Frogs, Toads & Tadpoles

10 April 2020 (11Y1M5D, 3Y10M24D)

It's spring time!!! It's the time of the year, where there will soon be tadpoles. At the pond at Furesø Virum...

10 April 2020 (11Y1M5D, 3Y10M24D)

12 April 2020

 13 April 2020 (11Y1M8D)

Setting the toad off

At the swampy area near Lyngby lakes

13 April 2020



Sunday 20 April 2020 caught some frog eggs. Took it home to our frog aquarium all set up a week ago for this moment. So exciting!!!

 The cell started to multiply...

21 April 2020

The aquarium with the rock and the branches picked up from the lake near our home. The water plant was bought from DBA.

21 April 2020

They are getting bigger and turning into tadpoles. They are moving a lot.

Viking's Bread - Birkakiks

Ingredients:
1. 400ml wheat flour
2. 20ml oats
3. 1/2 tsk salt
4. 50g butter
5. 50ml honey
6. 200ml water

Directions:
1. Mix wheat flour, oats and salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Distribute the butter with your fingers to mix well into the dough.
3. Add honey and water and mix well into a dough.
4. Set aside for 30 mins (while waiting, your child and you can use the time to read the history about vikings :-)
5. Take a portion of the dough the size of a walnut and roll it out flat approx. 5mm thick.
6. Fry on a dry pan (no. 5 or 6 on my stove) until the biscuit is done.

Additional Information:
You can also make it over a fire like just the vikings the "snobrød" way. It will be even more fun that way :-)

Our Little FECS saw this viking's bread in his Donald Duck magazine, and he had been bugging me to make with him. But I was too tied down with Baby FECS for the past few months. Finally, we rememebred to do it today, and I managed to squeeze out some time, while Daddy FECS took over Baby FECS.

Our Little FECS (8y1m15d) was very excited, to taste the finished product, as he was very curious how the viking's bread in those days tasted like. We used a mixture of honey and syrup for the bread. We actually also added quite a lot more flour than called for in the recipe, as the mixture was too wet - perhaps our Little FECS had measured the water wrongly.

Surprisingly, it tasted very good. It actually tasted more like biscuits than bread. Both Daddy FECS, Little FECS and I liked it. It must be the butter and the honey/syrup and the pure white flour. We did not let Baby FECS try it. To make it more nutritious, we added brewer's yeast and wheat germ for the second batch, and they tasted equally good. Next time, I am going to substitute some of the flour with Graham's flour instead.

Below is the recipe in Danish. According to the story, the leftovers of viking's bread was charred and therefore it was preserved until today. Apparently, most of them was found at the big marketplace at Birka in Sweden. So as we ate the bread, we learned a bit of the Scandinavian's viking history with our Little FECS.

Here is a little video clip of our Little FECS demonstrating how to make the Viking's bread.
(to be loaded)

 

 1. Mix wheat flour, oats and salt in a mixing bowl.

2. Distribute the butter with your fingers to mix well into the dough.

3. Add honey and water and mix well into a dough.

4. Set aside for 30 mins.

 5. Take a portion of the dough the size of a walnut and roll it out flat approx. 5mm thick.

 6. Fry on a dry pan until the biscuit is done.

Childhood (童年) is...

Time flies... 

with the blink of an eye... 

6 years have passed... 

our Little FECS' early childhood has now gone by - just like that :-(

I want to remember them... 

years down the road...

should memories fade... 

should I ever come to resent and regret

that at the prime of my life, I have chosen to work part-time... 

I will remember that it is for memories such as these that I have chosen to pay the price...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Childhood is... running around... 

welcoming spring admiring the Easter daffodils (påskelinjer)...

