The other day, Eric and I stood out at the pool deck and secretly watched him teaching. Not only is he good at what he does, he thoroughly enjoys it. And the kids & parents love him, too. THESE are the moments that make the long days in the CA sun worthwhile. Regardless of where life takes him (he’s still figuring that out), I hope he finds joy in his everyday. Remember this, always.
In the last 4 years, he’s learned that adulting is not always easy. There have been some hard lessons – some his fault, some caused by others. That with great power comes great responsibility. That there is no shame in going with Plan B… or C… or even D… That there will be heartbreak and disappointment and sometimes you are the cause and sometimes the effect. That he WILL fall and we will be there to say “get your ass up and move on.” Always.
We’ve learned that parenting an adult is not always a cake walk either. It’s a fine balance of rules, expectations, and limits. Of knowing which Anthony we’re talking to – the one that wants our advice vs the one that needs it. Of giving a boost instead of being a crutch. Parenting books and classes don’t prepare you for this stage.
We’re all still learning that being humble, kind, or just quiet is often the best choice. In the last year of having him back under our roof, there have been angry exchanges and testing of boundaries. But there have been many more amazing moments that remind me how fleeting this time with him is. The moments that make it all worthwhile.
Having him out on my pool deck the last 8 weeks has brought me more joy than I expected. I can prop my door open and hear him. He’s loud… like his mama. I pause on my walks to catch sight of him. We lunch together most days – his only break in his 15 hour day. Our daily commute and 7/11 stop. The way he gushes about the kids in his classes and how excited he gets when they draw him pictures and give him notes. Knowing how hard he’s worked this summer, balancing 2 jobs + school to finish off his degrees & save for a car. “Bye mama, have a good day.” A summer filled with everyday moments of happiness and pride.
He’s always been my mini-me; stubborn, strong-willed, passionate, opinionated, independent, sarcastic, anxious, impulsive, protective… He’s a mama’s boy through-and-through and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Remember THAT, always.
It’s been a while since I posted about shoes. It’s not that there haven’t been shoe-nanigans a foot (Ha! Mom would have loved that one Juj). It’s just that I’ve been a bit preoccupied with myself lately.
Generally, you can judge my mood based on my choice of shoes. Hightops? I was willing to commit to the extra effort needed to get my non-bending foot in the shoe. Not an easy task. It also means Aaron has not stolen all of my socks. Low top Converse or my Vans – I recognize the need for shoes but I just can’t totally commit right now. Flip flops? I HAVE to wear something… No shoes? That can best be described as I have no intention of getting out of the car.
Lately it’s been flip flops or nothing. Basically, if I have to put on shoes, the answer is no.
The pile of shoes on my porch has grown. Aaron was asked to clean his room and he did. Only problem is he bagged up everything as “trash”. Fearing the worst, I went through every bag before they were disposed of. I came away with MULTIPLE pairs of perfectly good shoes (including several pairs that were basically new). For some reason, they are all still on the porch. I probably should do something about that. Tomorrow.
The singles are still there as well, including a few additions. On a recent trip to the Converse store I discovered that they take old shoes and grind them up to make playground surface material. How cool is that? Have I taken them down to add them to to the collection box? Nope. But I saved this picture on my phone to remind me.
Because the pile of shoes that I literally walk past multiple times every day isn’t a big enough reminder?
For as long as I can remember we’ve had a basket at the front door to collect shoes. We’re just not a big shoe wearing family and generally the first thing we do is SHOES OFF. After years of being annoyed with the overflowing basket of shoes (mostly mine – not going to lie), Eric bought this monstrosity. I FREAKING HATE IT! Don’t get me wrong, he meant well but… If I could figure out another solution I would. I swear, as soon as these boys move out, this thing is going, too! And notice, most of the shoes are near it, not on it. Also notice – there is at least one lone shoe there. That would be Aaron.
And, to top it off, the basket is still at the front door. Actually, the shoes have begun to migrate over. Apparently, they’re not a fan of the rack either.
Yesterday, Aaron showed up at my office during the break from his dance class looking for food and water. “Mom, will you drive me back up to my class?” No… wait, where are your shoes? He left them in class and walked across campus barefoot. 90 degrees plus outside. Asphalt the whole way. Dumbass. Why does he keep doing this????
