The Sombrero

In honor of Cinco de Mayo here is the story of Mr. Man's priceless Sombrero.

Mr. Man came into our marriage over twenty years ago with a giant TV and a Sombrero.  This was his dowry of sorts.  The TV is long gone, but The Sombrero has been a constant.

The Sombrero was hung on the wall of our first home, much to my dismay, but Mr. Man loved having a place to display it.   When we moved, I scoured boxes behind liquor stores because we needed a box so The Sombrero wouldn't get crushed.   We moved The Sombrero to four different homes and always finding a box for The Sombrero was high on the priority list for each move.  The Sombrero required a big box and great care so as not to crush it.

The orgin story for The Sombrero has changed over the years.  Mr. Man isn't quite sure where it was acquired, but it must hold some secret forbidden memory because The Sombrero has been so lovingly preserved through many attic purges.    He thinks he got it in Mexico on a super fun trip.

Last year,  I stumbled across the Sombrero and decided to bring it out for Cinco de Mayo.  It was the first time in a long while that I had got a good look at The Sombrero.  

Wait a minute, does that say Chevys on it?   Are you kidding me?  This is a Sombrero from Chevys!  As in Chevys, the cheesy Mexican Chain restaurant that gives you a free Sombrero on your birthday.  

So for twenty years I have been hauling around a freaking free Sombrero from a chain restaurant!  I had never heard of Chevys until we moved back to LA.  The Sombrero is definitely not from Mexico.  

Fair Warning:  Next time we move (which is hopefully never) I'm tossing The Sombrero in the trash, no more special boxes!  We can get another one next time we go to dinner.

Five for Friday - May 20, 2016

1.  Current Mood: Limping Crawling to the finish line for school.  The next Ultimate Mega Super Summer adventure is on the horizon.  Follow us on our daily adventures on Instagram:  Qwendykay

2.  On Monday I joined people all across the nation to watch The Abolitionist Movie.  The people at Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) are doing amazing work to end Human Trafficking.   If it is being shown in a theater in your area, go and see it.   It's tasteful, well done, and will leave you inspired to join the cause.  It is worth your time, I promise.

 3.  You have to check out the Podcast The Memory Palace.   They are short podcasts about real life people and events.  Nate DiMeo is a storytelling genius and I love listening to them with my kids.  In particular we love Episode 46: After Party,  Episode 85: AKA Leo and Episode 16: Secret Kitty.   After Party in particular has inspired many thought provoking discussions.

4.  I'm still convinced that when everyone was at the hospital having their babies there was a seminar that told everyone how to be a parent.  I missed that meeting and constantly feel like I'm floundering and just guessing at what the right parental move is in situations.  One thing that I am doing right is intentionally raising my children with some stellar families.  For the past two years we have met every morning on a corner two blocks before school and we send our kids off to school together.  We are co-parenting and it has made a huge difference in my life.

5.  The other thing I'm doing right as a parent is taking my kids to this great little theater in Santa Monica.  The Morgan-Wixson Theater puts on fabulous plays for kids and we have attended most of them in the last few years. Currently playing:  Frog and Toad

The Beyonce Rule - Beyonce doesn't wear pants

Beyonce doesn't wear pants.  

She doesn't have to, because she is freaking Beyonce.

My daughter, who loves to dress herself, will often wear something that does not resemble an outfit.  For example: bikini bottoms on top of a leotard.  I often remind her that she is not Beyonce and unless you are Beyonce you have to wear pants.   

It's been a household rule that has come in quite handy and one that is used surprisingly often.   Boom!  Parenting win!    Until your daughter ask strangers, wearing very short shorts, if they are Beyonce, because they aren't wearing proper pants.  

A Hypothetical Story About 50 Shades of Grey

A disclaimer:  I will deny this in public and am sharing this hypothetical story that allegedly happened to a "friend" of mine.  

I love my Kindle and so does my family. My favorite is the access we have to several free books and since I have a house full of avid readers it saves my family boatloads of money.  One day Mr. Boy was nearing the last few chapters of a book on the Kindle and begged me to take the Kindle to school to finish reading it.   I relented, because I know what it's like to be in those last few chapters anxious to know how everything plays out.

A few hours into the school day, I.. uh, I mean my "friend"  had the most terrifying thought.  Mr. Boy would probably finish his book at school and then what?  What if he started browsing through the other books on my Kindle to find something else to read?  Oh NOOOOO... NO!  NO!! NO!   Which prompted the following call to call Amazon Customer Support.

My "Friend":   Uh, hello.  Let's just say, hypothetically, of course,  you needed to remove some books from a Kindle. Perhaps, as an example, the Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy. 

Amazon:  Sure, I can help you do that.  Can you power up your Kindle?  Then I can help you delete  books from your Kindle Library.

My "Friend":  Well... see... uh... here is the thing, the Kindle isn't here.  It's in my ten year old's classroom.

Amazon:  Oh, that is tough.  We will need the Kindle to delete the book. 

My "Friend":  Can't I sync it wireless-ly from my laptop?  Like if I stand on the sidewalk outside the school with my laptop, maybe it will sync?  Maybe I can stand upwind of my son's classroom, so the "sync" will blow downwind. 

Amazon:  Well, sure that it is a great idea, but unfortunately the Kindle doesn't work that way. 

My "Friend":  Do you understand that I just sent my 10 year old to school with 50 Shades of Grey?  I normally read Jane Austen, I swear I do.  But I just had to see what all the fuss was about.  Oh my goodness, what am I going to do? 

Amazon:  If I lived closer, I would happily go to the school to retrieve the Kindle on your behalf.  I would tell the office that the Kindle was being recalled for a fire danger.

My "Friend":  Ah yes.. that is an excellent idea.  I might have to use that excuse.   Thank you Amazon, for not judging me.

And that is the story of why we now have multiple Kindles in our house, one for the kids and one for the grown ups.