It took me a few days of pushing and prodding to get Hanah to start working on the card. Last night, I lost all patience and
I got dressed, grabbed my purse and the keys, but then Roberta announced that she was having belly cramps. That put a stop to my hopes of making a dramatic exit! We don't have any Maalox or Pepto-Bismol, so I wracked my brain for some ways to soothe cramps. Eureka! Taka recently brought from the garden some Lemon Balm and Peppermint. I dried it, but had no idea, how to use those herbs. They are good for stomach problems! I told Roberta that I didn't know, if they are good for cramps, but she was happy to try.
I put herbs in a large cup and poured hot water on them. In a few minutes I could see that the tea began to steep! I gave it ten more minutes, and at the end there was rich, dark liquid in the cup! Hallelujah!
I sat by Roberta, as she gingerly sipped her tea. Patience, Dina! In the mean time, I saw that Hanah began to move around, searching in her things for some paper, paints and colored pencils. She majores in art, and has those supplies with her on visits home. I asked nonchalantly: "So, should I go buy a card for Daddy?" She mumbled back: "If you do, I will be very disappointed..." I took it for a sign that she, actually, wants to make the card, but was just checking if we were serious about asking her!
I might have an exaggerated opinion of Hanah's art abilities, but imagine, if you will, Van Gogh's relatives asking him to make a card, and badgering him about it: "Hey, Vince, it doesn't look like you are doing anything. Why can't you slop some paint on the paper for your old man?!"That's my problem, you see: for every attempt at parenting I second guess myself a million times. May be, because of that the kids don't take me seriously?
Roberta soon felt better under my ministrations and even decided to come with me to the Chinese store to buy some miso paste. We drove there, and she sat in the car, while I shopped.
On the way back I realized that it was already after seven, and dinner wasn't even started. I knew, what Taka would say about it, but there was no other choice: I called Sonny and asked him to order some pizza or Chinese delivery.
We supped casually on pizzas, munched on the blueberries and raspberries from the garden and finished our meal with watermelon and Green Tea Mochi that I brought from the Chinese store. Nice, huh?
Hanah is on the diet. She uses the shakes and bars that I have left over from my Weight Management Program and eats one normal meal a day. She stayed true to her undertaking and didn't eat any pizza. I had to cut up and broil some cauliflower for her and added a few pieces of nice string cheese.
Sonny emerged from his room at one in the morning, asking Hanah to help him make cake for Father's Day. After kicking some ideas around, I declared: "Let's just buy cake!" - and the kids felt relieved.
Unfortunately, Park brought to us two pounds of strawberries, and Hanah already purchased a pound of blackberries for the cake. So, today, after the church, Sonny decided to make some fruit topping to put on top of the cake.
I am relating these things to you, but you have to understand something else ...
1. Sonny slept non-stop today. He slept until the last minute (and later) before we left for church. He slept at the church, slumped on a bench next to me. When he came home, with all the plans to make the kompot and give Taka his card and present (I got him fancy sun-screen that came with a big mango - a gift from a grateful Mary Kay saleslady), Sonny went to sleep!
2. I can't stop b....ing this whole last week! I yelled at my sister - my only close relative and a person who loves me; I keep nagging at kids and would not be patient.
Sonny went to sleep, Hanah had to work on some theater designs. Taka, Roberta and Reina needed to have lunch; and that's besides the intended Father's Day celebration, for which I was gearing for two days! I made soup for Taka and Reina and told them to eat rice with seaweed, as well as leftover pizza. That left Roberta. I made her a soup too, but she told me that she was not hungry.
"S-o-o-o-n-n-y-y-y! You need to make that kompot! H-a-a-a-ah-a-n-a-ah! You need to help me clean and set the table!!!"
All my yelling, cajoling and accusing were in vein! No one wanted to do anything that I said! Taka called Hanah to the garden to help him saw a tree in chunks, and she readily went there, but all my requests were ignored.
I gave up and went to sleep. Yes, I, actually, got into bed, closed my eyes and tried to forget everything. It didn't happen!
Taka woke me up to call me to help eat the berries. Apparently, all I needed to do was to step out of the kitchen for him to get into the role of a person providing nourishment! I refused to cooperate and stayed in bed.
Then Hanah knocked on the door, saying: "Let's just do the celebration, since we are all getting together to eat berries! People keep invading the only place I have for myself: the living room! I can't even work!"
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| The remains of the Blueberry Custard pie, with the berry topping made by Sonny. On the background you can see a pot with miso soup and a big yellow bawl of berries. |
Before Taka knew that we had a couple of things to give him, he declared that this was a good time for a family movie. Hanah moved in, though, and presented her card and our gift to him.
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| She made it look like a man's shirt front with a tie |
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| and inside we all signed the card. I love the button in the right corner, don't you? |
We had some pie with kompot, ate berries and watched a movie. It turned out fine in the end. All I had to do was let go of an idea that I could control everyone and everything!
There, - the end.
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