What do 4 boys + 3 sticks of butter + 1 bag of chocolate chips + 1 makeshift ping Pong table equal? Neighborhood bonding with the kids of Hillside of course! So it may seem odd to make cookies with a bunch of boys but let me explain how this came to be!Gabi and I work on homework after school. He's the kind of kid that when you ask "How was school?" his answer is almost always "Bad." But lately he has been writing how to papers and eating and making the things he writes about. Finally he is having at least one good thing to tell me about!!!! I thought we would do our own how to by following a recipe and documenting the steps with pictures. We were just about to start when 3 other boys came over to hang out with who ever was at home. We have made our kitchen table into a ping pong table and let me tell you, ping pong is way to get kids to want to come over! Well, that and food!
I told the boys they were just in time to make cookies, and what do you know they actually wanted to make them with us. Baking with one kid is fun, baking with 4 boys well, it's really fun!!!!! They measured out everything themselves and the cookies actually were pretty good! While the cookies were baking Ben came home and took the boys outside to play soccer. I figured after the cookies were done they would eat one and then go home. Not so!
They decided they wanted to stay for dinner so Zach took them home to ask their parents. Wednesday night is sometimes experiemental food night because we normally don't have guests. Margareta was making a African groundnut peanut sauce with rice and fresh kale. These foods don't exactly scream kid friendly. But what do you know, they loved it. Marvin was a big apprehensive to put the brown sauce on his rice but after I convinced him to just try it, he loved it and came back for seconds! I couldn't believe it. These kids had wonderful table manners!
Last night was really fun. Our doorbell just kept on ringing. In addition to the kids, our friend Adam, and Shilan, Amin, and Mohammad from next door came over. It was such a fun night, but I'll admit but at 9:00 when the ping pong tourney started, I went to my room. I was officially ping-ponged out!
I tried to take pictures of each step, but it was really hard and some don't look so great. I should have put my camera on the green box!!!!
How fun!! We can't wait to move there this fall :D We'll definitely continue the tradition of experimental foods night ;) & Hopefully of having lots of guests, too!! I hope you're doing well and loving the experiences you're having :) We enjoy reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks! We are really have a grand ole time here! I'm so glad you are keeping up with us on the blog!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful blog. I have enjoyed watching you grow spiritually and in your understanding of the complexity of structural injustice. Most importantly, however, you are demonstrating a key understanding to merging our faith with a desire for justice - relationships... Keep loving the unloved, the discarded, the children whose God-give potential is still untapped.
ReplyDeleteHey, some of these blog entries would be great articles for the Alterna newsletter!