The Internet and Me

RiceSo I have been spending the last two days being sucked into the internet.
For the first time it wasn't with Facebook. :-) Haha

 First, I have been fascinated by this concept of a household book. A book where you can keep everything your family and things you need for the around the house. I first started seeing it on stay at home mom blogs, then it showed up on home school blogs and then it was on some different organization sites. It is a fascinating idea that you take a little bit of time to gather and organize all of the information into a binder and it is your go to place.

Also I am in love of this the website!!!! It is a place where you can create a vision board under different themes. It has been fascinating seeing great ideas that others have pinned and to get to pin my long list of pages in my bookmarks. For someone who does better with pictures in remembering things this is a great site. It is fantastic for recipes, especially when your list is getting out of control! As you know I started doing my menu planning for the month and this really helps to remember recipes I have liked or would like to try!

Check out my page and boards! If you join let me know, happy pinning!


Also last week I had one of my favorite dishes - Chicken with Cashews!

Here is the recipe -
1 whole chicken breast, cut into cubes
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon of wine (or dry sherry)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon peanut oil
20 snow peas, cleaned and cut
1 can chicken stock
1 can water chestnuts
Cashews


Marinate chicken at least 15 minutes (can be longer) in mixture of the first six ingredients.
Heat oil in uncovered wok at 375. Add chicken mixture; stir fry 3 minutes. Then add stock, snow peas and water chestnuts; stir fry until slightly thickened, stir a lot.
Serve on rice with cashews on the side

Note to Self

Note to Self....Do not close the trunk after you drop the car keys inside. 

Reasons why this makes for a frustrating time: 

• You only have one set because it is a rental
• You are in a foreign country with no service like AAA
• No one seems to know how to read a map 
• People will ask for the number of the building and the address but there are no address (there are but they usually are two lines long and it really doesn't help you to tell someone where you are 
• You call the rental company and they say they are sending someone out, call back after an hour they are confused why you are calling and are sending someone out 
• It takes four other people to tell this person where you are located so they can bring the other set to get you back in the car 
• Car company tells you to wait near by so the driver can spot you and you go. They spot you and you tell them what is going on (language barrier in place, as usual) and takes you back to where you need them but then they take off - Wrong Guy 
• Car comes into compound and the security guards come over and the story is relayed and the guy has no clue what is going on and can't help - Wrong Guy #2

Long story short - Almost two hours after all of that we finally had someone come with the extra set of keys. At that point we had been stuck stuck at the Distributor Center (aka QDC, aka Liquor Store), the security guards thought it was comical we had been locked out but more importantly they just couldn't believe the person couldn't find the place.

I think we should have taken Zach's advice when we were waiting to get in to just go home and try another day. Like must weekends we will go out and do multiple errands but I realized I didn't have the cards to be mailed (we were going to the post office) and the grocery list (we were going to the store). Plus we were trying to get my vaccines before our trip to Bali but we found out the Dr wasn't in and I would have to speak to them before they would do anything plus that clinic didn't have two of the recommend ones.

Yes folks that is a line that formed to get into the QDC,before they opened.  It's inside a gated complex

Like desert view and being a way from everything? It's right outside the QDC complex.

Three Months and Growing

I'm three months old today and look at my smile!

 Wow, it has been three months already with our new little guy. What a whirlwind of changes that have happened in that time. Overall we are truly blessed with our handsome son and our family is full of more love. Yesterday we went for Xavier's three month checkup, which is comical here for sure since everyone wanted to know why I was there even the doctor. Which is an easy answer you told me to come but I guess since they didn't have our file. The nurse remembered us, she saw us on his one week checkup. So he has grown to 6.2 kg (13.7 pounds), 61.6 cm (24.3 inches) and his head is now 41 cm (16 inches). He wasn't too happy to be weighed but who would being cold, naked and lying on a hard scale. So I was getting him dressed again and this little boy came over with Xavier's fox toy and said here don't cry. It was so cute!!! 

I will just lay here and not give him kisses, really I won't, paws crossed.

Don't worry mom we got him!

So at three months we are mostly sleeping through the night about 7-10 hours and if we do wake up it will be once and he will go right back to sleep after nursing. Now when he wakes up he just likes to lay there and stare at the mobile and chew on his blanket while he babbles to himself until he is done with that and wants us to come get him. His favorite toy is a red fox we got him at Ikea, you pull the tail and it plays rock-a-bye baby. He has been enjoying mat play time and tummy time. Today he slowly rolled from his tummy to his back, it was exciting to watch. Gus and Sadie liking checking on him and will sneak a kiss here and there. Sadie wants to investigate him only on her terms she can freak out if he comes close to her.

Look at me mom I can see you again! Rolled from tummy to back!

 So besides working on rolling over we are also working on getting his first full giggle. We get the gummy grin which can melt your heart in an instant and make the sleepiness go away when you go and get him in the middle of the night. He likes bath time now and loves going out in his stroller and car seat.

Going to Bali

We are getting excited about our trip to Bali during Eid in November. We will be there for a week and we will be staying in the lower part in south Bali. It definitely will be an adventure. I am very nervous about the plane trip there, it will be into two parts but still 11 hours. Xavier so far travels very well so I am thinking it is at least good training. I know we will get those looks people give to those with babies. But we are travelers too and some time you have to get on a plane. 

However the shopping and sights are going to keep us occupied. There are about three areas we will probably go and check out. Kuta has two nice malls that according to one blog house both new goods at great prices and knockoffs in the same building. 

I have also been told I get some time with myself to go get pampered at the spa - massage, pedicure and manicure. Spas are huge there and they are supposed to be ubber cheap. That will leave my boys to hang out with each other. I am also hoping we see the monkeys or go to the elephant park. I heard the monkeys can be a hand full, they like to take things and if they do you have to pay one of the attendants to get it back for you.

There will be beaches to lounge around and temples to explore. We can also go and wander around small shops for trinkets and such. I know we will spend some time at our hotel because it is a nice little place. We are staying at Ellie's Hotel. It is a small hotel with 8 rooms, serves only breakfast and is run by a husband and wife.

I am very excited to be traveling somewhere tropical and to go with my family to relax.