Okowa ~ Japanese Sticky Rice

Today I made something called okowa. It's a Japanese rice dish made from sweet rice (mochigome). I made the vegetarian version with carrots, shiitake and kamaboko, but you can also make it with meat. I think next time I will add some ground turkey. Very tasty. Bailey kept shouting "This is yummy!" while eating a couple of rice balls. Gregory ate a couple too! I like the Chinese version better, but this is good. The best part is you can make it in the microwave without soaking the rice overnight! Great for folks like me who have trouble planning ahead. We're going to have it tonight with some grilled chicken teriyaki, corn and green beans. Here's the recipe if you'd like to make a batch, too.

Day at Seacliff State Park

Yesterday we decided to take the kids to the beach. The forecast out here was 102 degrees and the temp in Aptos was 72! (It was actually closer to 80) So this morning we woke up, packed a picnic lunch and drove to Aptos. We took them to Seacliff State Park; a beach I used to go to while growing up. When we got there the lower parking lot was already full so Clark dropped us off and drove back up top to park the car. (and had to walk down about 350 stairs!) We set up our spot near the water and ate lunch first. Actually Bailey and Daddy went into the water first, but we had lunch soon after. I have to say, Bailey LOVES the beach. She loves going in the water, she isn't afraid of the waves, she loves the sand, she loves to picnic in the sand, she's just an all around beach girl. Gregory can do without the water, but he had a good time playing in the sand and he enjoyed the food. We got him in the water for about 10 seconds and then a wave that was a little too big for him hit his swim trunks and that ended his time in the water. We stayed and played for a couple of hours and came home. We'll have to plan another trip soon. (After we get one of those pop up gazebos or a sun umbrella)


Waiting for Daddy to park the van

Waiting for lunch

Bailey eating a musubi

350 stairs!!!

All these seagulls wanted lunch! Dirty old birds.

Daddy and Bailey having fun in the water

Gregory joining them in the fun

Gregory prefers the sand

Bailey found this heart shaped rock!

Gregory playing in the sand

Bailey and Gregory playing in the sand

Our poor pitiful garden

(Clark says "Now why would you call our garden pitiful?")

This morning when Bailey and I returned from Visitation Day at preschool, Daddy came over and told us how great our edamame plant is doing. He and Bailey planted 4 seeds and he told us we have about 7 flowers on each plant. Well, we go outside and take a peek. This is what we saw...



The leaves are all shriveled and brown. I'm thinking our edamame is going to end up looking like our pumpkins. So sad, but I'm trying not to rain on their parade.



Now our kabocha is looking pretty good! Healthy looking green leaves, thick stem and a baby kabocha! Can't wait to cook it up! YUM! :)

Meeting Bailey's new preschool teacher

Today Bailey's new small group preschool teacher came over for a home visit. Her name is Giovana (pronounced Joe - vanna). She came over with a t-shirt for Bailey, a book for Mommy and Daddy, a list of stuff we need to bring on the first day of school and a book for Bailey too! I think she spent a little over half an hour here chatting with Bailey, getting to know her likes, read her the book she gave her and answering any questions we had too. How great is it to have your kid's preschool teacher stop by to introduce herself before school begins!? Talk about helping her ease into school. Tonight they have an orientation for parents and tomorrow they have an hour class for me and Bailey to attend - again to help ease into school. We'll see where her cubby is, check out the classroom and have circle time. Next Tuesday she'll start preschool. I just LOVE this place!

Giovana and Bailey

Meadowlark t-shirt

Parent handbook and a storybook for Bailey

and the band played on...

This morning the kids were banging on anything that would make noise saying they were a band. So I pulled out some small paper plates and paint supplies so we could make shakers! We went outside to paint our plates and let them dry in the sun. While they were drying they had to search around the yard for things to put in their shakers. We tested different things and they decided what they wanted to use. Bailey wanted to make a "quiet" shaker and she filled hers with leaves and seed pods. Gregory filled his with rocks, leaves and seed pods. We glued them together and decorated them with stickers. After we were all finished we turned on some music and marched around the house!