Surviving dinner time in the sweltering summer

Sydney has been cursed with 3 days of heat wave, hovering at 33-40C all day and well past into the night.  EggEgg and Cola were raving mad at home, and my patience wearing thiner and thiner as the heat drags on.

Tonton the Iron Chef has been trying to feed us yummy food to boost our spirits & appetite.  On the first day, he made a 3 course Thai dinner -- Beef salad, Fish cakes and Chicken curry.  Alas! I hardly had the leisure to enjoy it.  I was busy fending off EggEgg as he demanded my portion, "No, this is not for you, it's too spicy" while rocking Cola in the baby carrier pouch. I ended up eating the plate of curry in the front lawn, pacing and shushing, with the plate over Cola's head, while EggEgg continue to scream and whinge in the background. 

On the second day, Tonton made my favourite Chinese dish 無錫肉骨頭.  EggEgg picked out the yummy pork bits, then announced that he is full and tried to escape from the high chair.  I caught him in the act and strapped him into his chair.  Pretending to be deaf & blind to all his loud protests, back-arching and head-turning, I had to force the plate of dinner down spoon by spoon.  At one point, I pushed his high-chair into the bedroom so that he can scream as much as he likes before resuming the dinner.  *Sigh*

On the third day, the gourmet dinner is Vietanmese prawn roll and steam mussles.  Tonight, I decided that I want no more of this nonsense.  10 minutes before dinner, I dragged EggEgg into the bedroom, commanding him to Go To Sleep Now!  Then I wrapped up Cola, put him in the baby bouncer next to me, and rock him with my feet while I enjoy dinner for the first time this week.  Boy, we finished half a bottle of wine too.

Alcohol! Advise to all frustrated parents: alcohol is the key to maintain your sanity as it reach the tipping point.  We finished about 1 dozen bottles just this month alone. On most nights, good ol' Tonton has to take away the bottle and wrestle the glass from my hand. "In moderation", he says.