Cookie Monsters

I'm not expert in cooking or baking but I do enjoy it occasionally. I have been wanting to bake cookies for a long time but somehow my ingredients kept getting expired. Today, I finally gathered enough courage and support to do some baking with the kids.

Preparing the dough was a bit too messy for Alfee so I only let Sophie do it. At first she held back but once her hands were fully submerged in the goo... she was relentless.  

Poor Alfee could only play with the cookie cutters... It wasn't much fun waiting when the dough was hardening in the fridge.

After 10 minutes, we took the dough out and started cutting shapes out. By then Papa could no longer resist so he got his hands dirty too!

I bought the sprinklers a few months ago, but I kept it from Sophie because they really look too pretty not to be used. We have stars, bears and dinosaurs, we also have glitters of assorted colours. Alfee was putting the sprinklers into his mouth instead of onto the cookies. 

Our end product looked quite alright and into our new wall mounted oven they went! Meanwhile, the kids washed their hands. They looked so adorable on the foot stool and washing their hands together. 

I would like to imagine them waiting patiently by the oven and watching the cookie rise in the heat... But that's just a fantasy. We put them in the playroom for 30 minutes of TV so that they would be away from the hot oven.

Now, for the exciting part. I also bought tube icing and decorating tips for the cookie making session. Sophie was eager to try out the tubes of colourful icing. I can't say they were fantastic in their icing bit, but everyone had fun, including Papa. I deliberately stopped myself from directing the process so that everyone could have a go at doing it their own way.

I only showed them what could be done with each type of tip after most of the cookies were decorated. Anyhow, it was the eating part that we cared most. Papa served the kids milk to wash down the cookies. Everyone had a great time doing this and Papa requested for more activities of such in the future.  

Walk About Our Estate

After a nice shower, the sweet smelling kids sat together for some TV time. I love the way they embrace each other so naturally...

Puff, The Magic Dragon

A nice, gentle version of the song. Sophie likes the song and she's currently teaching Alfee how to sing it. And she likes this particular version because the ending is different from the original song. In the original version, Jacky grew up and never return for Puff so Sophie feels very sad. In this version (at least in the illustrations), Jacky grew up and came back with his daughter. And his daughter became Puff's new friend. It provides hope and Sophie, being as empathetic as she is, prefers that. 

Saturday

Sophie was in her art class so we had some time to do some shopping or have a cup of tea. I bought some origami paper to do craft work with Sophie while waiting for Papa and Alfee. Alfee was asleep in the car so they stayed in the car while I walked Sophie to class.

It took us 30 minutes to actually find a place to sit down and have a cuppa. Everywhere was horribly crowded and small. In the end, we settled for Coffee Bean. On the way to fetch her, we got some balloons and tasted some new chocolate favours. 

Today, Sophie finished up an aeroplane that she was making. She used cardboard and other recycled materials. Most of her classmates are Japanese, including her teacher, so I really don't know how she communicated with them. 

We took a walk before heading back. Sometimes, I look at these pictures and I'm amazed how my children have grown up so quickly. I remembered those dark, painful days (and nights) when they were perpetually in my arms and I had to constantly manage them. Nowadays, I can space out every once in a while. I also find it easier to relax now when they are around.  

I always believe in tougher challenges ahead and calmness before a storm. I think as Alfee grows older, he'll want more autonomy and it will be harder to manage him. He's definitely stronger than Sophie physically and I think he has less inhibition. I'm depending on Sophie to be the big sister she is and set good example to Alfee.