Life, Kids, Technology & that move to another continent
All day today I told A she is still not yet 11 since the time she was born was late in the day UK time. She would argue with me about it. Then midway through the day I said ok I accept you are 11. She said no, don’t. She wanted to continue to argue with me. So I said “so you want me to continue to say I do not accept you are yet 11? She said yes”
So yes I am still not ready for another tween, but she refuses to listen. The fact that she enjoyed the arguing is an interesting tell for the future.
Yes, you read that correctly: the main activity for my birthday was a trip to a grocery store called Omega Mart.
So while the title is technically true, it needs some context. For a milestone birthday (let’s leave the number out of this), we planned a long weekend in Las Vegas. Hopefully, I’ll write more about that trip later. Including M and myself, there were about eight of us. I had a pretty solid plan for the evenings—this is Vegas, after all. Plenty of speakeasies for good cocktails and amazing food. But I hadn’t put much thought into daytime activities for our few days there.
While running through ideas with a friend who’s been living in Vegas since college, he suggested Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart. I had no clue what it was, but the group was up for it. The group we had in total was eight people, though our numbers shifted throughout the weekend as some people arrived early and left early, while others came later and stayed longer. Initially, we planned to visit Omega Mart the day before my birthday with 6 of us that was there, but between scheduling issues and a downpour, we couldn’t make it. Thankfully, one of my friends managed to reschedule usfor the next day, which worked out well because two friends who were arriving that night could join us, too. That made it a full house.
On the day, I discovered that Omega Mart is… a supermarket disguised as an interactive art exhibit. Or maybe it’s an interactive art exhibit disguised as a supermarket? I’m still not sure. After spending hours there, I’m not entirely certain of much about Omega Mart.
Omega Mart is located in a warehouse-like complex called Area15. You enter the store as you would any regular grocery store. There are aisles stocked with products you can actually buy—each one weirder than the last. I wanted to take home half of them! (See photos for some truly bizarre examples.) After a few minutes of browsing the aisles, I was really enjoying myself, and then things got weird—in the best way possible. I noticed a hidden passageway through one of the freezer doors. A friend suggested waiting until everyone was ready before going in, but after a minute or two, my curiosity got the better of me, and I went in anyway.
What awaited us on the other side felt like stepping into another universe. I think that’s actually how they describe it. Almost on cue, a friend who we were waiting for outside in the freezer aisle wandered in from a different passageway, saying, “Oh, you found this place too!” Glad we didn’t wait for them!
We spent the next few hours exploring this alternate universe, with the occasional detour back to the grocery store. Everyone had a blast. What I didn’t realise at the time was that there were interactive storylines and mysteries woven throughout the place. One of my friends texted his teenage son about it, and his son immediately told us to check out the freezer. Apparently, he was already familiar with Omega Mart. Until two days prior, I had no idea this place even existed.
Honestly, describing the alternate universe we explored is hard to do justice here. I recommend checking out their website and reading some reviews. I’ll post a few photos, but it was visually captivating enough that I wouldn’t hesitate to return if I were in Vegas again.
When we’d seen enough, we exited Omega Mart and headed to a bar in the middle of Area15, right by Omega Mart’s entrance. I ordered an old-fashioned, smoked right in front of me, while a friend ordered some crazy drink that was lit on fire and bubbled up with a massive bubble before he drank it. Yes, we took several photos and videos—it was awesome.
We did other things too. Before Omega Mart, we had a fantastic dim sum lunch. Later that evening, we went for an amazing steak dinner. Living in London while most of my friends live around New York, I was genuinely touched that so many made the effort to come out and celebrate with me.
If you asked me to describe my perfect birthday, it probably wouldn’t have included a place like Omega Mart. And yet, I had a fantastic time. A solid reminder to always keep an open mind!
It’s A’s birthday tomorrow. She is turning 10. As she was getting ready for bed I said “I am not ready for a 10 year old” to A.
Her response was “you have 12 hours to get ready”. That is my girl. Brutal honest truth!
Earlier this week i decided i was not ready to be the dad of a 10 year old. My soon to be 10 year old told me that i couldn’t stop it. She was right.
Here i am with a 10 year old. Today is our first non kids party party. Instead of a party with lots of ids at a play place or at the house she is having a few friends goto the movies and dinner.
On one hand no big party to put on. Or M to put on. On the other hand I have a 10 year old.
The title of this story is because for years when talking to the girls about turning 10 i would joke that they would be on the “wrong side” of the number 10.
