1 July 2009
Since we’re not doing anything particularly exciting this Canada Day (Todd’s helping his brother move, I’m at home with Adam and Leah), I will instead share with you some recipe testing I’ve done for Canadian author Jae Steele, for her upcoming cookbook: Ripe From Around Here. Yums!
Spinach Dip
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
23 June 2009
While it seems that the bulk of my time in the kitchen lately has been spent steaming and puréeing (mmm… baby food…) and washing bottles, I have had a couple opportunities to flex my baking/cooking muscles.
First up is Easy Ranch Dip (VLB). Adam liked it well enough, but I should have followed the recipe and used the blender rather than the food processor. It tasted okay but the texture was a little rough for a dip.
Adam preferred it on the pepper strips rather than the grape tomatoes. Either way, everyone needed to back off from his lunch!
Adam and I also made Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins from Vegan Lunch Box, which were good spread with apricot jam (I’m not much of a strawberry jam kind of girl) but a little dry. This may have been due to using the dregs of the jar of peanut butter, which didn’t contain nearly as much oil as the top two-thirds of the jar. I’ll try these again with a new jar of PB at some point.
And in other muffin making news, I finally got around to making the Carrot-Raisin Muffins from Vegan with a Vengeance. I think the only thing that prevented me from trying them earlier was the thought of having to grate two cups of carrots. Blech. I’m glad I did, though, as the muffins were moist and delicious. Definitely a make-again recipe, when the urge to grate carrots strikes.
For dinner tonight, rather than declaring it yet another “fend for yourself night”, I made the Samosa-Stuffed Baked Potatoes with 5-Minute Mango Chutney (both VCON). Yum. Todd thought the potatoes could have used a little more salt, but aside from that, it was a winning combination of yum. I had great intentions of making a spinach side dish as well but I was too tired to be bothered. Instead we filled up on more chutney.
On a completely separate note (I’m too exhausted to contemplate a better segue), Adam is pretty bent on Leah being his baby, so today he decided to help feed her some rice puffs. It starts out innocently enough, with Adam giving her a single rice puff at a time.
I know. Cute, eh? Eventually, Adam figured out that if one was sweet, 13 was sweeter, and the whole feeding process could be sped up by giving her a handful at once.
And when they didn’t fit, he helped her keep them in her mouth. Because he thought it was gross if they fell on the floor. Ah, kids.
12 June 2009
Isn’t it nice when plans actually work out? I know, for me it seems so rare that this happens that it’s a pretty big deal when things come together as I’d hoped.
This week, I’ve managed to dedicate some good chunks of time to spend just with Adam, who has really needed some one-on-one time with both Todd and me. The transition continues to be difficult on him, and while he adores Leah, he’s taking most of his frustrations out on me (Todd, too, but I’m more often the one having to declare time-outs and such).
Earlier this week, having decided that I was his “best friend” (Todd has since been demoted from this honour), Adam and I got out to the playground and spent ages on each piece of equipment. We couldn’t leave the park until we’d seen five trains go by, which, given that it was no longer rush hour, took a while.
Adam has also joyfully reclaimed his spot in the kitchen as my helper, assisting in the preparation of yesterday’s lunch: Goddess Garbonzos (ED&BV) on toasted English muffins with red pepper strips. He loved getting to mash the chickpeas.
I’ve made these sandwiches before and they were just as yummy this time around. And since most things taste better when you’ve helped make them, Adam happily scarfed down his lunch.
This morning Adam got to put his mashing skills to use again to make Blueberry Banana Bread. He also helped with measuring out the blueberries.
However, his measuring plan consisted of “one for the cup, one for me,” which I thankfully caught before we ended up short on berries.
The bread is yummy, very moist and Adam ate three pieces for lunch. If Todd’s lucky there may still be some for him to sample when he gets home.
7 June 2009
We’ve now been home for two weeks and are starting to get settled into some routines. Routines like who gets to play with Leah at 4 a.m. when she decides she’s finished with the whole sleeping thing. Or who reads with Adam while trying to make dinner. Stuff like that.
