It's been a lovely warm winter here in southern California, so I've been trying to find a few books that remind the kids what snow looks like. (They seem to have forgotten our many winters in Brooklyn.) This sweet book You Can Do It, Sam by Amy Hest almost makes me miss waking up to a fresh layer of snow on the brownstones.
Sam and his mom spend a snowy morning baking cakes. (I must say that Mrs. Bear is the most patient, sweet little mother I have ever seen.. I should try to be more like her when I am baking with my kids...) When the cakes are ready, they wrap them up in little red bags with a sign that reads "A Tasty Surprise".
The snow continues to fall. Sam and Mrs. Bear pack up their cakes in their adorable green truck and set out to deliver them to the neighbors. Mrs. Bear waits in the truck as Sam makes his way through the snow to each door, leaving his surprise on the doorstep. "You can do it Sam!" says Mrs. Bear.
After delivering their cakes to all the neighbors, they return home. Just two cakes are left, one for Sam, and one for Mrs. Bear, which they enjoy in front of the fireplace.
Inspired by this book, we're starting to bake treats more often around here. Instead of eating them all ourselves (which is surprisingly easy for us to do), we're packing them up and dropping them on the doorsteps of our friends and neighbors. We try to make it very dramatic.. I run up to the door, drop the treats, ring the doorbell, and run as fast as I can back to the car (sometimes losing a flip flop along the way) and JR drives off as fast as he can. We have yet to be caught.