I knew I needed to get to the library and the computer lab as much as possible this week so I thought we'd go to the public library on Monday and make it part of Family Night. I forgot, they're closed Mondays, so we went to the college library instead. Before dragging all the kids with me there, I wanted to have at least a quick family bonding time that wasn't centered on getting school work done. Here's how the evening went.
It's been RAINING, buckets, cats and dogs, RAINING, puddles everywhere, deep puddles, cold air that chills you down inside. I already had Jessica and Jacob with me and I parked at Michael's bus stop and picked him up when he got off and drove him to work so he wouldn't have to walk in it. I dropped him off, drove to pick up Nathan from practice, dropped off some paper work and drove back to pick up Michael. By then the rain had let up a little and so we got a little more done on stacking wood. Then we headed to town. By then, Jess and Jacob had been in the car a long time already and patience and sit-still-ability was about gone (especially after indoor recesses). I knew we needed to be out of the car for awhile before going in the library, and we needed dinner. I drove to Raleys.
We got some juice, cheese sticks, fresh red bell peppers and splurged and got some chow-mein and some fried rice. Raleys has a deli/cafe sitting area with several tiny tables and one big table in the corner. We settled in at the big table, Michael had Jacob say our prayer, and I dished up and passed out our dinner. I started to ask what every one's high and low was for the day and help Jacob with his chopsticks (and maybe eventually get to eat anything myself).
At some point I realized Michael had left his coat in the car AGAIN (he won't take it to school either, even when the whole car load of Seminary students agrees with me that he should take it). Instead of apologizing for once again making it appear that I am the horrible evil parent who lets him go out into a storm without even a long sleeved shirt, he began to lecture me about "costly apparel." His way of changing the subject and avoiding having to wear a coat again. At least he had his shoes on. Anyway, Michael quoting scriptures (to get out of honoring his mother's wish for him to be warm and dry) was the closest to a lesson we got.
As we were quickly finishing up eating, my kids table manners were getting worse and worse. Our pleasant family dinner turned into me refereeing between them picking on each other and squabbling about who got more of something. I tried to get us finished up and out of there. They started opening their fortune cookies, they really fit, here's what they said:
my brilliant son Michael's fortune cookie said-
You are an exciting and
inspiring person.
my musical talented daughter Jessica's fortune cookie said-
You have a deep appreciation
of the arts and music.
my ACTIVE bottomless (stomach) pit son Jacob's fortune cookie said-
An empty stomach is not a
good political advisor.
my honor roll, sports team member, Boy Scout, Deacons President, popular son Nathan's fortune cookie said-
You will be honored by
someone you respect.
and then I opened mine which said-
Share your joys and sorrows
with your family.
I started laughing. I held it up so my darling understanding calm children could see it and share in my joys and sorrows, but Michael and Nathan each grabbed at it and ripped it. What was left was-
are your joys and sorrows
your family
Anyway, I couldn't stop laughing, to the point of near choking, it was that or crying, and we somehow cleaned up and got on to the college.
