I remember, many years ago, thinking how terrible it would be to have your husband be a bishop/in a bishopric in the LDS church. I remember watching my sister in law trying to take care of her two little children while her husband had to sit in the stand with the bishopric during all of sacrament meeting. It looked SO hard! I hoped and hoped and hoped that I'd never have to do something so hard. I remember having nightmares about Devin sitting on the stand and I would cry as I had to sit all by myself. So terrible...
Well, I take it back. I'd take that ANY day. I have now discovered something harder...and, at the same time, funnier! I thought I'd share some funny things about church here for us in Camberoon (as the kids pronounce it).
Only in Cameroon can your husband be the branch president, and you be the Relief Society/Primary president AND the branch pianist.
Only in Cameroon can you play the piano for sacrament meeting WHILE nursing your baby.
Only in Cameroon do you have to try to ignore the ants that keep creeping out of the keys...apparently having found something yummy to eat inside the keyboard during the week, and now vacating due to too much loud music.
Only in Cameroon do you have to try to keep your kids occupied in sacrament meeting all by yourself while playing the piano in sacrament meeting AFTER having taught them during sharing time and singing time AND sunday school.
Only in Cameroon is the primary the ward choir. (Yes, directed by yours truly)
Only in Cameroon do you sing solos in singing time until you can't speak anymore because there's no outlet for a piano (keyboard).
I think it's funny. Most of the time. There are times that by the time church is over I seriously can't move anymore. But, it's getting better. The kids are learning to take care of themselves during church...and they even -- sometimes -- listen!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Tofu and Soy
I had a couple of queries in my comments, and thought I'd share with everyone, since it's somewhat interesting information.
First, the tofu. Do I use Mori-Nu because I prefer it? Yes and no. I do prefer it because I can ship it here. It doesn't have to be refrigerated before opening, and that's nice since it has to travel over the Atlantic Ocean. Regular tofu wouldn't make it. If you have tofu available to you, any tofu should work for doing smoothies/puddings/etc. When we lived in VA, we used to go to the Super H Mart and get our tofu there. I preferred the tofu that was in the little 'sack'--sort of looked like frosting at first glance. It was smooth, worked great in smoothies and puddings, and was fresher than Mori-Nu. That's not available to me right now. But, if you're around the Super H Mart area, and they still have the stuff, I recommend it.
Second, the Soy Milk. There are two ways to make soy milk. One is the old fashioned way. You soak the soybeans, cook them for about an hour, blend them in the blender until smooth, then pour it through a cheese cloth and squeeze all the milk out. Yes, I've done it this way. Takes well over an hour to make the stuff. If you have lots of free time, feel free to try it. However, I don't do it that way anymore. I use a soy milk maker called the SoyaJoy. I've used it now for about 5 years, and we love it. It does take some getting used to, as it is different than the soymilk you buy in the store. There are no added preservatives, sugars, salt, carageenan...whatever the heck is in there. For drinking, I add a little sugar and vanilla. Mostly, I use it for cooking, smoothies, and it's fantastic on cereal. The kids love it--but that's all they're used to. Don't let the price give you sticker shock...It ends up paying for itself very quickly if you're a regular soy milk user. It costs about 10 cents a liter to make...and it's good for you! :)
Any other questions? :)
First, the tofu. Do I use Mori-Nu because I prefer it? Yes and no. I do prefer it because I can ship it here. It doesn't have to be refrigerated before opening, and that's nice since it has to travel over the Atlantic Ocean. Regular tofu wouldn't make it. If you have tofu available to you, any tofu should work for doing smoothies/puddings/etc. When we lived in VA, we used to go to the Super H Mart and get our tofu there. I preferred the tofu that was in the little 'sack'--sort of looked like frosting at first glance. It was smooth, worked great in smoothies and puddings, and was fresher than Mori-Nu. That's not available to me right now. But, if you're around the Super H Mart area, and they still have the stuff, I recommend it.
Second, the Soy Milk. There are two ways to make soy milk. One is the old fashioned way. You soak the soybeans, cook them for about an hour, blend them in the blender until smooth, then pour it through a cheese cloth and squeeze all the milk out. Yes, I've done it this way. Takes well over an hour to make the stuff. If you have lots of free time, feel free to try it. However, I don't do it that way anymore. I use a soy milk maker called the SoyaJoy. I've used it now for about 5 years, and we love it. It does take some getting used to, as it is different than the soymilk you buy in the store. There are no added preservatives, sugars, salt, carageenan...whatever the heck is in there. For drinking, I add a little sugar and vanilla. Mostly, I use it for cooking, smoothies, and it's fantastic on cereal. The kids love it--but that's all they're used to. Don't let the price give you sticker shock...It ends up paying for itself very quickly if you're a regular soy milk user. It costs about 10 cents a liter to make...and it's good for you! :)
Any other questions? :)
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Swim Meet
We went to Josh's first Swim Meet on the 16th! He competed in the Boy's 6 and under 25 M: Freestyle, Backstroke, and Breaststroke! Here are some fun photos from the day.
