Mini-waffles and other fun during our back-to-school scramble (7 Quick Takes)

~1~

The other day, I went to the store to make a very practical, necessary purchase, and on my way to the register, I saw a mini waffle maker. I have been wanting a waffle maker, but I try not to buy extra kitchen appliances. Everything takes up so much space. But this was a mini waffle maker. I decided to splurge, knowing that it would add a little fun to our lives, which seem hectic and over-scheduled.

In our first week as mini-waffle-maker owners, we’ve had waffles four times. When I saw the $10 price tag, I’m glad I didn’t hesitate or…well…waffle.

~2~

We had our first high-school back-to-school night this week, so John and went together. We spent our free periods eating cookies and cheese in the cafeteria, met his teachers, chatted with friends from many different areas of our lives, and we got lost a few times. It was fantastic.

I was following the schedule our son gave us, but I think I missed some of the instructions because we ended up in the wrong science classroom. As soon as the teacher introduced herself, I knew we weren’t in the right place. But I was delighted because I realized who she was. Her son just got engaged to one of my friends and colleagues.

So, after the class, I went up and chatted with her and explained the connection—and that we had come to the wrong room.

But I left smiling because, of course, sometimes the wrong room is the right room, after all.

~3~

My oldest godson turned 22 yesterday. It’s incredible how quickly time flies. As we were getting his gift together to deliver it to his house, I was telling my younger son that the same day was his baptism anniversary—and that my godson’s mother is his godmother.

“So, Aunt Katie became a mother 22 years ago and a godmother 11 years ago,” I told him.

He and I looked at each other, and suddenly I knew our plans had changed for the day. Her godson wanted to go find her a gift to go with the gift for her son’s birthday. So we did.

~4~

Last weekend, we had tickets to the Orioles game, but when we woke up, it was pouring. I really did waffle, going back and forth and checking weather forecasts and wondering whether we would be sitting under an overhang. So many questions.

Finally, I suggested that we pick up a friend and head to lunch and the Walters Art Museum for a fun afternoon. It was fantastic. But we were still feeling the pull to Camden Yards. About an hour into our visit to the museum, my son turned to me and said, “Maybe we should just go to the game.”

So, off we went. The rain had let up, we were under an overhang, and we had a great time.

~5~

One night this week I started making dinner, and when I reached for the seasoning packet for the pork chops, I discovered it was in German. Our older son has almost two weeks of German under his belt, but not enough to translate the packet unless it says, “Hello, my name is.”

I had made this dish a few times before, so I guessed a bit—and my friend Julie saw my post on Instagram and translated it for me.

For those who will say, “Doesn’t John know some German?”: Yes, John could have translated it for me since he minored in German and studied abroad there, but he was mowing the lawn. Still, we came through just fine.

~6~

We haven’t found our rhythm on weekday mornings yet, but apparently the bus driver—who was running a little behind at the start of the school year—has found hers. The other morning she was right on time, and we were not ready to go.

I ran to get myself ready so I could take our seventh grader to school, scrambled to get us out the door, made it halfway there, and realized we had forgotten something. I turned around and we raced home to get it. While we were running in circles to get back into the car, my son spotted the mashed potatoes he had been eating as part of his breakfast.

We have a very generous perspective on what counts as breakfast around here. Anyway, he brought the potatoes along to eat in the car on his way to school. When I got to work, I reached for my purse and saw the plastic container and laughed at this crazy season in our lives.

We might be missing the bus and still trying to find out feet, but—for what it’s worth—we do have mashed potatoes in the car.

~7~

Our two little baby finches are turning 2 years old! They were born in our home on Sept. 18 and 19, 2020. We aren’t sure which hatched first because their markings didn’t come in until much later, but family lore says Bart is the older one and Lisa is younger.

I’m not sure we’ll throw a huge bash in their honor, but I wish we could pull off a finch fete. It would be entirely for us because the finches like every day to be just exactly the same.

The hatching of the baby finches will always be one of my favorite pandemic memories. Especially for a family formed through adoption and where none of us was there for anyone else’s birth, there was something so beautiful about being able to greet these new little lives together.

Happy birthday, Bart and Lisa!

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