A couple days ago I finally got around to something I'd meant to do for a while. I invited the Ukranian refugee family upstairs over for dinner and some games. (The mother and 5 year old played games here once before). I said I'd have a baked potato bar because that seemed like the simplest thing to make for someone having no idea what they liked to eat, they could make it themselves. (I was a little tired of this meal, but I haven't met anyone, even a kid, that won't eat a potato).
Well at 5pm today I was ready with dinner and the knock came to the door.
Failure - they didn't eat anything, one of them didn't come, the mom said something about the weather and a headache and not being hungry. I was actually tired of baked potatoes as the last time I made them, about a month ago, a similar thing happened. I was planning on having 3 guests and because of car trouble only one came. I planned on having leftovers, but I had a LOT of leftovers. I am still tired of the meal and now I have the same problem again!
So that was a failure.
Here is the success.
I've thought about telling the mother that if she ever needed to leave her daughter here for a bit it would be ok.
Well when they arrived the 5 year old (who is in kindergarten and has really improved in her English) said her mom needed to go to the store. So the mom left her with me, it was a really quick trip, maybe 15 minutes, but the point was
#1 - She felt safe leaving her with me.
#2 - When the five year old arrived she gave me a piece of chocolate and a rock.
#3 - She talks incessantly now (maybe she did before too I just couldn't understand her the one other time they played games here). She is very creative and she's just a couple years younger than my nephew so I hope when he returns from Japan I can take them both to the park together.
The girl was asking about my brother (I said we were playing my brother's games which I borrowed) and if he could come over tomorrow to play them too. I tried to explain we could play with my nephew in the future, but that is a couple months off and too far for a 5 year old.
Her mother had a hard time getting her to leave. I had to start joining in on the, "One more" and "it's time to go." When she got to the door she signed "thank you" to me.
I kind of wish I had more of a conversation with her mother (using translation), but
I guess that was probably enough.
#4 - Later on the phone with my aunt, I mentioned being sick of potatoes and she said I could mash them and freeze them. I looked it up and it appears to be true. So I did that with a couple. We'll see.
#5 - Yesterday was supposed to be my post day. I've been following an 8 day rotation for all these years.
I didn't get home til close to 10 though and didn't feel like getting on the computer. I haven't felt real motivated to write here recently. So then I thought about how I've been posting here on schedule for 13 years!!! Maybe it is time for a change.
I don't know what my new schedule is going to look like, but I think I'm going to cut back to a couple times a month maybe.
And finally one thing I really miss at times, and feel now, is being able to walk into the next room and get a big embrace. It was such a gift to have a partner who enjoyed that as much as I did.
As I kid, I recall my dad once rolling his eyes while hugging my mother. They didn't have similar love language in regard to touch.
Again and again though, the best thing I've found is a few ASMR videos, latte ASMR and Whisper Audio ASMR. They guide me into such relaxation that I feel like a hug.
So if I can get ready for bed in time for that tonight.
I'll at least have that embrace.
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