Birthday Muffins

I had almost succeeded in doing no cooking during my entire birthday weekend. As you know, I work very hard at not cooking. Never more so than on my birthday weekend. But then the Adolescent did something really sweet and I was compelled to bake for him. It was so odd to be baking for him without the usual motivation of needing to bake back our love. I hope the muffins turn out okay. Carrot Zucchini and Apple Muffins. When they're ready I let him know that he, and the friends who are over to "study", can indulge. He decides that he likes the muffins so much that he doesn't want to share them, that he wants them all for himself. What a lovely (selfish) boy!

The added LOVE makes these muffins very tender

The Adolescent seems to struggle every year on my birthday about what to give me for a gift. He hates to part with his money. This is fine with me because the best gift is something that he creates from his heart. However I know that even thinking this last sentence is enough to send an adolescent boy (or any male for that matter) running far far away while screaming. But deep deep down I know that he's a good son and wants to please his mother. Last year he wrote me a poem. I don't remember it all by heart but I do remember one line which was something about me losing at euchre and hoping that I wouldn't become a hooker (because, he told me at the time, euchre and hooker rhyme).

The Adolescent giving me my birthday present

Anyway, this year he shoves a crumpled piece of paper at me. He says "Here" (is a letter I wrote for you to express my inner sensitivity that I know will make your mother's heart sing). The words in parentheses in the previous sentence are what I'm CERTAIN are the words he was feeling but could not express directly. He doesn't want to read it to me but I force him to. He talks about that I think he's changed, that I think he's "some young hoodlum" but that he's actually the same person as before, just with a more "muscular outside". Then the clincher, near the end, is when the words "love", "cherish", AND "relationship" appear all in one sentence. He ends the letter by reminding me that it's his brain's fault.

Move aside, I have to preheat the oven.