Overflowing Friendship

Colin and I were at our friend's house and her daughter was making Amish Friendship Bread. The smell waffed from the kitchen to the back patio and it smelled delightful. When the bread was done she brought it out to share. It was so pretty and perfect. If it tasted half as good as it looked it was going to be great. It did indeed. We ate more than our portion sitting on the patio. So as we raved about it, it was explained how it's made and that it is a process. As you make it, you create "starters" for other friends to make it, then they make starters etc. You keep one for yourself and I suppose the idea is that you always have the bread or at least the option in about 10 days. 

So, my friend's daughter gave Colin a starter to the bread. In other words, JD brought me a bag of stuff with instructions and since it was from our friends I felt obligated to follow it through. It takes 10 days to make it from the starter. I'm not sure how exactly you start a starter and frankly, I don't really care. Because today, I made the bread and it was a complete DISASTER. 99% of it was because I didn't read the instructions carefully enough to get past the very important typo that caused the other 1% of the disaster. I should never try to cook when I'm tired, especially something new. Now I'm thinking surly it wouldn't have hurt the process to delay the bread making one more day. 

Basically, the recipe will make TWO loaves each time you complete the 10 days. I didn't read that part until it was too late. Until AFTER I had forced all the batter into one loaf pan, put in the oven and discovered the beginnings of the stalagmite/stalactite formation. Instead of a pretty loaf of friendship bread I have a something that looks like a creation at Carlsbad Caverns in my oven, I'm not sure what to do with it or have any idea of how to get it out, or if it will taste right. The friendship has overflowed into my oven that will now need to be cleaned. Wonder if my friend who gave the bag of stuff will come over and help with that. Now that would really be friendship. 

Regardless of the shape and taste of the thing, it did make my whole house smell wonderful. I did get it out and it has the consistency of pound cake instead of bread. Colin bravely took a bite and seems fine with the stuff, so all is not lost. Starters anyone? Makes 2 loaves of bread.

Spiderman....He's returned

Spidey's back. Remember the Spiderman / Super Colin last year for Halloween. I thought he was so over Spiderman, but I was wrong! Out of the blue today after JD left for work, Colin asked for his Spiderman Costume that's been hanging in his playroom closet. I got it down. He wanted it on, all of it, hood, gloves, suit. I obliged expecting this to last only a few seconds. 

After he was dressed he said, 

"You can call me Spiderman."  

"Okay Sugie." 

"No, I said, call me Spiderman." 

"Right. Okay Spiderman." 

He's now had on the suit for hours. I encouraged him to "climb" on his gym outside and shoot me a web for my picture. Could I have asked for anything better than this? 

Aqua

Colin and I went to an aquatic center with Andi and the kids. Wasn't sure how Colin would do as he doesn't care for water in his face and he can't swim yet. But I told him if he wore his life vest and a hat he would be in good shape. 

It only took him a few minutes to acclimate and then he had the best day ever. He conquered the slide and figured out that the hat would keep the water from getting on his face and he felt safe in his vest. It was so fun to watch him grow in courage and bravery. 

The Daycation

Talking, listening, laughing, caring, connecting, sharing, kids, playing, chocolate, chips with salsa, movies, coffee, hugs, husbands, dancing, baseball, sitting, sleeping, pedicures, pictures, popcorn.... 24 hours at home with friends. So very very good.

Summer Fun

Summer has begun. We went to the beach yesterday and it was a perfect beach day. 100+ in Simi Valley but a beautiful warm 70 something degrees with a slight breeze and a fun in-and-out marine layer just to keep it interesting. The water was cool but refreshing in the heat. People were everywhere with their umbrellas and towels and toys and food and drink. All were there to have a great time and we did. Colin and I introduced Carson and Calleigh to Lizzie and Asher and they got along famously. There's no place like the beach to bring new friends together. I loved it. 

Colin chose to not go near the water. He has sensitive skin and the salt stings at first. He doesn't remember that once the initial sting is over, it doesn't bother him anymore. No matter what I encouraged, he refused. Even Lizzie asked over and over for him to come play in the water. She would "show you how" every time she asked but to no avail. He played by the water but not in. Before we all loaded up I brought a bucket of water to the cars for everyone to wash their feet and hands before loading up. Colin found that a good time. I was confused. He wanted to wash "again". Whatever! I told him he could've been playing with the water all day. He didn't care. 

