Spring Break Flashback

Last week, the kids and I spent another fabulous morning at our museum, but with all the hustle of break and Easter I never posted about it. This is especially tragic because they were both actually wanting to have their picture taken! So, a flashback....

Our trip started, as always, at the farmyard:

 The added attraction this time was that they have two new pygmy goats to visit! From there, we headed out to watch the birds. This was the first time we had made time to visit the bird glade, and I am so glad we did. We had gone so early that we were the only ones there, and the birds were busy. Even a little bunny hopped up to say hello.

Issa asked for a selfie:

 While Evan was elated that the boats are open for the season:

 After spending a long time watching the lemurs jump around like crazy critters, we got a huge surprise:

 The wolves are usually up at the top of their enclosure, but first the first time they were playing and running down low. They are such amazing animals.

While we were watching the bears, Evan shocked me with a selfie request:

 And then asked for a sibling photo:

 And then Issa became a bear:

 We ate lunch outside and finished with popsicles. The last stop was the dig pit:

 Issa is a shark tooth finding queen:

We left early afternoon with two tired kids and another morning of memories. I love that after all these years the kids still find something new and love going to our museum. It makes my heart happy.

Happy Easter!

We are back from an incredible Easter weekend. We drove up Thursday and went straight to Brad's brother's house. We haven't stayed there recently because, well, chaos. When we get the two families together in his house, we have four adults, six kids, four dogs, four cats, and a bunny. It's a lot. But...after Christmas we all recommitted to it. If we don't stay there, the cousins don't get the kind of quality time we all want, and the quality time that we want with our nieces, nephews, brother, and sister. Plus, there is a new baby that needs snuggled. So we did it. And it was the best decision we ever made.

I don't have any pictures. Brad has some on his phone, but my time there was either spent holding Hadley or leaning over the island with my oldest three nieces and nephew. This weekend was perfect timing. Poor Hadley was having some acid reflux issues, and much of Thursday was spent letting her scream at me so poor Brian and Danielle could get a break. Thankfully, we saw a turn on Friday, and I got to see some sweet smiles. Both days, I got all kinds of bonding time with my newest niece. And in the moments I wasn't holding her, I was basking in what cool teenagers the oldest three have become. All of us standing around the island talking, laughing--brilliant. I wouldn't trade that time for anything. I am also steeling myself to play Cards Against Humanity with the oldest two next visit. I'm just not sure my heart is ready for that one.

Friday night, we drove to Napoleon. Aunt Shannon couldn't join us this year, but she sent outfits:

Evan is a weirdo:

Saturday morning, we were able to go down and visit Granddaddy. He was having a great day, and I will be forever grateful for that visit. He joked with Brad and snuggled my kiddos. I saw the same twinkle in his eye, and all was well with the world. 

After a milk shake stop on the way home, we returned to color eggs:

 Becca came over to help, and the magic crayons were a huge hit:

Evan spent most of his coloring time like this:

 Three eggs in and he was over it.

Brad made cream puffs, and I listened to Mom and him banter. The Slights and Rachel came over for dinner, and we laughed and just were together. It was lovely. And the kids were so exhausted by the end of the day they asked to go to bed.

Sunday morning, the bunny had arrived:

And Buddy the Elf even made an appearance:

 And then the hunt was on:

 I love Evan's tongue sticking out in that one.

 We nearly lost one hard boiled egg, but Issa finally found it. We are seriously considering asking the bunny to leave a sealed answer key next year.

 And of course there was an Easter outfit:

It took Easter candy to get Evan to pose, but I'll take it.

It was a quick trip, but on the way home Brad and I just decided it was absolutely worth it. Happy Easter, all!

Office Mates

Well...I had some new office mates yesterday:

 They hauled in four blankets, four bags, and a whole lot of laughter. They spent the day playing in the cave, and I will be forever grateful that I work in a place where people just come in and laugh when they see it.

The highlight of the day was lunch in the dining hall, though:

 Issa had a salad, pasta, and peas.

Evan had cereal and peas.

Both kids finished with the perfect root beer float. Last year at summer camp, Miss Cece taught them the appropriate way to make and eat one, and that is now a must every time they eat in Belk. Miss Cece was so proud.

By some miracle, I was also super productive yesterday, so we are calling it a win all around!

Little Things

We had a lovely weekend. It was nothing remarkable, but it was lovely.