Here are all the participants lining up to listen to instructions and swim a few preparatory laps across the pool:
Go Josh!
(Josh's first swim across the pool--he stopped a lot...)
Waiting on the benches for the events to start:
Josh's first event: 25 M Freestyle
Waiting for the signal (Josh is the farthest left):
Diving in!!! What an action shot!!
He made it!!
Event #2: 25 M backstroke! (I was super impressed that he did this one! It was so cute watching those little boys swim upside down and backwards through the pool...running into walls and the dividers and things since they couldn't see where they were going... And that he WON!!!!)
Event #3: 25 M Breaststroke
What a kid! We did have to leave early, so we didn't get to stay for the awards ceremony, but it was so fun! PERFECT weather for a swim meet: It was SUPER hot and sunny.
Fortunately, there was a really shallow kiddie pool (it was probably about a foot deep all the way through) and so Andrew and Claire spent the whole 2 1/2 hours in that pool with barely any supervision and enjoyed themselves immensely!!
Even Peter was a happy guy!
Josh placed 4th in both the freestyle and the breaststroke, and 1st in the backstroke!!
Go Josh! I'm so proud of how much he's learned!
Here are all the participants lining up to listen to instructions and swim a few preparatory laps across the pool:
Go Josh!
(Josh's first swim across the pool--he stopped a lot...)
Waiting on the benches for the events to start:
Josh's first event: 25 M Freestyle
Waiting for the signal (Josh is the farthest left):
Diving in!!! What an action shot!!
He made it!!
Event #2: 25 M backstroke! (I was super impressed that he did this one! It was so cute watching those little boys swim upside down and backwards through the pool...running into walls and the dividers and things since they couldn't see where they were going... And that he WON!!!!)
Event #3: 25 M Breaststroke
What a kid! We did have to leave early, so we didn't get to stay for the awards ceremony, but it was so fun! PERFECT weather for a swim meet: It was SUPER hot and sunny.
Fortunately, there was a really shallow kiddie pool (it was probably about a foot deep all the way through) and so Andrew and Claire spent the whole 2 1/2 hours in that pool with barely any supervision and enjoyed themselves immensely!!
Even Peter was a happy guy!
Josh placed 4th in both the freestyle and the breaststroke, and 1st in the backstroke!!
Go Josh! I'm so proud of how much he's learned!
Monday, May 18, 2009
FHE
In our family, on Monday evenings we have what we call 'FHE': Family Home Evening. We sing songs, have a little gospel lesson, maybe do some sort of activity, and eat a treat. We have a nice little FHE chart that one of Devin's sisters (thanks, Tamara!) made for us that gives direction on who's to do what each week (lots less fighting that way, unless someone sneaks over and changes the chart to suit what they want to do that week...) Here are some funny FHE anecdotes of times when first Josh taught the lesson, then Andrew:
Josh taught the lesson one Monday when the missionaries were here. He did a bunch of Role Plays (or, as he called them, Rock and Rolls). He would say, "Now, for our next Rock and Roll..." Ha! We were all trying (some were not succeeding) hard not to laugh out loud. For one, he set up a stuffed bear across the room, made everyone stand up (now, mind you there are 10 missionaries, plus the senior couple, plus the 6 of us...), close their eyes, and move toward the bear while he hummed next to it to help us find it. We all found it, then he said, "Ok. Now for our next Rock and Roll..." We probably did four 'rock and rolls' without much point until he finally said he was done. It was hilarious!
A few weeks later, Andrew taught the lesson. He stood up in front, smiled a lot, and when prompted (I asked him what his lesson would be about) he said "Jesus." Then he smiled some more, said something about "Jesus loves me", then jumped up and said, "I'm done!" and ran to sit down. Probably the shortest lesson in history! He's such a cute little guy! :)
The kids really look forward to Family Home Evening. And, let me tell you, it's always full of surprises!
Josh taught the lesson one Monday when the missionaries were here. He did a bunch of Role Plays (or, as he called them, Rock and Rolls). He would say, "Now, for our next Rock and Roll..." Ha! We were all trying (some were not succeeding) hard not to laugh out loud. For one, he set up a stuffed bear across the room, made everyone stand up (now, mind you there are 10 missionaries, plus the senior couple, plus the 6 of us...), close their eyes, and move toward the bear while he hummed next to it to help us find it. We all found it, then he said, "Ok. Now for our next Rock and Roll..." We probably did four 'rock and rolls' without much point until he finally said he was done. It was hilarious!
