the energy to go to the fish shop to get the fillets, so it’s been sacrificed for the baked paneer.

My SIL is bringing bread and condiments.

Dessert – because clearly we’re all going to be STARVING – will be a trio of homemade ice-cream (vanilla, honey with hazlenut praline, chocolate) with mango and butterscotch sauces.

It will be all of Chef’s family, who I love and adore.
There will be a level of FOOLISH consumption of sparkling shiraz and wine.

Maple glazed ham

So seven years ago I saw a recipe from Matt Moran, the executive chef at Aria, for a glaze for your Christmas ham and I decided that was it, I was going to do a warm glazed leg of ham for Christmas. It was a first. That is shocking I know, but I do not recall ever having warm ham EVER before that date. Sure, there was ham served at family Christmas gatherings, but it was always cold and I never recall seeing a whole leg in any form of presentation whatsoever. True story. I know. Sometimes even I am surprised I can boil water coming from that culinary wasteland.

So I’ve now done a glazed ham every year. Normally our local butcher delivers the goods, but this year we went all out and got a kurobuta leg from the GOD OF BUTCHERY, Vic’s Meats. It was in a completely different league of SENSATIONAL.

Maple glazed leg of ham
Matthew Moran, Aria

  • 1 leg ham
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp mustard powder
  • 1x410g can of pineapple rings in natural syrup (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 180C
  2. Gently coax skin off the leg, leaving the fat intact
  3. Score the fat into a diamond pattern and stab a clove into each corner
  4. Cook the ham for 45 minutes
  5. Mix the glaze ingredients together, place the pineapple rings on the ham and then pour the glaze over the ham
  6. Cook the ham for a further 45 minutes, basting occasionally
  7. Eat eat eat.