23 April 2011 (2Y1M18D)

feeding ducks

watching anemone in bloom...

planting and...

watering during springtime...

growing sunflowers...

visiting a farm...

playing with hay...

patting a cow...

patting goats at Knuthenborg Safari...

patting sheeps at Sommerland Sjælland...

patting rabbits...

coming up-close with farm animals at Sommerland Sjælland...

admiring cherry-blossom...

blowing dandelion...

cutting through the tall grass...

walking in the wilderness...

to the pond...

looking for frogs...

picking frog eggs...

spotting tadpoles...

catching tadpoles...

transferring them into a jar...

to take a closer look...

delightful seeing tadpoles wiggling...

and the fun releasing them back to the pond...

catching frogs...

touching them...

catching toads...

catching fish... from the longkang...

observing them in a tank...

from the pond... and setting them back...

catching insects

observing insects...

holding an insect...

picking up cocoons...

catching snakes in the forest...

observing the way it crawls from a distance...

holding it and feeling its smooth and slippery skin in your hands...

doing silly things with ropes...

exploring the nature...

walking in the forest...

cutting branches...

and making wooden hut...

and hiding inside...

navigating through hut...

and exploring with friends...

picking up stones...

flying kites...

picking up sticks...

seeing tulips in bloom...

smelling lavenders in bloom...

chewing licorice root stick...

horse-riding...

and pony-riding...

and more pony-riding...

more horse-riding...

playing in the rain...

Paddling puddle of water with a stick...

smelling the flowers...

jumping around... 

playing catching...

hiking...

up the mountains...

and soaking in the hot-spring thereafter...

crossing creeks...

getting dirty in mud...

exploring...

caves...

going for a picnic by the beach...

feeling the sea-water...

hearing the sounds of gentle waves hitting the shores...

playing with sand...

making a river...

feeling the sandy beach under one's feet...

scoping and pouring...

digging and filling...

making sand-castles...

catching starfish from the seaside...

holding jellyfish in your hand... and getting the jelly-like feeling :-)

catching crabs...

in different ways...

also tiny crabs...

and making crab soup outdoor...

learning to make fire...

grilling...

 banana with chocolates over bonfire...

and getting the delight of tasting them yourself...

making the Danish "snobrød" over bonfire...

Making popcorn over bonfire...

cooking soup...

over fire...

5 July 2015 (6Y4M) 

carving wood...

picking woods...

making an enclave in the tent...

with friends...

and making an enclave with blankets...

camping...

rowing a float...

rowing boat...

sailing...

canoeing on the river...

and cleaning the canoe before storage...

and doing silly things together...

digging with excavator...

exploring a real big truck...

mowing the lawn with a real truck...

picking strawberries...

plucking raspberries...

harvesting peas...

picking apples...

and eating it...

plucking elderflowers...

and making elderflower cordial...

harvesting potatoes...

harvesting leeks in October...

getting wet from the water fountain...

playing with water in the garden...

soaking in an inflatable pool...

playing in the pool...

floating on float in the pool...

swimming...

sprinkled with water...

trying out water rides...

playing with water in a bathtub...

playing with water-gun...

having fun with balloons...

playing with water-balloons during bath...

bathing in a pool full of balls...

having fun with soap bubbles...

and foam...

spinning with daddy...

learning to kick a ball...

learning to cycle with daddy...

and falling...

and finally succeeding...

riding the scooter...

learning to skate...

learning to play badminton...

stretching...

exercising...

jump, jump...

jumping...

and more jumping...

and more jumping...

more jumping...

navigating obstacle course...

crossing a river through a raft...

climbing spider web....

climbing trees...

everywhere...

in all seasons...

and more climbing...

going to the playground...

having fun on the swing in twos...

and in one big group...

walking on the rope...

riding on the see-saw...

doing somersault on monkey bar...

simply playing...

and also during winter time...

having breakfast on the balcony....

sharing a big ice-cream with the family...

watching sunset together...

The sun started to set around 9.30pm and was fully set around 9.45pm
at Tisvilde north of Copenhagen during the summer on 21 July 2013

going on a car-ride with daddy and mommy...

going on a train-ride...

having a cozy time with daddy...

seeing Thomas-the-Train in action...

laughing together...

going to amusement parks...

trying out different rides...

some easy ones...

and some more challenging ones...

riding on the merry-go-round...

eating cotton-candy...

and lollipop care-freely... aaah... that's childhood...

being a Mr. Postman...

being a Captain pilot...

being a fireman...

putting out fire with real water...

pretending to cook like a viking...

going to the Science museum... 

doing magic show...