Saturday morning, we went to the farm for the first time this season. We only stayed about an hour and a half because it was 34 degrees, but it was so good to be back. The kiddos collected eggs and said hello to all their farmyard critter friends. Brad and I chatted over rows of greens while we pulled weeds. We missed our Saturday mornings there, and we are so glad to be back!

Yesterday, miracles happened. We took the kids shoe shopping, and they both found tennis shoes that they loved and that fit on the first try. We were in and out in less than 30 minutes. Brad was ecstatic.

Now we are settling into spring break. The kids are going with me at work, which is always an adventure, but the rest of the week we will be home enjoying a little quiet and a lot of family time. I can't wait.

A Couple of Characters

Check out these characters:

Issa is Thea from the Thea Stilton series, and Evan is Dr. Seuss's Blue Fish. Please excuse his face. He did not want his picture taken at all. But, I told him I would only carry his backpack if I could have a picture, and he didn't want his fin to be squished. A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do.

The kids and I had so much fun making these costumes. It's the end of Dr. Seuss week at school and the day before spring break. Woooohooooo! I'm working Monday but taking the rest of the week off for some much needed rest and time with these kiddos, and I can't wait.

Safe Place

First: Issa is both wacky and tacky today. She and two friends are in it together and all is right with the world.

I'm also hoping the other two remember. Yesterday was a tough one for our girl. Mean girl stuff just sucks, and although Issa handled it better than I ever could have at her age, it was hard. She went from school to the studio where she got all of her judges critiques, which may prompt growth but it's still hard. To say it was not her favorite day would be an understatement.

But...when she finished critiques, I watched my girl put on her dance shoes and walk into an open studio. I tried to talk, but all I got was, "I just need to dance." I watched through the glass as she ran steps. Not little girl twirls and spins, but technical stuff. Watching the mirror. Starting over. Trying again. I couldn't figure it out until I saw her shoulders start to relax. Hurt turned to determination in her eyes. It was one of those moments where I saw a flash of the woman she will become--is becoming. A woman who knows herself.

More and more, the studio is becoming Issa's safe space. No matter what the day held, she wants to be there. She needs to be there.

The past month I have seen Issa really start to grow up in a very tangible way. She's stretching, and I'm trying to stretch with her. Shift my parenting style to match what she needs. Honoring the fact that she is growing up while balancing that she is still so very young. It's a tricky tight rope act, and some days are more wobbly than others.

Yesterday was wobbly. As I sat and listened to Issa's critiques with her, I was the one who got teary. Not because of the feedback from the judges but because of the conversation with her teacher. She offered support and pushed Issa. She echoed what we had already talked about in so many ways. It's not about the score; it's about the growth. It's about the art and the love. And the love in the room was tangible. As I was holding on for dear life there was a safety net--a safe place and a woman who loves my girl fiercely. There is no greater gift than that.

Growing Up

This week is Dr. Seuss week at school. We have worn red and blue for One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. We wore destination shirts for Oh The Place You'll Go!, and today we wore funky socks for Fox in Socks.

Tomorrow is Wacky Tacky Day. For Evan, this is every day that he chooses his own clothes. He is thrilled that I won't be asking, "Really?" tomorrow morning. It used to be Issa's favorite day, too. But this morning, she mentioned she might not do it. She's afraid her friends won't participate, and she doesn't want to be the only one. Last year, I did the be your own person speech, but this year I realized I had to take a different tone. We're growing up. I told her that she should do what she wants. I reminded her of my follow your own path speech, but this year I found myself adding that I knew that was easier said than done. We talked about how sometimes it's worth taking a path alone, and sometimes it's okay to join the group. The important thing is seeing that difference. It's a hard line.

She plans to talk with some friends today and see if they will all be wacky and tacky tomorrow, and I told her I was fine with whatever she chooses to do. And I truly am. But my heart broke a little. It seems like she is growing up so fast. The answers are getting more complicated. The conversations more difficult. I find myself praying for wisdom a little more fervently and speaking a bit more slowly. I am just so grateful that she's still open, and I am determined to stay open, too.