While we’re talking about Aaron, he got a new job and he’s already planned out what he’s buying with his first check. Shoes (high heeled drag shoes, but still, shoes.) The boy who can’t remember to wear shoes is spending his entire net worth on shoes. It would be like me opting for raisin cookies. Insanity.
There’s currently a pair of blue seude-ish high heeled boots on my pool deck. Isn’t that where you keep yours?
It’s not just Aaron though. Anthony’s taking ceramics over the summer. Yesterday – “Damn it, I forgot closed toed shoes.” Today, I specifically asked him if he had his shoes before we left. “YESSSSSS.” Complete with eyeroll. I even suggested to him that he keep a pair of Aaron’s porch shoes in the car on the off chance he forgot again. Narrator: indeed he did not have his shoes nor did he put the extras in the car. As Juli says, “This is me not caring.”
Last week, WWIII broke out over… shoes. Anthony is convinced that Aaron is stealing the insoles from his work shoes. Aaron witnessed the dogs eating said insoles (he didn’t stop them but that’s another issue). We’ve all witnessed the dogs eating insoles and shoes and socks… I found one of the insoles in the backyard with a guilty looking dog nearby AND the shoes in question were literally chewed on. Apparently, the dogs like shoes WAY more than the rest of us. Did any of this abate the fight? Nope.
A week later, I am sure he’s still harboring resentment over Shoegate 2018. Likely because the outcome of his fight with Aaron was a side battle with me that ended in him walking the 2.5 miles to work when I pulled my car over with an ultimatum to let it drop. Walked to work no big deal. With no insoles? You’d think after 19 years he’d know that when I say, “Don’t make me pull this car over”, you should take that shit seriously. I would have even stopped at the store and bought him replacement insoles if he wasn’t being such an ass.
For the record, if Anthony had used Eric’s damn shoe closet, the dogs likely would not have eaten the insoles/shoes. I’m not saying it’s not needed. I’m just saying it’s an eyesore and I hate it.
So friends, I’ve already kicked off my flip flops for the night. And no, they’re not on the rack. They’re actually in a whole other pile nowhere near the front door. Yeah, I have issues.
When looking for something cool for the boys and I to do on our Adventure Day yesterday, I happened upon a listing for the Anaheim Packing District. I’m not sure how we’ve never been here – it’s 100% US!
So many choices!
Basically this place is like an upscale mall food court without having to go to the mall. The best part is that with so many stalls there was literally something for all of us. No fighting. And no drive through.
We walked through most of the 2-story food paradise before making our choices.
Aaron and I decided on Vietnamese at Sawleaf. I had the pork belly bahn mi, Aaron had the steak fries. Basically, the first place he saw fries he stopped and go no interest in looking any further. Not much out of his comfort zone but he did eat the five spice aioli so there’s that. His fries were skinny and crispy and the steak tender.
My bahn mi really hit the spot. The bread was crispy and soft in the center, the meat was tender, the salad crisp and fresh. I missed the daikon I’m used to but the fried jalapeños added a nice bite. The sauce was a bit sweet for my taste but eaten as a whole, a definite A.
The dog had buffalo sauce, bourbon bacon, and ranch. Paired with a light IPA and he was a happy boy.
J was the last to decide and he was deliberating between the short rib poutine and the bbq cheeseburger version. While I was waiting for my sandwich, he came up asking what poutine was. Once he heard smothered fries, he was sold. Aa should have waited because Kroft had tons of amazing choices. J’s burger fry concoction was HUGE! Fries, a burger patty, cheese, sauce, fried onions. The fries were larger than Aaron’s and overall a better choice, too.
Since we were headed to find the chimney cakes (which ended up being 2 blocks away) we didn’t get desserts but future trips will include ice cream bars, snowballs, cotton candy covered drinks, and giant ice cream novelties.
This place is pretty hipster. $3 valet or try to find a spot on the local streets – we opted for a free lot down the street. Oh yeah, free WiFi, too. Food was about $10/person. Anthony bought his own beer so I have no idea how much he shelled out for that.
