You know those moms that love to play with their kids and are genuinely delighted to spend their time doing kid things like playing Candyland and making macaroni artwork?  Well, I'm not one of them.  I love that my kids are old enough to entertain themselves, and I am happy to let them do it.

So, when a mom from the school invited me to come over today with Adam and Luke for a play date with her two boys, I agreed with some trepidation.  The idea of spending our first day of winter break watching the boys play games and chatting with this woman that I barely know was not especially appealing.  But I agreed, because I at least want other people to think I'm a Good Mom.

 When we arrived at the play date, they had Paul Blart: Mall Cop cued up on the DVD player for our viewing pleasure.  I got to spend the next 2 hours or so watching Kevin James at his finest while the woman of the house explained to me in heavily Russian-accented English why it was so funny ("See, he not drink lemonade.  It margaritas!  You know margaritas?").

After the movie, we sat down to a traditional Russian lunch.  My perfectly nice hostess was especially pleased to present the fish salad she'd made.  Oh yes - FISH SALAD.  She even told me how she made it - herring fried with onions, a layer of mayonnaise, mashed potatoes, another layer of mayonnaise, then boiled carrots and beets, topped with more mayonnaise.  It was every bit as good as it sounds.

After lunch, I was done.  D.O.N.E.  So, I thanked her politely for having us and we left.  Unfortunately, I needed to stop at the grocery store on the way home, so I went to Kaufland with Adam and Luke (this bad decision was really all my fault.  I should know better).

When I finally got home, after spending an hour at the store wrestling two boys while I burped up reminders of the fish salad, this is what greeted me in the kitchen:

You probably can't see it, but there are sticky rice kernels all over everything.  Pepper had made his own lunch.  The table was also covered with old juice and soggy cereal in bowls.

And, everyone here had spent the afternoon watching movies, so the living room wasn't any better:

So now I am headed to my bedroom with my book and a Coke Zero.  I'm planning to close the door and issue a warning:

Tread lightly.  

Mommy had to eat Fish Salad.