From the Mouths of Babes

by Alana Lennie

Less we adults become a bit too sanquine about our ability to know what is best, it’s important that we stop and listen to the younger set, and be ready to take a tip or two from them.

A very dear friend of mine recently celebrated yet another birthday. My friend is the proud grandmother of five beautiful young grandchildren. Shortly before the family birthday party, her 6-year-old granddaughter was in a bookstore with her dad. Suddenly, she announced in a very confident tone of voice that she knew exactly what she wanted to get Grandma for her birthday. When her father asked her, “What?” she took him by the hand and led him to the cookbook section. Now, my friend is an excellent cook and this fact is both known and appreciated by everyone in the family, even the youngest grandchildren. This little sweetheart showed her father a book with the rather impish title of Hello, Cupcake! Grinning irresistibly from the cover are three adorable puppy dogs. No child could resist this book. She insisted this would be the perfect gift. And, you know what? She was right. My friend brought it to a luncheon a few days later and shared it with all of us. She already had stickies to mark the page where the recipe was for the cupcakes she was going to make that week-end with two of the granddaughters.

That little six-year-old mind knew exactly how to celebrate with her grandma. She combined something her grandma liked to do with someone her grandma liked to be with, and Presto! Instant celebration.

I’m sure there are many baking dates in the future for this grandma and her lucky grandchildren. Sticky fingers and bright smiles will be emblems of happy celebrations creating marvelous memories that will last forever.

The book: Hello, Cupcake

By: Karen Tack and Alan Richardson
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin