I’m at my parents’ house this weekend to give Jon some time to unpack and structure his man-cave. (Ahem!) It’s 11:00 p.m. and I want to do this post but I also want to go to sleep. Decisions! Decisions! Pardon any spelling or grammar errors — it’s getting late.
01.) Steak. As Jon is vegetarian, we don’t have steak at our house. Granted, I could go get myself a hunk of cow but I haven’t found any that are small enough to go on my George Forman grill when I’ve gone to the store. My dad, however, LOVES to barbecue so he makes it almost every time I come down. Good times.
02.) The tupperware cupboard. My parents have a cupboard where all their tupperware/Gladware/plastic containers are located and it’s right at Daniel’s level. We always drag a laundry basket over so he can ravage the cupboard and we can just toss the contents into the laundry basket until it’s time to go and Mom can organize it again.
03.) Bananas. Daniel likes bananas and he gets them whenever he wants here. Mom is a whole lot more patient than I am apparently and she doesn’t mind cleaning off the highchair tray… and everything else that gets covered. 🙂 She has also taught me quick ways to clean off the kid.
04.) Spoiling of Daniel. My parents see him at least once or twice a month these days now that we’re in northern California and they love the relationship. He gets away with stuff that I don’t if my brother and I got away with and he gets all the attention he wants from Grandma and Grandpa. (He adores both of them, especially Grandpa who invents new toys for him.)
05.) Garden. My mom has the green thumb that sprouts in her family around age 25 or 30. She has a huge garden and she and Dad actually started some plants for us. Right now, Dad is starting some pole beans to replace those that got eaten by snails in our garden.
06.) S’mores. My dad has a big cast-iron barbecue/fire pit that he got in Washington when I was in my teens. (My grandparents had a similar one at their cabin in British Columbia.) When I’m down, he usually builds a fire and we sit around and talk. Tonight, I had s’mores for the first time in probably 5 years. (The last time was when I was visiting from Montana in 2006 before heading down south for a wedding.)
07.) Pesto. Since I was probably 3 or 4 years old, I’ve helped my mom make pesto when I’ve been home in the summer. (The last time was 2000 when I cleaned a bumper crop of leaves one-handed after re-spraining my wrist at work.) Mom has a ton of basil right now so we’re having a pesto-making marathon tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.
(For more quick takes, go see Jen at ConversionDiary.Com.)
Sounds like good times for all. I’m so jealous of the pesto, the steak and the s’mores. Haven’t had any of those in a while. Had steak a few months ago, and we’re not vegetarian by any means, but steak doesn’t make it into our shopping cart very often.
And grandparents are supposed to spoil their grandkids. I can tell you, being able to see them that often is a gift. My grampa and I had a very special relationship, which happened because we spent time together.
Some weekday when things are quiet for you and us, the three of you should drive up and see the forest and come visit. We’d love to have you, and I promise a vegetarian meal for dinner. You could see the river, and some of the sights. And meet the kitties.