So when we got home I asked if he liked playing the bucket so much why didn't he want to get in the water. He said, "Its too salty." 

Not sure how to overcome this. Any ideas you beach people? 

Choir in My Head

Colin: Mom, there's a choir in my head. 

Me: Really, it is singing?

Colin: Yeah. And sometimes, it changes songs. 

Whizzzz

You know, we spend a lot of time and endless words of teaching and encouragement to get our kids potty trained. We even lead by example and use little phrases like, "You go where you go, you don't make a show." You leave your house prepared for the "just in case" and have extra underwear and pants, you pack travel cottonel wipes for those public bathroom needs, you think you have it all covered until you little one pulls one you haven't expected and NO AMOUNT of planning will ever prepare you. 

So here we are at Disneyland. This is midway through a two-day run with our friends from Colorado Springs who've never been and are trying to get the most of SoCal usual tourist stops. For you locals, we're over in California Adventure by McDonald's. As most of you know, the bathrooms are also there. Practically connected. So you can eat and pee and not have to walk far with little ones to do both. 

I'm trying to get Darin the 10% discount on food using my pass and so I'm with Darin and Tyler (11) and Colin. We're in line discussing the menu and what everyone wants. Stacey is with Logan (5) standing in the shade waiting to get us a table. The lines are not long and the crowd is relatively small. So there's lots of open space. As I'm talking to Darin, Çolin says, "Mom, I have to pee." I turn to Colin and say, "Okay, just a minute." Turn  back to Darin and let him know Colin has to go, hand him my pass and tell him to tell the people, "My wife had to take my son to the bathroom." They'll buy it and it's no big deal. As the words are coming out of my mouth, Tyler taps me on the shoulder. I look at Ty. He says, while pointing at Colin, "He's peeing!" 

I turn around and there is my son with his shorts and underwear around his ankles, he has his butt cheeks flexed and knees bent and he's got a great stream of pee shooting into the open air creating one huge puddle of pee about three feet away. It took just a nano second for me to process this and then I was in a combination of the following emotions: disbelief, dread, fear, embarrassment, amusement, mortification, and shock. I seriously didn't know what to do. I couldn't make him stop. I didn't want him to swing around and hit people with his stream. I couldn't exactly "hide" him without getting wet. I threw up my hands and looked at a group of girls getting way too much fun out of the situation and mouthed, "What do I do?" In the background a little group of Chinese people were talking about it. She said to her husband, "Okoihdkj jowoidn WHIZZZZ!" Darin was doubled over laughing at this priceless moment. Colin is STILL peeing. I'm absolutely beside myself with inexperience and mortification. Finally he finishes. 

I pull up his pants and begin to tell Colin that he can't just do that. He can't just pee wherever he wants. Contrary to J-Bird's philosophy, the world is NOT your bathroom. The restrooms were right there. I was just about to take him. What was he thinking about. I don't know what all I said but whatever it was it completely undid him. He begins to cry and say, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I need a wet wipe to clean it up. I'm sorry." Crap. I gather him in my arms, take him over to the side, hold him close. Explain it is okay. Please stop crying. It's going to be okay. He's concerned over the mess. I'm concerned over the mess. I don't know what to do. And as I'm thinking about it and wishing it would just disappear, a janitor comes along and surveys the situation. He's completely oblivious that what he's about to clean up is not Mountain Dew but 6o oz of pretty yellow urine and I'm not about to tell him or make it obvious that it belongs to us. He proceeds to clean it up and as he does I show Colin that it's gone. Thank God for the Disneyland perfection. He calms down. I calm down. 

We haven't discussed this incident again. To this day, I'm horrified while laughing at it all. I can't help but think that I brought it all on myself by not taking Colin to a restroom when he requested the day before but instead made him hold it until we rode the ride we had been standing in line for for over 30 minutes. The ride by the way, was Space Mountain. It was a little overwhelming for Colin and he was not happy that I took him on a ride that was "too fast" and made him hold his pee on top of it. I think he just decided  to flip the coin on me and get me back using a method I had not experienced before. It worked. 

