Appreciations

My girl has been bringing lunch boxes to school on the days she needs to stay back in school, since last year. SRJKC schools have extra classes for students in Std 5 and 6 three days a week and students in Std 4, 5 and 6 have activities day once a week.

So, I will normally have to make preparations on the night before, wake up at 5 am and cook rice or noodles with dishes for lunch to be in time for the kids to bring to school, as the school bus comes at 6.15am. Starting this year, my boy has to stay back in school every Wednesday for activities. So, he was very excited and kept asking me what was I going to prepare for his first lunch in school (this was in Feb, I think)

I have written previously about how different are my 2 kids. My girl begin the non-expressive person, have not much comments on the food I prepare except if she thinks it is too much and she cannot finish them. Even if it is yummy, she will only comment if I ask her how she likes the food.

But with my boy, he anticipated the first ‘lunch’ day and in the morning, he peered into the wok and after finding out what I prepared, he exclaimed in a very happy voice, “ hmmm…. Smells so nice, what if I cannot stand it, and eat all of it even before lunch!” This was for their favorite chicken curry dish I cooked with fried egg, veg and rice. And later, after school, he mentioned, “I even let my friend try, so that he will envy me….”

So, it is all these simple things that makes me feel all the warmth and makes it worth the while. I bask in glory, by simple gestures like this, and I feel so fulfilled , looking at their beaming faces, while appraising my cooking. (of course, there are some downsides, when some cooking are not to their liking - I encourage them to give constructive comments too , if they do not like certain cookings). Even my girl now, is more expressive, since the other day, she told me she enjoyed her lunch , even though she was just at the gate, after returning from school!

So, here’s to many more cooking mornings!