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Valentine's Day
"Why did they give you a heart, Jet?"
"'Cause it's Valentine's Day. Like Tanner and Macy's balloons."
I got up at 8 this morning. John left, pretty soon, for work. Jet and I debated the merits of going right down to the basement or staying upstairs and making myself some breakfast. Okay, debated MY staying up and making my breakfast or going down with him. He wanted me to play video games. It was such a beautiful morning and the last of the 60 degree days for a while. We're going back to 40's tomorrow.
So I stayed upstairs and made my breakfast. Then I said, "I'm going to grind some coffee." and Jet helped me a lot with the whole messy process. Given that the church has a professional espresso grinder, with tamper and doser built in, getting the coffee from that orifice back into the bag that the beans came in is quite the chore. With one of the toaster oven trays used to catch the coffee out of the doser, then, with Jet's help pulling the doser I was able to get a paper chute under it and directly into the bag of coffee. We went though three pounds of coffee that way, and the last pound took half the time the first did. While we were in the midst of doing it and getting grounds everywhere, Jet observed, "You're making a huge mess." He found his dustpan and broom and started cleaning it while we were only part the way through, and then he scolded me for getting things MORE messy as we kept going. Hee. Turn about is fair play, I guess, but at least I know not to clean up after him while he's still in the midst of playing.
Then Jet dragged me downstairs to play Myst III. So we did for a while, and I got nauseous with the camera movements, and then the phone rang.
"I'll go get it, Mom! You stay there!" Jet ran up the stairs. I heard the phone ring four times, and then a voice. And then Jet's voice talking to the voice, very, very loudly.
Hm. I went upstairs, and the phone message machine was taking a message, out loud, of course. Jet was sitting on the desk chair, talking back at it, and it was Tonya... who hung up just as I was reaching for the phone.
Hm. I played the message, called them back, and it was Peter who answered, he handed me off to Tonya, who was halfway out the door, and I told them that, yes, Jet would love to play with Tanner and Macy. She said she'd drop them off on the way to work. So she did, except that it was just Tanner. He had school at 12:30, so I was to bring him back home at noon. He and Jet got to work with the trains and train tracks and were soon busy as bees. Then Jet remembered his HUGE BOX OF CARS, courtesy of two garage sale purchase on the part of David. He and Tanner tore upstairs with the huge box of cars and trucks and played with them on the mountain that Joan had given Jet and the carpet that Isabel and George had given Jet.
They had a blast. Then Peter called to say that Macy wanted to come over, too, so I rounded up the boys and we ran over to their house, through Speck's yard. Macy was busy on the potty and wanted a little privacy, so the boys waited for about 10 seconds before Tanner was out the front door and Jet was yelling, "No! Stop! You can't..." Tanner stopped. I said, "It's okay to be on the sidewalk, Jet." Jet thought about that, "Can we walk home this way, then?" "Sure, but we first have to get Macy. That's why we're here!" "Oh!"
So we waited for Macy, and by the time she was ready to go, they all stampeded out the back door, with two GIANT heart balloons, which they gave to me to keep Speck from popping them. So I ran with two red balloons, and found them all on Mikayla's slide. Then they were into our yard and on our slide, swings, and then Macy wanted to play outside, in the near 60 degree weather, while the boys wanted to go into the basement and play video games again, knowing that Peter didn't like that. Macy said it, again, just to be sure everyone knew.
So we stayed outside. They played swings, slide, and when I started rolling the compost bin, they wanted to play Roll the Compost Bin and Water the Compost. So we all did. I doled out water for all the kids, and they poured in on the Neat Stuff. Hee. I'm amazed how much they liked that, but they really did.
By then it was 11:30 and John came home! My! He had a dozen roses! Yellow/cream with scarlet edges, baby's breath, and lots of extra greenery. He had tucked it all into a well watered vase and had a gorgeous, HUGE card with it! I was halfway through making my card for him, when Jet had asked me downstairs... so... anyway... I admired greatly, enjoyed the card, and hugged and kissed him quite happily in front of all the toddlers. Hee. It was really cool.
Then he had lunch, helped me herd the kids downstairs to play on the slide and the train as well as with Jet's electric train, and that was the time to noon. Peter came, John helped herd the kids out as Jet was in the bathroom with me. Then the house was quiet. Wow.
