Happy mother's day to all the moms. The part with the bee was an idea from Boris Yeltsin.
"Don't forget to invite your moms or female guardians to the Mother's day picnic tomorrow." The teacher told all the kids as the bell rang signaling the end of the day.
"What's Mother's day?" Min Jun asked once they were in Didi's van and on the way to Tommy's house for the afternoon.
"It's a day when you make your mommy feel special and get her a present." Tommy explained.
"And you might want to hurry and get a present cause mother's day is after the picnic." Kimi added.
When they got to Tommy's house they all had a snack and then went outside to enjoy the nice weather. They played tag until one by one they all got picked up by their parents.
"Eomma can you come to my school picinc tomorrow?" Min Jun asked once he got home to find his mom making dinner.
"I'm sorry I can't. I have to work but I'm off this weekend." Mi Sun answered going back to preparing dinner.
Min Jun had a feeling he should've asked sooner, but he forgot and now it was to late, but this gave him an idea for the perfect present.
"Where's your mom?' Tommy asked once the picnic had started and all the moms sat with their kids on blankets in the grass.
"She's working, but I know what to give her for a mother's day present." Min Jun answered excitedly. Tommy didn't get to repsond becasue Min Jun had company.
"Hey do you want to go home early or can I join you?" Mun Hee asked tapping Min Jun on the shoulder.
"You can join us." Min Jun pointed to the blanket he shared with Tommy and Didi."They said moms or girl family members can come, but tomorrow I need your help with something."
"What do you need help with?" Mun Hee asked sitting down.
"I'll tell you when we get home." Min Jun replied handing Mun Hee a sandwich. They left after they finished lunch and headed to the store.
"So what's the plan for tomorrow?" Mun Hee asked once they had retrned to the house.
"Well you know how tired eomma and imo are after work?" Min Jun asked. Mun Hee nodded."We can let them sleep in and then have a picnic since eomma couldn't go to mine."
"That's a good idea." Mun Hee agreed.
"You gotta help make the food." Min Jun instructed.
"I'll try." Mun Hee replied as they put away all the food Min Jun had wanted for the picnic.
The next morning Mun Hee arrived early to watch the kids while Jin went to work and Mi Sun slept in.
"Why are you cleaning?" Ji Yeon asked watching Min Jun clean up all the toys around her.
"Because it's mother's day and I need to make the house look good so eomma doesn't have to clean when she wakes up." Min Jun explained grabbing the toy phone Ji Yeon was holding making her scream."And you gotta be quiet so she can sleep a long time."
Technically Mother's day was Sunday, but Kimi had said it was after the picnic, so Min Jun got the days confused but Mun Hee didn't want to say anything as she watched him clean the living room.
"Maybe you should leave a few toys out." Mun Hee said handing the toy phone back to her youngest cousin.
"Fine but don't get anymore out." Min Jun told his little sister. He then picked up the remote and turned on the tv."Watch tv if you get bored."
"Wait." Ji Yeon called as Min Jun was about to go into the kitchen. He turned around and waited for her to speak."I want to help to."
"How can you help? You're just a baby." Min Jun stated.
Ji Yeon thought for a second then remembered the laundry basket full of dirty clothes from this week. Her mom had worked everyday this week and hadn't had time to do the laundry.
"We can wash the clothes." Ji Yeon suggested crawling into the hallway that lead into the laundry room, which was just across from the kitchen. Min Jun agreed and threw everything into the washer.
"How much soap do i add?" Min Jun asked his sister from on top of the dryer.
"One of those little squishy things that mommy won't play with." Ji yeon pointed to the container of soap pods. on the high shelf.
Min Jun had a hard time opening the container, but once he did he grabbed one out, not noticing the three that had fallen into the washer already.
"These are squishy." Min Jun giggled sqeezing the soap pod gently so the soap wouldn't come out and dropping it in.
He hopped off the dryer and went into the kitchen while Ji Yeon went back into the living room.