I keep saying it. It keeps happening. I wake up and the girls are so much bigger. They are still adorable little kids. I just now the days of saying that are slowing running out. I attempt to savor each day when they are so cuddly. Today A turns 8.
Due to situations beyond our control we stayed in for the day. M organized a take away Tea setup for lunch. As well as fancy bagels and cake for dinner. Hopefully we can have a semi normal party for A after the term break is over. Only government restrictions and COVID will tell.
I am still at times wrapping my head around being a dad at all and T has to go and turn 9. Time really does fly.
For her birthday all she wanted was to not go to after school and go out to eat at her favourite restaurant. Finishing off the evening with cake and a video with the cousins. I thought it was a pretty good birthday. All she really wanted was to not go to school. For the past few years she has been counting down birthdays until its on a weekend.
Today is my dads birthday. He would be 75 today. I am assuming this day will get easier over time, however it’s not today. I miss you dad. I will randomly think of you most days. I have to try not to cry.
I am grateful my kids think of you and talk about you. They know when they bring you up, that I will cry. They ask if I will and I of course say yes. I hope they remember you as much as they do now in a few years! They say they dream about you. That makes me smile and cry at the same time.
You are still loved and missed very much.
It really does feel not so long ago when I was holding a little 8 pound girl telling myself holy cow how am I a dad? I still say that myself sometimes. I’m not sure if that’s a cliché or not. There are many times when I stop think it is hard for me to grasp that I’m a dad. On that same thought however I guess I could go further and say I don’t know how I ended up with a wonderful wife and family. Maybe it’s being in denial that you’re supposed to be a role model for a little person that makes me go I don’t feel like a dad. Then of course there’s the times like the other day where I’m just sitting and watching T eat toast when she sick and having a conversation. Even while I was doing it I couldn’t help but smile and money that little girl up because she was so adorable.
That’s what makes this whole post so weird for me. It was only four years ago where I hope this little baby that I knew nothing about what to do with other than I wanted to holder and kiss her since she was mine. Now I have this smart and sassy little person who asks the funniest questions and remembers details from a year ago that I had to stop and think about before realizing she was right.
Four years ago this morning after a long night of not sleeping a little T came into the world. When she did she made my world that much brighter. Happy birthday T.
As of me writing this post in late August M and I were talking about planning out T’s birthday. Inevitably the conversation we talked birthdays leads to birthday cake. As we were talking about the cake M is planning we were reminiscing on Amelia’s second birthday cake.
M’s Facebook friends might recall that she made a fantastic fandant Paddington Bear themed cake. It was pretty damn awesome. People were commenting that they could not tell one was food and one was a stuffed animal. Needless to say she was very proud of her awesome cake design. That cake was the cake we had for her birthday party with the family around New Year’s. One of M’s brother and family were in town so we had her birthday party when they were around. It was the weekend after A’s birthday. I mentioned that because since all the ladies in my house my wife included love cake M decided to make a smaller cake specifically for Amelia on her actual birthday.
I am not 100% clear on the specifics around the cake making. If I recall I think M ran out of convection or sugar and gave it a go making frosting with regular sugar. It was either that or using regular sugar was an accident. In any event towards the end of the preparations it was clear that using regular sugar was a problem. M warned me about it however we both agreed we have a three and a two-year-old and its cake. They weren’t going to really care. As it turned out they didn’t. They ate that cake up or at least the one slice they got each.
We gave A the cake and had a little ceremony after dinner. Our babysitter was still around since it was early. I believe we want her not to have it. Both of us on the other hand tried it anyway. M had a small slice and I don’t recall if she finished it. I had a smallish, probably regular size slice and I finished it. It was crunchy and it shouldn’t of been. It was also superset.
Overall the cake was pretty bad. That’s why it’s sad for me to say I went to go get a second slice and M had to throw the cake out to prevent me from doing something we both knew I was probably going to regret. Yet another reason why I love my wife. She’s trying to look out for me.
It feels like it Teagan was just born so grasping that Amelia turned two today is challenging to me.
It was funny to see Teagan & Amelia help MC bake a cake for Amelia yesterday. I don’t know what was funnier. That Amelia picked the yellow cake batter over the chocolate cake batter or that Teagan continued to try to change her mind to chocolate. I was hoping Teagan would be successful because sometimes you wonder if a two year old really knows what she wants. Well in this instance Amelia did know, and was insistent on the fact that she wanted the yellow cake box.
All I can say Amelia is I hope the cake is yummy later. Happy birthday to my little smiley face!
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