Gung Hay Fat Chow, y’all!
It’s Chinese New Year and Day 2 of our crazy holiday schedule this week! In my world, Groundhog’s Day is a movie, not a holiday, but Super Bowl Sunday in a home with 3 boys definitely counts as a holiday. This was the first time my boys got to watch the big game, and the first time I made any festive food. Max and Jack colored a bunch of football art an I made a trophy out of a ball, a cup and some foil.
We loved eating in the living room and watching the grand opening. Once the game started, I remembered that we were supposed to watch football, so I high-tailed it out of there to finish my novel (State of Wonder by Ann Patchett—so good). I joined my trio for half-time, where Jack wondered about Beyoncé, “Why is that lady shaking her booty at us?”
I put away the football food and readied the dining room for Chinese New Year before heading to bed. Andres was the lone wolf to watch the end of the game, but the kiddos were happy to learn the Broncos won at breakfast. I sent them to school with Banana Fried Brown Rice and fortune cookies. Tonight we will have Chinese Vegetable Noodles, Sweet Potato Wontons and Monkey Bread in honor of the Year of the Monkey.
Tomorrow morning I’m loading the kids up with powdered-sugar topped beignets before we go to the dentist, because, Woo hoo! Mardi Gras! Then we’ll eat our Seafood Gumbo and Bananas Foster for dinner.
Lordy, I’m glad Ash Wednesday is a fast day (or at least just leftovers for the kids). Thursday is normal, but Friday is Valentine’s Day at school. Guess who’s bringing cupcakes? Saturday, we have a guest coming for President’s Day weekend, followed by the real Valentine’s Day with I Love You Waffles, Sweetheart Salad and heart-shaped pizzas. We wrap up the February holidays with the kids dressing up like President Wilson and President Cleaver and delivering speeches in front of the whole school Tuesday morning.
Then, I’ll launch my book.
All of this is silly, but if life isn’t full of silly nonsense like this, what’s it full of? Stress? Same ol, same ol? There are reasons to eat, drink and be merry this week, and, by golly, we will.
As they say in New Orleans tomorrow, “Laissez les bon temps rouler!”
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