Puttin' On the Ritz
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
I had a sweet reminder the other day courtesy of my eight year old daughter Riley, and her need to have one-on-one time with mom.
I had just come off of two days of working long hours. Though most of my job is during my children’s school hours, I do teach a few night classes that keep me on campus until well past their bedtime. So after two days of only seeing Riley in the morning before school, she had quite a surprise for me.
After her three older siblings left for school, it was just Riley and me for one hour as her bus comes a little later than the older kids’ bus. I had just asked that she get herself dressed and think about what she wanted for breakfast. Breakfast for Riley usually involves cereal and toast with a glass of ice water while watching an episode of Phineas and Ferb in the family room. I sit with her sipping my coffee, or working on the laptop. But it’s mainly her and the two inventive fellow on the TV who share breakfast together.
But on this special morning, as I walked downstairs, I was met with a smiling Riley who said, “Mom, I have a surprise for you. Come on!”
I followed my fully dressed-and-ready-for-school daughter into the kitchen to discover that she had set the table for two, for a special, one-on-one breakfast at the kitchen table. No TV. No Phineas. No Ferb. No one but she and I and a quiet kitchen where we could talk and catch up on our lives.
The table was set with placemats. On my placemat was a bowl of Special K with strawberries, my favorite cereal, and a fancy glass filled with apple juice. Her place mate was set with a bowl of shredded mini wheats, her favorite cereal, and a fancy glass with milk inside. Each place setting had a hand written name tag so I was sure to know where to sit. And on the side of each bowl of cereal was a small stack of three Ritz crackers.
I had never thought of Ritz crackers as breakfast fare, but I am sure in Riley’s mind, it was just a little, fancy touch to add to the sweet atmosphere. Like dressing up the morning by putting on the Ritz.
We sat together, enjoyed our cereal and Ritz crackers, our fancy drinks, and Riley shared with me about her life. What was going on at school, who she played with at recess, and what she was studying in math class.
Our shared meal only lasted about twenty minutes before she had to leave to catch the bus at the end of our lane, but it will be a memory I will hold on to forever.
It was a wonderful reminder of how important my time is to my children, and how I need to slow down and spend time with them no matter what is on my to-do list today.
And next time, I’ll remember to put in the Ritz.
Posted by Trish Berg 6:00 AM
