We didn't start the fire...

We just caused a lot of smoke. And neighbors thought there was a fire. In all honesty, there was a small one, under a pan. Since I have a captive audience, I will start at the beginning.

Before I left on my lovely vacation to Florida, I began this new project called "cooking with kids." It's not really called that officially, but one could dub it that. It entails cooking...with kids. One day I went to visit my friend, and her daughter started whining (she's a whiner) because she was hungry. So I volunteered to cook pancakes with her, thinking that her mom would appreciate a break and some prepared food (also, she's fed me a countless number of times). I take the girl to my house, and, as can be expected by this point, attract a crowd. I make the crowd wait outside, while me and the lucky chosen child wash our hands ("why do I have to wash my hands?" "Because I don't want to eat your germs." "Okay.") and begin to pour, measure, mix, flip and syrup lots of pancakes. Luckily, there were enough to go around (there usually is). Also luckily, maybe, I develop a waiting list of children who want to cook with me next. Oh boy.

So anywho, a few evenings ago, one of my muchachos and his 2 younger brothers convinced me to let them cook something called johnny cakes (more or less) in my house. It was their turn (they'd waited a long time) and his grandparents told me he was an expert. Of course. What 10 year old boy is not an expert at frying things, right? Even though I'm exhausted, what's a little exhaustion amongst friends and small children. Definitely not more exhaustion. We buy the ingredients- flour, eggs, oil, and salt, in case you want to make these. The boy shows me how to mix the ingredients (after we all washed our hands, of course), and then it was time to form small balls of the dough and then flatten them out, and then fry them. An interesting side note, while this was going on, my cat had run out and I was trying to find him (I don't like him outside when it's dark...). Also there were about 15 children vying to also enter my house (I kept them at bay with glares and coloring books outside).

Not to drag the story on...but, why not? It's not like I update all the time. Maybe you all are hankering for a long, drawn out story. Drag I will. Amidst batting off children, chasing after Denny (the cat), and not-so-gently reminding the youngest brother that it's not good to rub the unfried dough on my very dirty table and then eat it, I somehow did not notice some smoke accumulating. Here is the life cycle of smoke: First, pan and smoke (we'll call this the female) meet flame (male). Flame decides to get feisty, maybe a little too hot. And so lots of smoke is born. Since I was running around doing all of this, I didn't really realize until my neighbors screamed at me (not angrily, more like in alarm) "Alicia! I think your house is on fire!" that I realized that smoke was POURING out my windows and doors.

oops.

I turned off the stove, gave the remaining uncooked dough to the kid to cook in HIS house, if he wanted, kicked everyone out, brought in the cat, and closed the windows and doors from embarrassment.

By the way, if your house is filled with smoke, the healthy option is probably not closing all of the windows and doors.

But I did, and I'm typing, so I think all of my mental faculties are still in place. Mostly.

As far as the rest of life...I've been running around trying to buy books for the school with grant money that I got (we already got some desperately needed desks and chairs). Simply put, customer service is not a strength of Dominican book sellers. I can see why patience is a virtue. You can imagine that, at times, I'm not feeling virtuous. Just to give you a little taste of how the book-finding process is going. Also, it's a little frustrating, trying to equip a school of 400 with books, as that would cost many thousands of dollars, and, gosh, that's a lot of money that I don't have. Each story book, on sale, costs at least 10 american dollars! Good golly Miss Molly! It's a good thing anything is better than nothing. But it's a bad thing that I hate settling.

Finally, school starts next week. Oh boy! It'll be hard for me to say goodbye to my summer of...running around like a freshly killed chicken (that would be with it's head cut off, some would say). Actually, come to think of it, maybe it won't be that difficult. It seems that my life is filling up with going here and there and running and sitting and waiting and breathing and other bodily functions.

Oh and babies. I forgot to mention the babies (surprise, papi!) Just kidding. But seriously, folks, about 3 of my women friends have just or are days away from giving birth! I'm surrounded by babies! They're really cute, especially because I don't have to take care of them, and they usually smile at me when I smile really big (well, maybe. They're so little, I'm not sure they have control over whether they smile or not...).

And that will be all for today. I hope you all are healthy and well and full of energy. The force be with you.

-alicia