BBQ Time Once Again

Ever since we threw out our old BBQ grill because it became home to a family of chipmunks (I can still picture those little chipmunks nestling inside the grill... urgh!), our only way of having BBQ food is for me to use my grill pan on the gas stove or the Cuisinart electric grill.  These methods are fine by me, but I guess men just find outdoor BBQ grills irresistible.  And so Kenneth had been itching to buy one to replace his old "friend".  He finally found one that he likes, portable (so can store in the garage when not in use) and powerful enough to grill his steaks!  He was torn between two models, which were Cdn$100 in difference.  The pricier one has a built in thermometer, electronic ignition and two side tables to hold plates and tools.  I saw him reluctantly talk himself into buying the cheaper one, and so I told him to treat it as a reward for his promotion at work.  And with that, he immediately made the choice to get the higher end model.  Sigh!  Men.  They're really like kids... doesn't take much to persuade them on things they love.

As this is a portable grill, he had to "borrow" the patio table in order to cook.  

I think this is a very cool looking grill, very modern for it's size and price.  He grilled in the drive way because the girls' jumping castle was still out in the backyard at the time.  He kept coming in and out of the house to get things, and he was worried that someone will just come and take his meat and grill while he was gone.  So funny!

Close up on the grill.  I wonder how useful the thermometer is though, because he still managed to overcook his sirloin today... oops, should I have said that?

Checking out his "babies".  He said it's necessary to close the lid for even cooking, but frankly, I think when I cooked the burgers on the open grill on my stove top, I was able to get a better looking, better tasting caramelized result.

Here's Kenneth flipping his patties.  The girls loved the burgers, so I guess that's all that matters.  I liked the salmon too; it was grilled to probably medium rare, so it was very moist.  We didn't forget to grill it on top of a piece of aluminum foil over the grill plate, so clean up wasn't bad in terms of the salmon portion of the meal.

And so with new toys in hand, we had our first BBQ dinner in one and half year.  He grilled some sirloin for himself, burger patties and sausages for the girls, and salmon for me.  It was delicious, but I still think that it's not worth all that preparation and clean-up (I also made grilled veggies in our oven, and pasta for the girls... so it's not like I don't have to do anything.).  Next time though, he said he wants to try grilling Galbi instead of steaks.  I think that is a mighty fine idea.

Arts & Crafts Afternoon

Ever since Kaitlyn learned to make paper flowers at Seneca's Summer Camp, she had been urging me to take lessons from her.  I had been so tired lately due to my poor back that I kept postponing and postponing, until I could postpone no more.  So we had this "lesson" on a quiet Saturday afternoon.

Here's Kaitlyn cutting up some paper to make the flowers.

Mackenzie found some pom poms and decided to do a picture on paper plates.

Kate tried in vain to separate the paper to show the petals... I guess we used the wrong sort of paper.  =(

Mackenzie's finished art work...

I also tried out a paper flower that I learned from Jane Austen's Sewing Box.  And since it's from that book, I can say that this paper flower is at least 200 years old... at least the technique is.  I like the result, but think that it will turn out better if I had used the correct material.

My "200 yr-old" paper flower.

Another view of my paper flower.  Would've looked better if I used floral wires instead of pipe cleaners...

Celebrities going global with Facebook

Guess what I saw when I came home yesterday?  I found the most amazingly unbelievable Facebook friends request.  It was from 동방신기's Hero Jaejoong.

A surprised e-mail awaited me when I got home yesterday afternoon...

 
I bet a lot of people like me (who probably commented on various DBSK or Jaejoong's Fan's page on Facebook) also got this same friends request... and I think I know why.  He posted on various Wall Photos saying:

"I got some of my fans from my group...
and i am amazed that on fb here is alot fans of mine than tweeter..."

"Junsu watching facebook with me...
he says if he have time he would also like to join it^^"

"... when i have started facebook i am not twitting a lot...
well that proves i am busy,have a good day everyone..!"

