I'll Pass on the Cookies

One afternoon, Noah came pleading to his mom to bake some cookies. Cookies? Really? I have quite the reputation for cooking or baking( and it is not a good one at that) but the expression on Noah's face could not be denied. There was a period in my life when the food I prepared turned out to be edible. Over the years...I cannot explain what has happened to my patience for at least trying to cook. I could share one disaster after another, like the infamous 7 Up Salad that became the 7 Day Liquid in the fridge. Oh just maybe I could conjure up some cookie magic. We gathered the ingredients. I promised to follow the recipe exactly ( many times I try to modify or I minus an ingredient and make do without.)The cookies looked splendid on the cookie sheet! Success ! Yes success I thought. It wasn't long until the oven timer started beeping. The aroma in the kitchen gave us every indication that the cookies would be delicious. Naturally, we waited for the cookies to cool before diving in for a tasty treat. I took the spatula to lift them from the cookie sheet to the plate. What the heck happened? I was utterly shocked at the outcome. Though the top appeared to be perfect, the underside was burnt a charcoal black and they were rock hard. Noah could see the disappointment in my eyes and so he said, "I'll still eat them." He nearly broke a tooth. I do not know if Noah used them for frisbees or gave them to Da Vinci. I do know that I did not let Rick see them. He loves to share stories of my kind of gourmet cooking and I have given him plenty of material to work with...

Then at the party for Noah's animals, we decided again to make cookies. They didn't taste bad, but they sure did not look appealing. I have been going through some boxes and old photos. I came across a photo of Da Vinci and an accident he had had on the rug. "Big dogs make big poops was the caption!!" (I have a real issue with the potty training of a Great Dane...but that is another story.) As I glanced over the photo, something seemed awfully familiar. Playing catch up on the old blog put the mystery together. My cookies resembled Da Vinci's POOP!!! See for yourself. I was and am thoroughly disgusted. It would be a long time before I would try baking again and I thank my lucky stars I wasn't feeling generous in sharing with my neighbors.

What I learned from Noah: Noah has some wonderful ideas...baking cookies with his mom is not one of them.

What I learned from Da Vinci: Oh Poop!

Big Bad Wolf

I put this little book together with the help of Shutterfly. Noah's mom had a ball posing G.I. Joe and trying to get Da Vinci, the Big Bad Wolf to co-operate. This book is most likely in Noah's bedroom closet in the likely event that he would like to read it. I am not retyping it here.

What I learned from Noah: He loves my stories and especially the ones from my childhood with my brothers and sister.

Reprimand

My personality is animated, dramatic, and sometimes loud. I have seen mothers speak ever so softly with their children, even in matters of discipline. I envy those mothers that can calmly correct their child's behavior. Often, I try not to let the behavior bother me. Then, when I cannot tolerate the behavior any longer, I say loudly, "NOAH DAYNE GROENDYKE!!!" Noah knows he is in trouble when all three of his names are used.

Noah loves his dog, Da Vinci. He enjoys playing with his dog that weighs more than Noah. Once in a while Da Vinci will do something to upset Noah. This was the case the other day. I am not sure what Da Vinci had done because I was in the other room, but Noah was mad. Noah said sternly and rather loudly, "DA VINCI DAYNE GROENDYKE, YOU STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!!!"I couldn't help but laugh at what he had picked up from me. Gee whiz, I better be careful about how I use Noah's name so that he does not become a curse word.

What I learned from Noah:  He not only hears and repeats the words of his parents, but is a master at mimicking the tone and the volume. I need to be a better example.