We Danced the Day Away

Saturday, Issa had another dance competition. This time, she not only competed her solo but also her team dances. Bless their Tiny hearts:

 They were wide awake and ready to roll even though we had a 7:15 am call time--in Greensboro. My alarm went off at 4:30. The whole family was out the door by 6:05. Daddy did an awesome job as a prop dad, and Evan declared himself prop brother. We all couldn't have been more proud of Issa and her team:

Their tap won third, jazz second, and they received one of the two high overall awards. Issa danced her solo even better than the last time. This time, she didn't look at all nervous, and she kept that big stage presence the whole time--her goal. She won second over all, and our mantle is filling up!

Issa, my favorite bun head, please don't ever forget it's not about the score. Trophies are fabulous, but they are not everything. We are proud of you for being brave every time you take that stage and dance for yourself. The art is in the joy. Hold on to that with everything you have. Love, The Proudest Dance Mom on the Planet

Like a Doll in a Washing Machine

I left home yesterday at 7:25, and I got back home at 9:40. That is one long day at work. It was a good day. Hard, but good. That said, I got home, spent 15 minutes looking at school work, thanked God I'm married to the best Daddy ever who handled everything at home to perfection, and then spent another hour triaging email.

When I woke up this morning, it was a little extra crazy because the kids had extra things to tell me and everyone needed a lunch packed. I hadn't done my usual prep the night before, and it was a flurry out the door.

Brad's colleague sent an email this morning saying he felt like a "doll in a washing machine." Yes. That is it. I'm just telling myself that when I come out I will be refreshed and ready to play. Yeah...let's go with that.

Magic Luck

Last week, Issa announced she just knew Buddy the Elf was friends with leprechauns...and the magic began...

Last night, she decided we needed to leave the leprechauns treats so they would be kind instead of ornery:

 Please note the boys got no credit. They were playing a game when we were preparing. Please also note that the thin mints were broken into pieces to make it easier for the little guys to eat.

Rest assured, the leprechauns came, and they brought Buddy along in his finest St. Patty's Day attire:

 I love that Buddy always reminds us to be brave and kind:

 And check out these special treats:

Pretzel rods with green chocolate, rock candy, and gold nestled in mint M&Ms. Delicious.

The best daddy in the world made the kids green pancakes for breakfast, and those treats worked because the leprechauns fixed Evan's fish pump. (It had nothing to do with anything Daddy did to it right before bed.)

I love these days when magic is expected and delivered and we all feel especially blessed:

Spring

Well, my spring break is officially over. I spent last week catching up on work projects that had been back-burnered. There is something so lovely about lots of checks on the list.

I also spent some time recharging. I did a little shopping. I didn't keep the laundry caught up. I was kind to myself. It was good.

And this weekend was the perfect finish. We were supposed to have the farm kick-off Saturday, but the weather did not cooperate. So...we had a lovely pajama day after a huge breakfast. By late afternoon, though, Daddy had the itch to get out of the house, so we went to see Cinderella. It was so good! I cried at several points, and I loved the way Cinderella developed as a character. It was just enough magic. In short--perfection. Although the boys weren't quite as sold.

The highlight, though, was yesterday. Our day started with homemade granola and then a family outing to Home Depot. We are starting to tackle some projects and dreams around the house. Step one: new light bulbs. It was getting a bit dark in our house, and Brad found some new daylight bulbs that I have declared life changing. We also mulched flower bed, disassembled a crumbling deck, and pruned. The kids are super invested in all the work because they are designing a tree house with Daddy. We grilled for the first time this season, and ate our burgers, sweet potato chips, and kale chips as the sun set. Blissful. We all went to be exhausted and probably a little sore, but it was so worth it.

Now...back to reality.

On Time Changes

I do not like time changes. This whole getting up in the dark and dragging children out of bed business is ridiculous. Evan keeps telling me I'm confused when I go in every morning. I understand, buddy, I have the same feeling when my alarm goes off.

I will say this, though: I do love having the daylight a little longer. When Issa and I got home from the studio last night, it was still bright and warm. She and Evan headed directly outside to play, and because Brad loves me more than I deserve, he ordered pizza. I just couldn't face cooking, so I went out to putter in the yard and listen to the kids while we waited for it to arrive. It was good for my soul.

We ate dinner on the deck again, and eventually hauled the kids in from the hammock. It is still a pirate ship and way too much fun. After a few rounds of whack a mole we had them settled into bed a bit earlier last night, and by the end of the week we should be in bed by normal times...or at least that's what I'm telling myself.

