Last night we had Boulets liégeois
Updated: Feb 6
BB came over at 10am yesterday...after spending an hour trying to get a car unstuck from a snowbank as he was being dropped off, we finally got to hang out a little and get to know each other. First off....wow! He is 17 going on about 21. This kid is smart, kind, laid back, respectful, and incredibly gracious. We talked a lot about his first semester in the states and although I'm not going to post about that here, I am committed to enhancing his experience.
Can you learn a lot about yourself in one day? Yesterday was an awakening and I am so looking forward to the next few months. I'm not sure who will teach the other more, him or me.
We started getting to know each other by going to Best Buy. We chatted the whole way about his experiences over the last few months. My reaction? See above. We were going to Best Buy because I was getting him a PS5. Let's be real, I knew I was going to do this when I read his application and he said he loved gaming among a multitude of other things. Clearly I am here to treat him like family and provide for him like I would my own. I also wanted to create a space where he finally feels comfortable, where he is free to be who he is. He was surprised. And grateful.
Next stop was Byerly's because he asked if he could make a traditional Belgian meal. Um...yes, yes please. So we made his grandmother's recipe for Boulets liégois which is essentially a meatball with raisins, fruit syrup, shallots, and nutmeg among other things. It is served with fries which we cut corners for and went with frozen. Really yummy recipe, not difficult at all, not a lot of ingredients, and a fun dish to make. Highly recommend.
I got to experience my first parent pick up line this morning which was a hoot, I thought it was kind of funny to be in this long line of cars waiting to drop off the kids. BB thought it was "too boring" but I think he meant "too slow". lol He told me that it's fun for me because it's my first time but I'll soon lose my enthusiasm for it. Did I say yet that he is bright? And witty? He is.
Tonight I am cooking and I'm sure he will help. I am going to connect with my foodie coworkers and find a dairy free dish that I think he would like. If you have any to recommend send them my way in the comments! It's been a wonderful 24 hours.