How mothers talk to children

Mom-babble. Four lively youngsters were jockying for space at the next table in the coffee shop, and of course, the smallest one lost. Here's what I overheard from Mom: "Tears do not mean happy. . ." "You need to clean up this mess. . ." "One of you made your brother upset, one of you needs to say you're sorry." Hello! Sometimes kids do this to get mom's attention, it works, and she talks them to death. Believe it or not, we took classes to learn to talky talky to children in the 1970s. I probably flunked, but lectured like my Mom did. If we weren't nice, she explained, and explained. Sometimes it made you wish for a spanking. Now everyone knows how to mom babble. Even dads.

Breakfast cookies

At the coffee shop today I met the woman who makes the "breakfast cookies" that are sold there. She told me they had butter, sugar, flour, eggs, raisin bran--and lots of raisins. Then she sat down to work on her Bible study work book. Sounds like a good combination for heart and soul! Probably pretty much the same as this recipe. Or this one, a little richer, with nuts and coconut.