Bliss

This was another one of those blissful weekends. Friday night, Issa went to her first dance:

 As ridiculous as I find a third through fifth grade dance, Issa was so excited. She did announce, "If a slow song comes on, I am just going to do ballet or lyrical because I am not dancing with a boy!" There were no slow songs, and she had a great time for the first hour or so. After that, it apparently got a bit boring.

While she was dancing the night away, the boy and I headed out for cheese burgers:

He just keeps getting funnier and funnier. He wanted to sit on the same side of the booth, and I loved listening to his uninterrupted chatter.

Saturday, we were at the studio bright and early. Thankfully, Daddy took the red eye home and met us there. After two and a half hours of dance, Issa was starving, so Daddy decided to take us out for brunch. We were a little too excited to discover La Place does brunch now, and it was perfection. We spent the rest of the afternoon napping and just playing.

Yesterday, spring arrived, and it was such a welcome warmth. We had a picnic lunch in the front yard before we went to Marbles for the afternoon. The kids had a blast building and exploring, and we came home to soak up a little more spring. The kids played in our backyard, sailing as pirates on the hammock. We had the back door wide open, and I loved listening to them giggle as I made dinner. We ate on the patio, and finally called the kids in when we realized it was time for bath and bed. The time change is a killer, but the extra daylight is lovely.

I'm on break this week, which means a different pace to the work. I still have to go in tomorrow, but that is all. I think this is looking to be a fabulous week.

Career Day

 We had a two hour delay today after an hour early dismissal yesterday for ice. I just can't even. But...the kids did make it in, which was a definite bonus since today was career day. Please allow me to introduce you to our event planner and potions scientist:

I ruined Evan's life when I suggested that the other name for his intended career was chemist. The horror. Somehow, though, event planner seems so right for the girl.

College Day

Today is college day at school for the kiddos, and our two had a few choices. Wittenberg, Case, UNC, Duke, and Meredith. Here is what they came up with:

In case you are wondering, that would be my sweatshirt Issa is wearing, and Evan is wearing Daddy's hat. Yes...he is wearing the hat over his sweatshirt hood. I can't even.

Happy Ninja

Well...Evan is deliriously happy:

The dojo now has car magnets. Issa's studio has long been represented on her side of the car, and now his dojo is emblazoned on his side...and all is right with the world.

The Under Belly of Snow Days

Well...we have made it to school two days in a row for the first time in over two weeks. Evan was not amused by this development. He seems to have forgotten what normal is.

And that is the under belly of snow days. As much as I love the beauty of the snow and making memories with the kids, I'm so over it right. A little whimsy is fun; a lot puts me very close to losing it.

Yesterday, I finally finished cleaning from the snow days. Here is the mean trick for moms on snow days: we are all home all the time. That means the children insist on being fed three times a day. And the first snow day you make a big breakfast because fun! Then it becomes a snow day thing and so your kitchen is wrecked by 7 am. Then lunch rolls around and you mess the whole thing up again, and then there is the afternoon hot cocoa or cookies that makes yet another kitchen mess that gets cleaned up just in time for dinner.

And the laundry. Playing in the snow requires many layers, all of which come in sopping wet and because we live in the South tinged with the blessed red clay. Play wash repeat play wash repeat. And then the cursed snowmen need clothes! And then they need a wardrobe change! I just washed the last of their laundry when their heads fell off yesterday.

So...I am officially declaring myself done with snow days. Period. Which is very sad because we are supposed to get more Thursday afternoon.

Too Much Fun for One Weekend

First: school opened on time this morning. Thank you and Amen. May winter be over and may the return to normal be graceful.

A return to normal may be a little bit more difficult after our fabulous weekend, though. After being home with a week of snow days, we were all ready to get out. Mr. Ryan's birthday was the perfect excuse Friday night. Felicia has spent months planning a huge surprise weekend, and we were so glad to be included in the opening festivities at Defy Gravity, a local trampoline park. The kids had a ball. Issa discovered she is a dodge ball master:  

 And Evan could have spent the entire time running up this ramp, touching the wall, and then sliding back down:

 I must admit, I joined Evan, and it is pretty fun. We brought two exhausted jumpers home.