A few weeks later, Andrew taught the lesson. He stood up in front, smiled a lot, and when prompted (I asked him what his lesson would be about) he said "Jesus." Then he smiled some more, said something about "Jesus loves me", then jumped up and said, "I'm done!" and ran to sit down. Probably the shortest lesson in history! He's such a cute little guy! :)
The kids really look forward to Family Home Evening. And, let me tell you, it's always full of surprises!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Claire's Hair
Here are some fun braids that I've been able to do for Claire. She is FINALLY letting me do her hair! :)
Please don't look at the part...yes, it's terrible, but it's the first time I've ever braided her hair, and I completely forgot to part it! Doh! But, she was pleased! Didn't even pull it out!
Please don't look at the part...yes, it's terrible, but it's the first time I've ever braided her hair, and I completely forgot to part it! Doh! But, she was pleased! Didn't even pull it out!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Happy Mother's Day!
Devin and the kids got me some flowers (and a sweet little tea cup) for Mother's Day:
Roses, eat your heart out!! :)
“Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs...since the payment is pure love.”
Mildred B. Vermont, American writer.
(Some background info on the flowers: Apparently, when Devin went to get them, about 3 guys came bounding over to the car and were pretty much beating each other up to get to the window! They were all yelling and screaming...and so Devin bought two bunches of flowers instead of just one. Poor third guy! But I definitely benefited! :) And, when Claire got home, she had her hands behind her back, and said "Mom, I have a cup!" Josh was sitting nearby and said "Shhhh! It's a surprise, Claire!" So, Claire looked at me and said, "I have a cup, but it's a surprise for you!" Then a few seconds later, she came running up to me, showing me a pretty little tea cup, and said, "See! This is your surprise!" Thanks Claire. I can see that she is not going to be a big one for surprises! :))
Roses, eat your heart out!! :)
“Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs...since the payment is pure love.”
Mildred B. Vermont, American writer.
(Some background info on the flowers: Apparently, when Devin went to get them, about 3 guys came bounding over to the car and were pretty much beating each other up to get to the window! They were all yelling and screaming...and so Devin bought two bunches of flowers instead of just one. Poor third guy! But I definitely benefited! :) And, when Claire got home, she had her hands behind her back, and said "Mom, I have a cup!" Josh was sitting nearby and said "Shhhh! It's a surprise, Claire!" So, Claire looked at me and said, "I have a cup, but it's a surprise for you!" Then a few seconds later, she came running up to me, showing me a pretty little tea cup, and said, "See! This is your surprise!" Thanks Claire. I can see that she is not going to be a big one for surprises! :))
Friday, May 8, 2009
African Potty Training
Yes, my updating this week has been, at best, sporadic. Between huge and fun rain storms and potty training, I haven't had much of a chance to write anything.
Tuesday, I went to my first African Dance class. Whew!! Talk about an aerobic workout! Wow!! It was so much fun, and even though I'm pretty much a worthless dancer, I did enjoy myself! It's every Tuesday and Thursday from about 5:30 to 6:30. I'm looking forward to it, as I am VERY sore today! :)
We had a small story time today. We read stories about our body (eyes, feet, teeth, etc.) and made little people out of bread dough, baked it, then decorated them with other foods. Here are some of the end products:
It was fun! The kids enjoy it, as they LOVE to read, be read to, and play. Good combination.
Peter is also growing, as they say, like a weed. Although, here, everything grows like a weed, so he is growing like any African plant! :) Here are some fun pics of him:
And, today, after a long and arduous two week journey through potty training, Andrew has informed me: "I'm just not ready mom. And that's ok." Oh well. I suppose it is. But now I think it's high time he got a job to pay for the diapers. :)
Tuesday, I went to my first African Dance class. Whew!! Talk about an aerobic workout! Wow!! It was so much fun, and even though I'm pretty much a worthless dancer, I did enjoy myself! It's every Tuesday and Thursday from about 5:30 to 6:30. I'm looking forward to it, as I am VERY sore today! :)
We had a small story time today. We read stories about our body (eyes, feet, teeth, etc.) and made little people out of bread dough, baked it, then decorated them with other foods. Here are some of the end products:
It was fun! The kids enjoy it, as they LOVE to read, be read to, and play. Good combination.
