Thursday, May 31, 2007

Baking with Milu:

妈妈正把和好的面往案板上倒,Milu两眼放光得冲过来,窜上椅子,太远,够不着,换张椅子,这下可够着了。妈妈揉着面,Milu忙和着从面碗里撮面粉往案板上撒。看妈妈分好了剂子,Milu挨个儿给自个儿跟前的剂子裹上厚厚的面粉,一边裹还一边拍拍打打。擀面杖很眼熟,会用,拍了怕剂子,擀将起来。妈妈连忙乘机抢救了N-1个剂子出来。这边妈妈给面包们整着型,那边Milu揉着,扭着,拍着,撕着自个儿那一小团面(面目全非,不能叫剂子了)。等妈妈把面包们排进烤盘,Milu面前是一堆小小剂子。妈妈秀秀面包,Milu看了看,赞到:‘妈妈Bread好漂亮!’

。。。。。。。。。。

‘嘀嘀嘀。。。’定时器响了,Milu冲到厨房门口:‘Bread好了! Milu Bread!’‘烫!要等一等。’小手像猴子掏栗子一样拍摸着Bread,嘴里还不停地嚷着:‘妈妈吹吹!妈妈吹吹!Happy Birthday!’嗯?这也要Happy Birthday? 好在面包个子不大,晾一会儿就吃上嘴了。嗯,很满意地样子。

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Milu 数数:

关键字就是How many,只要问Milu how many, 立马就开始 one, two, three,至于最后有几个吗,往往都是Ten

‘Milu, how many 馒头?’
‘One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.’
边数边点。

‘Milu, how many fingers?’(几个手指头)
‘One, two, three, four, five…… ten.’

‘Miluhow many legs DingDong has ?(叮咚有几条腿呀?)’
‘One, two, three, four, blue!’(The fifth one is blue)
不专心的小东西。

刷牙?!

‘Milu, what’s your Chinese name?’

(‘Milu,你的中文名字是什么呀?’)
‘Shuuuuaaa Ya.’
?!啊,居然把妈妈给你取得这么美的中文名字说成了刷牙?!

Friday, May 25, 2007

Milu 的只言片语

一边带着Milu在床上和Teddy玩,一边附和着电话里的朋友:’I know, I know.’
’I know, I know.’ Milu
在一旁也附和着。
’What do you know?’
Milu抬眼瞄了妈妈一下’I know shape.’说得不错。

清晨在卫生间称体重,小东西冲进来,看来看指针:‘How much?’妈妈告诉她:‘Twenty five!’扭着小屁股走掉了。正喝着咖啡,Milu溜达着过来,从饭桌上拿起菜垫子扔在地上,两脚站上去自话自说:‘How much?’又歪着头看着妈妈得意得说:‘Twenty five!’‘No, you are twenty six.’妈妈赶快更正。

Milu将自己还是小奶娃娃时用的澡盆倒扣在地,坐在上面往下一梭:‘妈妈!看MiluSlide!’

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

A New Training Program

Actually, this is not exactly new, many people tried it before. And my PTA has suggested this to me for a while. After the disappointment of the Bay Bridge Run, I decided to start this program. (Jogging for an hour is a bit of boring and hard on knees.)

The program has three parts:
1. 20 minutes on Elliptical Trainer
2. 20 minutes on Cross Ramp
3. 20 minutes on Treadmill

Elliptical Trainer offers a non-impact cardiovascular workout on both lower and upper bodies.
Cross Ramp has a cross country ski kind of motion and has no impact on joints. Also, various slope setting can target the following muscles groups: gluteal, hamstrings, quadriceps , and calf muscles.

An hour of workout with heart rate of 150 to 160 burns about 800 calories, which means 1 pound weight loss for 4 1/2 workouts.

Birthday Prelude

Apparently Grandpa serenading Milu with "We wish you a...Happy Birthday" made quite an impact on her. Later that day she called Baba into our bedroom to see something. She took Baba to the bedside table, where she had arranged a collection of creams, toothpaste tubes and lotions, all arranged upright like candles, then looked at Baba with a twinkle in her eye and said:' Happy Birthday, Baba!' The game then proceeded where they would sing happy birthday Mama/Baba, then blow (knock) down the "candles". On Saturday we had gone to a birthday party for one of her friends, so that must be where she got the idea for the candles, etc.

Nanny: 'I'm surprised Milu recognised it as Happy Birthday. The way Ray was singing it it was a cross between We Wish You a Merry Christmas & Happy Birthday.'


