November 30, 2023
Today felt like a parenting win.
I don’t feel like I have many days like that. Trying to balance running a farm and being a mom, among other responsibilities, usually makes me feel like I am not really excelling at anything, but just trying to get through the days with everyone fed and in mostly clean clothes.
There is so much pressure on mothers. The pull between career and family. The feeling like we are never doing quite what we are supposed to be doing. All of the parenting books with all of the advice that ultimately just makes us feel mediocre. I had a conversation with a group of college friends several years back about balance in this stage of life. We range from full time career to part time working to stay at home mom and everything in between. Not one of us felt like we were doing the right thing.
On Monday, an email popped up in my inbox from my 6 year old’s teacher. She requested supplies for making gingerbread cookies as a fun activity to go along with a holiday book they are reading in Kindergarten this week. I looked at the sign up sheet. Icing. Sprinkles. Small candies. Large candies. 24 Gingerbread cookies.
I closed the email. “Someone else will sign up,” I thought. The candies and icing and sprinkles were already taken.
Last night, I checked the sign up sheet again. 24 Gingerbread cookies. The spot for a volunteer beside that was still blank. I was a teacher for 10 years, and I know how much is on teachers. I did not want the teacher to have to make cookies.
“Ok,” I thought to myself. “I can do that. I think I have the ingredients.” I signed up.
In the spring, summer, or fall, I might not have even opened the email. The kids usually get home from school and I am still in the field or washing veggies and I send them into the house to grab a snack on their own. I feel too tired to sit and read with them in the evenings, or I am distracted while reading with them because I feel like I need to get back to replying to emails or doing payroll or ordering supplies after they go to bed.
But today was different. I thought, “I’ll pick them up, we will run a few errands, and then go home and make those cookies.”
It was a beautiful day. After school, I picked them up and we decided to go to the WNC Nature Center to see the animals and burn off some energy. Then, we went to Fifth Season Gardening to pick up some farm supplies.
“Mom, let’s get a snack.” I say no 99% of the time. “They have those yummy Asheville pretzels.”
“Okay,” I said. We sat at the counter at Fifth Season (it also happened to be $3 draft day- yes, it is a farm/gardening store with a bar). I had a cider and they enjoyed some pretzels (“Mom- these are made in Black Mountain. Why are they called Asheville pretzels?”) We chatted about their day at school and enjoyed being amongst the plants and spending time together.
It was later than I expected when we left. Got to get home to make those cookies!
Then, I received a text. Our friend Alvin was vending at the Golden Hour on our way home, a monthly evening market put on by the Black Mountain Tailgate Market. “Come by if you are around town,” he said. So, we went. The boys visited with Alvin and other vendors and we came home with a beautiful wreath from Urban Farm Girl Flowers, bratwurst from Cove Creek Nursery Farm, a dried bouquet from Walkertown Farm, a Black Mountain Tailgate Market shirt, and some elderberry tonic from @Brew Naturals. It was a lovely market and fun to get to shop and see the many amazing offerings since I am usually busy working at the market with these vendors on Saturdays.
By this time, it is dark and past dinnertime. I still hadn’t made those cookies.
We get home, and thankfully I have some leftovers to warm up for dinner. We eat and I start to read the Gingerbread cookie recipe.
“Butter should be at room temperature.”
“Refrigerate dough for AT LEAST four hours before rolling out dough.”
Definitely not going to have time for either of those things. Time to improvise.
I cut up the sticks of butter and put them in the oven at low heat to soften. Gavin, my six year old, helped me measure the ingredients, and then the dough went in the freezer. Seemed like a reasonable shortcut…
Showers, reading, clean up kitchen…
The dough had been in the freezer for about 45 minutes, but I decided to proceed with rolling the dough despite the recipe author’s advice. Gavin helped me cut out the gingerbread cookies and put them on the cookie sheet.
We made 24 and had some extras. They smelled heavenly in the oven and looked so cute on the cookie sheets as they came out of the oven.
So, 9:30 pm. Kids are in bed later than usual, but we have 29 gingerbread cookies (we had 30 but one had to be sampled!). One child did not bathe. Both brushed their teeth. But, it was a fun afternoon. I didn’t get my office work done this evening, but I tucked two happy children into bed.
I’ll call that a win. At least for today.