saying hello to the fishes and sea creatures at the aquarium...

playing with Lego...

story-telling at the library...

reading together with friends...

hygge with cousins...

going for a movie with Daddy...

trying out the Chinese candy "bing tang hu lu"... :-)

carrying lanterns during...

the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival...

admiring the full moon together...

doing the lion dance during Chinese new year...

collecting red packets during Chinese New Year...

playing with flour...

driving a battery-operated car...

having tea-time with mommy

baking...

and mixing...

baking cookies...

making sushi...

chilling out on a bean bag....

painting....

going to art museum...

painting...

sketching...

painting...

hiding in a suitcase...

playing with Lego robotic...

making jigsaw-puzzles...

1 May 2014 (5Y1M26D)

hammering and wood works...

mining for dinosaur...

board game with friends...

and with mommy and daddy...

play dates with friends...

playing 4-in-a-line...

playing chess...

playing Chinese chess with grandpa

washing toys...

washing car with Daddy...

picking edible mushrooms... (but only with mommy and daddy around)

picking inedible chestnuts from the forest...

picking edible chestnuts...

and baking them...

carving pumpkin with Daddy

grocery shopping with mommy and daddy...

preparing food...

with Mommy...

cooking with Mommy...

playing the piano...

visiting museum...

volunteering at old folks' home...

making Christmas decorations... 

taking part in dramas and plays...

laying down feeling the snow and...

making an angel's form...

having fun sledging...

making snowman...

doing cross-country on snow...

tossing candies...

camping at home...

the thrill of sleeping in the washroom...

having a cozy time with daddy...

the thrill of sleeping in the closet...

sleeping in a tent in the play room...

and waking up snuggling with daddy...

in the kitchen...

Sailing a boat...

26 August 2017 (8Y5M21D)

Catching water animals...

1 August 2020 (11Y4M26D) at Blå Base

Canoeing at Lyngby Lake...

8 August 2020 (11Y5M3D) at Lyngby Lake

11 August 2020 (11Y5M6D and 4Y2M25D) at Lyngby Lake

That's our Little FECS' childhood :-)

For Mommy FECS... looking back at our Little FECS' childhood brings the following thoughts and feelings:

Childhood is... helping me...

to see the joy of play...

and the carefreeness...

realising how short it is...

Childhood is... urging me...

not to be overly worried about exams and grades...

not to be worried about unfinished homework... (oh yes... the school wanted our child to be familiar with the Danish alphabet before he starts school)

not to be upset and angry all the time...

Childhood is... teaching me...

to be grateful for our health...

to be thankful for the privilege of being able to give our children a childhood...

Childhood is... touching me...

to cry out and think of those in war-torn countries, whose such peace, carefreeness and beholding the beauty of nature is still beyond their need...

to pray for them...

to share with them...

Childhood is... showing me...

that many simple joys in life do not need an insane amount of money to get

yet many things in life money cannot truly buy...

the joy of seeing the beauty of nature...

breathing fresh air...

bathing in the sunshine...

playing with water at the seaside...

All these cost less than going to a Disneyland...

so long as we human learns to respect and conserve nature...

Childhood is... humbling me...

to realize that we will all grow old one day...

that we should appreciate the elderly amongst us...

the heritage that they are providing to our children... and ourselves...

Childhood is... encouraging me...

to learn to take things a little slower... 

to be in pace with the children... and the elderly...

to have the wisdom to have the balance in work and life...

remembering that childhood does not wait for me, while I am working overtime in the office...

Childhood is... giving me the courage...

to put in my best during office hours and ...
grab my bag and run for the door...
whenever I am tempted to stay in the office after office-hours...
and if I fail...
the courage to try again the next day...

Childhood is... reminding me the meaning of life...

to enjoy my family and child...

to seize the day...

and allow our child more unstructured free play...

to consider and revere God...

Songs about childhood (sorry it is in Mandarin):

https://youtu.be/bF2qh1glIjU

https://youtu.be/hxAXrikHJWk

https://youtu.be/1FJU5Ubex2A

References:

http://www.metuchenmatters.com/2009/01/the_importance_of_play.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childhood