There are lots of people who doubted the authenticity of his account, so Hero posted:

"부터 내가 fb에 합류했습니다~
fb의 팬들은 내가 외계인임을 생각^^ 
나는 컴퓨터를 사용할 자격이 없다고합니까? :("

which translated as:

Since I joined the fb-
fb fans think that I'm an alien ^ ^
I do not deserve to use the computer? : ("

 

Of course I have to dig out the truth before I accept anyone's friends request, even Kim Jaejoong is no exception.  But I think he's the real thing, and has started using Facebook (instead of Twitter) as a tool to communicate with fans around the world.  It's so exciting and we (fans) will definitely feel closer to the celebrities this way.  I wonder if other celebrities will follow suit.  So far, I know Vanness Wu updates his Fanpage (but that is so unlike being "friends" as Jaejoong has chosen to do).  I heard a rumor that Kang Ji Hwang is also on Facebook, but his is not as open as Hero's so difficult to prove the authenticity unless you're a "friend" and be able to read the "info" page.

* I still think it's better to play safe, so I just added him on my "limited profile". 

미안해 / ごめん、キムさん。
  

Too Crowded for Wonderland? Go to Nascar

We had Canada's Wonderland in mind when we left the house this morning.  But when we got there at 10:45am, the line up into the parking lot was so long that we imagined how horrible the line-up inside the theme park would be like.  So we had to scrap our plans for Wonderland today.  With Mackenzie crying and kicking in the back, we decided to opt for the next closest location: Vaughan Mills' Nascar Speed Park.

Mackenzie riding with daddy, she said (just now, looking at the photo): "Mommy, I drive!"

Kaitlyn chose the motorbike, as usual.  Darn that window!  (Due to the exit / entrance gate, and my poor back that restricted me from moving too fast, I wasn't able to change my location to take a better photo before the ride started.

The girls got 125 tickets this time at Nascar, so they each got a plastic slinky @ 50 tickets each (worn as bangles)...

... and some plastic shape chains, worn as adornments on the head...

... and on the cowboy hat.

 
After Nascar, we took the girls for frozen yogurt at Yogen Fruz.  Now that Mackenzie is older, we have to buy two cups instead of having the girls share (we have to buy everything in pairs so that they won't fight).

Mackenzie enjoying her strawberry frozen yogurt in the Vaughan Mills shopping cart.

At first, daddy was holding onto the cup, to prevent it from falling out of Mackenzie's hands...

...but Mackenzie insisted on holding it by herself.  Not too long after, it fell to her lap, but not too messy.

Kaitlyn chose strawberry and peach in her frozen yogurt.

No, it's not "eye-flipping" good, she's just watching the TV above her head.

Mackenzie wearing the plastic slinky she got with the tickets they won at Nascar.  She said it's the power bar from Bo On the Go ("when you move with me, you give me energy ♪♫")

Just casually lounging and enjoying life.

* I was lucky that I decided to take photos of the girls eating their frozen yogurts, because I left my camera at Nascar and didn't remember about it until picture taking time.  Luckily, a father with two young boys found my camera and was about to take it to the information desk when he saw me running frantically in search of the lost item at the "Seawolf" machine.  I'm so lucky that I bumped into such honest folks, anyone else, and it could be lost for good.  God bless him and his family!

The camera that was almost lost for good! 

We also did some shopping afterwards, Mackenzie bought a helium balloon (because she was still whining about the one she lost last week), Kaitlyn bought a Pokémon comic (an older issue which she hasn't gotten yet) and I bought a top from French Connection.

Mackenzie learned her lesson.  This time, with helium balloon in the car, she urged us to close the windows even though the inside of the car was boiling hot.  She didn't want to risk losing the balloon again.

Going crazy and taking photos of myself trying out the new top in the change room... hahaha.

Kaitlyn's older issue Pokémon manga.

Just can't wait, Kate had to read the manga at the mall... the only way to do it?  To sit in the Vaughan Mills shopping cart, even though it doesn't fit her anymore.

And finally, I was so moved by how beautiful the clouds were this afternoon, so I took these shots outside our house...

