Last week we marked 60 days of school closure. It sounds really long but somehow it hasn’t felt like that. It’s strange to think that we have been sheltering-in-place since before both my kids had their birthdays, since before spring break, and now we are in the last month or so of school. I’ve been reading that some places (like the city’s programmes) are planning summer camps (of course there have also been other news like a major summer camp company cancelling all their camps completely – and not giving refunds!).

I had been waiting and trying to decide and had not signed the boys up for summer camps in the Before. So now I’m glad I had waited because who knows what will be happening in the next few months. At this point, I’m still not comfortable with them going to be in a camp with strangers. And so I will have to figure out some summer fun of our own.

What about you? Do you have summer plans?

Some things we did last week…

Currently…

 

Reading:

The Three Body Problem – Liu Cixin

The Bridegroom was a dog – Yoko Tawada

 

 

Watching:

Dead to Me Season 2

 

Listening:

I just finished Frankly in Love yesterday so have not figured out my next audiobook.

 

Eating:

Homemade scones

Drinking:

Tea

Cooking:

Lots of vegetables! I had a big order from an online Asian grocer and I have a big bag of broccoli and another of bok choy.

Last week:

I read:

Frankly in Love – David Yoon
The Fall – Tracy Townsend

I posted:

The Nine by Tracy Townsend #review

Library Loot (May 13 to 19)

Recent DNF books #TopTenTuesday

 

 

 

 

Hello and happy Monday. Hope you all had a good weekend! I had a nice Mother’s Day on Sunday, with a big sushi feast for dinner.

A little Mother’s Day present to myself was that I got to pick up some plants I had ordered from our local ecology centre – I got some sage, thyme, a mini bell pepper, a tomato plant, and hyssop anise.

And unfortunately I can’t do much in the garden for the next few days. I seem to have done something to my knee and it’s been hurting when walking around and if it’s bent for too long.

 

 

Currently…

 

Reading:

 

The Three Body Problem – Liu Cixin
America is Not the Heart – Elaine Castillo
 

Watching:

Dead to Me season 2

Listening:

 

Eating:

For breakfast this morning, toast with butter

 

Drinking:

Tea

Cooking:

With my grocery delivery last week, I can make some spaghetti carbonara with bacon. I had been trying to get my hands on Parmesan for a while and finally got it!

My kids aren’t fans of carbonara though but too bad. We are not the kind of family with different meals for kids and adults, unless I am cooking something specifically spicy, especially with a premade paste like laksa. I sometimes sneak in chili flakes into my pasta in an attempt to get the kids to be able to eat spicy food (still not working).

Last week:

I read:

This Could Be Home – Pico Iyer
The Nine – Tracy Townsend

I posted:

Very veggie risotto #WeekendCooking

Library Loot (May 6 to 12)

 

 

 

Oops I managed to see the calendar wrongly and thought May 2 was Monday. The days seem to pass by so differently these days and I feel like I get mixed up even more.

I’m at a bit of a loss of what to update this week. Let’s see….

The kids’ teachers had Thursday and Friday to do some distance learning education with the rest of the school district. So they didn’t assign much work, but had the kids mostly catch up on other stuff outstanding or upcoming projects and presentations. Instead we did lots of reading, some science online stuff on Brainpop and Mystery Science and did lots of exercise like walking, biking, and running around the backyard with water guns. They had a blast.

Let’s see what else…they also made a brownie together. They did pretty much all the work – I helped with the chopping of the chocolate, taking things in and out of the microwave and the oven.

 

Other things eaten this week…

Japanese curry – the meal that keeps on going. I made one big pot with chicken, carrots, broccoli stems, and cabbage. The four of us ate it for two dinners, and there was still enough for lunch for the husband and myself the third day. There wasn’t enough rice for myself though so I cooked some instant noodles and poured the curry on top.

Our local ramen place was open again this weekend and we were happy to do some takeout from there. The kids love the lychee slush too and I discovered it could be quite yummy with some gin! 🙂

 

 

 

Currently…

 

Reading:

 

The Nine – Tracy Townsend

 

 

Watching:

 

Nadiya’s Time to Eat on Netflix

I watched the first episode before lunch and thought, hey that’s what I can make for lunch. She beats up some eggs, pours it into a frying pan, puts on some sliced mushrooms, then places on top a tortilla which has been slathered with some tomato paste on one side. Press the tortilla onto the omelette, cook for 30 seconds then flip over and cook on the tortilla side. Roll it up. I didn’t have mushrooms but I had cheese and spring onions and thought, hey that makes for a different kind of tortilla lunch. It was quick and easy. I’ll try it next time with mushrooms, maybe ham. Definitely the cheese too.

