Day One Hundred Sixty-Four: Cotillion

Weston has been taking Cotillion classes for the past several months, and parents were invited to join the last class today, so we could learn to waltz with our kiddos before the Grand Ball next month. I had never been to a Cotillion class, and I had never danced a formal dance with Weston. It was so much fun! Additionally, Jeff was away when it was time to get ready for class, so I had a crash course in necktie tying, following the steps in the Boy Scout handbook. 😁

So proud to be this guy's dance partner!

Day One Hundred Sixty-Three: Korean Dessert

After dinner, I announced I wanted to take everyone on an outing. I didn't tell them where we were going, but I insisted it would be fun, so they all dutifully loaded up and off we went. I took them to Snow Village Cafe, a Korean dessert place we had never visited. In fact, we had never visited any place where Korean desserts were available, so it was a completely new experience. Once inside, the Firsts kept coming as we ordered three versions of bingsu (Korean shaved ice made with sweetened condensed milk and topped with all kinds of goodness) and an avocado smoothie with boba (tapioca pearls). We enjoyed all the treats and were thrilled to have so many Firsts included in one evening. 

Avocado smoothie with boba

Cake Bingsu

Day One Hundred Sixty-Two: Coffee on Tap

Jeff and I were able to get away for a date tonight. And, while we did eat at a hibachi/sushi restaurant we haven't eaten at before, the experience wasn't exactly new for us, so I didn't want to count it as a First. After dinner, though, we visited a the nearby Paradise Bistro, which serves light meals, wine and beer, desserts, and specialty coffees. It was a coffee night for us, and we were intrigued by one of the offerings on the board that we had never heard of, which sounded like an incantation: Avocos Mythos Nitro. We asked about it and were further intrigued to find out it was a non-alcoholic, carbonated, cold coffee drink. We knew we needed to try it as it clearly made a better First than a new-to-us hibachi restaurant. It was interesting and somewhat reminiscent of coffee-flavored beers we've tried in the past. Or maybe it just seemed that way since they had it on tap, right alongside several draft beers.

Avocos Mythos Nitro on tap

Day One Hundred Sixty-One: Adult Coloring Book

I admit, "adult" coloring books have never appealed to me. I have always suspected that I have too many perfectionist tendencies and not enough artistic ones to find it truly relaxing, like the covers always claim. But today, I borrowed the adult coloring book that I bought for my little artist, and with him by my side saying things like, "Art is slow, but it's fun," I gave it a whirl. I can't exactly say it was relaxing for me, but I was happy with the finished product, and I was thrilled to spend some time connecting with my art lover. 

Day One Hundred Sixty: Goodies from Trader Joe's

Last night, Jeff made a stop at Trader Joe's and brought me back a bag of surprises. There were several things in the bag I had never tried, so I was super excited to pack my lunch today and include some of the goodies. (By the way, my new routine on "Writing Day" is to pack my lunch and eat at the Kroger near the library, which I just think is hilarious because who packs a lunch and then eats inside a grocery store?! There is a Starbucks in the store, so I can grab a coffee and use their tables, so it's really not as weird as it seems on the surface.)

Quinoa and black bean chips, jalepeno hummus, lemon ginger water, and roasted coconut chips:
It's what's for lunch!

Day One Hundred Fifty-Nine: Kitchen Gadget

I use my immersion blender fairly often. Often enough that I burned up a motor on one a few months ago. I bought a replacement, which happened to come with a package of accessories that I wasn't really sure I would use. But today I pulled out the food processor attachment and went crazy chopping nuts for my homemade granola. We have another food processor, but it is big and bulky and just didn't seem like the right tool for this particular job. But the little food pro was the perfect size and worked like a charm.

Day One Hundred Fifty-Eight: ZOOB

The boys got several ZOOB building sets for Christmas, and they have been a huge hit! Clay commandeered the lot of them today and was busy literally all afternoon building one gadget after another. He kept coming into the room where I was and showing me every project. Every time, I would remark how cool I thought his creation was. Finally, he sweetly offered, "I can show you how to make them, if you want." I closed my laptop and gave him my full attention. With patience and authority, he spent the next while teaching me how to build all his cool creations and showing me considerable grace when I didn't get it just right. Then he built phones for each of us, and I spent many happy minutes calling him up at various restaurants to order food, which he would then make out of ZOOBs and deliver to me. So often I see the kids' toys as a babysitter or an annoyance, but I had fun today seeing them the way the kids see them and letting myself just get caught up in the diversion.

Having fun with ZOOB