It has taken this entire time for the jetlag to finally wear off and I’m now starting to feel like a normal person again. An exhausted, sleep-deprived person, of course, but I think I’ve lost the zombie-like glass-eyed stare that I’d been working lately. On top of feeling completely out of whack with the time difference, I also managed to get sick shortly after we returned home, which I then passed on to Adam. Thankfully, we’re both feeling much better, and Leah and Todd managed to steer clear of our germs.
This week Todd returns to his normal work-from-home-three-days-a-week schedule, which means I’ll be outnumbered by children for the first time on Wednesday. I’m anticipating relying on lots of coffee and getting out to the playground (and encouraging lengthy naps for all three of us!) to get through the first few days.
Todd and I both have plans to spend some one-on-one time with Adam this week, which we’re hoping will help ease some of the transition to being one of two kids. We’re going to do some baking (I think Adam wants to make pumpkin muffins) and Todd will take him out for lunch (just the guys). It’s amazing how suddenly Adam seems so big and grown up compared to his wee little sister. What happened to my little boy, anyway?
26 May 2009
We’re home. Jet-lagged (Adam and me), headachey (Todd and me), and feeling completely out of sorts (all of us), but we’re home. (Apologies to everyone for not responding directly to comments left over the past two weeks; it’s just not been possible, but I thank everyone for their well wishes.)
The trip home was, as hoped, fairly uneventful. Adam and Leah both handled the take-offs and landings well (I think Leah mostly slept through them, which helped) and were fairly content and agreeable throughout the trip, all things considered.
Now it’s a matter of settling in and trying to figure out how life works as a family of four. Adam appears to be struggling with his new role as a big brother, which is compounded by the jet lag. He alternates between hugging Leah and wanting to do everything with her to exclaiming “Having a sister is hard!” and trying to get away from her. Thankfully, since Todd is off for the remainder of the week, we’ll be able to alternate spending some one-on-one time with him. For example, it’s 4:41 a.m. and Adam and I are curled up together since we’re both awake.
As for Leah, she appears to becoming better acquainted with us and is well on her way to having Todd wrapped around her little finger, not that Todd is really complaining or anything. The screaming for Mrs. Kang has mostly subsided and we’re learning what she wants when she sucks her hand or rubs her eyes or sticks her fingers in her mouth. Adam has expressed some frustration with Leah not responding to his requests of “May I have that toy, please?” and was surprised to find out that Leah was unlikely to just hand things over, despite being asked nicely. Also, we all have to remember that Leah has only been hearing English for four days now. There’s definitely a language barrier!
Today my parents are coming over to visit for a while and this afternoon we’re going to tackle a trip to Costco. Or maybe just the park, depending how everyone’s doing.
23 May 2009
It’s hard to believe that this time tomorrow, we’ll be on our way home. We’ll be leaving the hotel around 7:30 a.m. to make our way to the airport, and our flight to Tokyo departs at 11:30.
In one of those weird crossing time zone things, we leave Tokyo at 5 p.m. and then go back in time to arrive in Toronto before four o’clock.
Last night was really rough for all of us. Late yesterday evening, Leah came to the realization that the new caregiver arrangements were a little more permanent than she had perhaps initially thought. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth soon followed.
Leah only slept for about 80 minutes between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., which meant the rest of us didn’t get much sleep either. I found the adrenaline rush of the past couple weeks finally wore off yesterday, but even though I was completely exhausted, I think I enjoyed a mere two hours of rest, in between Leah crying and then Adam waking up and crying. Todd ended up taking Leah down to the lobby for a couple hours so that Adam and I could get some rest, though I think our peace and quiet was at the expense of every other guest in the hotel. Leah has a great set of lungs.
Thankfully, today, Leah seems to have resigned herself to the idea that she’s stuck with us. We enjoyed a fairly quiet morning of playing, followed by lunch and naps.
We initially had big plans for heading over to the Insadong market district this afternoon, but we decided against it in favour of taking it easy and packing. This seems to have been the “right” decision, as it allowed Todd and Adam to get in one last swim and Leah enjoyed an hour-long nap.
