Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Pies Cooling On The Windowsill

Thankful day. Spent it entirely at home with the little one, cozy because it was in the mid-'50s outside and cloudy (brrrr for San Diego!) except for a brief foray to the park (alas, the tricycle really is embarrassingly too small now--what kind of mother am I that I haven't gotten my sporty child a bike?) She played circus with a freckle-faced redhead (referred to as "Red" by parent, gender indeterminate) while I chilled my buns on a bench reading Ibsen and Shaw (don't I sound erudite? Searching for monologues.)

At home, we undertook some edible projects. She found a candy-making caper in her Things to Do on a Rainy Day book, and I humored her by buying peppermint extract and "glace" (known by Jarrah as "glossum") cherries and dipping a whole lot of things in melted chocolate. I also came very close to plunging the whole marzipan project into the sink when I couldn't get the "ball" off my @#$%&* hands and started to panic. But all was well and the resulting treats did look suspiciously like the photos in the big, shiny book.

I also made my Famous Fudge Recipe, culled from the archives of a cherished aunt on the, erm, internet, and some Thai Cucumber Salad because, well, because it travels well? And so does fudge? And neither has to be reheated, which makes my mom freak out when she's dealing with turkey? Strictly speaking, I don't have to bring anything, because my mom makes enough to feed us all for a week, but I decided to wanted to contribute something this year. Everyone likes fudge (don't they?) and while they probably didn't have Thai Cucumber Salad at the first Thanksgiving, they might have wished they did, as a palate cleanser for all that maize. I am already craving my mom's apple stuffing and--especially, as it comes but once a year--the pearl onions baked in crumbs and cream. And did I mention the desserts?

Today I am thankful for a cozy home, and especially thankful that my girl is almost six. Truly, she is a joy these days, happy and funny and whip-quick and--amazingly--compassionate towards the world at large. She is even developing a bit of a flair for conversation. These sorts of observations might sound like standard Mommy Blog boilerplate, but the fact is, if there's anything I've learned in the past year, it's that I was right about not being a baby person. While I find them cute from a distance, I don't do well all day with someone whose face is perpetually wet and can only communicate by pointing and grunting. Or--argh--crying. But recently, I actually find her--wow!--fun. Fun, Readers! It's a revelation to me, and one I'm extremely grateful for.

(A funny aside. As I'm writing this, her dad, who's been gone all day, is attempting to get her to brush her teeth while she sobs and screams "I'm just having a really bad day!"

Yeah. A really bad day when she got to lick about a dozen spatulas.)

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! I am grateful for YOU, too!

9 comments:

Myrnie said...

Haha- how can those kids be so fun to be around, and SO AMAZINGLY GOOD at throwing tantrums?? Happy Thanksgiving, and I think that fudge is a perfect contribution to any meal :)

LunaMoonbeam said...

Hahahaha...I. GET. THIS. Yesterday, I sat in the car with a sleeping Siu Jeun while Daddy and Ming Wai went into a store. It took 45 minutes, and I could see them the whole time. She had insisted on wearing last year's Christmas dress, and she was adorable. BUT. I noticed....that seeing her through a glass, without hearing the constant stream of requests, demands and agonized whinings...made her much MORE adorable. ;-)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Stephanie said...

Ahhh, like mother, like daughter.

Laural Out Loud said...

I would LOVE to have Thai Cucumber Salad at Thanksgiving. It does sound refreshing. And fudge is always a winner in my book. What I'm dying to try, though, is your mom's pearl onions!

DrSpouse said...

I love this age, too. It remains to be seen whether I love babies...

Sweddy said...

It sounds like a lovely day. I love kids at that age, too. They are really interesting.

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear the good news about 6 year olds... now I just need to wait 3 more years for one and 5 1/2 more years for the other! The little guy isn't even at the pointing and grunting stage yet, just has the wet face. ;) Lix

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad she got to lick not just "the spatula" but multiple ones!!

xoxox,
Tee

Mrs. Chapman's 2nd Grade Class said...

I wish I was licking spatulas! Mmmm! Well, as long as they had some sort of yummy goodness on them.