What a beautiful day!  I just love fluffy clouds!  =D

Lunch at Kazan

For lunch today, Kenneth wanted   고기 so we went to try out Kazan Teppanyaki Barbeque Restaurant as recommended by a friend not too long ago.  We were quite impressed with the quality, and the girls ate very well, especially Mackenzie, who ate most of the non-spicy 반찬 and even had us ordered her seconds (in fact, she was going to order thirds by herself as she was so friendly with the staff by the middle of the meal that she started chatting up with one of the servers; but we didn't go along with getting a third serving of bean sprouts and broccoli because we were stuffed to the max by the end.) But the girls loved the fried dumplings that came in their set (they shared a set), that we had to order an appetizer size for them to share.

Not the largest selection of 반찬 but at least Mackenzie loves 2 out of 5 dishes, and I liked the fish cake.  In terms of kimchi, my favorite is still the Chongga brand .

Meat lover Kenneth ordered GalBi HanDae / 갈비 한대 for himself, and a GalBi bento box set for the girls to share.  I, on the other hand, loved Korean hot pots, so I ordered a DeunJang JjiGae / 된장찌개, most likely because of the movie 된장 (The Recipe) that I watched last Saturday. 

DeunJang JjiGae

Here are some more photos of the girls at the restaurant, having a good time:

Mackenzie is very good with her trainer chopsticks.

Kaitlyn was very hungry by the time the food arrived.

Kaitlyn doing a dance, wonder where she learned it from?

Mackenzie taking big bites of the deep fried dumplings.

Kaitlyn said, "Ooh!"...

... and Mackenzie followed, "Ooh!"

Mackenzie and mommy, taken by daddy.

Mackenzie and mommy, taken by mommy.  I think I'm getting the hang of self-taken portraits by now.

Daddy and the girls.

Here, Mackenzie returned the after dinner candies to the server, saying, "No!  Cavities ah!"  Look how mad Kate looked, having to return the candies which she wanted to try so badly.

We're happy that of all the times we had to return these "free" candies, Mackenzie had never whined once.  I think it's fair to say that she'd never tried candy once in her life so far (of course, she had her fair share of ice-cream, chocolate, fruit juice...)

Creative Drama Performance Day

On the last day of summer camp for Creative Drama, Kaitlyn and her class performed a little play for the parents.  Mackenzie was there too, with her little "Tinky Winky" hat because she wanted to be just like big sis (Kaitlyn had me make her a "Pokémon Raikou" hat.

In the car, with their special hats on, on our way to Summer Camp.

Kaitlyn on stage with her Raikou hat.

Kaitlyn dancing and singing with her fellow classmates.

Mackenzie had been showing signs of readiness for school during this summer, especially at drop off time at Kaitlyn's summer camp.  Here are a few examples:

Example 1:

Mackenzie was holding a marker like the other kids when the students from drama class were asking each other to sign their playbill after their drama class performance...
Girl: Do you want to sign mine?
M (Mackenzie): Yes.
Girl: Here, you can draw something here where there's space.
Mackenzie scribbled something small.
Girl: What's your name?
M: Mackenzie
Girl: How do you spell it?
M: ... (of course she can't spell her long name yet)
me: M-A-C-K-E-N-Z-I-E, Mackenzie.
M: (With marker in hand and ready to write...) Do you want me to write my telephone number?
Girl: No! Your sister wrote down the telephone number already. Here, you can draw a happy face right here (pointing to paper).
Mackenzie drew 3 circles (2 side by side, and 1 below them).
Girl: That's a very good job!
M: That's an ANGRY face.
Girl: That's a good Happy face.
M: That's an ANGRY FACE... hee hee.

The girl in pink, standing beside Kaitlyn (on Kate's right) is the little girl who was so nice to Mackenzie and offered her playbill for Mackenzie to scribble on.

 

Example 2:

At drop off time during the Seneca Summer Camp...

M (Mackenzie): (Went up to twogirls on her own) "Hi!"
Girl 1: She's a baby.
Girl 2: No, babies don't talk... What's your name?
M: Mackenzie
Girl 2: Mackenzie... (to girl 1) see? (to M) How old are you?
M: Two and a half.
Girl 2: What's your mommy's name?
M: Mitchie
Girl 2: Missy? Haha... What color is the sky?
M: Blue
Girl 2: What color is your hair?
M: Black
Girl 2: No! It's Brown!
M: (looking confused, turned to me...) Mommy, what color is my hair?
Mommy: Black!
Girl 2: ...