Shaniel was just as excited, if not more, than the kids. She got the note down and read what we would be doing that day. Making sugar cookies…. horray! Shaniel was very expressive with her emotions. So much like her mother! Clapping, laughing, cheering… her big hazel eyes dancing and twinkling with excitement. Making cookies together was a real treat and the kids were soon caught up in the merriment of cracking eggs, mixing ingredients together, rolling the dough, cutting Christmas shapes, baking, and decorating them with frosting and sprinkles.
It was a joy, for me as a mother, to especially watch Shaniel interact with her children. It was a messy kitchen activity and Shaniel was in her element. Laughing! Dancing with the mixer! She showed the kids that it was fun to get a little messy. She encouraged them to be creative in their cookie decorating. She was patient. She was kind. She made memories with her children. The squeals of excitement are some of the best sounds a mother, a grandmother, can hear.
After eating cookies, it was time to settle down to a movie. That was one of my fondest memories of going to Shaniel’s. Something I always looked forward to. Always, always, a big pile of blankets were gathered, everyone would find a spot, usually on the floor. And, it wasn’t long before most of the kids were pressed up against their mother’s warm body and tucked in under her loving arms for the night. They felt her love. They felt secure and protected. Shaniel provided the kind of haven that every child deserves in life. She was a mother and loved being a mother. My joy was so full that evening as I watched my daughter in the most important role in her life… that as mother!
Written by Shaniel's mother, Carol
December 14, 2013
December 14, 2013
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