Couscous and Tantrums

The other night I made a delicious meal! I say that because I was getting tired of the hum-drum of baked chicken. I wanted to "spice" things up and make something different. Never mind that this meal did not get finished until almost 7pm, it just ensured that everyone was EXTREMELY hungry and ate very well.


At a bridal shower of mine, my mother asked everyone to come prepared with a favorite recipe to share with me. A good friend of the family brought a recipe from her stack. Her husband had grown up in Morocco as a missionary child. But she had also developed a love for authentic Mediterranean and Asian food growing up. Her recipe was entitled: Lebanese Chicken. I remember thinking, "Wow, I don't think that I will ever make this, I don't even quite know where Lebanon is, I think it is a small town south of Columbus but I am not sure." Anyhow, I have carried it with me these past 8 years always skipping past it in my recipe box.

About a year ago I found it again and thought that I would try it. It called for couscous. I didn't have any so I purchased some and made sure that I had all the ingredients that I needed and decided to prepare it for the family. The chicken was a hit, sweet and tender and the "best chicken I have ever tasted Mommy," the couscous was a flop, "What is this? It is dry and yucky." The girls said something similar, that was Duane's response!

Have you ever tried couscous? It generally picks up the flavor of whatever it is near, quite like rice but just a different color (yellow) and a different texture (small and round.) Duane made it very clear that he didn't want it ever again! Jena and Paige tried it and basically said the same thing. I, on the other hand, fell in love with it. Maybe it was the craving or the desire to "try, try, again" with the family but I made the couscous again.



Everyone turned up their noses but Annie. She loved it and begged for more and then begged for some more. Honestly I was getting a bit stingy with her because I wanted to keep most of the couscous for myself. But secretly I was excited that at least someone in the family liked it, even if she doesn't have any words and will eat almost anything in front of her! Although the photo is a bit blurry you can see the bits of couscous on her hands and face. Pure delight!



Several nights later as I was preparing another delicious meal for the family. Ha Ha! Another secret sandwich recipe...Wednesday youth group night... Annie was busy singing near me as I prepared the food. She knows several songs but her favorite one right now is one she has made up all on her own. The words aren't that hard to learn so I will try my best to convey the essence: "Mama...mama...mama..." It is the most beautiful song I have ever heard and will treasure it always. She adds different keys and dance moves each time but the meaning conveys her heart for her Mama and I LOVE IT!



Anyhow, I thought, "How nice it would be to record this moment and show her later on how much she loved her Mama and how stinking cute she is when she sings. I will record her without her noticing." So I quickly grab the camera and begin recording and this is what I got instead:

What began in song ended in tragedy. Her mama didn't have her heart anymore, she made that very clear after the camera was turned off. Nevertheless, I got a few seconds of sweet Annie and then many longer seconds of not-so-sweet Annie. We are in the 20th month of her life and it seems conceivable that the "Terrible Twos" are upon us now.

We have the good moments and the ones we'd rather not dwell on but either way we have them and have to live through them. I am thankful that these days are upon me right now!