like mother, like daughter

I think every parent has traits, beliefs, traditions and habits that they hope to pass on to their children. I certainly do. There are times that I do things and hope that my children learn from example and follow in the footsteps of their mother. Not very often, but sometimes. This isn't necessarily one of those things.

I walked in the kitchen a while back and this was the scene before me. I knew exactly what she was doing and why she was doing it.

Look closely at the thing in her ear. It's an orange wire connector that has been in the kitchen for a while. I'll bet there isn't an ENT in the country who recommends sticking one in your ear, but I know why it's there. Have you ever had sensory overload when 3 kids are swarming around you telling you everything that comes to mind and asking you the same questions over and over? Me too! This occurs most often between 4:00 and 5:30 when I'm trying to make dinner and Adam isn't home yet. I think most mom's feel that this is the hardest time of day. It's probably why "they" created happy hour, but since I don't imbibe, I find other relaxation techniques. To ease the insanity I sometimes wear orange earplugs during the nerve grating time of day. I can hear everything, it just takes it down a notch.

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More often than not I have a dish rag or a cooking utensil in my hand and hopefully a fairly pleasant look on my face, just like Cecily. So I'm sure when she dragged her chair over to the sink and saw the orange connector, she knew just what to do. Stick it in her ear.

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Maybe tomorrow she'll do a few loads of laundry and drive Eli to school.

*Forgive the asteriks, it won't let me create paragraphs in the second half of the post. Dumb computers.

Gonna keep 'em swinging baby, he's a real wild child

I feel confident that if I asked Eli what he loved to do most in life being on his bike would be at least part of his answer. He LOVES his bike. There are mornings when he wakes up and before going to the bathroom, changing his clothes or eating breakfast he puts on his helmet. The first word he ever read was "bell" because that's what it says on the front of his helmet.


We knew last year when he learned how to ride on two wheels without any instruction or help that he would be a good rider. Duh. So, he was nothing short of giddy when he found out they would be having a "trikeathon" at his school. We talked about it everyday. He wanted to take his bike 2 weeks in advance until he realized that if he did he wouldn't be able to ride it until then. Finally the big day arrived and he was thrilled. Here is a typical picture of the scene on that day. Lots of tricycles and bright and shiny new two wheelers with training wheels. The kids were all so cute and cautious. Then there was Eli. Dirt all over his bike from many puddles, bent and rusty handlebars, and zero tread on his back wheel from skidding out. It is his most beloved item.

Keeping Eli contained is a trick and not one I find much value in unless we're at a church meeting or attempting to refuel him (both difficult but important tasks). He spends lots of time riding up and down the sidewalk and he's pretty good at staying where he's supposed to be and checking in often. Last weekend Eli was out for a ride as usual and he ran inside and said "I have some tricks to show you but Mom and Dad both have to come out." I rounded up Adam and out we went. I thought he might show us that he could ride with no feet, or stop really fast but I certainly wasn't prepared for this. I mean, he's just 4.

Trick #1 - Feet through the handlebars. I really fought back the urge to freak out. Can you imagine what would happen if he fell over? I've learned with Eli that warning him or forbidding him from doing something is usually just a challenge for him so unless he's in spiritual or SERIOUS physical danger it's better to just let him go for it. I remember when he was trying to jump down the stairs from the landing to the basement and he was barely 3. I thought about it for the split second I had and said "Jump REALLY hard Eli or you'll go "splat"." I knew he would jump anyway so I might as well offer advice. I probably wouldn't feel this way if he didn't always pull off all of his physical feats of daring with out as much as a scrape. Anyway...

Trick #2 -Knees on the seat!

Trick #3 - feet on the seat!?! Even Nate, who is usually with him, doesn't know how he learned these tricks. I think he just tries whatever he thinks of and has the confidence to think he can pull it off. He went on to show us how he can stop his bike by putting his feet on either side of the front wheel and a few others that I can't remember and didn't take pictures of.

So after the show, we wandered in saving our lectures for another time. I've only known one kid just like Eli and last I knew he was being filmed in Nepal kayaking down some of the most treacherous waters in the world. Good thing Eli only wants to be a fire fighter.

This one's for you Tiff!

Lame picture eh? Sorry, I tried.

Here is my recipe. It has a few added details that I hope make it easier to understand, but might just make it more confusing. Hope not.

Taiwanese Dumplings

1 head Chinese cabbage (nappa)
1 bunch green onions
2+ inch piece of fresh ginger grated with small grater
1 tsp. sesame oil
1-1 ½ lb. unseasoned ground pork
2-3 pkg. wonton wraps
½ c. soy sauce
½ c. seasoned rice vinegar
Several drops of sesame oil

Clean and trim then finely chop the Chinese cabbage and green onions (if you use a food processor be careful not to puree by emptying frequently). Amy note: we usually wrap the green onions in the cabbage then process. It gives the green onions the stability they need for the food processor. Place the cabbage/onion mixture in a sieve (amy note: or the middle of a large dish towel) and squeeze most of the liquid out in the sink, you won’t need it later. You now have a dry pulpy mixture. In a large bowl add the ginger, sesame oil and pork. Mix with your hands, using your fingers like a rake.

Bring a Large pot of water to boil. If you have a pot with a pasta insert (I don’t know what they’re called) they are very handy. If not, you’ll just have to fish your dumplings out with a sieve or slotted spoon.

Lay out 20(ish) wonton wraps on a clean, dry surface. Work somewhat quickly since the wraps will dry out. Place a small spoonful of the meat mixture in the center of each wrap. Using your finger, wet the edges of the wrap with water (about a finger-width wide) and fold in half, creating a triangle. Press edges firmly to seal. Amy note: I usually fold my wraps a little fancier, but a triangle will do just fine. Continue until full batch is sealed. Place batch into the boiling water, one or two at a time. When all of the dumplings are in slowly stir a few times to make sure that none of the dumplings are stuck to each other or to the bottom of the pot. If they are stuck to the bottom, gently nudge them off with your spoon. Bring water back to a boil. Boil dumplings for 3 minutes. Remove from boiling water with a slotted spoon or sieve and spread them out on a cookie sheet so none of the dumplings are stuck together. Once they cool, they can be piled on one another, but if you pile them initially, you’ll have a mess. Continue until all of the meat mixture is gone. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar and a few drops of sesame oil. Stir. Pour in individual bowls or ramekins for each person to dip dumplings in.

Having someone to help you is great! That way you can be continually folding and boiling.
Leftovers can be pan fried (be warned, they’ll stick to your pan like crazy!), added to broth soup for wonton soup or just re-warmed by microwaving or quickly re-boiling.


ENJOY!!! I hope you love them as much as my family does! Questions???