Another Rite of Passage

Today my little one graduated from Kindergarten - what a grueling year it's been - having to count bottle caps, stir up dirt pies, finger paint with whipped cream, sing silly songs, build bobsleds out of milk cartons, pick flowers, listen to fantastic books, count to 50 by 2s, learn to read.... my oh my... I can only imagine what they will make her do in first grade!  And the friends... she had to make friends, and learn how to be a team and even hold hands with her buddies as they skipped through the woods on new adventrues.  The expectations... what more can be asked of a 6 year old??  Oh - and here's the kicker: she has her first wiggly tooth!  I guess the teachers are expecting her to leave body parts behind as well...
I'm so proud of her - she even kept her polka dot dress down at lady-like length as she sang "We're startin' today, here we come, first grade first grade!" (sang to the tune of New York, New York).

No one ever told me how heart-breaking ....or inspiring it would be to watch my babies grow up...

Anyone for chopping, dicing, or shredding?

So it's my mom's birthday last week and we are out doing what birthday girls do - you know, things like schlepping around a department store trying out hip reading glasses, putting on silly winter hats that are on clearance and my all time favorite - bra shopping.  So you already know this day is going to rock!  With a start like that?  Can't go wrong.  Well, while my mom and I are giggling and making fun of each other, my dad is actually doing some worthwhile shopping.  When we are reunited at the cosmetics counter, my dad says, "Hey, I think I know what we should get for your birthday!  How about a new 7- cup Pro Food Processor??"  Oh, yeah - now we are giddy - this is gonna be great!!
So, with eyes all aglow, we purchase the heavily attachment induced appliance and head out the door with smiles all around - what could be better??!"
The moment we hit the front door, we are unpacking and inspecting, looking for fantastic new recipes and envisioning ourselves as the next Martha Stewart of Easy One Step Food Prep!  A-ha!  There is even a DVD!!!  Well, we must watch this - it surely is our ticket to an easy street life complete with no-hassle, one touch button operation, easy clean-up, and a happy family!
So now I have my recently purchased food processor out as well and we are ready for a chop-o-matic fiesta!  We watch the 7- Cup Pro Food Processor Chef carefully as he shows us the proper use of each attachment with all of its wonders.  Then we are quick to decide what we are going to make and who will do what.  A trip to the grocery market is in order, and then we are quickly back to work.  Here is the menu: basil pesto for the salmon and new potatoes we will prepare for supper, delicious, fresh salsa made with fresh ingredients, and for the piece de resistance: apple, pear, blueberry pie made with light as a feather, flaky pastry - that we will create on our very own with our 7 Cup Pro Food Processor!
The whirring begins.  There is slicing, shredding, chopping, dicing and julienning - it's a sharp item addict's dream!  Presto! The pesto is complete - now on to the salsa!  Yum - another item finished!
It seems there is a bit of confusion with the pie recipe - yes, we will refer to the DVD.  No problem - we are back on track.  OK, our pace has begun to slow, but we are not beaten.  We press on.  A little more distress with the pie - no matter, we are champions of chopping - we will persevere.  The phone rings - and I am now officially on break... for about an hour.
I return to the kitchen and this is what I find: my mom dusted with flour from head to toe, a mountain of several sliced fruits piled on the island, pastry dough that looks as though we made it out of play-dough lopped over a "pie" of epic proportions, and an array of attachments strewn from one end of the kitchen to the other.  And worst of all, my mother is on the brink of tears and politely asks me if she can just lie down for a moment.
As any good daughter would do, I graciously excuse my exhausted mother from the kitchen and begin my comedy routine - because as we all know - there's no crying in baseball and there's certainly no crying while making pies!  At the end of it all my mom and I are laughing so hard that we are crying - as we mock the
 "I Couldn't Get a Job as a Real Chef "actor with the stupid chef's hat on who can supposedly use just one finger to prepare a feast fit for gods!  The laughter continues as my rather subdued mother proclaims where she'd like to "stick that hat!"
As you can probably guess, the 7 Cup Pro Food Processors have been shoved far back into the depths of darkness in a cupboard where they can cause no consternation... until of course, we choose to amaze our friends and family once again with the one step wonder.

Silver Lining: I do love a good laugh served with sliced food! And the pie was a nice dessert diversion from our regular "have a piece of fruit for dessert" routine.

Pictures

Today I was sorting through some photos in my over-stuffed "My Pictures" file on my computer and came across a rather interesting picture.  The photo was taken during a special family celebration where many friends and loved ones are standing around and near to the food table eating and cheerfully conversing.  Happy smiles on everyone's faces and glasses of wine being precariously held on to while eating delicate bites of delicious food.  That's the scene.
However, upon closer inspection, I realize there is a small. chubby little hand reaching into a bowl of some exotic, delicious goodie - just a hand... what is this hand connected to you ask??  From under a fancy lace table cloth there seems to be a small child who is hiding his body carefully, but then reaching up and around with his arm to bring his treasures down carefully into his lair. He is very stealthy and obviously thinks he is invisible.
 Yes, this is my 3 year old son in the photo.
Here's the issue:  he has now grown into a respectable, bright and lively 3rd grader who occassionally suffers from the rare and impulsive form of DTDBNYB - otherwise known as Dumb Things Done By Nine Year-old Boys.  This past week has been one raught with serious flare-ups of the disease - and as most moms do at one time or another, I have been beating myself up over his antics with questions like, "What have I done wrong?  Have I not been a good role model?  Have I fed him too much corn syrup?  Does he think I can't see him and that he thinks he... is ....invisible... hmmm... or something?"  Ah-Hah! he must have the latent form of DTDBNYB - you know, the one that makes the "inflicted" have lapses of typical three year old behaviors.

Silver Lining: Medical breakthroughs such as the one mentioned above don't happen every day!!