Saturday, we had hair appointments in the morning and then settled in at home. That much "out" after so much "in" was exhausting. The boys played Infinity and Issa and I crafted pretty much all afternoon. It was lovely. That night, we tucked the kids in bed and then had an impromptu game night with Ryan, Felicia, and his friend Bill who had flown in for the party. The house was a mess, but I truly didn't care. I love having friends who don't care, and I'm so grateful to finally be in a place where an impromptu phone call doesn't send me rushing to clean. We stayed up way too late and I regretted some decisions Sunday morning, but it was so fun I would do it all again in a heart beat.

Yesterday afternoon, we braved some very cold rain to go see the Harlem Globetrotters. Issa's dance company was the pre-game show:

I am so grateful Melanie brought a camera! Issa had a blast dancing in the big arena, and both kids loved the game. I remember seeing them when I was in elementary school, and not much has changed. Brad and I had more fun watching the kids than anything. Evan was truly belly laughing for half of the game, and both kids were relieved the Globetrotters pulled out a last minute win. This was one of those unexpected opportunities that dance provides that the kids will always remember.

And now...we're settling in for what I pray is a normal week!

Snow Days for a Ninja

We are still home. We got about an inch of snow Tuesday morning, but that was followed by 8 inches Wednesday night. Here in the South, that's a blizzard. We have been eating all kinds of hearty pasta dishes, snuggling by fires, and Brad perfected cream puffs. The kids have been playing with long lost toys, and we built three snowmen. We're relishing the snow days.

The highlight for Evan, though, was ninjitsu. We were able to make it out by Tuesday afternoon, but we were the only ones who arrived for the 3:15 class, which meant Evan got a solo lesson with Mr. Justin, Mr. Griffin, and Mr. Brian:

 It was really more than he could handle--especially when they taught him his first throw:

The picture is terrible, but I will never forget the look on Evan's face when he looked back over at me after her had "thrown" Mr. Justin. I believe he said it, "Was the best moment of my life." I guess that about sums up our week.

Our Celebrity

This post has been very delayed. Snow days have gotten then better of me, and it looks like we are in for a few more of them. But...

Last weekend Issa competed her solo for the first time at Celebrity. It's a smaller competition, and it's also in Raleigh on a stage she knows. Granted that is at the Performing Arts Center, but still. It was a more comfortable place for Issa. For the first time, she was nervous, which meant I was a wreck. Thankfully, the boys were there to cheer her on, too, which made her feel so much better. And she danced her feet off:

 The competition captured those shots, and she was so proud of herself. She left it all on the stage.

We watched several of her teammates, and even had time to sneak to The Pit for lunch. I have wanted to try their BBQ for forever, and since we could walk there it was perfect timing.

We were so proud of Issa just for competing. She has worked so hard and come so far. My heart stops every time I see my tiny dancer alone on such a big stage. So when this happened:

It was just icing on the cake. She received a high gold, first in her category, and second for her age bracket. She has new goals for the next competition, and we can't wait to see where these feet take her.

Gifts!

Yesterday was a series of gifts of varying delightfulness.

We awoke to find Buddy, and everyone was very excited. He realized that the snow we had was not much fun, so he brought us a huge bag of cotton balls for an inside snowball fight! It was much fun.

Then Neela brought Issa a gift. The poor girl was just stretching, and Neela dropped a very dead very frozen mole in front of her. I have no idea how she got it in, but I do know Issa lost it.

By mid afternoon, we were able to venture out for ninjitsu, and on the way home we stopped at the bookstore to pick up a gift for one of Issa's friends. While we were there, we also picked up a new set of Legos and a craft kit for snow day four because the temps are dropping and we are getting stir crazy.

On the way home, it started to snow--hard. As I was driving, the roads started to get covered, and I realized things could get dicey. Just as I was starting to get tense, the kids started marveling at the beauty. A gift. Even when my ABS kicked in, it wasn't so terrible because at least it was gorgeous.

We ended our day with a movie night, complete with big giggles and lots of snuggles--the best gifts of all.

Snow Day!

We are a bit snowed/iced in around these parts. Yesterday, the kids and I headed out for some sledding. There wasn't enough snow on the grass, but the driveway did quite nicely:

 There was a solid sheet of ice over the snow, so it was fast sledding. When that got old, the kids settled for pulling each other up and down the street:

And then they tried the driveway again:

After a bit, one of the neighbors came down and invited us to their super long, super steep driveway. It's moments like that when I'm so grateful we live in a neighborhood. There were about ten kids flying down the driveway, sharing sleds and just loving the snow. Until they got cold. Then we all headed home.