I've learned my lesson. When a kid has to pee, he has to pee RIGHT NOW! Duly noted. Will do better in the future. "Oknhens dhwioeh wehidf  WHIZZ!"

We're Back!

Finally....moved in! Sorry for the lack of story on the blog. It's a sure fire way to lose your reading fans. But I promise not to disappoint. There have a been a few things happening around here that's sure to get a little laugh. 

Here's a fun story for you. So, at the house we lived in in Murphy TX we had our computer airport on one story and the computer on another. Remember this was a BIG house. So the computer had this little antenna so we could be "wireless". Well, when we moved, everything got packed away in a box, usually in it's original box if we still had it and we did because we don't ever throw out the boxes for anything that falls in the "electrical" category, that includes my Kitchen Aid mixer...it's ridiculous. But because apparently we like to move, it's easier to move the stuff if you can pack it back in it's original box and even though you have to always have a place to put all those said boxes it's really worth it. And you can't flatten the boxes because they also have their original packing materials that usually consists of styrofoam molds. Therefore, we could build a small city with these boxes. Uggg! Can you tell I'm not happy with boxes right now? 

Anyway, the antenna got packed in Texas in May of 2007. Now this antenna is little. It's a very important piece of the computer when you need it and you have to pack it carefully so it won't break and it could easily get lost if you packed it too well in bubble wrap or newsprint or paper towels or toilet paper even. Easy to throw away if you're not looking for it or if you might not know it's there or if it didn't get in the box it should've or any number of scenarios like that. But when we got to the first house in CA on Lamplighter Street we didn't need the wireless set up so we didn't need the antenna. Supposedly, the antenna stayed packed in a "computer" box. Right. 

So we get to the house on Texas Ave. And because it's one story (praise God!) and everything is spread out, we are in need of the wireless set up again. So I plan for the internet to be up and running in the first 24 hours we live here so I can get on-line, get e-mail, blog a story or two, etc. BUT, until we find the antenna, in a box, in the garage, somewhere, we can't get service. 

Backstory, when we lived in Texas, not on Texas but IN Texas, the computer was far far away from my day to day life. I would have to go down a hall, up stairs, down a hall around a corner, down a hall into a bedroom to get to the computer. My child was LITTLE and I didn't like leaving him for any amount of time just to check e-mail. So JD made me promise to go up there at least once a week and check e-mail and stay connected. I did my best. 

Then we move to CA where the house is small enough that you can hear each other breathe no matter where you might be in the house. The computer then was in my day to day operation. I became pretty good at checking e-mail and even started the blog and therefore was on at least once a day if not more. I became addicted to it. So when we get to the Texas house and I'm without internet for a whole week, I'm going through withdrawals and I'm finding myself NEEDING to get online and connect with the outside world. And JD's solution to my withdrawal is to say, "If we just find the antenna out there somewhere, we could get you online." Uggg!

JD finally realizes that he nor I are going to get out in the garage and go through each and every "empty" box hoping to find the precious antenna. He wisely orders a new one. I thought we were talking 100s of dollars. No, just $30 or so. At that price let's order two! So, yeah, the antenna is on the way. In the meantime, I'm still unconnected. 

Then, I kid you not, this happened. I'm sitting in the floor, watching news or something, rolling coins that had accumulated and got moved so I could take them to the bank and JD is messing around on his laptop and he says to me, "Sugie, you have 100 unread e-mails. Do you want to read them?" Stop....Process....WHAT?! Are you telling me I could've been reading my e-mail all along!? For the love of all that's Holy. Really? You can get online? Really? And you didn't tell me? Really! Now, I'm just pissed but desperate to reconnect. I start going through my e-mails one by one. Granted there's a lot of just junk but there were some important things too. For example: 

A meeting that I should've known about. 

A birthday party

A baby shower

A credit card statement

Unbelievable. So, later that day when I checked the postage, there was a little box in the box. Even though it was addressed to my husband, I assumed it was the long awaited antenna and I was going to open it. I did, it was, I installed the thing myself and now I'm back. We're back! Hurray!