Monday, May 21, 2007

馒头阿,馒头。

虽然是个典型的南方人,但从小我就爱吃面食。举凡馒头,面条,包子,饺子,烙饼,就没有我不爱的。父母当然不擅长做面食,但单位食堂倒是蒸得好馒头,便宜又方便。我们家的早饭基本是馒头当家,晚饭还要靠它充数。别看这馒头简单,但馒头中夹的东西可是变化多,辣腐乳,萝卜干,大头菜,泡菜坛子里的豇豆,蒜薹,娃娃菜,嫩生姜。这些基本是自产(妈妈做)自销(全家吃)。后来生活水平提高,就有了馒头夹煎荷包蛋的日子。

大学时,早晨虽然不是睡到日上三竿,也是赶着铃声响前15分钟起床。哪有什么时间吃早饭。两节课后,当然是饥肠辘辘。幸好这时,学七的大白馒头正好出锅,那馒头香真是扑鼻而来。热气腾腾的大馒头,又白又喧又有嚼头,掰开里面一层又一层。咬一口,满嘴的面香,再细细地嚼,又是淡淡的甜味。我和老友两人能不就任何东西,在课间休息时,一人干掉一个。不用刷锅洗盆,洗脸刷牙,多么干净利落。

再以后就来了美国,这普通的不能再普通,平凡的不能再平凡的馒头,便的金贵起来。老美店里是没有的,老中店里不仅贵,而且多是用Baking Powder发出来的,加了白糖的甜,全不是那味儿。怎么办?自己动手,丰衣足食!查菜谱,上网查,找人问。发现这蒸馒头的道道,还真是五花八门:有说醒十分钟的,也有说醒三十分钟的;有说冷水上锅的,也有说热水上锅的;有说大火的,也有说小火的,还有说先小后大的;有说蒸好立马可以开盖的,有说要等5分钟的;有说要掺碱的,也有说不用掺碱的。而且多是个人经验,说不出个道理。多亏有了‘丁唯一’关于馒头为什么塌锅的理论指导,我的馒头也有九成五了。请看:

要点很简单,就是揉透,发好,稍醒,蒸透。前人有总结,我就不啰嗦了。‘丁唯一’的理论指导, 请参看:

http://web.wenxuecity.com/BBSView.php?

SubID=cooking&MsgID=303549

哄宝宝睡觉觉

她轻轻地拍拍怀里的小娃娃,又轻轻地将小娃娃放下,再给小娃娃盖上小被被。想一想,似乎怕小娃娃冷,又盖上另一层小被被。拍拍,转过头来,食指树唇前,轻轻地:‘嘘,Teddy睡觉觉了

Thursday, May 17, 2007

SquareBakedCircle's TV Rating

*****: Can't miss it, must purchase original copy to support the cause. Watch
again and again.
All David Attenborough's TV series, stuff done by Nick Park, some of the PBS documentaries including Battle Field, From Jesus to Christ, Julia Child's cooking programs.

****: Don't want to miss it, usually tape it to watch later.
House, Fox Tuesday, Criminal Mind, CBS Wednesday, Front Line, PBS Tuesday.

***: Because it's on TV.
American Idol, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, Everybody Hates Chris, Malcolm in the Middle, Thank God You Are Here.

**: We won't die if we have to watch it.
Desperate House Wife.

*: Kill me please!
Grey's Anatomy

Some of the shows with lots of reruns are not rated, such as Seinfeld, Food TV stuff.

外婆InChina

Milu手拿电话贴着耳朵,嘴里念念有词。

‘你在给谁打电话呀?’

‘外婆。’还要补上一句:‘外婆InChina。’

乘胜追击:‘那外公呢?’

China。’

NiangNiang呢?’

China。’

‘姨夫呢?’

China。’

‘那Milu呢?’

China。’哈哈,露馅儿啦。

Sunday, May 13, 2007

平常人家

中午在Bob’sNoddle 吃中饭,邻桌坐了父母女儿一家四口。平常人家,父慈母爱,姊友妹恭,看着真令人羡慕。由其两个女儿,大的大概十一二,小的大约八九岁,眉清目秀,乖巧懂事。不知怎样的幸运人家能和他们结上亲家呢。


Thursday, May 10, 2007

Today is the day!!!

May 7th is coming!
Our little alarm clock woke us up at 4am, perfect! Milk, diaper changing for the alarm clock, starchy breakfast for the runner, 5:30am morning call from the personal training advisor, we are heading off. Many many buses on the road, and they are all for us, and the walkers. After happily passing all the buses (meaning that I will not miss the bus), waiting a long line of cars into sandy beach park, we parked the car right facing the bay bridge, which is so beautifully bathing in the morning sun. That's the bridge I am going to run on, that's the bridge I can boast about after today!
My number is 1334, which I shall beat today.
It is a windy morning, so windy my little girl tucks all herself in me, so windy some of the runners are wearing plastic bags. All my concern is about how the wind is going to slow me down, which layer of cloth I should get rid off on the way to the bus stop. As my body chills down by the wind, the spirit just goes up high. Look at all these runners! Aha, here is my PTA, the same excitement on her shining face. We are ready!
Wait a second, what's going on? Why are people taking off the buses? Cancelled? what? The race was cancelled? Because of the wind? My PTA face just dropped, literally. So did mine, I suppose.
I blew myself up like a huge balloon, then somebody just stick a needle on me.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Training for 10K (N+3)

1mile (1 degree): 9'26"
2miles(1 degree): 18'40"
3miles: 27'38"
3.26miles: 30'

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Training for 10K (N+2)

2miles (1 degree): 18'51"
4miles: 36'53"
6miles: 54'50"
6.25miles: 57'05"
6.58miles: 60'