We spent the rest of the day sipping cocoa and playing Legos. We're home again today, and the rest of the week isn't looking promising for school. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

West Coast

 Last weekend, Issa and I headed to Greenville, SC for West Coast Dance Explosion! Issa took six hours of classes every day, and this girl rocked it. I remember being at the conference last year, and every two minutes Issa would look over at me wide-eyed and panicky. She struggled to keep up with choreography, and she was so, so scared to make a mistake. It was hard.

This year, she never looked over. She wasn't flawless, but she was all in. She danced her little heart out. Saturday started with hip hop, and she channeled some serious hip hop energy:

 The highlight of the day, though, was when she got an Excellence in Class award for ballet. The teacher recognized her effort, technique, and posture:

 My proudest moment of the day had little to do with dance. During class, another girl from another company cut her finger. Issa rushed back to get our first aid kit and went with the girl to patch it up. By the time I caught up, they already had it washed and all I had to do was put the bandaid on. Issa didn't wait for someone else to step in or to see if someone from the girl's company would step in. It never occurred to her, and I was so proud.

Saturday afternoon was spent doing homework and eating before we supported her team during the competition. Our dancer hit the wall, though, and was snuggled in bed shortly after dinner.

Sunday morning she was up bright and early and ready to dance:

 

This is where my heart broke. Sunday was also Scholars' Weekend on campus, which meant I had to be there to interview next year's Fellows. Which meant I had to leave Issa. I offered to walk her to class, but she wanted to say goodbye at the Company circle and go to class with her friends. As I watched her walk away, never once looking back, I cracked. It's moments like that when I feel the most like we are parenting well--the moments when she is confident and independent and ready to venture off. But oh how they hurt my heart a little. She spent the day with one of her teammates and her family, and she had a blast, and because I have the best village on the planet, I got updates all day...including this gem:

Issa was a finalist for a convention scholarship! This is based on one 45 minute audition class. I can't even tell you how much growth this represents. In the past year, Issa has really learned how to learn choreography. She went from really struggling to being able to watch and do. Most importantly, she lost the fear of failure at convention. She goes all out.

 

I also got the group photo:

 

Issa had a fabulous weekend. She learned a lot, and she was so proud of how far she has come. This weekend she competes her solo for the first time, and our whole family will be there to cheer her on!

Happy Heart Day

We are very much getting ready for Valentine's Day around here. The kids already have their cards ready for the parties tomorrow, and the house has picked up a few more decorations. And...this is how Issa went to dance last night:

She is some kind of fabulous.

It's killing me, though. We will be in two different states on Valentine's Day. Issa and I will be in SC for a dance convention; the boys will be in NC doing boy things and eating chili cheese dogs. No one else is bothered by this, but I'm pouting a bit. I guess I just need to channel some of Issa's enthusiasm and fabulousness.

Is the Gig Up?

So...we let Issa open an email account last fall. It has six million parental controls on it, and she goes in spurts where she checks it constantly and then seems to totally forget about it for a while. Imagine my surprise when I got this email yesterday:

 Dear Heather,

        You are sooooooooooooooo nice. I love you. You are the best person ever! I think you should get a award for how nice you are. Did I mention how kind you are? Because you are super kind.

                                          Sincerely,

                                                    Buddy the elf

I was originally all warm and funny because who wouldn't love to get that email. But then I realized: Is the gig up? Was she just having fun, or was this her way of saying she's put all these pieces together? Brad got a very similar email, and we both played it like Buddy borrowed her computer. She gave us no hint as to her thoughts, but I'm a little sad thinking that an era may be ended in our house. 

To China

Issa is working on her next big school project. Each student chose a country to study, and Issa chose China. At school, they are writing books about their countries; at home, they had to choose from a list of 15 projects to do to enrich their experience. Issa, our little chef, of course decided to cook.

Because I am my mother's daughter, there was no way we were making Americanized Chinese food. Thankfully, we have a cookbook that is very authentic. In fact, the recipes are written in both Chinese and English. Issa chose a couple that she can do (basically) independently, and we decided to try them out this weekend. Thanks to a tip from a friend, we also decided to take her to a real Asian market. This particular market also has a restaurant, so we decided to go to lunch and then do our shopping.

