Another baking story…a few years ago, my friend Mandy heard me say that I had never baked cupcakes. Never! My grandmother was famous for cakes, but never cupcakes. My mother is an incredible cook, but never went in for baking. My dad bakes, but not cupcakes. Cupcakes and me, our paths just didn’t cross that often. That year, for my birthday, Mandy sent me a full cupcake kit–pans, recipes, tiny frosting spatulas, paper liners, sprinkles. I was delighted!
I decided to try it out with my stepdaughter, who had just turned seven. We started baking a batch of vanilla sprinkle cupcakes one Sunday night for her to share at school the next day. As we battered and splattered, I said, “I’m really enjoying making cupcakes with you. I never did this with my mom.” She said, “Really? Why not?”
I thought about it (and my new responsibilities as a parent) and answered, “Well, my mom worked and had three kids to take care of, so she really didn’t have time to make cupcakes.” Then I worried that that made it sound like having a career takes all the fun out of life. So I added, “There are all kinds of choices that women can make about what to do in life. Some moms work and some moms stay home with kids. Some moms do both. Some moms are cupcake kind of moms and some aren’t. The important thing to remember is that you can do whatever you want to do with your life!” Well, that was a mouthful.
She paused in mid-frosting and said, “My mom’s going to cure malaria.”
I laughed and said, “And when she does, you and I will make cupcakes to celebrate!”
.Being a stay-at-home mom does not guarantee cupcake making. My daughter told me once that instead of memories of the smell of cookies baking when she came home from school, she remembered the smell of Kutsit. Actually acetone, it was the liquid of choice for my friend and me to refinish furniture. My daughter actually thought it was ‘neat.’ She’s the one who had me teach her how to cane a chair. Apple—-> tree thing or is that tree—>apple..
Hahahaha! We were talking about scent memories once and I confessed that my favorite is Marlboro cigarettes with some cow manure because that was my dad when I was little!
I never baked cupcakes until this Easter and haven’t since, but maybe I’ll break out the cupcake pan soon!
Speaking of scent memories, my grandfather smelled of Copenhagen and Ben Gay. For many years after he died there was can of Copenhagen in my Mom’s freezer and all I had to do was take a whiff to be right back sitting on the arm of his chair while he spun tales or read to me.
I’m that way about tobacco smoke…that’s my Pop.
I’m that way about cigars. My Grandaddy smoked cigars and so now even though I don’t smoke, I have been known to puff on a cigar to take me back to days spent with him.
And just because your house smells yummy, it does not mean those goodies are for you! From time to time, I bake cookies for KAIROS prison ministries. I remember my kids complaining one day after school, as they breathed in the sugary-chocolaty scent and looked at the bags and bags of chocolate chip cookies lined up on the table, “Didn’t you make any for us?!” I felt so bad. I had been so focused on reaching my quota, I forgot about my kids. Oops. And they still bring it up. “Hey, is that (cake, pie, etc.) for somebody else or are we going to be ‘allowed’ to have some?” Hopefully, my passion for service to others will pass along with the sarcasm you read in that last sentence. LOL!
My kids just TAKE what they want!
Oh, Sally, that has happened here, too. Now I just make an extra of whatever so the kids don’t feel neglected and unloved. 🙂
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