For us, Easter is the spring holiday. For my kids, it is a time for egg hunts and sugary treats. This morning, it was raining out, so I hid some eggs in the pens for Bow. Inside the plastic shells were Reeses chocolate eggs filled with peanut butter.
The corridor of the pens where I "hid" the eggs looked like this after Bow was done with it:
In the afternoon, Bow got another Easter related treat: soft gelatin candies on a plastic stick, looking a little like a kebob skewer. I probably should have removed the outer wrapper for Bow, but he was in such a hurry, and he seemed to enjoy figuring out how best to remove the candy from the non-edible accoutrements.
Outside, some special flowers were blooming just in time for Easter.
Yesterday was the second day of spring. Before it started snowing, and we all became enchanted by the winter wonderland that could be seen through the windows, Bow was enjoying his afternoon snack, another item from the gift basket.
This time it was pecans, coated in cream and sugar. The package described the ingredients like this: pecans, sugar, butter, cream, milk, salt. Something about the process of coating them with cream and sugar made the pecans much harder than normal. Bow took his own sweet time eating and enjoying every morsel, but as the time went on, he progressively slowed down, and I began to feel that he would have trouble eating it all.
It had not seemed like such a big serving for a snack, but when you take into account the extra calories in the sugar and cream, it was a much heavier snack than I usually give Bow at that time of day. It was three o'clock and all that was called for was a light snack.
I took this opportunity to ask Bow if I could try the pecans, too. "Can I have one, Bow?"
Normally. Bow does not share. But he was not very hungry, so he agreed. He would not place the pecan into my palm, but he did generously lift the bowl to allow me to select one. I took one and thanked him. Then he observed very closely as I ate it.
We each had a pecan in our mouth, and Bow was enjoying the shared sensation.
After that, Bow took another pecan and ate it, but he was hesitant about continuing. When I asked if I could have another one, he did not answer. But he left the whole bowl to me, and went to sit up on the ledge.
I took another pecan, but saved the rest for his dessert at supper time. Sharing does come naturally sometimes, but it's easier to do on a full belly. This is true for society at large, too. People who have more than enough find it easier to be generous. It's only natural.
The weather has been very strange lately. We went from snow to spring flowers in a single day, the day that Sword set off for grandma's house.
Then we had so much rain, that the ditches got flooded.
But when Sword came back yesterday afternoon, bearing gifts from grandma, there was a lull between storms and the birds were rejoicing.
Soon after that short moment of glory, it started raining again.
But for that one moment nature was at peace.
My mother sent along with Sword her famous poppy seed cookies. Bow and I had some with breakfast this morning.
The cookies are made with lots of butter and a small amount of sugar, so they are not particularly sweet. But they are my favorite cookies!
This is my mother's own recipe, but the closest thing available commercially would be shortbread.
Bow was very dainty in his sampling of the cookies.
The reason it's so dark in the video is that we just started Daylight Savings Time. I don't see that it saves anything, especially in a town where everything closes at five. But there's nothing like your favorite cookies to help cheer you up when you have to get up and eat breakfast in the dark.
Bow doesn't get ice cream every day, but when he does, it means a celebration. Today, we are celebrating the defeat of HB284 in the Missouri legislature. But the ice cream wouldn't taste as sweet if not served in a magic goblet.
We are celebrating that we get to stay together.
Bow savors his ice cream slowly. No ice cream headache for him!
Today was stressful, as Missouri HB284 was being heard in committee and our fate could depend on the outcome. But it was also just another day. It was warmer than it has been in quite a while, so Bow went outside and enjoyed the weather.
And for lunch Bow had the assorted nuts from the gift basket his uncle sent him for his birthday.
There is nothing as relaxing as a bowl of assorted nuts if you are stressed!
Bow is becoming quite the gourmet. He has a delicate palate and samples foods that I have barely even heard of, much less eaten.
Yesterday, when it was time to pick an item from the gift basket, it was the petits fours that jumped out at us.
I did not know exactly what they were, but the bottom of the box said petits fours.
Bow was quite eager to sample them, but he had good manners, and he ate with great delicacy, savoring every bite. Not knowing exactly what he was eating, I was very curious and tried to get a look at the inside of the petit four after he had taken a bite. Bow was quite accommodating, willing for me to look. However, he did not offer me a bite. When he was done, he willing relinquished the box.
I think Bow may have a career ahead of him as a food critic. People from all around the globe can send him luxury foods to sample, in return for his unbiased, but expert opinion.