Jet was so tired, he was extremely cranky and wouldn't eat anything, at all. Period. So I gave him some chips, which he did eat, and then stuck him a couple yogurt tubes while he watched really, really old Mickey Mouse cartoons. That gave me a chance to finish up the card, a little work, and figure out a plan of attack to get the coffee to the church. When he was done, I decided he could bring something to go with, and when he didn't want to go, it just wasn't a choice. He could figure out what he wanted to bring, and he ended up with a train or three. I strapped him in, and we got to the church and he insisted on riding my shoulders while I brought the coffee in. That was fine, but the huge grinder had to go in without him on my shoulders.
"Why?!"
"Because I need your help with the doors."
"Oh... but I only know our house doors, not these doors..." he objected as we walked up to the church.
"Well, then I'll help you help me, then."
"Oh. Okay."
So he helped me open doors, trudged next to me as I carried the huge thing up to the kitchen, and when I put it down he turned his back to me so I could pick him up. I did and put him on my shoulders, and we said good-bye to the secretary and the pastor on our way out.
On the way home, Jet fell fast asleep before we even got out of the parking lot. I took him home, laid him to rest in the livingroom, and finished up the card and more work. John came home a bit after 4, and woke Jet up. That was good. It took Jet a little while to wake up and warm to "playing with toys and swimming", but he did and we were off to the Rec. Center in short order. There were some people there, but less than usual. Jet happily got a heart from the receptionist that had done the special sign for him at the party.
He went and played, very happily, and John and I walked and talked for about forty minutes before I went and did weights while John ran. It felt good to use muscles again. Then we got Jet and swam for a good hour. He had a blast, throwing his water toy from his birthday party, and chasing it. Then he grabbed both my legs and hauled me around the pool! Wow. I had to walk with my hands to keep my butt from stopping all progress, but he really hauled hard, and was able to pick me up for large stretches of deeper water. He was giggling the whole time and I was very, very impressed.
We swam round and round the current pool, even though we had forgotten his noodle. So it was harder work for John and I, but also more work for my legs, not a terrible thing. Then Jet had each of us take him up the stairs to the top of the red tube slide and go down a few times with him. Hee. After half a dozen two story climbs he was finally ready to go to the showers and goldfish.
We went to Sakura's for dinner. When we got there, the place was completely full and there were two couples already there. They seemed to have been waiting for a while, so just ten minutes into it and the waitress was seating us, we made sure that the earlier couple got their table first. Common courtesy and enough had opened up that we were soon seated as well. For being so completely swamped, they did GREAT. The waitress came a little slower than usual, but the food was on our table as fast, if not faster, than usual. I had taken a good look at the specials menu and we ordered two things off of that in addition to some salmon, yellowtail, miso soup, and our usual soft-shelled crab. The two specials were a Tomo roll, which had crispy eel and yellowtail inside a roll covered in tuna and bonito shavings, and a Fantastic Sushi, which was crab, shrimp, cilantro, in special sauce wrapped in salmon, which was just grilled until it was just cooked and served cold in a light sauce. Yum.
Jet wanted "JUST RICE" and he got a bowl full of that and a pair of chopsticks. Then the chef sent him a tiny rice ball with furikake set on its very own little boat. Jet initially said he did NOT want to eat the rice ball. But it sat there for a little while, and then I whispered, "You can use your hands for the rice ball." And he eyed it, picked it up, and ate an experimental bite. I poured a little soy in the side of the boat, and he dipped it and ate the whole thing. Wow. The power of placement.
Jet then asked for a mango ice cream ball, but the waitress came back to say that there weren't any mango ones would a strawberry one do? "Sure." said Jet, after thinking about it for a while. I nodded at the waitress, who hadn't caught the syllable. And Jet happily munched through his strawberry mochi, after giggling at the name "mango mochi". He thought it was funny but delicious. He then asked if they were going to give him some of those bear cookies and John picked him up and took him to the sushi bar to thank the chef for the special rice ball. One of the junior sushi chefs, no longer so bitterly pressed as the bar was mostly empty and the diningroom gradually emptying out, caught Jet's eye and handed him a small bag of the very bears Jet had been asking for. Yay for the power of Just Being There. Jet was so tired, but he managed a bright grin and a thank you! and then dove into his cream-filled bear cookies.
Jet had been told that we were going to Cold Stone afterward, but he'd opted for his mango mochi ball, instead. He wasn't surprised by us going in and not ordering him anything, thereby. That was good. I got banana ice cream with brownies, pecans, and hot fudge on top. John had peppermint ice cream with malt balls. It was all good, but by the time we got home Jet was ready for sleep. Yay for sleep!!
I am very full and very happy. AND my box from Sweet Maria's arrived on the doorstep while we were out, so I am looking forward to opening it and to the morning. Yay!
I hope all your Valentine's Days were just as full of wonderful people and happenings.
