Slice of Life: Day 17
My son, and husband, have been asking me to make chocolate chip cookies for awhile now and today I knew I would have time. I had a late start at school so I was able to go to the store and get a big bag of chocolate chips and vanilla. Two essentials for our cookie recipe. I took the butter out of the fridge and looked forward to returning home with my son and baking.
Luke loves helping to bake. He is my scooper and scraper. He plunged the measuring cup into the flour as a plume of flour poofed out. I hold the cup as he takes the kitchen knife to level off the flour. He loves this part as flour gets pushed with reckless abandonment onto the counter. Our back and forth continues. Scoop, level. Scoop, level. Olivia looks on with giggles enjoying being in on the action. We get to the end of the ingredient list. Baking soda. Baking soda. Where’s the baking soda? Then it hits me. It’s sitting on my counter at school! Ugh. It’s sitting on the counter waiting to make a final batch of slime! Curse you slime! 1 teaspoon. 1 teaspoon is all I need. So minor, it seems so insignificant, but so essential to baking these cookies!
“What’s wrong Mommy?”
“Nothing. We’re going to stop and finish after dinner. Good job helping, buddy!”
He jumps down and scampers off none the wiser. Quick. I send an emergency text to my neighbor in search of 1 measly teaspoon! She responds she’ll be right over. Hallelujah. Crisis averted. Now, getting my neighbor to come over in the cold when it’s still technically winter is no easy feat. She hibernates during the winter and doesn’t come out until spring. But for us, correction, for my son who she calls her first grandchild, she’d do anything including coming out of hibernation early to brave the cold for 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Once again, our beloved neighbors save the day! I thank her for the lifeline and curse the slime one last time.
I go back inside, “Barb brought us baking soda!”
To which he replies, “Yeah!”
I couldn’t be more grateful for that 1 teaspoon and neighbor and the cookies that can now be enjoyed tonight!
The Life of a Mom, Teacher and Wife 
My neighbor has saved the day more times than I can count. Neighbors are like that! I’m glad you have one.
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Little things can make such a difference!
I used to live across the street from my mother in law and she saved us so many times for forgotten ingredients!
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You title brought me in and I really enjoyed how your wrote this sweet memory.
You never tell how old your children are but we get an idea from how they “help!”
I love your line about the plume of flour poofing out, as your enthusiastic helper scoops.
You tell the story well- we understand how invested each person is in these cookies, and we understand why the baking soda is at school- been there 🙂 And your appreciation of your loving neighbor comes through as you explain how much it truly is to ask her to leave her cozy home. Very nicely done!
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Oh my goodness, your Slice brought back a memory for me of a similar scene, and it just filled my heart with joy to remember. We had run out of eggs, and I sent my children scampering across the snow-filled yard to borrow one from our neighbor.
I love your writing. It’s lines like this: “He plunged the measuring cup into the flour as a plume of flour poofed out.” Just beautiful word choice and strong images. There is a beauty to all your writing that I suspect is equal parts writing talent and how you see the world. I just love it.
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Perfect slice! My son is older now… all of 11, and while I’m wriing, he’s making oatmeal cookies all on his own. I remember the days of him “helping” me bake though. Time is crazy!
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i love how most of your posts let us zoom in to whatever familial situation you have going on. such cute family snapshots you seem to paint with a real knack for letting the feelings and details pop. thanks tina!
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Amazing how all production stopped for the lack of 1 measly teaspoon! Great slice about the importance of neighborliness!
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I loved baking with my children. So glad you are having these wonderful experiences with yours!
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This makes me smile, as I have been there all too many times recently … because of that dreaded SLIME! Thank goodness for neighbors and good friends who come to the rescue!
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Maybe I should start making friends with my new neighbors…
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I hope you shared the cookies w/ your neighbor! I loved baking w/ my sons. One teaspoon is such a poignant reminder of how important the smallest things are every day.
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Your title 1 Teaspoon caught my eye. Isn’t it funny how 1 teaspoon of something can throw us for a loop. I can picture your son leveling off the flour with abandon – so great that you let him in on the fun.
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