Mashed Potatoes for Christmas

By Andrea Rennick

Every year my children seem to get me interesting presents, but the year my daughter Sarah was five, was one of the more memorable ones.

A month or so before Christmas, I was cooking supper as usual, and furiously taking out the day’s frustrations on the potatoes in the pot. Well, the potato masher broke. I quickly grabbed a substitute from the cutlery drawer: an old whisk.

Sure, it was the wrong tool for the job, but oddly enough it worked with the same up and down motion as the masher had. It just took a little longer. Every other night from then until the holiday season, I would mash my potatoes with the whisk, muttering how someone (hopefully my husband) should break down and get me a new potato masher.

Christmas morning dawned early, if not bright, especially with young children in the house up before the crack of dawn. The excitement of the children was almost contagious, especially after a cup of warm caffeinated goodness. Sarah was especially excited, and very anxious for me to open the present she purchased just for me.

The kids all gathered around, waiting to see the look on my face. Sarah was literally jumping up and down while I carefully removed the wrapping. "See Mommy?" she said, just as I revealed the contents, "I got you a new potato masher, just like you wanted!"

I glanced at my lap. There, shiny and new, was a whisk.

I looked at my daughter and smiled the biggest smile ever. "Thank you Sarah," I said with a hug. "It’s just what I wanted!"

Eventually, I did pick myself up a new potato masher, but every so often, just for old time’s sake, I mash my potatoes with that whisk.

Andrea Rennick is a homeschooling mom of four children, ranging in age from 2 to 15. A sense of humour is a big part of dealing with the ins and outs of her day. She can also be found at her website, www.atypicalife.net. Reach her at andrea@atypicalife.net