Almost a week…
Almost a week since I last posted- Noah has been really clingy these past couple of weeks (early teething it seems) and Shun has been working so much that I haven`t had any time to myself really except when Noah naps and well then I usually have other things that need doing like cleaning, cooking, checking facebook (:P), catching up with friends and email and what not…
I did get out of the house yesterday and went to S`s house a couple of stations away for a pot luck lunch and some scrapbooking with S & D. Was a lot of fun even though I didn`t get a lot of sleep the night before which meant I was a little dazed and overwhelmed at time- Noah also didn`t let me do much scrapbooking but I made up for it today and added a couple more pages. Here are the pages I have added since I last posted some scrapbooking photos…
Have photos printed for another three pages (first birthday party, March play dates and big baths) and then I will be up to date again! Was great seeing S & D`s scrapbooking stuff- so inspiring! Made me want to find more time to do it (and made me want more supplies too! hehe!) and I look forward to another crafty day with them!
Last week on Friday Cassie & Nana came for lunch and we took the kids to the park next door for a run around (well Nana ran around, Noah layed on the mat, cried, napped and that was about all!)- it was lovely springish weather perfect for outside. Noah`s first trip to the park was a success! hehe
Sunday Shun was home from work and I got some chocolates for White Day and we also went out with Shun`s parents for lunch as they hadn`t seen Noah is about 3 weeks and were itching to see him again. Sunday was also the day Noah laughed for the first time!! It took me by surprise (and I was so glad Shun was close by to hear it!) and then we managed to get him to giggle a couple times more! He laughed again once yesterday but not all today (Still got some smiles and happy gurgles though)
We are now members of the Chiba co-op which will make my life a little easier I hope- no more lugging nappies, wipes, rice or other heavy stuff home!
Noah seems so grumpy half the time that I don`t always know what to do- there is only so much entertaining I can do! He used to be fine sitting in his bouncer with spot but now wants to be held all the time making it very hard for me to do anything. He still has bouncer play time, mat time, reading time and other things like watching some baby einstein or English songs on youtube.
I did find this interesting resource too- http://www.babycenter.com/0_lets-play-weekly-activities-for-your-babys-first-year_1501475.bc – weekly activities for babies aged 0 to 1 year and some of those have been fun. But I am not sure what else I can do to make him happy- I am hoping it is just a phase as he seems quite gassy lately and also constantly drooling and has his hands in his mouth and I can see some teeth coming up so maybe his fussiness will pass!
It is Tuesday but I totally forgot to prepare my “Two for Tuesday” but will leave you with this amazing beef stew I made last week in the slow cooker- it was unbelievably yummy!
SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW
500g beef (it had stew/curry beef on the pack)
4 potatos
1 onion
1 pack of shitake mushrooms
1 stalk of celery
1 and a half cups of beef stock (just one cube)
1 packet of pepper gravy powder (normal gravy is fine too, i mixed it with the stock)
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Steps
1. Toss meat in flour, salt and pepper and chuck in the slow cooker.
2. Cut vegies (celery quite fine, everything else however you want) – chuck on top of the meat.
3. Pour over the beef stock/gravy mixture
4. Mix in the garlic, paprika and sauce.
5. Cook on high for 5 hours!
Popularity: 4% [?]
Similar Posts:
Great scrapbook! I would get as much done as quickly as possible. The older baby gets, the less time you get to do that sort of thing
But sounds great to get together with friends and scrapbook! I never really had any mummy friends close by, or much time for some reason. Guess I need to be more organised and less picky about cleaning! Great that you don’t have to lug heavy things and baby home from the supermarket anymore too! I remembered those days, I hope it makes your life easier.
Laura A- Yeah I know! I figure once he stops napping so much (still 4-5 naps a day of about 45 minutes each) then I will have very little time. I tend to do it at night though once he is in bed for good but still…
A lot of my mummy friends on this side of town have older kids in kindergarten or school already but I guess I see them as great “sempai`s”! I get cabin fever if I stay in too much but I usually manage to get my cleaning done for the day in the mornings while Shun is still home- then do the major stuff on weekends (when Shun is supposed to be home, but lately hasn`t been due to work) – the dinner gets prepped and washing hang out during Noah`s first morning nap, if not sooner and the plates get washed then too (if there is any to be washed)- the other stuff I guess I do on alternate days like the bathroom, dusting, floors!
General tidy up I do everyday- I hate clutter and so I guess if anyone was to pop over at anytime the house is fairly presentable- except maybe for dusty floors! Seriously, even after I vacuum or mop them with those paper things it is dusty again with in an hour. I hate it!
I am a speedy cleaner. LOL! I guess I am not much of a perfectionist when it ocmes to cleaning- i do the minimum although my MIL`s house is kind of cluttered so whenever she is here she is always like “sugoi” but we haven`t had 50 years to accumulate a lot of crap yet! hehe! Give us time!
Looking forward to not having to lug nappies or rice home anymore! YAY!
Oh you are lucky to have some mummy friends close by now (ie, Sophie, and Natasha too right? I have not met Natasha but a close friend of mine Zoe is good friends with her)- plus you seem to have the whole cleaning thing down pat. I wish I was a better cleaner!
Wow, your new scrapbooking pages look fantastic!! I can’t wait till I can ‘officially’ start and then we can swap ideas with each other
Thanks for sharing the beef stew recipe! I am definitely going to try it – what did you eat it with? By itself or with bread or with rice?
Nay- we ate it with rice but it would be good with mashed potato too I recon!