My son's a genius!

I bet that's what all moms think about their own kids. I think both of my sons are geniuses and have been counselled many times that every kid is just as smart. It's just that we moms think that our kids are above average. But then again, if every kid is above average, then what's average, or below average.. really?

Anyway, every kid has his or her strengths. Mine are creative. My ten-year old is a self-professed geek. He's had his own youtube channel for ages and loves shooting videos.

Mom here, finally decided to get into the fray. I started my own youtube channel and it's all about... chocolates..

It all began on Sunday. I wanted to shoot a chocolate making video and asked my son to be my camera man. But the boy had tons of homework to complete. Or maybe he was feeling creative.

I fell asleep. In my sleep, I heard him ask me for pencils to make something. I mumbled yes... dreamily.

When I woke up, my boy showed me his invention:


He used the pencils to make a tripod stand out of a cardboard box. It was sized to fit my cell phone perfectly. To shoot that photo, I used my cell phone and put my husband's cell phone to model it. That doesn't fit too well. My cell phone sits beautifully on it and is at the perfect height.

I shot this video with it.


Dedicated to chocolate lovers around the world
:D

Hummingbird Sleepover -- or was it a sunbird?

Was that a hummingbird or a sunbird?

Actually, that bird is a frequent visitor in the garden. It loves the flowers there. That tiny fella hovers in mid air while it drinks nectar from the flowers. It moves really fast.



Last night, it perched on the curtain rod of the bedroom where it retired for the night. When the sun came up, the little fella woke up and flew out of the window. Now I don't think it got lost. I believe it was simpy adamant about spending the night in the house.

Found out this morning that that sunbird or hummingbird (blue feathers covers most of it, except for the sunny yellow covering its belly) had been following the maid most afternoon. She tried to chase it away, but it followed her wherever she went. Eventually, it probably got bored as it flew out of the house again.

Caught a few more photos of the friendly little bird last night.


Can you spot that little critter in these photos below?

Lost Bird

This evening, a blue humming bird flew into the house. The kids were so excited. Ian, with his perennial desire to keep a pet, (without killing it, I hope), closed all the windows, trapping the poor fella.

The little one flew around the house, bumping into the glass windows trying to get out. It panicked, flying around the house, resting occasionally, either on the chain of the chandelier or the curtain rail. It lost a few feathers along the way.

We opened the doors and windows, hoping it would find its way out, but it just seemed unable to think straight. It seems to have made that chandelier chain its home. We left some water for it in a dish in case it gets thirsty. Maybe it'll build a nest here.

--- bed time ---

Lights off. Realized that humming birds hate the dark.

It followed the kids to their bedroom, freaking them out. My sons were afraid the bird would deposit its droppings on them while they sleep.

After flying around the room frantically, the hummingbird settled in the bath room, on my shower cap.

How To Make Fig and Walnut Chocolates

I absolutely love chocolates. Especially the sinfully rich, dark chocolates Maybe that's why I have a tendency to get fat.

On the other hand, dark chocolate is a rich source of antioxidants. In fact, chocolate is richer in the phenolic compound gallic acid and the flavonoid epicatechin than red wine or green tea.

Dark chocolates are great as an occasional treat. I love gourmet chocolates, but they are pretty expensive. So I make my own.

Here's my favourite recipe. It's full of fiber with dried figs and walnuts. Almost a health food, if not for the fat content.

You need

• baking chocolate


• honey


• vanilla extract


• cointeau or orange brandy


• shelled walnuts


• dried figs

Ready? This video might make you a little seasick. I shot the first part of it with my handphone in one hand, and making the chocs with the other. The latter part is much better because my son took over the filming. :D

1. Break the chocolate into small squares and put it in a microwavable glass jar or container


2. Melt the chocolate for 1 minute in the microwave oven, set at high


3. Stir the chocolate and add in 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of brandy


4. Taste the chocolate to see if you like it. Add more honey if you want it sweeter.


5. Chop the dried figs into small pieces.


6. Stir in walnuts and figs


7. Cut baking paper into square sweet wrappers


8. Scoop the chocolate fruit and nut mix and wrap them in baking paper


9. Leave the chocolates to set. They'll harden as they cool down.

That's it. You've got your own high fiber (dare I say healthy?) home made chocolates.

The Optimist & The Pessimist

Fill half a glass with water.

Look at it.

Is the glass half full or half empty?

The optimist would see the bright side of things. To him, the glass is half full.

The pessitive tends to see things from the gloomy, negative angle and would see the glass as half empty.

It reminds me of my two sons.

We had 4 pet fish.

The first fell sick and died.

One son was sad because 1 fish was dead.

The other comforted him, saying 3 were still alive.

A few days later, another fish died.

The first kid was even more upset. 2 precious fish had passed away.

The other kid looked at the bright side. 2 were still alive and well.

The 3rd fish soon died. My first kid was really depressed. 3 fish had died.

The younger child took comfort that 1 still lived.

When the 4th fish died, my older son was inconsolable.

My younger son said, that we should be happy for the dead fish. It was no longer suffering. It had gone to heaven.