Lisbon With Visitors

I hadn't been to the Castelo São Jorge in Lisbon since my sister visited in 2001. Having house guests is the best excuse to revisit monuments and also freshen up on history.

I discovered later that my camera was on fish-eye mode for quite a bit of the time, and then switched to another grainy/dark mode. Freddy's 36 pictures of peacocks and stray cats came out beautifully of course.

Little fingers also changed the date display setting.

 It was breezy at the lookout point, but warm and wonderful in the sun.

 I was so pleased with my little Canon for finally getting a jumping shot.

 Seb having a milk break

 Pai was there to relay all pertinent historical information.

 Sebby did a good job of reminding me why we don't do this more often. He was in danger-seeking bliss mode scampering around the castle grounds. He also spent a good hour in his best don't put me down, but don't pick me up mode. For Seb that spells t-i-r-e-d, so we drove back home along the coast around 2.

 Castles are made for kids; I've never seen a child get grumpy meandering along a castle wall. It probably has something to do with how dangerous it is.



Mischief

"Noun:  playful misbehavior or troublemaking, esp. in children." 

Apple Waffles and a Little Morning Dancing

We are 11 people in the house right now which is why blogging has completely fallen by the wayside. 

I have no pictures uploaded and Pai has the laptop with him in Porto today. This waffle post will have to suffice until I get my hands on the laptop. 

Right around Christmas time, Freddy started researching waffle recipes and we have not gotten off the waffle train ever since. 

We followed a recipe the first few times, but now I just wing it, using a ratio of 2 cups to 1.5cups for flour to milk. If the flour to to milk ratio is okay, the rest seems to always work out. 

Our new go-to favorites are apple waffles, born from a need to use up some slow-cooked apples from dessert the night before. I just scooped out the soft apple centers, and folded them into the waffle batter as a last step. 

Freddy is never one to just spoon on some jam or syrup; he always makes some sort of symmetric pattern or creative face.

Seb gets his cut into sticks and knows exactly what it means when I plonk the waffle maker on the counter.

Our microwave has a radio that Seb turns on for " dance dance time" ( his term, not mine).

Freddy and I brought Pai his waffles and coffee in bed.

I left the rest in the oven for the biggies to discover when they came down to the kitchen.

Extras get frozen and heat beautifully in the toaster. 

Little Person Plays With Little People

We are a Little People loving family. It's right around this age (15 months) that play moves from toy-to-mouth and throwing things around to proper imaginative play. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Ever since we made that first batch of blondies, cookies have become a rarity and it's all about bars around here.

 

Bars are so easy to make because the ratio of 1:1 for butter, flour, eggs and sugar means the kids can make them without any help.

 

Melt 1 stick butter with 1 cup brown sugar

Mix in 1 egg  

 

Next mix in as much peanut butter as you want (or none at all!) I put around 1/2-  3/4 cup)

 

 

 

Lastly, mix in 1 cup flour until smooth

 

 

 I only had half of a 200 gram chocolate bar (the big baking size) on hand so that is how much I put. It most definitely could take a whole bar.

 

You can cut the chocolate European Style to save time.

 I'm a big fan or parchment paper since I'm not very inclined to spend time washing pans.

 Bake on 350f (175C) and start checking them after 20 minutes.

 Cut them into squares and enjoy.  Don't Forget to hide all evidence that they ever existed in case you and the kids eat them all without saving a single one for your husband. Not that we woud ever do such a thing.

Shoe Intervention Underway

Sink Time

Give Seb some water and you have yourself a happy baby. I've never plunked him in the sink before for play time and I could tell that he was thinking the whole time "is this for real?" 

He would fill up his bottle and then pour it into the adjacent sink. Pouring never gets old. 

This expression shouts "are you sure this is okay? I'm not in trouble?"  

                                                    Warm water on baby feet 

I have a feeling that we are going to spend from March until November engaged in water play.