The kids and I love Tuesdays in the summer.  We stop by our neighborhood farmers market, exchange books at the library and play at a nearby park. It has become such a treasured ritual that I won’t make any other plans for Tuesday mornings.

Chris left for a business trip very early on Tuesday this week.  When Evie woke up and asked where Dad was, I had to tell her that he’d be gone for a couple nights. She immediately started to fuss, but as soon as she remembered our plans to go to the farmer’s market, she perked up.

“A smiley face cookie would make me feel much better,” she whimpered, her little lip quivering.

While ugly tomatoes are my favorite thing at the farmers market, Evie and Mack always race to Provo’s Bakery stand for their huge smiley face cookies.  I buy one cookie and break it in half, and Evie and Mack leave a trail of bright yellow crumbs as we walk around the rest of the market.

As much as Evie and Mack love the cookies, I think they are equally fond of the woman who sells them.  She is warm and grandmotherly, and every week she greets them with a sweet smile.

We brought a smiley face cookie to my sister Meghan who works nearby.  As soon as I gave it to her, she recalled her earliest memory: sitting under a table and someone giving her a smiley face cookie.  I was stunned…I was the one who gave her that cookie, and that is also one of MY earliest memories!  We’re only 13 months apart, so I guess it makes sense that our early memories from childhood would align so nicely!