Lil Chef

Ajib's Frice Rice

Liya's Fried Rice

Yesterday’s menu for lunch was fried rice. The main ingredients were fish balls and crab sticks. I made egg ‘crepe’ and decorated the plates with spring onions and carrot ‘flowers.’

Ajib insisted to help me in the kitchen the moment he saw me wearing the apron. I wrapped him with a blue apron and asked him to wash his hands.

He was so sure that he could do some real chef tricks. I gave him a table knife (blunt ok) and let Ajib cut the fishballs which I have into halves. Ajib did not complain nor did he quit in the middle of the job. Very handy!

Liya loved the fried rice and asked for more. She said I must pack it as her lunch at school. I had enjoyed preparing lunch but more happily getting extra little hands from my adorable Ajib.

Apple Raisin Pastry

I was dicing the apples when Liya and Ajib fought to have better view. It was settled a few minutes later when each took turn coming near me. Something distracted them so they left the kitchen for a while. I felt relief because I wanted to caramelize the sugar before adding some apple juice.

Liya and Ajib returned and insisted to help. We used the thawed pastry sheets. Since we only planned to bake for only 6 apple puffs, each was given a chance to pinch the edges. They loved the hands-on activity – folding the pastry sheets, arranging them on the baking pan, cubing apples, playing with raisins, thumb-pressing… So, lessons learnt today were: the OVEN is HOT, consume LESS sugar, counting numbers (slicing, dicing, cutting), electricity for the oven and a little love in homemade cooking.

All-rounder Mama

Mom Does It All

One should not ask what a Mama can do for her child/children. A modern Mama is not only drives the kids around (to/fro school, ballet class, music class, tuition, birthday parties,etc.) but she is also expected to cook, bake, sew, does artwork, read, write and so on.

In my case, my Liya and Ajib love reading story books, drawing and colouring. Liya in particular loves doing the jigsaw puzzles. I am now polishing my sketching skills and mostly I must brush my patience. You know, kids always ask us to read at odd times while we have a ladle in our hands or while we are typing business proposals.

Parenting is more on participative side rather than authoritative. Parenting is not by watching the children to do things but we are actively involved in reading and drawing.

For now, I am teaching Liya to differentiate a statement and a dialogue when reading. This makes reading livelier and more fun.