Christmas in Rochester

The kids were ready to travel.  Ipad ("get to do TV") and snacks at the ready, we had the departure time perfectly timed to bedtime.  Unfortunately, the best laid plans....

The plane was supposed to take off at 8, but we weren't airborne until 2 am.  Incredibly, the kids had an absolute blast, and ran around the airport shrieking happily. 

At around midnight, the airport was shutting down, but for some reason the airline still couldn't let us on. So, they changed our gate to the other side of the airport.  

Then, they changed it back to the original gate. And then - I kid you not - back to the other end of the airport. This went on for a while, with everyone trailing around trying to understand what was happening. 

Finally, they let us on to the plane but we had to wait on the tarmac for several hours because by then we had lost half our passengers. Someone had directed those poor folks to exit the airport, so they had to go through security all over again...

In the meantime, Rowan and Mina got to visit the cockpit

Made it!  Not sure why the kids are so awake, but we are very happy to sleep in while Grandma and Grandpa bond with them.

Fun-having is hard work

Rowan is a magpie.  He collected the santa bears every. single. naptime.

Xmas day - the calm before the storm

Hanging with the Davidson clan

Grownups puzzling

Kiddos puzzling

Lindsey's birthday

Isaac's birthday party

Introducing the next generation into the good food life. 

At Tracy's house.  Her great pyrenees can eat our entire family. 

Dinner with Aaron's

Meanwhile, back in NJ

And traveling back

Funny Sayings

December, 2018

I put my cold hands on Rowan's tummy

Ro: No mommy, no colding me up!

Mina wants to open presents early

D: Does Santa ever come back and take presents away? 

M: No, Daddy, he does NOT! And that is ridiculous!

Asking Natasha for presents

M: Rowan, what is your favorite animal?

Ro: uhhh....yooncorn (unicorn)

M: okay, let's go tell Natasha!

A pitter patter of little feet is heard from the living room

In unison: Yoooncorn!!!

M: I don't like that lunch Dad! You have to put cheese on it!

D: Put cheese on pad thai? 

M, adamantly: Yeah! Now pass the barbecue sauce please. 

M: I'm not a lion, I'm a HUman. 

Ro: I'm a minion!

November, 2018 

D: Why don't you ever want to sit with me? 

M: We love you, but we want you to get used to no kiddos sometimes...

September, 2018

At bedtime

R: Mina, why are you crying so much

M: It's because you respond to crying  I use my words with Yanique because she doesn't respond to crying

R: Okay, from now on when you cry we are not going to respond

Five minutes later

R: Mina, why are you crying?!

M: I'm not crying, I'm screaming!

R: Come on baby

Ro, stopping and and tapping on his chest:  No, not baby. BIG boy.

September 7, 2018

M: If I had one moneys, what could I buy? 

August 25, 2018

D: Mina, come down off the table please.

Mina points to her new T-shirt that says "Part-time superhero"

M: But dad, this says "you could do whatever you want!"

August 25, 2018

R: Yanique, please have a slice of pizza

M, looking dismayed: But mom! That will make her even more chubbier

Parents are horrified. Yanique laughs. 

Children's museum with the Whitney's

Sensory stuff

Lunch afterwards

On our way back

Xmas at home

Making mozzarella

Dan got some cheesemaking supplies for his birthday BEFORE MINA WAS BORN.  Ha. We finally got those out to make some home made mozzarella that turned out to be really fun, easy and quick to make. 

Heat a gallon of milk to ~55 degrees.  Add 1.5 teaspoons of citric acid dissolved in a half cup of water. 

Continue heating. When milk reaches ~95 degrees, add 1.5 teaspoons of rennet dissolved in a half cup of water, and stir gently. Keep heating until the mixture reaches ~105 degrees.  The milk solids start to separate and will form a thick layer.  

Once the when is clear and not milky, pour through a strainer.  We have tried multiple methods of straining now, including the traditional cheesecloth or nutbag.  After doing this a few times, I find that pouring directly into a fine strainer will work just fine and is the least messy for a large amount.  Running the strained whey through a fine mesh nutbag actually showed that there wasn't much left behind.  Squish out any excess liquid.  Heat up the solids in a microwave (30 sec to a min) until it is almost too hot to touch.  Then massage the cheese until it becomes stretchy and has a smooth, glistening sheen to it. 

We haven't quite figured out how to stop ALL the fluid from leaving the cheese; our mozzarella balls turn out to be quite low moisture which makes it tough to use as a pizza topping.  But it still tastes great, and has a fine texture to each on crackers or on its own.