If you’ve never heard of Chimney Cakes you’re obviously not as obsessed with sweets as me or don’t watch as many travel food shows and videos as me. That’s ok, I’m here for ya.
I’m not sure where I first saw these; probably an episode of Delicious Destinations with Andrew Zimmern or a Facebook video. The idea of a hollow churro that could be filled with additional yumminess sounded even more awesome than the looping churro ice cream sundaes from The Loop in Westminster. BUT, convincing E to go to Prague for donuts? Probably not likely.
Side note – if you’ve never been to The Loop, GO!
So, when I read Nancy Luna’s article in the OC Register about the newly opened House of Chimney Cakes, a plan started. Luckily, the boys and I had a day off today for Veteran’s Day. The boys aren’t usually up for my crazy adventures but once I promised food and no museums and then showed them photos of the chimney cakes they were sold!
So did they live up to the hype? Ummmm YES!
First off, there are a ton of options which tends to overwhelm us so we opted for two combos on the menu – Oreo (duh) and s’mores.
Watching them make the cones in front of us was pretty awesome! Rolling out the dough, loading into the special rotisseries, the dripping buttery goodness, rolling them in the coatings. And then all the topping choices! Wow!
When they take them out of the special oven they actually steam from the top looking like delicious volcanos!
The churro-like cones were both crunchy and soft, and not too thick or bready. They made the perfect vessel for the ice cream and toppings. No mushy cones or drippy mess. Perfection.
Aaron and I shared the s’mores cone which was coated in ground graham crackers and filled with vanilla soft serve, graham crackers, chocolate pieces, chocolate syrup, and a blowtorch toasted marshmallow! There was a surprise Whopper at the bottom of the cone, too.
Justin & Anthony’s Oreo cone was covered in cookie crumbs and filled with swirled ice cream, syrup, and cookies.
Will we go back? What do you think?
Easy parking in the lot. Cones cost us $7.95 each fully loaded. Seating out front. Walking distance to “real food”. Employees were super friendly.
So many things I could have written about over the last month but I just wasn’t feeling it.
There have been adventures…
E and I went down to a cool, private botanic garden in Fallbrook a few weeks ago without the boys. We’ve been trying to spend more time together without them. It’s all about balance and learning how to be a couple again after being 2:5 for so long.
There were goats, lots of rustic crap, and some yummy food.
Side note: this was my first time on the 395 in Fallbrook since the accident and I think I handled it pretty dang well. I don’t think I’ve put last year’s accident behind me but maybe I’m desensitizing a little. Now if I could just stop seizing up every time I see a car roll in a movie.
Last Sunday I asked E if he was in the mood for a sandwich. (AKA easy way to get him to go somewhere that he likely would not have wanted to go in the first place.) My ulterior motive was a scrapbook store that had lost its lease and was having a close out sale. Instead of reminding me that I have enough crap and that I had just been at the expo the day before – all he asked was if it was the store with the comfy chair. Like I said, sandwiches get me pretty far.
Katella Deli for a shared sandwich – after 30 years we’re getting better at sharing one meal rather than bringing home a ton of leftovers. (We’ve officially turned into that old married couple with one meal, two plates, and two glasses of water.) It’s all about compromise and finding something we can both not just tolerate but enjoy. The winner? A combo of pastrami AND corned beef that was taken apart so that we each got exactly what we wanted – his side with yellow mustard and mine with brown and both slathered in coleslaw.
I miss deli SO much! It reminds me of my dad and it is IMPOSSIBLE to find anywhere near us. We both commented on how the sandwiches at Katella seem to be shrinking. I also noticed that the clientele was all our age and older. Although they were packed, like always, I wonder if after we are gone, Katella will be as well. My kids don’t get excited about deli the way we (still) do and I cannot imagine them driving an hour to get a sandwich. I hope I’m wrong.
There was scrapbook… shopping…
I keep sitting down to craft and nothing comes out. Kind of like my writing – over the last few weeks I’ve been dry. I was hoping walking around the expo with Lisa would solve that. All it did was enable me to buy more stuff. When I went to put it away I realized between the expo and the store, I’ve managed to buy a bunch of duplicates. I REALLY need to organize again and get some stuff done. Crop signed up for Thanksgiving weekend so I have the incentive, now I just need the motivation.
