I Think She’s Going to Be Architect

Little Josephine’s first gingerbread house, and it’s a beaut. The lines, the proportions…a 3-dimensional music of icing and skittles. I couldn’t have been a prouder Pastry papa on Saturday morning. She of course was much more interested in Santa Claus. Or should I say she was fascinated. For of course it was the first time little Josephine was ever in the presence of The Man Himself, at least in full awareness of who he was, and the gift-giving firepower he brings to bear on the holiday. I was gratified that while she was cautious getting near, she wasn’t exactly afraid. In fact she warmed up very quickly, breaking the ice with a gently swaying, floor-gazing description of her big girl Dora the Explorer bed, especially and including that it had a monkey on it. He was jolly elfin putty in her hands. Tiny Joan, well, she did less well.

All in all however, the church we went to for the Santa meet-and-greet did a splendid job. There were doughnuts and muffins galore to eat, plus plenty of hot and cold drinks, and all kinds of crafty projects for the kids including pre-assembled gingerbread (really graham cracker, but who cares?) houses, gingerbread men and reindeer ornaments. And so well organized. The whole thing was one gigantic feel-good, to the point where it got almost entirely overstimulating (particularly for me). I finally took Little Josephine home when she began jumping up and down incessantly making blabba-labba noises. It was time. There was of course no nap that day, but I don’t think I’d have slept either if I were her. Having made the realization that the Man in Red is actually real and not just a guy in some cartoon, there’s list-making to do.