Day 12: or The Day I Built A Castle

Today, being my 12+ hour day, went by rather quickly. The one thing The Kid has difficulty with is being on time, and walking with any discernible speed. So, days when we are able to go at our own pace are quite nice. We had built a castle last week, but due to the cleaning man coming, it was demolished. We decided to rebuild it on a table in the play room, so that it would have a little more staying power. I really try to not let my control issues get the better of me, but somehow I ended up making about 95% of the castle. I also think The Kid started to notice that my structures always managed to be a little sturdier. He decided to fulfill the design role. Worked out nicely in the end.

I told him last week that my two favorite Disney movies were Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid. I don't think he particularly cares for them, but when he is trying to get me to watch a movie, and he knows the chances are thin, he slyly recommends one of those two. I give in, more for his attempt at being cunning than anything else. So today was Ariel's turn. I had to go downstairs halfway through to make dinner, but by the end of the movie, half the house was humming the tunes to random Mermaid songs.

Dinner was boudin blanc, mashed potatoes and homemade apple sauce. I think I did pretty well, but seeing as how I was making things I've made many, many times, would have been pretty sad to be sub-par. None the less, success. Well, almost. When I was first here, the cooking was difficult, but I am definitely getting into the groove of things. Now, it is trying not to dirty every single dish in the house. I couldn't make more of a mess. The kids help with the dishes and the items they use, but I do all the pots, pans and cooking things. I try to get everything to at least a presentable state before the parents come home. Usually I am still cleaning, but it at least doesn't look like a war zone. 

Tonight, the mom is travelling for work and the dad is working late, so pressure was slightly off. But I did have to get The Kid to sleep. I read two books, had him in bed and was just about to leave, when the night light didn't turn on. It appeared to be plugged in, would flicker, then face. Uh oh. If the parents were home, it would be a much smaller deal. But these is one of those situations that could set a kid off when he is missing his mom. As he is crying, I promise to fix it, and if I can't, his dad will. I could just see his dad walking in at 11:00 after a long day of work, The Kid still stubbornly awake. But as I walked into the 12 year olds room, he informed that it needed to charge. What? But it was plugged in. I go back into the room, and ACTUALLY plug it in. Boom, light. I'm just glad it was the kids who saw this and not the adults. I have no problem looking like a fool in front of them. But adding unnecessary stress to the parents is the exact opposite thing I'm supposed to be doing. 

The Kid is asleep. The kitchen is clean. That's a wrap.

Oh and it's 52' outside, at 9:30 at night. Where am I, Texas? Oh wait, it's cold there...

Happy Birthday Granddaddy Kirk. Miss you, love you.