"'Cause it's Valentine's Day. Like Tanner and Macy's balloons."
I got up at 8 this morning. John left, pretty soon, for work. Jet and I debated the merits of going right down to the basement or staying upstairs and making myself some breakfast. Okay, debated MY staying up and making my breakfast or going down with him. He wanted me to play video games. It was such a beautiful morning and the last of the 60 degree days for a while. We're going back to 40's tomorrow.
So I stayed upstairs and made my breakfast. Then I said, "I'm going to grind some coffee." and Jet helped me a lot with the whole messy process. Given that the church has a professional espresso grinder, with tamper and doser built in, getting the coffee from that orifice back into the bag that the beans came in is quite the chore. With one of the toaster oven trays used to catch the coffee out of the doser, then, with Jet's help pulling the doser I was able to get a paper chute under it and directly into the bag of coffee. We went though three pounds of coffee that way, and the last pound took half the time the first did. While we were in the midst of doing it and getting grounds everywhere, Jet observed, "You're making a huge mess." He found his dustpan and broom and started cleaning it while we were only part the way through, and then he scolded me for getting things MORE messy as we kept going. Hee. Turn about is fair play, I guess, but at least I know not to clean up after him while he's still in the midst of playing.
Then Jet dragged me downstairs to play Myst III. So we did for a while, and I got nauseous with the camera movements, and then the phone rang.
"I'll go get it, Mom! You stay there!" Jet ran up the stairs. I heard the phone ring four times, and then a voice. And then Jet's voice talking to the voice, very, very loudly.
Hm. I went upstairs, and the phone message machine was taking a message, out loud, of course. Jet was sitting on the desk chair, talking back at it, and it was Tonya... who hung up just as I was reaching for the phone.
Hm. I played the message, called them back, and it was Peter who answered, he handed me off to Tonya, who was halfway out the door, and I told them that, yes, Jet would love to play with Tanner and Macy. She said she'd drop them off on the way to work. So she did, except that it was just Tanner. He had school at 12:30, so I was to bring him back home at noon. He and Jet got to work with the trains and train tracks and were soon busy as bees. Then Jet remembered his HUGE BOX OF CARS, courtesy of two garage sale purchase on the part of David. He and Tanner tore upstairs with the huge box of cars and trucks and played with them on the mountain that Joan had given Jet and the carpet that Isabel and George had given Jet.
They had a blast. Then Peter called to say that Macy wanted to come over, too, so I rounded up the boys and we ran over to their house, through Speck's yard. Macy was busy on the potty and wanted a little privacy, so the boys waited for about 10 seconds before Tanner was out the front door and Jet was yelling, "No! Stop! You can't..." Tanner stopped. I said, "It's okay to be on the sidewalk, Jet." Jet thought about that, "Can we walk home this way, then?" "Sure, but we first have to get Macy. That's why we're here!" "Oh!"
So we waited for Macy, and by the time she was ready to go, they all stampeded out the back door, with two GIANT heart balloons, which they gave to me to keep Speck from popping them. So I ran with two red balloons, and found them all on Mikayla's slide. Then they were into our yard and on our slide, swings, and then Macy wanted to play outside, in the near 60 degree weather, while the boys wanted to go into the basement and play video games again, knowing that Peter didn't like that. Macy said it, again, just to be sure everyone knew.
So we stayed outside. They played swings, slide, and when I started rolling the compost bin, they wanted to play Roll the Compost Bin and Water the Compost. So we all did. I doled out water for all the kids, and they poured in on the Neat Stuff. Hee. I'm amazed how much they liked that, but they really did.
By then it was 11:30 and John came home! My! He had a dozen roses! Yellow/cream with scarlet edges, baby's breath, and lots of extra greenery. He had tucked it all into a well watered vase and had a gorgeous, HUGE card with it! I was halfway through making my card for him, when Jet had asked me downstairs... so... anyway... I admired greatly, enjoyed the card, and hugged and kissed him quite happily in front of all the toddlers. Hee. It was really cool.
Then he had lunch, helped me herd the kids downstairs to play on the slide and the train as well as with Jet's electric train, and that was the time to noon. Peter came, John helped herd the kids out as Jet was in the bathroom with me. Then the house was quiet. Wow.
