Week one of our New Years resolution: No social media on Friday and Saturday evenings for me and no ‘at home’ work for Pa-Bumpy (PB). Worked well, except that driving in the car alone with PB was ‘BORING’. He’s not a chatty person, tries hard but when he starts talking retirement and suggestions on where we can live when we are old you know we are at the end of the road! Conversation wise, not lifeline! Car travel is where I love the freedom of tweeting with my tweep world. Usually I’m in the bus doing all the driving, day in and day out so it’s a rare opportunity. Sadly my itching fingers had to entwine themselves and play together for company while my mind screamed ‘tweet, tweet’.
Saturday was a hot day so the kids wore themselves outside with water play on the slipNslide. Thankfully our land is sloped so it’s not hard to slide, it is perhaps harder to stop!
We adults took up a date night, thanks to our awesome teens who willingly (honest!) stepped in as supervisors and babysitters. It’s been many years of not going out to reach this point where we can begin to enjoy some freedom. Even then I ensure the little ones are mostly asleep before I leave.
Having seen a very yummy food pic fly across my instagram from Perth food blogger PerthMunchkin who I trust, so when she says something is yummy I’m sitting closer to listen! This pic was from a relatively new Indian Cuisine restaurant. VARQ Indian Cuisine which has been opened for six months on Cambridge Street, Wembley. We were not disappointed. The food was amazing, as was the price, always extra important when raising 8 kids. Great evening, great food, great company, BORING drive home I really miss twitter (sorry PB).
Entree: Mixed platter from Varq
Sunday came and I had shown PB another Perth food blog this time justagirlfromaamchimumbai.com This one blogs her own dishes from India with great photo’s to tantalise the tastebuds. PB set about making the Drunk Pork Curry, only we forgot the booze from the shop so the pork wasn’t drunk! It tasted fantastic if not a little in need of being drunk, note to self to stock up on cooking booze!
Pork Curry being cooked up by PB.
Meanwhile the kids, yes the kids. Mustn’t forget about the kids hey! Having attended church earlier in the day, we dropped by the chinese grocery store to stock up on all things that a china man and his china kids might need to survive a week. NOODLES! Oh and not forgetting ingredients for the upcoming pork curry. Next door just happens to be a Chinese restaurant ‘Mr Ho’s’ and me being me states “Hey I know, let’s have a spontaneous family lunch!” then I won’t have to go home and make lunch in this heat
PB gives me a bemused stare, I re-assure him that the kids are older and we’ll never, ever know if we don’t ever, ever go! (I should have been a politician).
So in we all go and what-do-ya-know there’s a table for 10 empty, set and ready. They must have known from the fortune cookies that we were coming. FYI, it was great. Mr Toddy threw one hissy fit when I said NO to the sprite offered by the kind waitress, water is more than good enough for enthusiastic, energetic, wriggly kids!
Later that evening, after the kids had enjoyed a lunch outing, a long stint in the swimming pool and an early ‘movie’ session (in-home style) I decided it was a good time to begin some public outing training. Begin is probably the wrong word because I throw this in every chance I get in every day life. However, to really prepare a child to successfully join the family in bigger outings such as restaurants without the wild child behaviour often seen, training is required. I’m aiming for the evening time restaurant visits, a little more up market than lunch.
On this occasion I made simple desserts because we don’t usually do desserts as a regular daily event. A simple fruit salad and custard in a fancy serving glass (made of plastic). The kids were excited, versed/taught and nagged about polite table manners and then let loose from the start gate. All but one made me proud and it wasn’t Mr Toddy who failed! At three years of age I would expect him to fumble. Instead another totally lost all manners scooped up the bowl/glass and began to drink dessert. ((SHOCK, HORROR)). I feigned horrified surprise and acted like a stunned patron at a fancy restaurant. The child saw their error and corrected themselves. Downright awesome! Remember, I’m dealing with learning disabilities and damaged early years. Not the regular, smooth functioning, age appropriate child.
Simply, elegant dessert.
So there you go, my weekend in one post! Oh and I think we may have nailed plans for TJTeens birthday party. Fingers crossed!