"Something smells like it's burning." Min Jun commented wrinkling his nose.
"That would be the bread." Mun Hee said taking a tray of black bread out of the oven.
"I hope I can cook better then you someday." Min Jun sighed.
"Me too." Mun Hee laughed throwing the bread in the trash can.
"You didn't mess up the pasta did you?" Min Jun asked.
"No. It's not even in the water yet." Mun Hee answered.
"Well you might want to hurry cause the water is boiling." Min Jun pointed out.
Mun Hee turned around and sure enough the water was boiling away, so much so that some spilled over onto the burner.
"Why can't we just have sandwiches?" Mun Hee groaned throwing the penne in the pot.
"Because everybody likes pasta better." Min Jun retorted."Now we gotta make dessert."
Min Jun went to the pantry and retrieved the box of brownie mix he had picked out at the store.
"Read to me what we need." Min Jun ordered shoving the box in Mun Hee's face.
"Start being asking nicely and maybe I will." Mun Hee said shoving the box away."I have to go check on your sister."
MIn Jun looked at the box and noticed there was a picture of eggs. He went to the fridge and grabed two eggs just like the box showed. He set the eggs on the counter and waited. His coucin soon appeared with his sister on her hip.
"I got the eggs. What else do we need?" Min Jun asked.
Mun Hee set Ji Yeon on the counter and picked up the box."We need water and oil." Mun Hee went over to the sink and measured out the water,then grabbed a did the same with the oil in a smaller measuring cup.
"I want to pour it in." Min Jun cried. Mun Hee handed him the water first. He poured it in the large clear bowl that was sitting in front of him. Next he added the oil.
"I'll crack the eggs so we don't get shell in the brownies." Mun Hee reached for an egg. The other one rolled off the counter and onto the floor.
"Ooh you made a mess." Min Jun teased as Mun Hee cracked the egg into the bowl.
"Looks like I did. Can you please clean it up since I'm doing all the work?" Min Jun grabbed a towel from the stove handle and cleaned up the egg. He then went and grabbed another egg and handed it to his cousin.
"Now we just have to mix it up." Mun Hee said as she poured the chocolate powder mix into the bowl.
"I can do it." Min Jun declared grabbing the wooden spoon and begining to stir really fast making a mess on the counter.
"If you spill all the badder we won't have any brownies." Mun Hee told him. Min Jun stopped stiring and looked down at the mess he had made. He grabbed the bowl and held it under the powdery mess while Mun Hee scooped it back into the bowl.
"I have a better idea." Mun Hee said reaching under the counter they were standing at and producing a hand mixer with two beaters on it. Once it was plugged in she started it, but it was tow fast and the badder splattered everywhere.
"You were right." Min Jun cried licking the chocolate off his hand."That was a better idea. Now we can eat the badder and brownies."
"We gotta get this cleaned up before your mom wakes up." Mun Hee said going over to the pantry and pulling another box of brownie mix out. She quickly threw the ingrediants together an dput the brownies in the oven while Min Jun started to clean up the mess. Mun Hee took off Ji Yeon's chocolate covered clothes and put her in the sink. She let her play in the water while she helped Min Jun clean.
"What happened in here and in the laundry room?" Mi Sun asked walking into the kitchen to find Ji Yeon playing in the sink and Mun Hee and Min Jun cleaning up.
"We had a little accident with the mixer." Mun Hee confessed.
"I was trying to fix you a mother's day picinic and help with laundry since you missed the one at school and don't feel like cleaning, but Mun Hee keeps ruining everything." Min Jun stated glaring at his older cousin. He then ran into the laundry room but stopped in the doorway at the sight of the room filling with bubbles.
"That was nice of you. Next time leave the laundry to me" Mi Sun said going over and giving Min Jun a hug. They left the soapy mess for later and headed back into the kitchen. Mi Sun went over to the sink and washed the chocolate off Ji Yeon's face and took her out to get dressed.
