Track Meet and Cooking

On Friday, a gaggle of young men came over.  Cranky me (tired me) texted my son several times about their plans for dinner.  Finally, after the third, "We're not sure,"  I just told my son if you don't tell me by 5:30, we're having leftovers and you boys will have to bring something to add, because there isn't enough. 

Well, they showed up with 3 lbs of the gnarliest bacon, won ton wrappers and various other ingredients and made very professional looking won ton.  They fried them up, cleaned the kitchen completely, and had enough bacon leftover for fried rice in the morning.  The four of them ate about 10 cups of fried rice! 

I am absolutely biased, but I think kids who take part in individual sports, like running and swimming, tend to be really nice kids.  This is not to diss the kids who are in team sports, or no sports, but I have to say that through years of age group track and high school Cross Country and Track, my kids have made some really nice friends. 

Which leads me to yesterday's marathon Age Group Track meet.  Beyond getting poured on while using my umbrella to shield the 12 year old girls discus competitors from the rain and having to really argue to convince the security guard that, yes, there really is parking in the teacher's parking lot, and yes, I really am going to work in my classroom as well as attend the track meet (I wouldn't have argued so much if I didn't want have to bring a big heavy box of newspapers one teacher saved for me for mulch - I would have ended up parking a good mile away from my classroom otherwise), the meet was great.  My son placed second in high jump and his relay team broke the school record for the 4 X 200 - they were pretty amazing.  I was laughing ruefully with one of the other mothers, because we were both pretty annoyed when we found out our sons dropped their individual events to run this event - the last race in a really long day.  My daughter did well in her first attempt at shot put and discus (for a not very big girl, she did well), and she showed her real strength of character by taking my place in the concession stand and working with her aunty so I could watch her brother in his events and do some last work in preparation for the week ahead at school.  She is only 12, but she is a huge help to me in so many ways. 

She is going through the identity issues - her brother told me (gossip city) she started crying in Hawaiian class because all her siblings had something they were good at - programming, sports, etc. but she had nothing.  I told her, you are good at so many things - I don't know how I could do without you!  I remember feeling that way - like I wasn't beyond "medium" in anything.  She'll have to find her own strength, but in the meantime, I will just keep telling her how much I appreciate her. If I have to deal with a sick or hurt animal, she cooks dinner, for example.  And it isn't just mac-n-cheese.  She made pizza the other day (dough from scratch) because she wanted to take some on her field trip.  I was no where near as capable as she is when I was 12, and that's a fact. 

Today, I want to dig up the outside garden, make a bunch of pizzas for my rotation to feed the drama club (I was going to make musubi, but my son wants pizza - and it is easier, so I am glad), take my daughter to the County Band practice thing, and go to church.  I have to also hang laundry, do some general cleaning, and do the week's baking.  I really shouldn't be blogging....