Listening:

Frankly in Love – David Yoon

 

Eating:

I’m writing this on Sunday afternoon so I just had the takeout from our local ramen place. I like their chicken katsu bowl.

Drinking:

Lychee slush with some gin in it

Cooking:

Japchae or Korean-style sweet potato noodles

Some thing with Mahi-mahi. I happened to get some frozen mahi-mahi in our last delivery. Not sure what to cook with it yet.

Maybe risotto, if I can find some parmesan!

Last week:

I read:

 

Spider-Man/Deadpool Vol 1  – Joe Kelly
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous – Ocean Vuong
Spider-Man/Deadpool Vol 2  – Scott Aukern
The Master Chocolatier Vol 1 – Benedicte Goudon
Hungry Hearts – Elsie Chapman and Caroline Tung Richmond (eds)
Undercover Bromance – Lyssa Kay Adams

I posted:

Diverse YA and MG books I wish I had read as a tween #TopTenTuesday

Library Loot (April 29 – May 5)

#BookBeginnings #Friday56

 

 

Hi, it’s Monday again. How was your weekend?

My younger son had a birthday on Friday and we had cake and presents and Skype calls from grandparents in Singapore.

I wrote more about the birthday cake and also the first time I made bagels here. 

Also it was readathon Saturday and while I didn’t actively participate, I did manage to get through the first two volumes of Kate Bishop and a good part of The Bromance Book Club, which I ended up finishing on Sunday.

 

 

 

Currently…

 

Reading:

Undercover Bromance – Lyssa Kay Adams

 

Watching:

Terrace House

Listening:

 

Eating:

Drinking:

Coffee

Cooking:

I had a couple of grocery deliveries last week. I’ve been ordering these organic produce boxes from an online Asian grocer once in a while. The boxes’ items change every few days and this time it had eggs and milk and tofu, and a variety of vegetables and fruits, all organic.

I was thinking of using the broccoli for some baked pasta, maybe with chicken or bacon or sausage.

The romaine we eat at lunch as salad or with sandwiches. The cabbage will go into noodles and noodle soup, maybe with the tofu which I will pan fry.

Last week:

I read:

 

Tomboy – Liz Prince
The Well of Ascension – Brandon Sanderson
Kate Bishop vol 1 – Kelly Thompson
The Bromance Book Club – Lyssa Kay Adams
Kate Bishop vol 2 – Kelly Thompson

I posted:

Bagels and a birthday cake #WeekendCooking

Library Loot (April 22 to 28)

Titles that would make great band names #TopTenTuesday

 

 

 

Oh it’s Monday again. Hello hello. How are you?

The kids had Spring Break last week. Of course it was Stay-Home-Spring-Break so we did a lot of at-home things like watching TV, playing Nintendo Switch, colouring, doing crafts, reading, scootering around, cycling, board games, and Lego.

We also watched the 25th anniversary Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall over the weekend. What fun! Well the kids watched part of it – it’s very long after all. They do know some of the songs. And on Monday, the 9yo took out his piano book and started playing Phantom of the Opera which he had played for piano class last year.

Otherwise the weekend was the usual, with us trying to support local restaurants with takeout, doing some cycling (I jog while the kids cycle – I am not fond of jogging but ah well, I’m trying something to incorporate more exercise and get them out of the house sometimes).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Currently…

 

Reading:

The Well of Ascension – Brandon Sanderson
Hungry Hearts – Elsie Chapman and Caroline Tung Richmond (eds)

 

 

 

Watching:

The Good Fight – I’m on to Season 3 now.

Listening:

 

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous – Ocean Vuong

 

Eating:

Homemade waffles for breakfast

Drinking:

Coffee

Cooking:

 

It’s my younger boy’s birthday this Friday so I’m guessing he’ll ask for burgers or pizza (probably both). So I’ll be making pizza probably and we can get burgers as takeout.