I was not appropriately prepared for this. My suburban norms don't play well at the market, and it was extra crazy because Chinese New Year is right around the corner. It took me ten minutes just to get my feet under me, but the rest of the family was immediately in love with the bustle. The cafe was way too crowded, so we decided to shop and then take our lunch to go.

It is absolutely one of the coolest markets I have ever been in, but I figured out that I can't just wander and pinch produce. I also figured out personal space is a myth. We did pick up a few produce items just to try. (Chinese yellow pairs are delicious; lotus root is tricky.) The kids fell in love with the fish counter. I have never seen so much fresh fish--including some still swimming--in one place. Evan was enthralled by the shark, and we bought some of the best shrimp I have ever eaten. We did about lose Issa, though, when she saw someone fish a tilapia out of the tank and clean it.

After a small debacle in which I learned glutenous rice, which is nonexistent, is also called sweet rice, which is super easy to find, we had all of our groceries. Thankfully, our book has pictures of the ingredients because the translations were a bit off for lots of things. We were finally in line, and Brad took the kids to choose lunch while I waited to check out. After the second person cut in front of me in line, a very kind woman behind me taught me how to do the check out there. She asked what we were making and I showed her our book. She actually had the same book, but she said the translations were off for us. She was so excited that we were making something truly Chinese, and she offered a few helpful hints. 

We were so proud of the kids! They tried some unusual items from the hot bar, including tripe! We didn't tell them what it was until after they tried it, and we all agreed it wasn't bad but it was a little chewy. I think we all fell in love with dried tofu--so much better than what we usually get--and Brad was quite tickled with his Peking duck. Issa really wishes they would take the beaks off, though.

On the way home, we realized we had way too much food for the four of us so we called Felicia. Ryan was out of town, but she came over to help cook and eat. She and Issa made her marinated cucumbers, which were delicious:

She is also making a fried cashew that is dangerously good, although it took all of us to actually figure out the recipe. A couple key steps seemed to be missing.

Brad attempted a rice stuffed lotus root with varying success. Some of it was really good; some of it didn't get done. We had awesome steamed shrimp, and we made a vegetarian steamed dumpling that Issa wanted to try even though she knew it wasn't a good option for school. It had the dried tofu and bean vermicelli inside, and they were really good. Brad also did a pork belly that was delicious, although we learned the sauce does kind of explode. We might have had to clean the fronts of my cabinets after we were all diving for cover as Brad tried to get the lid on it. Couple all of that with the phenomenal Oolong we got, and it was one awesome meal.

We are so, so glad Issa chose China, and I am quite certain we will be headed back to the market very soon.

Full Circle

One aspect of my job that I love--and realize not everyone gets--is the full circle moment. These girls come to us when they are still babies, fresh out of high school. I get to watch them grow up and discover themselves and the world. Then we send them off--still bright and shiny into the world.

Last night, though, I got to see the circle close a bit more. I had invited my graduates from last year to come back and speak. Be still my heart. I taught many of them in their very first education class. I watched boyfriends become exes or fiances.  I listened to them figure out who they were and what they wanted to do. I watched as they figured out how the world works and that maybe it was a little bit bigger than they thought. I saw them finish the program. I helped them find jobs. I launched them all shiny and new into those first teaching jobs.

Last night, they came back. Perhaps a little less shiny and new, but so much stronger and mature. The girls I met came back as these confident, strong leaders that I knew they were, but somehow they owned it now. They spoke honestly with my students with great humor and insight. I couldn't be more proud, and I am so incredibly grateful they are out there fighting the good fight and giving the very best of them to our kiddos.

Great People

Well...the hits just keep coming. After a blissful afternoon with the kids on an early release (including a Valentine's shopping expedition that did not make me want to curl up in the fetal position right in the aisle), my check engine light came on as we drove to ninjitsu. Charming. Everything seemed to be just fine, so we went to ninjitsu. I dropped Issa off at dance after Evan's class, and he and I went straight to our mechanic, which is luckily right across the street from the studio.

I walked in and explained my sad situation. Brad is coming home today, but he was in Arizona, which meant this was my only vehicle and I had kids that needed to go places. They were so ridiculously kind. Not only did they squeeze me in to check the code, they assured me that worst case they would help me get Issa and get us all home safely. It's not that I didn't have people I could call, but just knowing that we live in a town where the mechanics are willing to do that is a great feeling. As it turns out, it is a very simple fix and totally safe to drive until I have a bit more time to get it fixed permanently next week. Evan and I were finished with time to watch the end of Issa's tap class and all of technique.

