Growing up too fast

After three straight days of cancelled day care from a freakish ice storm (no doubt caused exclusively by Jim having moved here to Austin, thus bringing the cold weather along), we finally ventured out of the house this evening to the grocery store. There, we met the entire population of North Austin. Fortunately, everyone was euphoric about being out of their homes and still a bit delirious from the cabin fever so people weren’t totally obnoxious when met with poorly stocked shelves (again: entire population of North Austin), wrapped-around-the-corner checkout lines, and leaks in the roof every few feet.

We all enjoyed our grocery store experience, especially when we walked through the baking supplies aisle and Zane nearly hyperventilated over the chocolate chip selection. So we stocked up and after dinner tonight, Zane and I whipped up a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. When I say, “whipped up” I mean that flour, sugar, gobs of cookie dough, and streams of vanilla extract ended up strewn throughout the kitchen. Zane was covered in sweet stickiness (and still periodically hyperventilating with excitement), clutching proudly to his body the spoon he used to stir the batter.

While the cookies were baking, Jim took Zane up to get ready for bed with the promise that he could come back down to eat some cookies (then of course he would have to brush teeth and go to sleep without any argument). When he got back downstairs and saw that the mounds of cookie dough we had placed on the cookie sheet had really, truly, turned into beautiful, perfectly golden brown chocolate chip filled cookies, he nearly passed out. When the timer went off and he was jumping up and down trying to see in into the oven.

When the cookies had cooled enough to eat, we all sat at the kitchen table with cookies and cups of milk. He ended up with the soft cookie in three equal pieces, one in his mouth, one in each hand. His hands and mouth were completely covered in melted chocolate, he couldn’t speak because his mouth was too full, and he kept gulping milk and licking his fingers in bliss.

While we were making the cookie dough, Jim expressed some doubt that the cookies would turn out okay, since it seemed that large portions of the ingredients had ended up on the floor or on Zane’s person. Fortunately, chocolate chip cookies are not an exact science and they turned out wonderful. Actually, I think this batch of chocolate chip cookies may have truly been the most perfect, most delicious, and most satisfying ever.