Crepes

I try to make crepes/french toast do you all have happy weekend memories like I did

Crepe Recipe

2 cup flour (sifted leads to less lumps), I use a 1/2 measuring cup which I use later

1 tsp of sugar

1/2 tsp of salt

6 eggs

3 cups milk

4 tbps of butter

Heat 1-2 non stick pans on medium heat for several minutes (10 minutes)

Cut up butter and melt in microwave (like 60 at power level 40%, adjust if necessary)

Mixed flour, sugar, salt in on bowl (dump flour through sieve into bowl)

Mixed eggs, milk in another bowl

Pour half liquid into dry bowl and mix until completely mix (half mixing leaves lump_

Dump in melted butter into dry+wet bowl and mix until full incorporated

Pour in rest of liquid and mix well

Coat pan in spray oil (not really necesssary since a lot of butter in mix)

Using the half cup measuring cup you measured the flour in, scoop it to about 3/4 or 5/6 full and dump about 1/3 from the edge into a tilted heated pan and then swirl to full coat pan... wait for 90 seconds, then sneak rubber spatula under and flip, then another 45-60 seconds

I do two pans but it takes practice.

Good luck

Sharing is Caring

 Today, during cooking class... you specifically made extra pieces of toast with jam and nutella for Marlowe (not too sweet) and for Dylan (because she's sick) and I was very proud that when having fun with your own friends, you stopped to think of your sisters and their happiness. I think if everyone stopped once in a while to do something nice for each other, the world will be a better place.

Pedalboats

Today I took you alone onto a pedalboat on Shoreline Lake. You enjoyed exploring the farside of the lake and afterwards yoy really enjoyed the hotdog and secret ice cream you got (that your sisters didn't get). I'm glad you enjoyed it... bit ill tell you a secret i really don't like pedalboats as you already know it hurts my back to pedal in them. It also hurts my knee and its tiring that im always pedaling them alone. But i do it because i know you like them. Thats part of the sacrifice people do for the ones they love. wwhn yoy have kids you might remember this as i now remember the sacrifices my parents made for my happiness as a child.

 maybe we'll go back to rowboats or kayaks in the future... 

Family Portraits

You and Marlowe seem to no longer like taking regular photos posed next to the Android plush toy to record you growth over the years (Dylan who is younger still has fun with it)... we used to do them every month, then last year slowed to every 3 months, now we might do it every 6 months. I figured it's fine since we have some many other photos and videos of you over time as well.

Hopefully in the future you won't get focused with selfie photos and videos. Remember that life it more about experiences and friends and family than it is about how it looks to other people. I feel like too many people used selfies as an aspirational construction of how they want people to think their life is like rather than how it acutally is.

Among Us

  You really like this game call Among US, in which everyone plays as astronauts on a spaceship, expect one person is an "Imposter" out to get the other ones as they try to complete tasks to fix the ship. The others have a discussion to try and identify and vote out the imposter. I hope it encourages of your problem sets and social skills.

Growing up with the Christmas tree

We picked up a Christmas tree... last year you asked for a smaller tree that you could decorate on your own without my carrying you around the tree. This year you got a slightly bigger tree, but were able to decorate it all by yourself with the help of some small Ikea children tablets as platforms.

Ready when your ready

Recently you've been asking to go to kindergarten early because you no longer like Preschool. I wory that the reasons you don't like Pre-school - the increase structure of circle time, the difficult of playing with other kids without being about to socially bond with them... will be only aggravated when you go to kindergarten. You are 4.5 years old and 6 months is a long time, I hope you grow and will be ready to handle the new challenges that await you in kindergarten - but thankfully at this school, I'll also be volunteering in your class two hours a week so I'll be there to help you a little bit (although it is very tiring to volunteer so much at Stevenson).

A Wave Return to the Ocean

Picture a wave in the ocean, you can see it... measure its height, see the light shining off of it, it's there. But then it crashes on the shore and it's gone, but the water is still there. The wave is just a different way of the water to be for a little while, but the wave returns to the ocean, where it came from where it's suppose to be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1IchzbtNj0

The Giving Tree

We've been reading you the book The Giving Tree. At first it sounds like a story about a boy and a loving tree. But it is really a metaphor about how a parent give some much of themselves to their children. I hope one day after you are grown up you'll come visit me like the tree stump. You don't have to do anything. Just sit and rest a while.

Always be yourself

If there is one thing you should realize, it that you will be happiness if you try to be yourself, and not what you think other people want you to be. Your worth as a person does not come from how pretty you are, how high a score you get on a test, or how well you can dance.

Joy of life

You probably are dreaming about how you want to grow up more quickly. But remember all of that comes with more complications. I see you today on how much joy you get out of the simple pleasures. A balloon. A toy bucket. Try to remember to grow up, but don't grow old.

Fasteners

You really like opening and closing buttons, zippers... You can spend over 30 mins on a single jacket

Full of Color

I wanted to post that I really like your crayon drawings... where you have no reservations filling up the entire page with a riot of colors. When I drew as a child, I also only filled up a tiny bit of the space on the paper... I think I was always afraid to "finish" a drawing/painting because that might show some deficiency or imperfection. I think this lack of commitment was limiting me in some regards - so I'm glad that you don't have this worry now... and hopefully still don't have it when you read this. One of the most important things in life is giving it you all.. and being willing to publicly fail in the short term.

Dylan Days

Now that Dylan is out, I've been making extra care to spend 30-60 mins with you (just the two of us, without Marlowe or Dylan). As a not-quite two year old (3 more months) you have a lot of stamina, walking with me halfway around our neighborhood block to investigate the world.

Avoiding Middle Child Syndrome

Hi, today we found out you are going to have a little sister! Now we just wanted to let you know that we are going to do our best to avoid you falling into the middle child syndrome where you feel like your older sister gets all the perks and your younger sister gets all the attention.

Your current favorite book is

"Happy Birthday, Little Pook" by Sarah Boynton. You can pick the book out of the several dozen that sit on the bookshelf. While you can't read yet, you like flipping through the pages.

Presidential Election

Today, Donald Trump was elected president. I don't know what the future holds, but I hope things turn out right for all of us.

Happiness in a Swing

For you life is filled with simple joys... A couple of wishes on a Swing can make your day. Life might complicated sometimes in the future, but remember to give yourself these little moments of zen

Pizza with friends can be better than Cavier alone (most of the time)

Right now we are all eating top notch pizza, and I worry that I’m making you and your sister latent food snobs. While I want you to appreciate good food. I want you also to realize that sometimes it is ok to eat less than awesome food if it means spending an awesome time with friends and family. That doesn’t mean that I don’t personally enjoy doing/eating food alone - don't be afraid of being alone for short periods of time either, I find it quite rejuvenating as an introvert actually.

Just that you should be conscious and accepting of suboptimal circumstances when hanging out with friends. I hope that makes sense.

Fake it till you become it

This is actually based on a lot of scientific studies, but not only does our posture communicate non-verbal cues to others, it actually subconsciously guides our own emotions. I know it's weird, but our brains have trouble knowing what emotions we are feeling and takes cues from our own self-image to figure it you. So standing tall and proud will actually make you a little prouder and a little bolder. This is why gymnasts and swimmer do their victory pose BEFORE their routine... to be themselves in the best mindset.