market day

Awakened early by an excited boy. "Is it time to go to the park?" Sunday was play date day with D. The rain cleared and it was sunny but not too hot - perfect for two boys to race monster trucks down the slide and in the woodchips in between climbing, sliding and running.

After play time we went to the market. T helped me find a parking spot in the shade and we set off for the market. Local strawberries didn't look that good (last day already!) but the raspberries and cherries were good - T ate a lot to test them while waiting to pay. I also bought new potatoes, bread, zuccini chocolate loaf and hazelnut spread. On the way home we passed our favorite fruit and veg stand and I bought strawberries (yum!) and peas. T had fun shelling and eating the peas without realizing he was eating green vegetables!

Supper was vegetarian moussaka adapted from a recipe from Country Living UK:
sliced potatoes, cooked
2 sliced eggplants, roasted
1 jar tomato sauce
cheese sauce (50 g butter and 3 tbsp olive oil, melted together until sizzling. Add 120 g white flour and mix, cook for 30 seconds, add 800 ml milk, stir and cook for 3 minutes. Cool for 5 mins and add 100g each of feta and parmesan cheese and 2 eggs. Mix together. Season with salt, pepper, chili and ginger to add some zing)

In a greased 9x13 dish - layer half the potato slices, spread 1/2 the tomato sauce, half the eggplant then spread 1/3 of the cheese sauce. Continue with the potato, tomato sauce, eggplant and top with the remaining cheese sauce. Bake at 350 deg F for 50 minutes.

Dessert was strawberries.

channeling Grandad

Where does T's social streak come from - not really from either D or myself. So it must be from his Grandad. I never met D's father but by all accounts he was a charmer and very social. He could be plopped down in a crowd and would start making friends all around. "T.M, Canada" he would say and instantly have a crowd of new buddies. So last Sunday, T decided he would take three of his trucks to the park to "share" with other children. He was as good as his word - he shared brilliantly and I only had to step in when one little boy tried to take the bulldozer off with him. T wades into groups of kids (younger and older) and says "Hi, I'm T" and off he goes, making new friends. It's wonderful to watch - I just wish I had half his ease with people.

He's becoming quite his own person. He's very bossy and is constantly telling D and I, especially when we lay down the law (eat dinner, listen to mummy and daddy, pick up your toys, etc) - "you don't talk now", or "I'm important, you're not". Which depending on our frame of mind, we either find very funny or very irritating!

Last week at daycare, he lifted up his bowl with his fork and announced "Look, a forklift!" Brilliant! (actually he would have said "forklibt")

Today we are off for a "Day out with Thomas" - T has been wanting to get started since he got up this morning. Just waiting on his Auntie and we'll be off.