And now, we’re all packed and ready to head out in the morning. It’s rather bittersweet to be on our way home; on one hand, I can’t wait to be back in my own bed and getting settled into new routines as a family of four. On the other hand, I would have loved to have more time here in Seoul, as we didn’t get to do as much sight-seeing as we had planned. Of course, there’s always the next trip…
I think my hotel WiFi access expires in a few hours, so unless I can get free access at Incheon Airport this will be my last post till we’re home.
And now a message from my guest poster, Adam:
TODD ROY
LEAH ROY
ADAM ROY
MUMMY ROY
I MISS ALL MY PEOPLE. I’M GLAD TO SEE LEAH. I WANT TO GO HOME NOW.
22 May 2009
In my haste to get over to the SWS on time, we ended up arriving 15 minutes early. Go figure.
Mrs. Kang was already there, so we got to sit with her and Leah for a few minutes before Leah was whisked away to the hospital for a final check-up.
Leah weighs in at a whopping 6.3 kg and is 66.5 cm long (for those non-metric people, that’s 13.9 pounds and 26.2 inches long); she is very, very tiny and most of her clothes are huge on her.
Once our social worker returned with Leah, we went through her final report and had the opportunity to ask any last questions we may have had. We received diapers, bottles, clothes, a Korean flag and pendant, two CDs of children’s music and some clothing from Mrs. Kang.
It was a very emotional experience as Mrs. Kang passed Leah over to me. We didn’t take nearly as many photos as we had planned; somehow it just felt too intrusive and insensitive to try to document every moment.
I was crying as we left the SWS; Mrs. Kang was trying not to, but I’m not sure she fared much better. By the time we got back to the hotel, I was mostly composed, but stayed on the verge of tears for another hour or so.
The four of us spent a while playing, eating and getting to know each other, during which time we discovered that Leah is quite the giggler. Also, Adam has really taken to being a big brother, wanting to help Leah sit up, giving her lots of hugs and generally trying to take care of her.
Todd and Adam went swimming for a bit and Leah and I hung around the hotel room and played some more. Then we walked down to E-Mart to purchase diapers (since the ones we were given were too big) and baby food, stopping at Domino’s on the way back to pick up a cheeseless pizza for dinner. During our walk, Leah napped for a mere 20 minutes, as per the report.
After dinner, Adam and I walked over to Starbucks (I got him some soy milk since we’ve had a hard time finding that around here) and then Todd and Adam went swimming for the second time today. Shortly after they left, Leah realized that Mrs. Kang was apparently not coming back and she was stuck with us. And thus began the crying, followed by falling asleep a little after 7:30 p.m.
She woke up 25 minutes later and has been awake ever since, initially crying hard (but seemingly somewhat calmed by Adam’s presence) and then happy and giggly as she and Todd played together.
Or course, since Leah isn’t asleep, neither is Adam. And apparently Leah won’t likely fall asleep till around 11 p.m., so we still have a little time to go.
Happy Family Day!
21 May 2009
As Todd predicted, I barely slept at all last night, despite the oh-so-comfy bed and drinking only the tiniest of iced lattes.
I’m just a complete bundle of nerves today, waiting till we can walk over to the SWS offices. My stomach is doing flip-flops and I can barely keep my hands from shaking. Todd and Adam, on the other hand, are quite calm, and are currently laying in bed, reading.
I am trying to figure out how to keep myself from going absolutely insane for the next two hours. Maybe some Solitaire? Or Minesweeper? Or sedatives?
21 May 2009
We’re now settled back in at the hotel, Todd and Adam have gone down to the pool for an evening swim and I’m enjoying some relative peace.
Surprisingly, it took the better part of the morning to get a load of laundry done and everything packed before we left the guest house around 2 p.m. And not for a lack of trying, either. It seemed each time I’d make progress on getting the clothes evenly distributed between the suitcases, I’d realize I was missing some shoes or Adam would want to read a story or I’d discover a better way of organizing everything. Todd ran out to the Family Mart to grab lunch around noon and then we finished tidying up our rooms.
Since there are no fire escapes in the building (and we’re on the sixth floor), instead we have a descending life line in case of emergency.
Kind of scary-looking, eh? I’m glad we never had to use it.