Jet was so tired, he was extremely cranky and wouldn't eat anything, at all. Period. So I gave him some chips, which he did eat, and then stuck him a couple yogurt tubes while he watched really, really old Mickey Mouse cartoons. That gave me a chance to finish up the card, a little work, and figure out a plan of attack to get the coffee to the church. When he was done, I decided he could bring something to go with, and when he didn't want to go, it just wasn't a choice. He could figure out what he wanted to bring, and he ended up with a train or three. I strapped him in, and we got to the church and he insisted on riding my shoulders while I brought the coffee in. That was fine, but the huge grinder had to go in without him on my shoulders.
"Why?!"
"Because I need your help with the doors."
"Oh... but I only know our house doors, not these doors..." he objected as we walked up to the church.
"Well, then I'll help you help me, then."
"Oh. Okay."
So he helped me open doors, trudged next to me as I carried the huge thing up to the kitchen, and when I put it down he turned his back to me so I could pick him up. I did and put him on my shoulders, and we said good-bye to the secretary and the pastor on our way out.
On the way home, Jet fell fast asleep before we even got out of the parking lot. I took him home, laid him to rest in the livingroom, and finished up the card and more work. John came home a bit after 4, and woke Jet up. That was good. It took Jet a little while to wake up and warm to "playing with toys and swimming", but he did and we were off to the Rec. Center in short order. There were some people there, but less than usual. Jet happily got a heart from the receptionist that had done the special sign for him at the party.
He went and played, very happily, and John and I walked and talked for about forty minutes before I went and did weights while John ran. It felt good to use muscles again. Then we got Jet and swam for a good hour. He had a blast, throwing his water toy from his birthday party, and chasing it. Then he grabbed both my legs and hauled me around the pool! Wow. I had to walk with my hands to keep my butt from stopping all progress, but he really hauled hard, and was able to pick me up for large stretches of deeper water. He was giggling the whole time and I was very, very impressed.
We swam round and round the current pool, even though we had forgotten his noodle. So it was harder work for John and I, but also more work for my legs, not a terrible thing. Then Jet had each of us take him up the stairs to the top of the red tube slide and go down a few times with him. Hee. After half a dozen two story climbs he was finally ready to go to the showers and goldfish.
We went to Sakura's for dinner. When we got there, the place was completely full and there were two couples already there. They seemed to have been waiting for a while, so just ten minutes into it and the waitress was seating us, we made sure that the earlier couple got their table first. Common courtesy and enough had opened up that we were soon seated as well. For being so completely swamped, they did GREAT. The waitress came a little slower than usual, but the food was on our table as fast, if not faster, than usual. I had taken a good look at the specials menu and we ordered two things off of that in addition to some salmon, yellowtail, miso soup, and our usual soft-shelled crab. The two specials were a Tomo roll, which had crispy eel and yellowtail inside a roll covered in tuna and bonito shavings, and a Fantastic Sushi, which was crab, shrimp, cilantro, in special sauce wrapped in salmon, which was just grilled until it was just cooked and served cold in a light sauce. Yum.
Jet wanted "JUST RICE" and he got a bowl full of that and a pair of chopsticks. Then the chef sent him a tiny rice ball with furikake set on its very own little boat. Jet initially said he did NOT want to eat the rice ball. But it sat there for a little while, and then I whispered, "You can use your hands for the rice ball." And he eyed it, picked it up, and ate an experimental bite. I poured a little soy in the side of the boat, and he dipped it and ate the whole thing. Wow. The power of placement.
Jet then asked for a mango ice cream ball, but the waitress came back to say that there weren't any mango ones would a strawberry one do? "Sure." said Jet, after thinking about it for a while. I nodded at the waitress, who hadn't caught the syllable. And Jet happily munched through his strawberry mochi, after giggling at the name "mango mochi". He thought it was funny but delicious. He then asked if they were going to give him some of those bear cookies and John picked him up and took him to the sushi bar to thank the chef for the special rice ball. One of the junior sushi chefs, no longer so bitterly pressed as the bar was mostly empty and the diningroom gradually emptying out, caught Jet's eye and handed him a small bag of the very bears Jet had been asking for. Yay for the power of Just Being There. Jet was so tired, but he managed a bright grin and a thank you! and then dove into his cream-filled bear cookies.
Jet had been told that we were going to Cold Stone afterward, but he'd opted for his mango mochi ball, instead. He wasn't surprised by us going in and not ordering him anything, thereby. That was good. I got banana ice cream with brownies, pecans, and hot fudge on top. John had peppermint ice cream with malt balls. It was all good, but by the time we got home Jet was ready for sleep. Yay for sleep!!
I am very full and very happy. AND my box from Sweet Maria's arrived on the doorstep while we were out, so I am looking forward to opening it and to the morning. Yay!
I hope all your Valentine's Days were just as full of wonderful people and happenings.