Wordless Wednesday-Happy Halloween

Wordless Wednesday-Pizza Man

Happy Birthday Grayson

If you listen closely at the beginning you will hear Grayson singing a solo “Happy Birthday to You!” He was a little tired of waiting while the adults made sure everything was ready: candles lit, plates ready, camera on, party guests all present…he wanted his song and his cake and he wanted it right now!

The party went very well. It is the first kids party we have thrown here at the house. Until now we have been letting the very competent party planners at the American Club handle all the details, but that just seems impersonal somehow. This time we decided to do what we have always done, throw the party at home. It turns out to be a bit harder to organize a party if you don’t speak the language of the country where you are living but we managed somehow. I made the cake, David ordered a bouncer and Cody designed the invitations. David BBQ hot dogs (does that count as BBQ?), Cody kept the little ones busy and I chopped fruits and vegies to add something healthy to the table. It went so well I can hardly wait until the next party.

Like Riding a Bike!

OK for me, maybe easier than riding a bike considering that I broke both arms flipping my bike a few years back. This is the first cake I have decorated since we have moved to Jakarta over a year ago. The American Club makes really good cakes and I admit to being just plain lazy. If you want to see the finished cake you will just have to check back tomorrow to see the party pictures. Me I need to finish this cake so I can go to bed, it is getting pretty late!

oleh-oleh

There is a custom in Indonesia that when you travel you should bring a gift of food or souvenir from your travels. This gift is to show gratitude and thanks for everything that you have done for the individual that gives the gift. This gift is referred to as oleh-oleh. Tonight I received a call from Pak Haryono who asked if he could come over. I wasn’t sure what to think. He came to our home with his wife and two young boys. They were bearing gifts from their kampung. They brought us Bakpia from Yogyakarta and battered fried peanuts that Haryono’s wife made. His kids and our kids overcame the language barrier and played for an hour. Then sadly it was time for Pak and his family to head home. I am deeply honored that Pak Haryono shared his family with mine and that he gave us oleh-oleh.

Wordless Wednesday-Our Backyard Fence

Fear Factor Indonesia

Monday evening Alonzo asked if he could bring home some mealworms to show me what they are doing in science class. I said "Sure, why not?" Oops My Bad!

Today he showed up with a small fish tank filled with hundreds of mealworms. It turns out that we are babysitting all of the mealworm larva and beetles from the science center for the entire Idul Fitri holiday. Suddenly my house has turned into Fear Factor Indonesia!

I asked Alonzo what he has learned about the mealworms. Here is what he has learned:
1. Mealworms are stinky.
2. When they turn into a beetle they cannot fly.
3. When they are a larva they do not have wings, and they have sections, and they have a big bum.
4. When they turn into beetles they are called Darkling Beetles.
5. Those little things are called pupa.
6. They are super super super stinky and they are "non-cat-eatable" because they are super stinky .***
7. When you grab the pupa’s tail it will wiggle around.
***Mom says we will keep the lid on anyway because I do not want to explain to the entire class why Fluffy ate their creepy crawlies.

tiny frat boy strikes again

Carrot cake this time! Carrots are good for your eyes, right??

While I was loading his brothers on the bus one morning last week the tiny frat boy got a butter knife (thank goodness it wasn't a steak knife), dragged a chair into the kitchen, climbed up, opened the cake dome, cut a slice of cake then took just the top layer with all the frosting to the table to eat. He is getting too smart for his own good.

tiny frat boy

Grayson escaped down the stairs this morning while I was getting dressed. By the time I finished dressing (don't want to flash the driver) and ran downstairs Grayson had helped himself to breakfast. As I came around the corner looking for him he ran by shouting "PIZZA" and waving a half eaten slice of cold pepperoni pizza. He must be practicing to be a frat boy.

Being the good mommy that I am I decided cold pizza wasn't so bad as a breakfast. After all millions of college students eat it all the time. Pizza has bread, dairy, and a meat, so I added a few strawberries and a glass of milk to balance it out and sooth my guilty conscious then made him sit down at the table. Can't have pizza prints on my pretty walls David painted this summer.

Ahh!! The breakfast of champions! Life is good.

karambol

Karambol is a game the drivers play while waiting for hours in the embassy parking lot. Today Pak Haryono and I went to Pasar Santa (pasar means market) and bought a karambol board. When we got it home he showed Colin how to play. It is similar to a game of pool except on a smaller board. You flick a disk with your finger to try and knock other disks into the holes on the corner of the board. Later Dwi played a game with Colin and Alonzo. Fun!