One of my favorite home videos was shot just before Thanksgiving in 1994, the year we moved into this house. I was excited, and probably a little nervous, to be hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. In the video, 2 year-old Emma is sitting at the kitchen table feeding herself yogurt from a big red bowl. I am sitting with her and while she eats, I am flipping through cooking magazines looking for inspiration for the Thanksgiving feast and running my ideas by Emma. Our conversation goes something like this:
Me: What shall we have for Thanksgiving dinner, Emma?
Emma: What shall we have for Thanksgiving, Mommy?
Me: Well, we should have a turkey.
Emma: Turkey, Mommy.
Me: And stuffing, of course. How about mashed potatoes? You like mashed potatoes, right, Emma?
Emma: I like potatoes, Mommy.
Me: Should we have a squash ring, Emma? Grandma gave me a recipe for a squash ring.
Emma: Yes, squash ring, Mommy.
Something about the way she says squash ring paints her face in a big yogurt-covered smile. And while she seems delighted at the prospect of having a squash ring for the meal, it is also evident that she has no idea what a squash ring is. I would love to see the picture she is tossing around in her mind at that moment. What does she imagine the magical squash ring to be?
At this point, the cameraman makes his presence known to us.
Peter: What are you guys doing?
Me: Emma and I are planning Thanksgiving dinner.
Peter: What are we going to have for Thanksgiving, Emma?
Emma: We’re having a squash ring, Daddy!
And there you have it – Thanksgiving 1994.
No comments:
Post a Comment