Browsing:

Last week:

I read:

Unicorn Bowling (Phoebe and her Unicorn #9) – Dana Simpson
Tomboy – Liz Prince
There’s Something about Sweetie –  Sandhya Menon
Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know – Samira Ahmed

I posted:

 

Gideon the Ninth

 

Library Loot (April 15 to 21)

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Break started on Friday but the kids’ teachers had two days of online learning before that, so there was minimal school work on Wednesday and Thursday. The teachers instead encouraged the kids to read more, do those online educational websites that are everywhere (among others, Dreambox, Zearn, Freckle, Think Central, Mystery Science).

We also worked on getting plenty of exercise – it was nice weather, scootering and playing in the backyard, working on weeding the yard, walks around the neighbourhood. We also started doing some GoNoodle. Yes, another app but I like their short videos with exercise, mindfulness, dance parties and more.

We’ll of course been on a stay home Spring Break although I’m not sure how exactly to occupy these kids all day. There will definitely be screen time and video game time but also we will do some drawing, lots of reading, and lots of playing in the backyard.

Some stuff we ate last week. We tried out a new-to-us fusion food, Indian-style pizza. We ordered a tikka paneer pizza and also a regular meat pizza for the kids. I really enjoyed the garlicky sauce and the paneer cheese. It had a little bit too much onions for me though but yay all that cilantro!

Takeout from our favorite Pakistani restaurant.

 

An attempt at aglio olio but with shrimps and scallops and asparagus.

Working on a new shawl while watching The Good Fight.

 

Currently…

 

Reading:

Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know – Samira Ahmed

Hungry Hearts – Elsie Chapman and Caroline Tung Richmond (eds)

Watching:

The Good Fight.

I’ve been wanting to watch this for a while now but we don’t have regular TV and just do Netflix and Amazon. The husband said that CBS was offering a one-month free trial and he wanted to check out Picard. And I discovered that The Good Fight is on CBS. Hooray!

Listening:

There’s Something about Sweetie – should be done soon!

 

Eating:

A homemade hot cross bun for breakfast

Drinking:

Tea with milk

Cooking:

Today I’ll be getting my first order with this local online Asian grocer. It’s a produce box with mostly organic vegetables and fruits, also milk. So not quite sure what I’ll be making with those items yet. But today I’m cooking hamachi Kama or grilled yellowtail collar with rice and vegetables.

Last week:

I read:

Gideon the Ninth – Tamsyn Muir
Scott Pilgrim vol 4 – Bryan Lee O’Malley
Darius the Great is Not Okay – Adib Khorram

I posted:

Lunches are hard #WeekendCooking

Library Loot (April 8 to 14)

Bird Cottage by Eva Meijer

 

 

 

 

 

Hello and it’s April.

We are healthy and we are ok, and for now that’s all that matters. Mental health-wise though, I could be better. As I sit and type this, I realise that my body is very tense, my mouth is making this pursed motion, my shoulders are far from relaxed. I take a deep breath and try to relax a bit but I feel like this is my position these days.

I’ve been trying to be better at reading the news a bit less often, and instead when I find myself opening Safari on the phone and thumbing through my news bookmarks, I try to put it down and reach for a book instead.

I’ve also been trying to distract myself a bit more (when I’m done with the kids and their schoolwork and the household many things and whatnots that need to be done) with my crocheting, also baking a variety of things, and reading of course.

Crocheting-wise, I’ve got several projects started as usual (Five Star Beanie   and a Kalinda wrap) but I have also recently finished…

A Jolteon!

And a Mew

 

Also some things eaten this week:

Can you tell that I love cilantro? Do you?

Making more tangzhong bread

Ordered Korean fried chicken takeout

Well this counts as a Math lesson, doesn’t it?

 

Let me know how you have been doing? What are some ways you’ve been working off your anxiety?

 

Currently…

 

Reading:

 

 

Darius the Great is Not Okay – Adib Khorram

Watching:

Picard

Listening:

There’s Something about Sweetie – Sandhya Menon

 

Eating:

A homemade biscuit

Drinking:

Tea

Cooking:

Maybe some Hainanese chicken rice (I still have some premade pastes from Singapore)

 

 

Last week:

I read:

Bird Cottage – Eva Meijer
I, Parrot – Deb Olin Unferth

I posted:

Funfetti birthday cake #WeekendCooking

Library Loot (April 1 to 7)

Recently read: Pigs Might Fly; Lying is Pretending #comics

#TopTenTuesday: Ten Signs You’re a Book Lover