Sunday Night before Finals

   It has been a couple of trying weeks since I last wrote.  Beloved Child does not like Winter term and has been in survival mode of late.   "Not fair." and "So tired" have been her litany, and then something turned around and she has been happier.  Was it the special light we bought for her room (full spectrum bulbs)?  Was it seeing vacation creeping closer?   Perhaps it was the positive comments from teachers?  It doesn't really matter why things improved, just that they did and we all can rejoice.

    Last night Beloved Child offered to make dinner. Her Spain trip introduced her to tapas and she received a tapas cookbook for Christmas, so last night, stuffed mushrooms!   She was so proud and excited to offer us something she actually used a recipe to make. (For those of you who are wondering why it has taken her so long, keep wondering!)   3/4 cup of butter, 4 cloves of garlic, a small amount of sherry and 12 regular/largish but not huge mushroom caps and bread crumbs.   Subtly garlicky it was not!!  She made pasta as a second course and sliced strawberries for the dessert. Over and over she asked "Is it okay?  Do you like it?  Aren't they great?"  I am still smiling.  I forget that she can still be as enthusiastic as a little girl sometimes and I love this aspect of her.

   Tonight she is studying, recording a song for French class and not panicking, even though finals are this week.   I think we will all survive.   There is nothing nicer than a happy baby, even when the happy one is 18.   Halleluia.

P.S.  She asked me to read another essay and I redeemed myself after my last horrible comments. So happy she gave me another chance.   Some days life is really good.

Valentine's Eve 2013

   At this moment, on Valentine's Eve, I can definitely say that Beloved Child has no idea that tomorrow is Valentine's Day. She is doing her Stats homework and still has English, Spanish French and science to finish.  Tomorrow she will jet off to school, in the usually chaotic sprint to have everything in her bag and ready to go.  She will have had her toast and juice and put on her makeup (new ritual of late) and said "See ya, Love ya" as her keys rattle in her hand.     Later in the day she will tell me, "I meant to make a card, but I forgot (or, I was busy)".   And you know what?  It is really okay.

    I love Valentine's Day.  One of the reasons that I love it is that I feel no need to be on the receiving end of cards.  If I get a card, I am happy, but I consider this, oddly enough, to be one of the great pressure-free holidays of the year. Hallmark and the flower industry do not seduce me.  The diamond sellers and chocolate makers cannot guilt me into buying their wares. (Okay, maybe the chocolate makers get my cash!)  I send cards because I actually enjoy making Valentines and writing letters.
    Last week I wrote my holiday (read: Christmas etc.) cards and put in the note that since Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year are both this week I consider my cards to still be "of the season".   I mailed them off happily, knowing that the recipients probably will not be getting a ton of mail this week so a card for whatever the occasion will be welcomed.

   Tomorrow morning, Beloved Child WILL know that it is Valentine's Day because there will be strawberries and a can of spray whipped cream* at her place at the breakfast table.  I will make her a construction paper heart and maybe cut her toast with heart cookie cutters.   I hope she will think it is silly and cute.   Next year she will be at college and I can send a care package, and that will be fun too.

     Yep, I like Valentine's Day.   If I get "See ya, Love ya" as she runs out the door, I'll be happy.

* Spray whipped cream is her idea of a big treat.