I think I can get a pretty stern voice going when the need arises. Sometimes all I need to do is threaten, 'Do you want me to put my cranky voice on?' and I get, 'No mummy! I'll be good!' Excellent, power and dominance, what every mother strives for.
Today when Rod and I were 'being stern' with Jules regarding... ummm... what was it again?... something like... 'We only draw on PAPER, not on the walls, only on PAPER.' You know, a bit of a spray with an environmentally unfriendly cleaner and a wipe and it would be gone, but one must set boundaries, a home must have rules.
While we were laying down the law about appropriate texta usage Jules was playing with her fingers. Each one in turn, and she paused with her middle finger sticking straight UP. It's very hard to scold a three year old who's looking up at you with large innocent eyes and flipping you the bird.
Rod and I looked at each other and couldn't help but let out bursts of stifled giggles. All we could say was, 'Now don't do it again... (snort, pretend cough, loud nose exhale)... off you go now...'
Juliet didn't realise what she was doing, the finger isn't given in this house. It just made me think how hard it is to hold down the position of authority when funny things are everywhere. I remember when my friend, Sam, was prac teaching and learning how to control a class for the first time. A group of girls had the giggles about something and Sam SO GOT THE JOKE. Turning and stifling a smile at the blackboard didn't seem to work. How do you be the boss when you get the joke? How do you make something a serious issue when all you want to do is have a laugh?
I don't know. I don't have the answer. When I go crook my kids try to make me laugh in the hope that punishment might be less severe (less severe than being sent to your room where your toys are?). I suppose they would rather hear me laugh than yell. I get that.
Punishment for Tom would be being made eat a poached egg, for Jules that's a treat. (How's that for a smooth change of topic?) Last weekend I road tested the Whirlpool Method of egg poaching, this weekend I'm comparing it to the Silicon Spaceship method.
I bought these silicon egg poaching cradles for Rod for his birthday in the hope that on weekend mornings when I didn't feel like an egg he would have the means to make himself one. That weekend morning hasn't happened yet. I always want an egg on toast on the weekend.
They didn't come with instructions, so I've had to make it up as I go along.
So, I break the eggs into the silicon spaceships resting on cups/glasses.
I get a large saucepan of water to the boil, turn it down and float the eggs on top.
You can see that soon after they go in the white starts to cook at the edges. I put the lid on the saucepan with the heat down LOW and pretty soon they're cookin'.
When the white is cooked they're ready. I must say, it's easy to over cook the yolks with this method. Stay by the stove, keep a watchful eye.
Getting them out can be a challenge. I suppose you could oil the inside of the silicon cups, but I don't. I just use a spoon to scoop them out (and a good washing up brush to scratch the cradle clean).
Certainly not a bad method and fairly fool proof.
Makes for pretty wonkey edges though. Tasted great. Maldon salt I just can't live without and plan to devote an entire post to its wonderfulness.
Sunday tomorrow. I wonder if I'll have an egg from Chooktopia to poach? Doubt it.
