TDH Ontario January 2014 Newsletter

If you're interested in an update on International adoption and a few great family stories, click here.

Yum.....not bad at all!

Plan B for Tet celebrating falling into place...

As I write this the snow is falling and Banh Chung is boiling in our pot, 5 squares (well not exact but square-like).....Matteo and I both had a great night's sleep for the most part (though we've both been really cranky with each other all morning) though Matteo still had a fever at 2 in the morning but otherwise has been fever free since waking up.  I, on the other hand, still have symptoms, but am feeling better so with a little better health on our sides I decided to try to assemble the banh chung, otherwise it too would head to the freezer.

The following are photos of Matteo helping out at the start....of course I did the folding and tying etc...I learned an awful lot and definitely a little mould would help - but we managed. There is an Italian expression that says something about the first time you make something, don't expect it to be great, so I wanted to just go through the process to understand all its parts. For now, I'm happy with the results...and of course, hope it tastes good too!!

So once again Happy New Year!

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới! Happy New Year!!

Well things have not fallen into place as we had hoped.  The house is decorated, the Ao Dai was ready to be worn, the red envelopes were ready as was the tet candy and the menu. The house was also more cleaned than it was last year, our (fake) peach blossoms are out and look lovely, our ancestor's altar was almost ready, our lists had been made for final details and then to our dismay, our Tet party for tomorrow had to be postponed.

I have developed bronchitis and in addition to antibiotics am also using an inhaler...and today, got called from preschool that Matteo had a fever....so we are laying low, trying to rest, and heal and not be too disappointed that we had to postpone our party.  And to top it off we got a surprise message that the family who I travelled with to adopt and who also adopted a little boy, would be in town!!...but we might not be able to see them either!!

So now our cake is now frozen at the baker's and our Banh Chung is half ready. We are hoping to assemble them tomorrow if we have energy or I'll have to make a decision on a plan B for that too.

Many little ones in Matteo's preschool have been sick with croup, and other viruses and many of my not so little students too...add to that a stressful time of year with end of semester and then finding out that next semester I'll be at two schools (two great schools which will be challenging but I am so happy too)....and of course the end of the last semester is not quite finished, marks are still being calculated, and prep for the new term has yet to happen....therefore I'm sure all of this has helped to let those bugs into my already over stressed system such that I/we have had to bow out of all the plans and sit and watch the cars go by so to speak!!  As it turns out, we are expecting a big snowfall/storm tomorrow so many of our guests may have bowed out anyhow....so maybe it is a luckier start to the year than we think!!

So, for now, from our home to yours, may you have a wonderful beginning to the new year!

May health always be part of your lives and hope that following that much happiness, prosperity and of course love to hold it all together!!

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới ! Happy New Year!!

Making Banh Chung for Tet...a mother and son experience....

Matteo and I are going to try this this year!!  Wish us luck!  Of course I'll report back with photos!

The recipe we'll use is here.

Folding Banh Chung banana leaves without a mold.....watch it here.

Vietnamese Food for Tet....

I have been enjoying this site and wanted to share it.....Vietnamese Food.

TET 2014 - Looking forward..... Chúc mừng năm mới!!



Well 2014 is about to begin again as we prepare to celebrate it on the Asian calendar...this year it was great for the flow of decorations at our home to go from Christmas to Tet whereby some of our Christmas Vietnamese decorations were left up and while the Christmas ones were taken down we added additional Tet.  Matteo has been a great participant in decorating our home this year for Christmas and now for Tet...He LOVES decorating and celebrating.  He is definitely a social bunny!

As we look forward to 2014, it is already showing itself to be holding special surprises and maybe some major decisions. On the horizon is a possible new job which will require moving out of province. It is a possibility and is being considered so that I am able to make the best decision I can.  Of course this will depend as well on the timing and the second adoption.  If it is all meant to work out it will, but it is exciting to consider some of the changes that 2014 will hold.   As others have suggested 2013 wasn't the greatest year for us, though that depends on how you look at it.  The number 13 in Italian culture is a lucky number so I can either say 2013 was bad because I had a health challenge, changed jobs as the old one didn't quite work out, and the 2nd adoption has not come through, or I can say, I had a health challenge but because of such tremendous advances in medical technology and amazing doctors who are willing to dedicate their lives to finding solutions to medical problems, my health challenge was fixed.  I can also say I went from a bad job to a good one which is now leading to a possible other work opportunity which would not be happening if I the other one worked out.  I can also say not having the 2nd adoption happen just yet helped me to continue to strengthen my relationship with my son, where we had a great summer holiday and Christmas holiday too (Matteo definitely knows what it means to be on holiday) . Together we have been enjoying our time alone while also preparing for the possibility of a new person to join our "team".....so as they say, do you look at the glass as half full or half empty (though of course that isn't always easy to do!). 

But for now I choose to believe that 2013 was half full!  Life will always be full of challenges and unexpected situations.  The success is in meeting each challenge and getting to the other side. Making friends with unexpected surprises rather than be felled by them.  And of course, just like the celebrations around Tet, it is important to surround yourself with family and friends both past and present. 

Happy New Year! Chúc mừng năm mới!