Once we were packed, we headed down to the third floor to visit the Baby Reception Home, where babies who have been relinquished by their mothers live for about a month before they are placed with foster families.
It felt more than a little intrusive to take any photos of the babies or their caregivers, so I put my camera away and the three of us just spent some time smiling at the adorable little babies. Adam found it hard to believe that he was ever small enough to have been there.
It was so encouraging to see how well the babies are looked after; there were about 15 babies and six caregivers (a combination of staff and volunteers) feeding, massaging and playing with the infants. However, it was heartbreaking to think that many children would be in need of adoptive families.
Doubly heartbreaking was sharing the elevator with a group of expectant mothers at the SWS yesterday. It was very sobering to see the “face,” so to speak, of the other part of the adoption triad.
It’s always been very easy to romanticize the life of Adam’s (and Leah’s to a lesser degree) birth mother; while we often talk with Adam about her, I don’t think she’s very real to him. And in some ways, neither is she very real to us. To come in contact with a group of young women who were planning to relinquish their babies made it all very much more real to both Todd and me.
As for the elevator ride, I felt so incredibly awkward. Do I smile encouragingly? Look away guiltily? One of the young women touched Adam’s cheek and said hello. And Adam responded (in Korean) which made all the women smile and nod appreciatively, saying that he was cute.
The feeling of awkwardness ended when we got off the elevator, and instead I just felt a terrible thud in my heart.
On top of that, we have learned that we won’t be able to meet with Adam’s foster mother, as the social worker was unable to reach her. I was pretty disappointed, but Todd reminded me that Adam has had a very emotional week and maybe next time we’re here he’ll be in better shape to visit with her. He’s probably right, and I have some photos that I’ll leave with the social worker to be forwarded to Mrs. Kwon.
So after checking in at the hotel and having a rest (while Adam enjoyed a much-needed nap) we headed over to the Coex Mall to grab some dinner. Since we were all a bit Korean food-ed out, we went to Marché and chowed down on the buffet.
Several platefuls of food later, we were stuffed and ready to head to the bookstore for some book shopping. We purchased some toddler books for Leah, Adam picked out some activity books and we got a few Bible storybooks for them to share. It was a successful trip, all in all.
And now, the guys are back from the pool and Adam is ready for bed. I’m hoping all that swimming has tired him out and he’ll be asleep momentarily, as I, too, am just about ready to call it a night. Not that I think I’ll be able to sleep or anything, given that we’re a mere 16 hours away from receiving Leah…
20 May 2009
In the interest of not overwhelming Adam (or his stomach), we declared yesterday a restful day and only ventured out to Itaewon in the morning. Itaewon is another market district, albeit much smaller than Namdaemun and much more foreigner-friendly, as the US military base is close by.
We managed to get a new pair of running shoes for Adam (since after throwing up on his other pair, he only had a pair of Crocs to wear) and a silver chain and bracelet for myself. Impressively, I even negotiated the price of the jewelry down a whopping 5,000 won.
Since Adam was “so hungry” we stopped in at a Burger King for a snack of French fries (this has so not been the healthy eating trip) and ketchup. I was most intrigued by the muffins for purchase:
I’m not exactly certain why you are not supposed to touch them, but I obliged (not that I wanted one, anyway).
After a little more wandering around and some lunch, we headed back to the guest house, as Adam was absolutely exhausted (having already fallen asleep when Todd had been carrying him earlier).
Since Seoul is extremely hilly and there are multiple subway lines, you often have to travel several floors down to get to the train. As you can see, it can be a long walk up (or down). I’m amazed at the number of women I see wearing (high) heeled pumps, especially with the cobblestoned sidewalks, but it does explain why they have such great legs. Walking around here is quite the workout, and it seems that everywhere is uphill.
We spent the rest of the day lounging around the guest house, except for a quick trip out to E-Mart and then for Todd and Adam to grab dinner. I ended up falling asleep by 8 p.m. and so I’m feeling well-rested today. We’ll be checking out shortly to make the trip back to the hotel for the remainder of our stay. I’m quite looking forward to the prospect of hot showers with high water pressure.