I did play with alcohol inks a few weeks ago and made some cool tile coasters that are still sitting in the family room waiting to be sealed. THREE WEEKS LATER!
I probably should get on that. I was so excited about the tiles that I went out and bought 9 more bottles of ink and some more tiles so that we could have a family craft night – ummm yeah… not sure when exactly the planets will align for us all to be home together but it was a nice thought. The newly purchased supplies are also sitting in the family room; a constant reminder that we all lead WAY too busy of lives.
There was also a trip to Sam’s Club the other night to get a ginormous cinnamon roll. Went for the roll, spent over $200 on stuff – mighty expensive pastry. It would have been cheaper to get us all Cinnabons! FYI Cinnabons would have tasted better, too – ours looked NOTHING like the Delish article.
Or caramel apples… I’ve been craving one for at least a month but the one at Myrtle Creek was disappointing and I cannot justify $10 at Rocky Mountain. E saw that they have 13 varieties of apples on sale at Sprouts this week and I suggested that he buy one of each kind and we have an apple taste-off. I even offered to make caramel dip. Nope, not a self-serving suggestion at all. 😉 We’ll see if he comes through when he goes shopping. If so, there WILL be a DIY caramel apple bar in our future!
Aaron tagged along on a trip up to Idyllwild last week. E needed to site supervise the placement of the chapel he designed at Camp Emerson and I went along so he didn’t have to drive up alone. Not sure why Aa came with except that he thought he was getting breakfast which apparently is NOT the same thing as run through the drive through at Mc Donald’s – good to know. After we were done at Emerson, Aa DEMANDED “real food” so we stopped in town. We walked around for a little bit – how have we never walked around Idyllwild despite the hundreds of trips we have made up there???? Happened upon a store that sells HAND-DIPPED ICE CREAM BARS! I search FOREVER for ice cream bars and the one time I find one I am too stuffed from eating TWO breakfasts?!?! Good thing I can guarantee that that will not be my last trip up there so at some point, there WILL be an ice cream bar in my future. Damn you Costco for taking them off the cafe menu! Curses!
There was a bunch of random ass shit, too…
The other night I was getting into bed and Anthony asked me why I was going to sleep in my work clothes. I was wearing Rudolph pajama pants. Either I’m way overdressing for sleep or I need to step up my work clothes from leggings. Probably the latter. Probably not going to happen though. #leggingsarepantstoo
I finally de-Halloweened the front porch. Took that nasty spider web crap off the trees. That shit is worse than tinsel. They’re both like holiday herpes! Aa is already talking about Christmas so I am sure it’s only a matter of days before one of those damn trees is setup in my house.
Speaking of Halloween, we went to Target last week and bought about $20 in candy. When candy is marked down 50% off that’s a shitload of candy. I brought one bag of Reese’s to the office with me because I live with damn locusts. E may have a few bags of Skittles hidden. The GIANT bag on the counter is at least half way down! Locusts I tell you! (In all honesty, it’s mostly Aaron.)
The Mystery Oreos are STILL sitting on the kitchen counter from almost a month ago. We tried them and they were just SO tasty that more than 1/2 the package is still there almost a month later. Since it doesn’t look like anyone is going to eat them, I might need to find something else to do with them – maybe scrape the filling out and use the cookies for a cheesecake crust? Other ideas? Want to know what we thought of them?
That being said, I just saw that they have limited edition Hot Cocoa Oreos out now. Yeah, THOSE will be in my cart, most definitely.
Monday night I finally was able to stand on one leg. WITHOUT FALLING OVER! We’re nearing the end of yoga class so apparently the damn optimists were right and persistence does indeed pay off. Who’d have thought?
Last week, I read Dan Brown’s new book Origin. We saw Thor: Ragnarok. We rewatched the original Kingsman movie in hopes of seeing the sequel which is pretty much not even playing anymore. We still haven’t watched season 2 of Stranger Things – once again trying to find a time when we can all watch it together so that no one is an asshole and spoils it for anyone else. Yeah, not sure when/how THAT will ever happen. It’s been a no go for the new season of Orange is the New Black, too – every time I sit down to watch it some kid starts asking me questions about characters or plot lines or the criminal justice system – sheesh, just watch it from the beginning and stop yammering on so I can hear what they are saying!
