Christmas is all around

This is my first time making gingerbread cookies.


I have made around two dozens.  Many had been eaten up right after coming out from the oven by the three boys.  Others were 'decorated' by Lucas and Linus, and then the toppings (decorating gel/ icing and sprinkles) were licked up by the boys immediately, leaving the messy cookies on a plate.


These are six of my creations.  Since I am not a very experienced cook, I did not make the icing and decoration from the scratch, I bought the ready-to-use products from a supermarket.

I had made Christmas cookies last year but they were not gingerbread.  In this year, I was wondering why I didn't think about making this festive snack with ginger, then I searched for recipes on website, from www.allrecipes.com to some local blog, then I found one from a blogger called Kiki: http://kikitam16.mysinablog.com/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=386108


I had modified the recipe a bit since I didn't have some ingredients.  For example, I use grated ginger to replace ground ginger.


My kids and Jeff loved the cookies a lot.  They had wolfed all down within two days.  I should bake another 2 dozens for the approaching Christmas!

BABIES!!!!!!!!! (Episode 3)

Here is the news:

1. Only one out for the four hamster babies can survive after 14 days.  Three passed away because of malnutrition (The mom could not provide enough milk for all babies, and this female hamster is just too young to be a mother, she lost interest to feed those weaker babies at certain point of time).

2. I am not sure if this is a good news or a bad news, the hamster mother is pregnant again.  The due day will be around 1-2 weeks time. She had mated with the dad again just right after the delivery, before we separated them.......

Learning:

1. The fittest survive.  This is part of the mother nature, no matter how much food and supplement I refresh for the mother everyday.

2. Formula milk powder saves a lot of people.

3. The meaning of 'vicious cycle', I mean the ovulation and conception and pregnancy and delivery and so on ...

Thanks for everyone who gave me suggestions and advice of how to take care this family.  

Mother Pizza and baby girl Coca Cola

Cannibalism is quite common among pet hamsters after birth. However, based on the information I got from websites, not all hamster moms and dads would bite their kids' heads off, it would only happen if:

1. The pet owner touched the babies and changed the their scent, the parents would think they are alienated and kill them.

2. The hamster mom is too young, she may be too nervous to take care of the babies.  It is ridiculous, hamsters just cannibalize the babies because they are too nervous.

3. The hamster babies are too weak (again, it happens quite often if the mom is too young and not mature totally).

Lucas names the hamster baby Coca Cola, because it is brown colour.  Hi kid, you have just won a fierce competition!

A lovely day

After four hardworking days, I love to have a non working day on Friday.


Anticipating the family dinner tonight!


Life is so good!!!!!

BABIES!!!!!! (Episode 2)

當我發現自己做了granny,心情很激動. 謝菲說米已成炊了,還是省點力,明天才算罷!

我睡不著.半夜爬了起床,走去Google search倉鼠生B的資料.有些資料建議鼠媽生產後立刻將爸爸分籠(朋友在facebook回覆也是一樣),目的是防止鼠媽再懷孕(鼠媽可在24小時內再有喜,真是好生養. 不過,立即懷孕會很影響鼠媽的健康).每一胎可以生產1至15隻.

OMG!!!!!當時我還未知籠內有多少鼠BB,如果有15隻,怎麼辦?

慶幸的是鼠爸爸像很生性,沒有傳聞所說的會咬鼠BB,還幫鼠媽銜著BB入小屋,不捨得分開它們.累了,先去睡,明天才算.

星期六,一醒來,第一時間探鼠鼠.在黃色小屋內見到4隻粉紅色BB!幸好,只有4隻!

謝菲建議找人領養鼠BB,我心裏不捨得,但又擔心沒能力養,便去問了一間寵物屋. 寵物屋說他們不會收購.我覺得自己像貪財的賣孫婆婆,但是心裏有一點歡喜,因為鼠BB可以留在我家多一段時間了! 我跟店員解釋我的情況,因為不知鼠鼠是一男一女,所以有了鼠BB後完全不懂怎麼做.

店員教我買維他命水及小食給鼠媽媽,還教我先不用清潔籠子,待十多天後才整理及打掃.

至於鼠爸,店員說若它不咬BB,就儘量不要驚動它罷. 坦白說,那時我仍分不出誰是鼠爸進是鼠媽!

就這樣,鼠鼠一家繼續一起生活!

BB長大了很多

What am I doing?

I am just a stupid idiot! How come I care a friend so much who didn't care me when I became a mother, did not invite me to her wedding ceremony, and when I am bringing along a pack of baby's clothes which weighted five pounds, plus a pre Christmas gift for her baby, and almost reach her home, she just text my phone that the visit should be cancelled????

Lesson: don't care too much about whom don't really be serious to you.

Thanksgiving day

Today is Thanksgiving day.  Lucas's kindergarten requested children to bring along dried food, such as biscuits, noodles and rice to school.  Santa helpers would then collect them and send to a Christian association, which would distribute the food to the needy.


I packed a pack of Japanese rice, some Oreo chocolate cookies, and biscuits we bought in Okinawa.  Lucas had brought them to school this morning.  Hope these little gifts can bring happiness to people who need help during this festive season.


Thanks Lucas's school for arranging this event.  Joy to the world!!

BABIES!!!!! (Episode 1)

這絕對是值得記下的一件事! 一件有點滑稽的事!

兩個月前,我買了一對小倉鼠,品種是小雲石°店員說它們是女的°它們很細小,只有一吋長左右,樣子極可愛°它們十分頑皮,不斷跑上跑下,打筋斗,又愛咬人°哥哥Lucas替它們起了名Pizza和Pizza(對!就是要一樣名)°

Pizza和Pizza一直都很小巧,就算個多月後,兩隻鼠都不是胖了很多,直至數日前,有一隻好像長了不少肉,我還說笑寒冬前要儲點脂肪°

上周五晚,跟謝菲拍拖後回家°我到廚房歇一下,順道看看小倉鼠們°

探頭去籠裏,見到一隻在小屋內,一隻在外°裡面的一隻像在咬著一顆粉紅色的東西°我還以為它在吃果乾,但總是覺得有點奇,這兩隻小不點很少帶食物入小屋,通常在食物格旁已經狼吞虎嚥起來°當我仍在想是否天氣冷它們的習慣也會改變,開始覺得有點兒不對勁.......

這兩隻鼠兒咬著的,不像果乾,質感似橡皮,又像肉°我搞不清這些是甚麼°再細看......為甚麼這些粉紅色物體會動,是不是寄生蟲?想到這裏,我已經不敢看,雙手蓋著眼,叫了謝菲幫我看看°

黃色小屋裏的粉紅色東西就是鼠BB

謝菲看了看,「唉呀!這些是BB呀,原來這兩隻傻鼠是一男一女!」
「吓?????不是嗎?????」這是我唯一可以給予的回應......

就此,我便做了婆婆/嫲嫲°真是晴天霹靂!