Oh so Social!

I'm not sure how it happened, but my formerly abandoned social calendar seems to keep filling itself up! Perhaps it started with the brain-stretching Precepts Bible study I joined with my friend at her church . . .

We're generally so busy, we don't really see many people just for fun. However, in the past week or so, I brought fancy tea to a young mom who had some things to talk over; then Buck and I had a very impromptu dinner with her and her husband, followed by ice cream at our favorite local shop. They are in a very similar scenario that we were in 20 years ago--their parents/in-laws adopted a little one from foster care who is the same age as their own little ones. We're hoping our experience and friendship can help them navigate the unique waters of co-parenting with grandparents :)

Just five days later, we sat ourselves down in roundy, leather chairs at an old prime rib establishment which hasn't had a decor update since it opened in the '70s. Pretty cool how retro is back and now they don't have to! This was suggested by our NGFs, who we haven't spent time with in more than a wee while. The food was very good, but it was so nice to laugh with them and catch up on some of the life events that never stop happening between connection points. We were glad to grab coffee together afterwards to continue the conversation--although, technically Buck and I stopped by this same coffee shop (which our NGFs originally introduced us to) before dinner, so instead of repeating my chai, I ordered a mango smoothie, which I wanted to try on our first stop in that evening :)

Buck, however, got more coffee, so he was ready to stay up and watch a movie with the kids when we got home at 9:30. We decided they were probably old enough to watch Harry Potter movies at ages 15 to 20 . . . so, we are now culturally updated a decade or so later than everyone else on the planet.

Three days later, I joined my friend Jo at a cake decorating class in the building where Caelan works! Caelan wasn't there, she was seeing a performance at the fancy theater over the river, but she did give us directions for finding the very hidden teaching kitchen (around the desk, past the costumes, left down the hall, you're close at the restrooms, go right, listen for voices :)

I learned a bunch about frosting (like you should use A LOT at first) and that you can melt it to make a "drip," and that you can heat a portion of it in the microwave to incorporate back into the main batch to reset the texture of frosting that's gotten too cold. I also learned that I need giant frosting bags and just three frosting tips (1 mm/rose, round, and the third one which I will ask Jo to remind me the name of :) Also a spinny cake stand, a cake top slicer-offer (that looks like a giant cheese cutter), a metal scrape-y thing that looks like it is for patching walls, and a bit of squishy shelf liner to put it all on so it doesn't fly off onto the floor!

After the demonstration, we got to practice making roses and borders and swirls on our own pre-baked cupcakes. It was fun and the best-looking frosting I've ever managed to produce; hooray for learning! My family also appreciated the efforts of the evening ;)

The very next day, my brother decided to turn 40 years old! It has been a long time since I got to do birthdays with him (well, technically last year, but before that a looong time! ;) so when my sister-in-law invited me to join them in trying the new Thai restaurant in town (who even knew that was a thing?!!) I could hardly wait to join the (tiny) party :)

K made a super tasty cake and, of course, thought to bring plates and forks--her mom brought the birthday song and actual cards for Cory to keep! (unlike our annual reusable one which is saved especially for his special day :) 

We confirmed plans to meet up for St. Patrick's Day . . . and then I got sick. Really sick. Stupid sick. I'm going to diagnose myself with Influenza A. Buck was in Chicago, Caelan and Noah headed off to his brother's wedding (sneak peak . . .)

. . . the boys dove into golf (thanks again for the clubs, Uncle Jim . . . which is short for "James" as mentioned on the box much to Graysen's surprise--he thought Jim was short for Jimmy, which it is, but which is also short for James :)

After days on the couch in achy, coughy, head-pounding woe, Buck offered to take me to get some food. I wanted chicken strips and glazed donuts . . . odd, but that's what I wanted. When the lemonade came through the window it was GREEN! And when I checked the donut box . . . GREEN! I did not order my first meal in days with a side of festive food dye. I told Buck if the chicken strips were green I was going to pitch a fit! (They were not green, no fit was pitched :) 

I would have MUCH rather gone out for fancy pop-up restaurant festive-themed food than spit all this in the trash can. But hopefully we'll find another time to check out the fun meals and live music, and then I'll go back to being social again. Clearly, I can't handle too much of it without going down-and-out for a whole week. Lol!

Now where's my children's Dimetapp and generic Tylenol??