One last thing, there may have also been donuts as big as our heads, too.
The last two months of the year are filled with madness. I have an adventure day with the boys scheduled for tomorrow (Veteran’s Day observed). Band is winding down – only 2 more performances to go! 2nd Annual Thanksgiving with the Weiners. Our 18th familversary. Feeding pomegranates to and riding camels – YES REALLY! CHINA!!!! Hanukkah/Festivus/Christmas. E’s last birthday starting with a 4.
Holy shit that’s a lot of stuff – and I’m sure it’s not a complete list! Despite the mayhem and chaos, it will be filled with family, friends, laughter, adventures, and shenanigans. Definitely shenanigans! Because of course they are MY assholes children…
Eric & I have a thing for food tours. We’ve been to Ben & Jerry’s in Vermont. The fortune cookie factory in a sketchy alley in San Fran. Beecher’s cheese at Pike Place and Eli’s Chresecakes in Chicago. Coca Cola in Atlanta. Dr. Pepper in Waco. Coor’s in Colorado. Ethel M & Hershey’s? Check and check. Tequila & rum distilleries. Yes, those, too. (Of course!) and not 1 but TWO Jelly Belly factories.
So, to have the sriracha factory 30 minutes away from us… no brainer! Once a year, Huy Fong opens up their factory and welcomes spicy lovers in to burn their mucous membranes and see where the magic happens.
We’ve been before. In 2014, shortly after Anthony left for college we took the tweedles. Anthony’s response? “Why do you wait for me to leave to do cool stuff?” Ummm we did cool stuff throughout your childhood! I have the scrapbooks to prove it!
So, now that Big is home, we decided to go back for Chili Grinding.
First things first, don these attractive red hairnets. Anthony was obsessed with the giant blow up bottles and could not understand why I didn’t want one living in my house. Yes son, your room still constitutes IN MY HOUSE.
This year, David Tran, founder and chili guru was greeting guests! Better than taking a pic with his cardboard cutout.
The factory is insanely clean. I’d like to think all factories are this clean, but yeah. Probably not.
It’s annual chili grinding time so I grabbed a Kleenex and off we went.
I passed on the chili and opted for sriracha ice cream instead. YUM!
Anthony dipped into his bag of snacks – popcorn, chips, and jerky. Then immediately to the complimentary bottle of water. LOL
They may not make tear gas, but this stuff can still bring tears to your eyes.
Huy Fong has THE best gift shop filled with questionably appropriate apparel! I picked up a new Awesome Sauce T-shirt and grabbed some stuff for the tweedles. Anthony was still jonesing for the giant inflatable bottle. NO. Then he saw this sweatshirt…
Me: You’ll never wear it.
Random stranger: Yes he will and then you’ll regret knowing him.
Me: Too late.
Before leaving, Huy Fong hooked us up with free hats, shirts, and bottles of sauce. Pretty awesome way to celebrate the Year of the Rooster!
Who are we kidding? It’s always the Year of the Rooster when you’re cock sauce lovers.
Aaron was asked to clean his room and he did. Only problem is he bagged up everything as “trash”. Fearing the worst, I went through every bag before they were disposed of. I came away with MULTIPLE pairs of perfectly good shoes (including several pairs that were basically new). For some reason, they are all still on the porch. I probably should do something about that. Tomorrow.
On a recent trip to the Converse store I discovered that they take old shoes and grind them up to make playground surface material. How cool is that? Have I taken them down to add them to to the collection box? Nope. But I saved this picture on my phone to remind me.
I FREAKING HATE IT! Don’t get me wrong, he meant well but… If I could figure out another solution I would. I swear, as soon as these boys move out, this thing is going, too! And notice, most of the shoes are near it, not on it. Also notice – there is at least one lone shoe there. That would be Aaron.
And, to top it off, the basket is still at the front door. Actually, the shoes have begun to migrate over. Apparently, they’re not a fan of the rack either.
Sparkling Llama 