Mama's Helper

When I was little, about four or five, my goal in life was to be just like my mama. My mom must have had the patience of Job. I constantly chattered and asked hundreds of questions.
However, mom loved having children spaced four or five years apart so she always had a child at home with her.
She taught me how to iron when I was about four, she taught me how to stomp clothes when I was about five. She taught me how to set a nice table when I was also about five years old. The ironing was of pillowcases and dad's handerkerchiefs. The stomping was probably something quite delicate compared to sheets and overhalls etc. She taught me how to stem and snap beans, shells peas and make cookies.
The cookies she taught me how to make were very special just for a little girl to make  her dad smile.
Mom did a lot of baking to pay for my sister's nursing training. So inevitably there was frosting left over from cakes, cinnamon rolls etc. Nothing was wasted at our house, but I knew nothing of that. I just knew mama made things that tasted wonderful.
One day she said,"Lu Anne, would you like to make some cookies?"What child in their right mind wouldn't say, "Yes!"
She got out a small dish of left over frosting and a package of graham crackers. She taught me how to hold the cracker in my left hand just so, so that the frosting wouldn't break it. She gave me a small spoon to spread the frosting. Then put another cracker on the top, so it ended up being a cookie like an oreo without the chocolate. Oh, how delicious! Some days the cookies were pink, some were white, some chocolate etc.
Today I was eating a graham cracker. Of course, I thought about my five year old housewife days!