Chicken Feet and Sweet BBQ Buns

I had to do it. I had to get the fried chicken feet at dim sum today. I mean, why go to Chinatown if you're not going to try something you've never had before. I can say the flavor of the fried stuff was ok, but the bones a little too crunchy for me.

I'll try anything once. Maybe only once, but once without question.

Zachary and Heidi both tried them, too. Neither felt they needed to have a second.

It's odd- Zachary won't eat anything most of the time. He's incredibly picky, and tends to gag if forced to take that one bite of broccoli that is certain to cause his death. But put a frog leg in front of him or chicken feet? Yum! He'll dig right in.

Somethings, I don't need to understand.



To do Dim Sum properly, you have to have about ten people around the table so you can keep getting dish after dish. I have to be honest- it's been over twenty years since I've been to Chinatown for proper dim sum. One of the best dishes today was a lightly battered tempura shrimp- head on and all, the salty crispness was beyond good.

Of course, the kids pulled the heads off and poked at the eyeballs with their chopsticks. They also declared them delicious.

The best treat, of course, was the sweet bbq pork buns. By the time that cart made it over to us, there would be only a couple left. We looked sad every time she passed and had none to offer. Finally, she felt sorry for us and brought out a couple dishes straight from the kitchen, not stopping along the way.

My poor sister kept asking me what the waitresses were saying, and I kept telling her I had no idea. It was like a poor game of telephone- she couldn't hear me, I couldn't understand them, and it was vital to know if there was shrimp in anything as my sister is allergic. Pork? she ask. Pork? I'd ask. Pork, the waitress would point to some but not all. Shrimp? Yes. Then point to some of the same.

Pork, no shrimp, please... And Jake would yell out, More shrimp wontons!! Making the bad communication even worse as the waitress would eye me like, what the hell do you want lady? Either learn Chinese or point already!

The oddest thing? A doughy wrapped hot dog- clearly an attempt to make nice with young kids in the place. It seemed... too out of place to be even remotely appetizing. Yes, of course the kids got it, and none was left at the end of the meal.

Would you order a hot dog in Beijing? Really?

Mostly? It's great to have my boys home. I've missed my full house. Today we have our three plus two extras, which feels almost perfect. We could use one or two more for the full effect. For the first time in a while, I feel my feet solidly under me.

I know it's borrowed time. I know something will shift, change, as the only constant in the last couple years has been change.

I know.

Unlike having carts upon carts of choices pushed by, what will come will come whether I am a nervous wreck or mellow. I'm not great at it, and still need a ton of work doing it, but I am starting, slowly, to be able to simply sit with it all.

I didn't like the chicken feet. But I do like feeling calm. That's the real treat for today.