Bootblacks
I have just discovered another nice thing about having children. My two sons saw me dumping black polish on the scuffed grey toes of my black-booted feet (and dripping it liberally on the balcony floor, but that is besides the point). 3-year-old son was fascinated by my decrepit battery-operated spinning polisher thing, so I handed it over, and found a buffing brush to work on the boot legs while he did the toes. 7-year-old son relieved me of the brush, and I luxuriously sat back and read LJ while they industriously set to work all over my boots (and occasionally jeans). "Look Mommy, all shiny now!"
My own personal shoeshine boys! (And my oddly foreshortened legs. Oh well.)
Happy almost-Winter Solstice! Tomorrow for the solstice my kindergarten kids will make traditional tang yuan - soft, round little balls of glutinous rice flour dough, cooked dumpling-style in sweet soup - basically sugar water. Perhaps they'll also have fillings of very sweet black sesame paste. They are not my favorite Chinese treat - too sweet and gummy for my taste - but rolling the little balls will be fun.
My own personal shoeshine boys! (And my oddly foreshortened legs. Oh well.)
Happy almost-Winter Solstice! Tomorrow for the solstice my kindergarten kids will make traditional tang yuan - soft, round little balls of glutinous rice flour dough, cooked dumpling-style in sweet soup - basically sugar water. Perhaps they'll also have fillings of very sweet black sesame paste. They are not my favorite Chinese treat - too sweet and gummy for my taste - but rolling the little balls will be fun.