Just a Little Something to Let You Know I'm Still a Blogger

Making banana bread with Cuckoo this morning, he asked why we used the yucky bananas instead of the good bananas.  I answered, "Well, people will eat the good bananas.  No one will eat the bad ones.  By using the old ones, we are making something good out of something bad."

As soon as I said it, I knew I had hit on something profound.  It's quite the analogy for life, I think.

Making a good life is like making a good loaf of banana bread.  You need to use the yucky stuff to make something delicious.

Or something like that.

Next thought:

I took Turken to his soccer practice last night.  We were a couple of minutes late, as we were coming from Buttercup's game.  He ran ahead to his field, since my bum knee and I can't go as fast as he'd like us to.  When I finally got to the field, the coach was trying to get eight 6 and 7 year olds to do a soccer drill.  All while carrying a toddler.  He was sweating profusely, because it was 85 degrees and as humid as the rain forest AND he had just spent over an hour coaching his 4 year old's team immediately before our practice time.

The parents of these players were set up in their chairs on the sidelines, watching the coach struggle.

I was flabbergasted.  Why was no one helping this poor (volunteer) dad?

I marched (as best I could) right on up to the coach and asked if he needed help corralling.  His face showed his gratitude as he handed off his sweet little girl.  I didn't even know her name, but I took her and let him get on with the practice.  A little later, the coach's four year old came over and hung out with us, too.

I was pleased to see another parent get up and offer his assistance in corralling the team after I walked away.

Why?  Why don't people get up and help when they see volunteers who clearly need it?

I'm sure Clark will have an answer for me.  I'm guessing it has something to do with my (as he calls it) worldview.  But honestly, I get annoyed when people all over the internet and in person talk about the need for everyone to help his neighbor or "it takes a village" but then no one actually steps up to do anything when confronted with the prime opportunity to actually do something.  And something easy to boot.

Relatedly, if a coach (for the high school team) asks for volunteers to help with communication and spiritwear and food for the players before games, and you sit there twiddling your thumbs, DO NOT then offer me advice on how to do the communications job I ultimately agreed to do.

Unrelatedly, dear Blogger spell check, relatedly is to a word.  I looked it up, so you can stop with the squiggly line.

Next thought:

Cuckoo is going to be mighty disappointed come Saturday, which just happens to be his birthday.

He has asked for something he "can do".  When asked for clarification, he told me "like an iPod.  Or a Kindle Fire.  Or an iPad."

I told him it wasn't going to happen.

Then this morning, out of nowhere, Cuckoo and I had this conversation:

C:  I saw a wubble bubble on TV.  I want one for my birthday.
Me:  What is a wubble bubble?
C:  It looks like a bubble and floats like a bubble and you can catch it like a bubble, but it doesn't pop.  I want one.
M: Well, I still don't know what it is, and I have no idea where to find one.
C:  I don't know where to get it either.
M:
C:  Oh, I know!  Kroger has it!  Kroooogeeer...or Wal-Maaaart...or Meijer.
M:
C: Ask someone.  Don't ask (Bible study friend), because they won't know.  Ask (another friend).
M:  Ok.
C (handing me my phone):  Now. Text them.

All morning we've been doing this.  Every so often he comes up with another clue as to what a wubble bubble could be.  I also know that it is about "this big" and is green, but mostly normal bubble colored.

I'm at a loss.

Hopefully when he unwraps a gigantic jar of Nutella, he'll forget all about the wubble bubble.

Hopefully.

The more likely situation:  Four months from now, when we're driving to preschool, he'll yell from the backseat, "Hey!  I didn't get a wubble bubble for my birthday!"

And that is when I will say, "Well, when Nana asked what you wanted for your birthday, I told her you wanted a wubble bubble.  You'll have to ask her about it."

That, my friends, is how you make a yucky situation delicious.

Have a lovely day!