When we walked into the studio, Mr. Chris stopped us. He knew our pattern was off for the night, and he wanted to be sure we were okay. I cracked. I got teary and related the whole week, including the fact that all is well that ends well but I was on fumes. He instantly offered any help I needed and confirmed the mechanics diagnosis. On our way out of the studio, he told the kids to take extra care of me. I don't think he'll ever know how much that little kindness meant.

This has been a really, really hard week. I'm kind of over it. But at every step, good people have been placed into our lives. Great people, in fact. People who have gone above and beyond and been kind in addition to competent. It's certainly been my wondrous thing every day.

I Say Padido, You Say Camaro

We took one of the neighbor boys with is us to ninjitsu yesterday. There was whole of little boy energy in my back seat.

A few weeks ago, Brad and I made the poor decision to teach the kids to play padido. It's all well and good except they can't tell the difference between a headlight that is out and sun glare off one headlight. It makes the drive to ninjitsu the perfect time of day to yell, "Padido!" a million and one times. They, of course, decided they needed to teach Zack this game, too. I'm just driving along to the sounds of "Padido!" every three seconds when he yells, "Camaro!" Padido. Camaro. Same difference. I almost had to pull over I was laughing so hard. We did get that straightened out, though.

Now if I can just explain sun glare...

Chaos

Well...yesterday was a brutal welcome back to reality. In the morning, Issa "helped" me by shoving an entire container of leftover chicken soup down the disposal. It needed to go, but it jammed up the works. I didn't have time to fix it before school, so I knew I was coming home to that joy.

Little did I know that when I got home I would be greeted by a water bill the size of Texas. After a little investigation, I discovered the faucet in our backyard is quite broken. So...instead of cleaning the kitchen from our Super Bowl party, I spent the afternoon contacting plumbers and fixing a disposal.

The kids came off the bus with extra projects and more events on the calendar. It was a bit more than I could take, and I want major points for holding it together.

The good news is the plumber is coming today, and he says it is an easy, inexpensive fix. I was able to fix the disposal, and the kids were willing to eat out. I have also been assured that the city will adjust our bill after I prove we made the repairs. Life is on the upswing. I am just hoping we crammed a week's worth of chaos into one day.

Heaven

This was one of those rare weekends when we had zero plans, zero commitments, and zero projects calling our names. It was heaven.

Friday, I got word that I had a grant fully funded. I almost fell over. I might have cried. As grants go, it's not very big, but it will go a long way towards helping with some of the outdoor ed initiatives at the kids' school. Such happy news clearly got me out of cooking, so off we went for Mexican food accompanied by many, many laughs.

Saturday, we got up and went to Daddy's favorite bakery. He often makes expeditions there for breakfast pastries, but this was the first time I had ever been inside. We ate there, and just enjoyed a leisurely cup off coffee to start the day.

The next stop was a used bookstore. Issa had been there on a field trip last year, and we've been meaning to go. They accept trade ins, so we assembled a basket of books and headed out. Issa had told us it had boxes and boxes of books and felt like a warehouse. Let me tell you, the girl speaks truth. Had she not been, I never would have walked in. It is quite literally a warehouse. No windows. Metal siding. The whole deal. You walk in to find clearly cobbled together shelving and huge boxes of books that come up to my waist. It's hysterical. The books are well-organized if you appreciate a very organic wandering sense of organization. It feels a bit like someone stood in the middle and said, "Oh, we have more children's books. Let's put them here, nowhere near the other children's books. But these children's books will be all of the holiday books so it's okay." We wandered for over an hour and found some great treasures. I would never go there looking for anything particular, but if you just want to get lost in the smell of old books and have an adventure it's great fun. We will definitely be back.

We headed back home, locked the door, and didn't emerge until this morning. We made some recipes from Issa's bookstore cookbook find, played board games, played Infinity, managed some high quality naps, and watched the Super Bowl with our favorite munchies. There were snuggles and books and piles of blankets. It was warm and cozy and simply heaven.

Today, we head back to reality and rejoin the world, but I am always grateful for the weekends when we can just be us. I hope these are the weekends the kiddos remember.