Meat, glorious meat

December 14, 2007 by Barbara.

If you’re a dietitian, nutritionist or even particularly particular about what your kids eat, you should skip this post. It’ll be for the best, really.

Grandma Joyce decided to treat us to a big breakfast on our last Friday in Wheatley, or at least she said that she was going to. While I was getting the potatoes and onions ready for frying, Grandma Joyce told me that she’d forgotten to defrost the sausages. “We’d be fine with potatoes and eggs, won’t we?” she asked. “That would be fine if I liked eggs,” I replied. It’s tough being the youngest of 6 and the one who lives far away, I don’t even expect her to remember my preferences. On the other hand, it’s good being the baby of the family because Grandma Joyce defrosted the sausages in the microwave and cooked them for breakfast. I asked Reid how many sausages she wanted to eat and before she decided, Aunt Karin asked if Reid wanted 5. Reid *loves* sausages and decided that 5 would be just the right number. I tried to dissuade her but to no avail. Reid was a quiet and well-behaved sausage eater and soon had her 5 links polished off. Thank goodness for the half- pear and banana she had eaten while the food cooked.

After breakfast, Reid and I played doctor for a while. When I was the patient, Reid ignored the symptoms I was telling her about and treated the ones that she told me I have. I was thinking about switching doctors when Reid said we could switch. Reid’s first complaint as a patient was a bum that “hu’ut”. Doctor Mama kisses things that hurt and was thinking there’ll come a day when Reid might invite me to kiss her bum in an entirely different tone. After a while, Reid had to be the doctor again and one of the stuffed animals was ill. Reid carried it to the toddler bed in our room and got it settled against the pillow, with the blanket tucked right up to it’s chin.

Reid and I went to Leamington to pick up a couple of things and have lunch with Aunt Karin since we hadn’t seen much of her. (I told her that she shouldn’t go back to work but she kept going on about eating and paying bills and that sort of trivial thing.) Grandma Joyce had to stay home and sew a Christmas present for Reid. I’d bought the fabric but knew the sewing part was beyond me. (Yes, I cleared it with her first.) Reid was almost asleep when I drove up the mall parking lot entrance and I kept driving, thinking how a rested kid is a happier one in a restaurant. 100 metres later, though, Reid roused herself and started quizzing me about what was around us and why. We drove out onto the dock and looked at the rough waters of Lake Erie and I looked at the Pelee Island ferry. Reid wouldn’t look at the ferry for some reason. I told Reid that I used to drive on the dock when I was a kid but I don’t think she was impressed. I didn’t even try to explain cruising the loop from McDonald’s to the dock and back again as a teenager. What gas we wasted!

We ate lunch at the Gingerbread House restaurant. I think Reid might have been expecting a little more Hansel and Gretel in the decorations and there was some gingerbread trim at the original location but that was a long time ago. Then again, Reid may have no idea who Hansel and Gretel are. The evil stepmother isn’t a character who makes it into many, any?, of the stories to which Reid listens. The restaurant had a few bar chairs or, as Reid called them, “tall like Daddy chairs” right near the cash register. She had her heart set on sitting on one and I hate sitting where my feet dangle and these chairs were close to the door and so were doubly-unattractive due to the cold. We compromised and Reid perched on a tall chair while we waited for Aunt Karin. To Reid’s delight, the restaurant also had hotdogs on the menu and that was what she ordered. Because she hadn’t had enough processed meat bits yet.

Reid fell asleep while I was driving to Grandma Joyce’s. I took the long way, driving by  Uncle Harold’s farm, the farm where I grew up, and a friend’s house from my teenage years (though I wasn’t planning on it, just driving at that point).

Grandma Joyce had been busy getting the veggie and pickle trays ready for supper and had even set a small bowl of olives aside for Reid. What a lovely afternoon snack! For the record, I am not now, nor was I ever, an olive fan. I can’t be blamed for eating olives while pregnant or nursing. I take responsibility only for the curry addiction.

We had a good turnout for the “Christmas” supper considering that it was on a Friday and there had been a family event just the Friday before. Everyone played nicely together for the most part but Reid did end up with a complete set of Dylan’s teethmarks on her leg. Sari was pretty upset since she had brought him but I explained that Reid has been bitten by a few other kids at daycare - or maybe it was always the same kid since we aren’t told the name of the biter - and so Reid wasn’t too perturbed. ;+) Seriously, though, it worries me a bit that Reid isn’t concerned when other kids bonk her or bite her. Since the bullying spell, I’m a bit comforted by the fact that when she was concerned, I was able to tell. As for Dylan, Reid was ready to play with him as soon as he came back from time out.

After supper, Santa Elizabeth passed Christmas presents out to Grandma Joyce, Brock, Damien, Dylan and Zachary. Each person also got a kiss from Santa Elizabeth. Reid never asked for a present for herself as she went about the business of being Santa but Aunt Karin had a present for Reid that she was happy to open. Aunt Karin had bought some Christmas ornaments of Dora, Diego and Boots. She thought we didn’t have a Christmas tree and wanted Reid to at least hang some on Grandma Joyce’s tree. I was wounded ;+) No, that’s not right, I was glad that Reid has someone looking out for her fun interest. For the record, I am not that Grinchy. We have a 2 foot tall tree that Reid is satisfied.

Post backdated to when it was written.

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