The strange place called the county fair

A county fair is a strange occurrence, if you really think about it. If it was just Shearn Yoong and me, we would have let this week pass in normal fashion and no special trips to fields in the middle of nowhere. But it is not just Shearn Yoong and me. There are two small boys who absolute DELIGHT in the county fair. Benji asks about it every couple of months and looks forward to it all year long. Zac likely will follow in suit this year since he is more verbal now.

The county fair is one of those things, those things that seem to be increasing in number, that really would hold no interest whatsoever to us adults but suddenly holds immense interest because they give joy to our children. (Note: Touch-a-truck is another such event. I mean, touching trucks - totally doesn't do anything for me. Also parades with emergency vehicles. Okay, I'll stop, but you get the picture.)

Seeing animals in small stalls, riding rickety rides, and eating funnel cake never was so much fun ... until we had kids. Just another reason for all of our childless friends to get with the program!

Benji looks miserable but I swear he wasn't really. I included this picture of Zac since his smile was just so cute.

Who needs to go to Disney world (another place I would never voluntarily go unless under coercion from my kid) to ride in tea cups? Just head to the Washington County Fairgrounds.

This picture is not that great but perhaps you can see the sense of fun in the face of both Daddy and son's faces. Zac was too short to do bumper cars, even when accompanied by an adult, but we had fun watching from the sidelines.

Don't worry

Two nights ago I was late coming home for dinner because I spent the afternoon with my mom. The boys went ahead and ate without me. So I sat down to eat by myself once I arrived home, asking if either of the kids wanted to join me to keep me company. Zac was too busy playing with toys, but Benji said he'd come sit with me. But after a few minutes, he thought of some pressing concern that he needed to attend to (probably involving toys as well), so he told me, "I'm going to go, but don't worry - God will be with you." And let me tell you, God was a great dinner companion that evening! :)

The bare necessities

Yesterday afternoon was less than perfect - for a variety of reasons which don't need to be re-hashed here. However, it got me thinking... what are "essential" for me to have a "good day?" Of course, I realize that I live in a first world country, which means my day is filled with luxury, so I really should just shut up and be grateful... that being said....

Essentials that I need in my day to make it a "good day":

1) a cup of coffee
2) some silence in the day (too much noise is just not good for me)
3) a few moments of prayer (even if it's a few minutes here and a few minutes there)
4) a short rest period mid-afternoon (again, only a few minutes is necessary but it's vital)

Now, for other things that are not essential but still VERY nice:

1) a glass of wine
2) Bible reading time
3) exercise of some sort

Now, if anybody still reads this blog (which is debatable due to our lack of posting), I'd love to hear what are your "essential" list and your "very nice to have" list.

California 2009 Vacation

Here's a photo slideshow of our recent (by that I meant one month ago!) trip to Cali. As always, it was fun to see old friends and families. We had a great time!!!!

Observations from the mall

My lovely mother took care of the boys this morning to let me get a run in and also do some errands by myself. Lots of in and out, which is just more fun without two kids in tow. (Plus I'm sure they had more fun swimming and going to the park than getting in and out of the car with me.) One of the stops was the mall. It's been awhile since I've been to the mall and several things stuck out to me:

1) I am just too old to shop at some stores. I perused Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe and did not find a single item that looked good on me. Yes, I'm technically still in my 20's until next year, but I guess it's just too far above 21 to work for me.

2) Why does Abercrombie and Fitch feel it necessary to pump so much cologne into their store that it causes that entire wing of the mall to stink??

3) I do not know why people bring kids (sometimes many kids) shopping with them to the mall and expect to have fun and/or actually do shopping. I see a lot of people stressed out. I guess this is why I don't make it very often... but when I do go, it's a pleasurable experience.

Okay, enough thoughts about the mall... off to get something actually accomplished!

Zac the camera man

We bought ourselves a new camera "for Christmas" (an excuse to buy ourselves a camera, right?). I don't really want the boys to use the new one, but I'm fine with them using the older one, which is still in perfect working order (just less pixels per inch and all that stuff). Here are two shots from Zac from yesterday. There were lots of others not worth posting here, but I thought these two were quite nice.

Benji with his seal pup

Self-portrait of Zac's eye

Swim lessons for Benji

The teachers let the kids jump off the diving board or go down the slide at the end of every lesson. It was definitely the highlight for Benji. He is one fearless boy.

Future graduates?

The reason why I need to wear foundation everyday

Recently Benji was coloring during his "rest time" (what he does instead of "nap time" since he has gotten too old for naps) and he came to ask me what color he should use to color the astronaut's face. I suggested yellow since we have no cream colored markers - just the typical Crayola colors. He said, "No, it should be red since you have a red face." Great! Even my kid thinks my face is red. All the more reason to not skip foundation any day. It takes a lot of work to be presentable - even if it's a "home day" just with the kids. :)

Yummy recipe

Benji and I cooked this for dinner tonight, and it was enjoyed by all.

Crispy Zucchini and Potato Pancakes

Ingredients

• Vegetable cooking spray
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and grated
• 2 medium zucchini, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus leaves, for garnish
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 1/2 cups mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet, liberally, with vegetable cooking spray. Set aside

Lay the potatoes and zucchini on 2 kitchen towels. Bring the corners of the towels together and squeeze out the moisture from the vegetables. Place the vegetables in a large bowl. Add the garlic, chopped rosemary, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, egg whites, salt, and pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the vegetable mixture to the pan. Using a spatula, press the mixture evenly into the pan. Drizzle the top with olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Cook for 8 minutes or until the edges of the mixture begin to brown. Slide the pancake, cooked side down, onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top of the pancake starts to brown and the edges are crispy.

In a small bowl, beat the mascarpone until smooth and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cut the pancake into 1 1/2-inch squares and arrange on a serving platter. Pipe or spoon the seasoned mascarpone on top and garnish with a few fresh rosemary leaves.

(notes: I used sour cream instead of the mascarpone and also needed to cook the pancake longer on the stove AND in the oven to achieve a crunchy texture)