Ashley, Napoleon and Me

On Monday Ashley and I had a chance to spend some time alone together. Her school was closed for Veterans Day but Caitlin’s preschool doesn’t follow the Seattle Public Schools schedule and only closes if the UW is closed. We dropped Caitlin off a little early, giving Ashley and Caitlin a few minutes to play together in her classroom. Then before we left we visited for a few minutes with Ashley’s preschool teachers from last year. She loves Teacher Michael and Teacher Laura and whenever we have time she pops in to see them for a few minutes.

Our next stop was to pick up a water bottle for Ashley for school. She has been asking for a small one to fit into her lunch bag and was keen to find one today. Once we’d successfully examined all the water bottles on display, and found one that was both small and easy for Ashley to open, we headed for the bakery. I’d originally just planned for Ashley to receive a free cookie that the bakery gives to children. Then I spotted the Napoleon in the bakery display case.

When I was a child, having four siblings close in age, there wasn’t a lot of time spent alone with either of our parents. What I do remember were the days when I was home sick from school. My Mum would complete her housework and then pop to the local shop for her few groceries and some pastries. Back at home she would make herself a cup of coffee (café au lait) and we would share a pastry. Sometimes it was a Napoleon (though in Ireland we call them cream slices). Sometimes it was an éclair or a fruit slice. I loved the smell of the coffee in the bright, freshly cleaned and tidied kitchen on those mornings. We ate our pastry and enjoyed being together in a house quiet with the absence of my brothers and sister.

It isn’t often that I get to spend a full morning alone with Ashley. As we spent those few hours together I was conscious of how she is at an age now where she will start to acquire those memories which will endure and stay with her all her life. As we drank our cups of decaf Earl Gray tea (her favorite) and shared the Napoleon I thought about how our morning had been a very simple one. It reminded me that as parents we really don’t have to engage in spectacular activities to create special memories with our children. Sometimes it can be as simple as just being alone together over a cup of tea and a pastry.