In Which We Learn to Adapt (Over and Over and Over Again)

So I guess it's time for me to put on my big girl pants because apparently nothing's going to get easier any time soon. We're still waiting on the details for That-Which-Shall-Remain-Unnamed (psst: it has to do with Ren's back), and we are only now getting settled following the numerous pediatrician changes after our doc left the practice back in February. Then last month, we found out that the head of Pink P's school was leaving. And today? Today, I learned that our beloved OT guy will go in August. I'm terrible with change. Doesn't anyone take this into account when making big life decisions?

The unexpected departure of Miss Jane at Pink P's preschool just convinced us to go ahead and move Pink to Sky's school. Both kids are totally excited, and it will actually cost less and mean less chaos at morning drop-off. So, it's probably a good move in the end. Still, it wasn't necessarily my plan, and it turns out I'm totally inflexible about certain things. Who knew?

Dave, our OT guy, has been with us from the beginning. He's provided a lot of insight thanks to his twenty-plus years of experience and the fact his 7-year-old son has PDD-NOS. His ability to avert a meltdown and communicate a lesson is amazing. Plus, he taught Sky how to tie his shoes in twenty minutes. Twenty minutes! We've been hanging with Dave for one or two hours a week for the past eighteen months, so this particular change is going to be hard for both Sky and me.

We will adapt. Somehow we always adapt.

Good thing, too. Because today Stow had an Early Intervention eval. The good news? His fine motor and problem solving skills are off the charts. The less-good news? That sweet boy qualifies for speech, physical, and developmental therapy. It's still early and there's a strong chance a lot of the delays can be attributed to a combination of his super-laid-back personality and the fact he's the third child. (I mean, who can talk when it's impossible to get a word in between Pink P and Sky?). Either way, we're on it early this time. And we'll learn to adapt. We always do.

Homemade Ice Cream Fail #1

Okay, I'll admit it. I thought I would have soy ice cream success on the first try. And, if you count the fact that Ren liked it and Stow was willing to eat it, I was partially successful. Of course, Ren will eat just about anything.　If it's stale, slightly moldy, or just a tad too alive for my taste, he's okay with it. Given that he eats more than the rest of us combined, it helps that he eats what no one else will (it also doesn't hurt that he's got a stomach of steel). And since Stow has been on a pretty steady diet of all-natural and completely unseasoned veggies, fruits, tofu, and meat, my ever-so-slightly sweetened soy ice cream was a huge hit with him.

I started my ice-cream-making venture (like I start many of my ventures) with an Internet search.  We didn't have any eggs or powdered sugar, so I went with the recipe that called for soy milk, tofu, vanilla, and syrup. Ren and I had misgivings about the syrup but decided to stick (hee, hee, hee, "stick") with the recipe. (For the record, Ren and I were right).

On the bright side, the new ice cream maker worked like a charm. Twenty minutes after I put the blended mess of tofu-like products into the chilled bowl of the maker, voila! Ice cream. But Sky and Pink P weren't having it. In Sky's estimation, "Yuck! It tastes like tofu." Apparently, they like tofu, but not when it's supposed to taste like ice cream. Both gave their half-eaten leftovers to Ren--a first in the history of, well, ever.

So, my initial attempt was essentially a fail, but it totally reminded of my favorite post-hike, pre-hot spring restaurant, Okamoto Tofu. And Okamoto Tofu reminded me of Kurokawa Onsen (onsen=hot spring). And that kind of depressed me, really. I mean, look at these pictures. 

Oh. My. Gosh. The food. Yum.



And then, there's the ice cream...


Now that's good tofu ice cream.

Next time I use the ice cream maker: more sugar, less syrup, and maybe a nice hot spring.


And, if you're ever in Okuni in Kumamoto prefecture, you have to check out Okamoto Tofu (and they're not even paying me to say this, though they totally should).





Images from Okamoto Tofu-ten