Easter Holiday

I love holidays! I love having all my family home all the time, and not having to rush. That's what this week has been all about. At the moment, our children are not the most reliable sleepers, and more nights than not we have 4 in the bed, so we (the big people) are often somewhat sleep deprived, and rushing to be ready for school is a struggle. So this week we have enjoyed catching up on sleep and rest and just hanging out together.

School finished on Good Friday, and Easter Monday corresponded this year with a Chinese holiday called Tomb Sweeping Day, which is when people tend to the family graves. I felt it was kind of an appropriate holiday to line up with Easter.

We celebrated Easter with a pot luck brunch at a friend's house, and of course included an Easter Egg Hunt. It was great, the variety of food everyone brought was awesome, and I was so full when we eventually went home. The kids were so excited in the search for eggs, and my friend was so organised with green and pink baskets for everyone. Funny enough Ellie had worn a green and pink dress, and looked so gorgeous!!

I had an assignment due on Friday, so a lot of our week was spent refining my essay, and Mike keeping the children away from me. And then when I needed a break getting out of the house and doing something entertaining for the kids. I think Mike is getting a bit of a refresher in the social theory of teaching, he has mentioned that he has found a number of my readings fascinating, and he gave me some good ideas for my essay.

We've done a bit of bikeriding - Jamie is a speed demon, and Ellie has taken to nodding off every time she's on the back of my bike for more than 5 mins. Makes riding so much trickier as her weight just flops to one side of the bike!

After nearly 2 years in Shanghai, we found our first wet market today. I was so excited. We didn't buy much, just some mulberries and grapes. But it was fascinating with beautiful fruit and veg, oodles of noodles, naked chickens, fish, meat, tofu, Chinese delicatessen stuff, rice, and loads more. I will start shopping there from now on - so much more appealing than Carrefour and the cling wrapped produce!

School goes back again this coming Monday, so just 5 days off, but because we didn't go away and just stayed at home it feels like it has been quite a good break. Especially because our ayi was here the whole time, and so everyday we had a clean house and dinner ready!!

Hot Cross Buns

My little oven has excelled itself once more!!! I have just made a batch of Hot Cross Buns which were awesome, even if I do say so myself. Although my dear husband agrees, so I'm not just being conceited.

They rose beautifully, were soft on the inside, just hard enough on the outside, joined together while baking to make those delicious kiss-crusts and although they could have been neater, my crosses didn't separate from the bun or go hard. My Hot Cross Buns looked professional!!

The dried fruit and mixed peel I'd saved from my Christmas pudding was perfect, although I did steep the raisins and sultanas in boiling water for a bit first, as they were initially a bit too dry. I used melted strawberry jam as a glaze on top, and served with lashings of French butter - delicious!!

Hope the Easter Bunny finds you all tonight!! Happy Easter everyone!!