"Keep cleaning and then we can have the picnic." Mun Hee and Min Jun did as they were told.
"Uh oh." Mun Hee said as she looked over at the stove to see the water and sauce boiling over onto the stove top. She grabbed the spider that was used to strain pasta from the pot. "We got a problem."
"What happened now?" Min Jun groaned.
"The pasta is over done and stuck together." Mun Hee told him.
"At least we still got the brownies." Min Jun said trying to slavage at least something good from this disasterous day."Next time we're making Korean food. It might be easier."
"And fruit salad." Mun Hee clarified taking the brownies out of the oven. She had made the fruit salad in advance so Min Jun wouldn't bug her about helping cut up the strawberries, kiwi, and watermelon.
"Are you guys ready?" Mi Sun asked coming back in with Ji Yeon, who was now dressed in a pair of light blue shorts and a white Minnie Mouse shirt.
"Yeah but it won't be a very good picnic cause all we got is brownies and fruit salad." Min Jun said sadly.
"We can have sandwiches and then I'll show you two how to make pasta for dinner." Mi Sun said just as the door bell rang.
"I'll make the sandwiches." Mun Hee offered while Mi sun went to answer the door.
Min Jun went outside and spread a blue blanket out on the ground half in the shade and half out so nobody would get to hot. Mun Hee brought out the food and set it on the blanket. Min Jun ran back inside for his mom and aunt. He lead them outside and presented them with the picnic.
"You make good sandwiches." Min Jun commented as he ate the last of his peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich.
"See. i'm not completely useless in the kitchen." Mun Hee smiled.
'You make good brownies too." Min Jun commented as he finished off his dessert. They were nice and soft, just like a brownie should be.
As they were finishing up their picnic a bee landed on a peice of watermelon that Ji Yeon had been eating.
"There's a bee." Min Jun shouted throwing his lemonaide at the bee to make it go away. The bee flew away but now Ji Yeon was covered in lemonaide. Mi Sun took Ji Yeon to get cleaned up for the second time that day.
"What do you want to do now?" Min Jun asked his mom once they came back outside.
"I don't know. Why don't you pick something." Mi Sun answered.
"Cause it's mother's day and my friends said you gotta treat your mom special." Min Jun explained. They had only lived in America for a year so everyone was still getting used to the holidays.
"I know what I want to do but you might not like it." Mi Sun said.
"We can do anything you want." Min Jun assured her.
"Boys can't go in here." Min Jun complained when they arrived at a nail salon.
"Yes they can." Mi Sun assured him as they walked in."You said we could do anything I wanted."
She was right he had said that. He just hoped none of his friends saw him in this place. They all sat down in chairs and soaked their feet in warm water. Once they had soaked long enough some ladies came over and began making their feet all soft and then added polish to their nails. Min Jun sighed and relaxed into the chair. He could get used to this. He looked over at Ji Yeon, who was sitting in Mun Hee's lap having her nails painted light pink, Even she looked like she was enjoying herself. Once they were sone at the salon they went home to start on dinner.
"How did you learn to make this?" Miju asked watching her sister make a white cream sauce.
"I watch an Italian cooking show on my days off since Min Jun likes it so much." Mi Sun explained.
"Ok add the cheese." Mi Sun instructed Min Jun once the cream and butter had begun to simmer. Min Jun did as he was told and added the Italian blend of five cheeses. He helped stir the sauce until it was thick.
"Here you can be the pasta tester and see if it's done cooking." Mi sun said handing Min Jun a tube shaped pasta that hse had gotten out of the boiling water and blown on.
Min Jun stuck the cooled off pasta in his mouth and chewed. He smiled and gave his mom a thumbs up. She then poured the sauce over the pasta and everybody sat down to eat dinner.
For dessert they had the rest of the mushy brownies from earlier. Nobody minded that they were under baked, cause everybody knows that mushy brownies are the best.