18/4

It has been a busy day. Aida’s music class had a small concert and it had a bring and share lunch. There is probably a proper English term for it, but I don’t know it. So I had to start cooking quite early in the morning. So I started the preparations already just after 6. Though that was not the intention, I just happened to wake up at 5:30 and couldn’t go back to sleep. So I started poured boiling water on the tomatoes, had my breakfast and then I sat down to peal the tomatoes, onions, garlic and carrots, while watching M*A*S*H. As nobody else was up I could for one whatever I wanted without having somebody complaining. 
After I finished chopping the veggies I could afford a little break so I tried to bring the kids to the play ground. I was just 50% successful as Adam didn’t want to come if Mamma didn’t follow. So we stayed just for a short while as Aida was not as interested of playing without her brother.
Back at home I started the cooking and it got hot even though I cooked outside, because the sun started rising and the cooking area is facing east. So a little sweaty I worked through the frying of the mince meat and the condensing of the tomatoes to a thick and lovely sauce. It is usually quite hard to get good tomatoes in this country, which usually makes the sauce slightly or in some cases very sour. When you usually buy your red tomatoes, seem like a bit of a joke, it’s not very many red tomatoes to actually be found. This time, or actually last Friday, I ventured into one of the night markets (pasar malam) that are so common in Malaysia and found some lovely red tomatoes. Maybe I should try looking for tomatoes at the night markets more often or just resign and by tinned ones, which will cost me four times as much as the fresh tomatoes, but at least I can be sure they taste nice. The sauce Bolognese turned out absolutely smashing, as good if not better then the one I got in a good Italian restaurant. 
After that a quick shower and then try to get everybody in the car, which took a little while and in the middle of the rush I managed to forget to bring the camcorder, dang. But the camera was packed at least.
And here are some examples of that.

The whole goup singing Pa-pa-pa-parade. I didn't managed to get any good pictures of Aida's solo performances. though.

Then we came to the eating and people loved my sauce and wanted to know the recipe. Though at least of half the secret of getting a good sauce is in the tomatoes. Above is Adam in full party costume.

Norida had problem with the little one. He has started to be a little colicky so after I got Aida and Adam to sleep I relieved Norida form the duty of carrying Aydeen. I walked around with him for a short while and than he gave a loud burp and settled in. So all I had to do was to put him down and off he went to sleep.  
I finally got time to rest, with a bit of formula one qualifying and a cup of tea and some buns, before the kids woke up and demanded a visit to the playground. Adam had to have Mamma this time as well so Norida had to follow. She and Aydeen didn’t stay very long though, as Aydeen worked as a mosquito magnet. Adam got a bit annoyed as the grass were quite long and full of seeds, which got stuck in his clothes which makes it very itchy. So we didn’t stay very long either.  But we did some swinging.