Photo of the Day: Four Things

My son is not a big sweet-eater. Every now and then he likes to have a lollipop as a treat, or maybe a cookie. But there is one kind of sweet that he'll practically turn himself inside-out for, and that's a York Peppermint Patty.

Today we were at the grocery store picking up a few supplies for a couple of baking projects, and I asked him if there was anything he'd like me to get: apples, meatballs, a particular kind of pasta. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Can we get some peppermint patties to keep in the fridge?"

I don't usually buy a lot of sweets and junk foods for the kids, but now and then I do like to get them a treat, so I decided this was a good opportunity to give in. We picked out a bag of middle-sized patties (not tiny bite-size ones, and not huge saucer-sized ones), and after carefully scanning them at the price checker, he placed them gently in the cart. After we checked out, he proudly carried the bag containing his precious peppermint patties out to the car.

So it was no surprise when, after we finished eating dinner, he immediately asked if he could have a peppermint patty for dessert. I sent him upstairs to get a couple out of the fridge. He came back carrying four candies in his hands, but before I could open my mouth to scold him that four was too many, he solemnly handed one to his dad, one to his sister, and tucked one next to my plate. He hadn't taken just one for himself. He'd taken four, so he could share.

Four Things.

Photo A Day, Day 22: Four Things

Since there are four people who live in my house on a regular basis, “four things” is a pretty easy subject. Actually, there are so many options to choose from that it becomes a difficult subject. Should I take a picture of our four dinner plates after we’ve finished eating? Should I take a photo of our four beverages at an average meal (interesting contrast of Daddy’s soda can, Mom’s coffee mug, Ryan’s plastic tumbler, and Katie’s sippy cup)? Should I line up one of each of our shoes? Should I eschew connecting to the four family members altogether and just pick four random objects that happen to be close together? I took advantage of a quiet moment and walked through the house waiting to see if any “four things” would catch my eye. And sure enough, they did: our four Easter baskets, lined up on top of the piano.

I love the uniqueness of each basket’s contents, and what those contents say about each owner. My daughter’s has a chocolate bunny in a bright pink box, stickers of princesses and fairies, and a cheerful bright red poppy growing kit. You can’t see it very well, but her basket is nearly devoid of jelly beans – not because she doesn’t like them, but because she has already snuck into her basket and shoveled piles of them into her mouth. My son’s basket has a cheery yellow package for his chocolate bunny, packs of Spiderman and rocket ship stickers, a sunflower growing kit, and the goopiest, gooiest chocolate egg the Easter Bunny could find. It also used to hold a Matchbox car which was immediately commandeered and has been tucked in some pocket or other ever since. My husband’s basket contains jelly beans, plenty of chocolate eggs, and an elegant, gold foil-wrapped chocolate rabbit. Mine contains a package of Peeps that will be opened prior to eating so as to attain the perfect state of staleness for the desired time of consumption. It also contained several K-cups which have already been consumed and enjoyed; likewise a goopy, gooey chocolate egg like my son's (I'm actually eating it while I'm writing this, so if you find any typos in this entry, it's all Mr. Cadbury's fault).

When I – ahem, I mean, the Easter Bunny – put those baskets together, there was some thought of adding nametags so the recipients would know whose was whose. But there can be no doubt as to who would delight in fairy stickers and who in rockets; who longs for high quality chocolate in gilt wrapping; and whose Easter would be made by a couple of cups of good coffee. The members of my family can easily be identified by those four things.