Peter is also growing, as they say, like a weed. Although, here, everything grows like a weed, so he is growing like any African plant! :) Here are some fun pics of him:
And, today, after a long and arduous two week journey through potty training, Andrew has informed me: "I'm just not ready mom. And that's ok." Oh well. I suppose it is. But now I think it's high time he got a job to pay for the diapers. :)
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Psychotic Food
So, as most if not all of you know, I am fairly psychotic when it comes to food. I know it. One of my favorite things to do is to ask people, "Do you know what's IN that??" Yes, I know it's annoying. I always love that look that I get: "Yes. And I don't care!"
I don't necessarily mean to be incredibly annoying, but I suppose it's a hope that they'll maybe start thinking about what is really in their food. I remember way back when; when food wasn't food unless it was swimming in cheese, sour cream or some other member of the dairy family. I remember when EVERY SINGLE FRIDAY Devin and I would go out to eat--highly processed foods here we come! I remember when I had to give up so many foods when I was nursing Joshua, and I thought I was going to die, but it just got worse! With Claire I not only gave up everything I had done with Josh, but all Dairy, too! Andrew and Peter as well. But it has slowly gotten easier as I've found recipes and other things to take their place.
Giving those things up gave me an awareness that I was addicted to foods that really weren't good for me. Then, I began to study up on health and nutrition. Boy, wasn't I ever surprised!
I began a personal enterprise to change the diet of my family before my kids were too big to realize that they shouldn't like it. :) Devin's always been very active, and he is completely supportive of my diet vendetta. We've done away with dairy completely, and make our own soymilk! (Which makes it so I can make such things as strawberry or pina colada soy smoothies, soy pudding, and a yummy soy peach drink...the kids love it!!) I began grinding my own wheat to make our bread and other baked goods (along with the flax meal that I grind myself and bean flour which I add to everything to make it a complete protein...), we eat beans and fresh fruit and veggies...
Yes, it's annoying. I know it. It's hard when we go visit people, as they don't know what to feed us since we eat such 'weird' food. I know it's annoying when I tell everyone how healthy the stuff is that I've made...I'm just so excited to have food that tastes really good AND is good for you that I just have to share! (an example of that is my cinnamon rolls...yummy!!)
I'm currently reading a book that, I'm sorry to say, is going to make me even more annoying!!! It's called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. I HIGHLY recommend this book. Everyone should read it. It has reinforced my weird, annoying and psychotic resolve to eat healthy food from scratch. This lady is even more psychotic about it than I am. It's refreshing to 'meet' someone who is as passionate about food as I am.
(While you're at it, read Poisonwood Bible by the same author. Super good and lots of African culture in it!)
I don't necessarily mean to be incredibly annoying, but I suppose it's a hope that they'll maybe start thinking about what is really in their food. I remember way back when; when food wasn't food unless it was swimming in cheese, sour cream or some other member of the dairy family. I remember when EVERY SINGLE FRIDAY Devin and I would go out to eat--highly processed foods here we come! I remember when I had to give up so many foods when I was nursing Joshua, and I thought I was going to die, but it just got worse! With Claire I not only gave up everything I had done with Josh, but all Dairy, too! Andrew and Peter as well. But it has slowly gotten easier as I've found recipes and other things to take their place.
Giving those things up gave me an awareness that I was addicted to foods that really weren't good for me. Then, I began to study up on health and nutrition. Boy, wasn't I ever surprised!
I began a personal enterprise to change the diet of my family before my kids were too big to realize that they shouldn't like it. :) Devin's always been very active, and he is completely supportive of my diet vendetta. We've done away with dairy completely, and make our own soymilk! (Which makes it so I can make such things as strawberry or pina colada soy smoothies, soy pudding, and a yummy soy peach drink...the kids love it!!) I began grinding my own wheat to make our bread and other baked goods (along with the flax meal that I grind myself and bean flour which I add to everything to make it a complete protein...), we eat beans and fresh fruit and veggies...
Yes, it's annoying. I know it. It's hard when we go visit people, as they don't know what to feed us since we eat such 'weird' food. I know it's annoying when I tell everyone how healthy the stuff is that I've made...I'm just so excited to have food that tastes really good AND is good for you that I just have to share! (an example of that is my cinnamon rolls...yummy!!)
I'm currently reading a book that, I'm sorry to say, is going to make me even more annoying!!! It's called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. I HIGHLY recommend this book. Everyone should read it. It has reinforced my weird, annoying and psychotic resolve to eat healthy food from scratch. This lady is even more psychotic about it than I am. It's refreshing to 'meet' someone who is as passionate about food as I am.
(While you're at it, read Poisonwood Bible by the same author. Super good and lots of African culture in it!)
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