Great Expectations

When you're four, you look forward to special things. Of course, these things would hardly ever thrill an adult but for a four year old, it provides great delight.

Marshall and Shaylen look forward to crossing the border into New Hampshire every time we go down to church. They never fail to start counting the moment they see the Piscataqua bridge. When we reach the center of the bridge, there is a great cry from the back of our van, "We're in New Hampshire!" You would think this would get old for them the number of times we've made the trip, but they do it every time and with just as much joy.

An even greater expectation though, is for Friday. On Fridays we have what's called: "Fluffernutters". Shaylen asks me every day what day it is and when she asks on Friday morning and I tell her "It's Friday," she says, "We get fluffernutters today!!!" or "It's fluffernutter Friday!!!"

I never knew until we moved to Maine what a fluffernutter was. We don't even have "fluff" out west. We have "marshmallow creme". I remember when I was substituting in Old Orchard Beach, I asked a teacher what fluff was. She looked at me like I had ten heads. That spring before the end of the school year, she bought me my very first jar of the New England delicacy.

Shaylen would eat fluffernutters every day if she could and that is why I have limited them to Fridays. It limits the sweets and keeps them special. The sandwiches always disappear quickly at lunch and next Friday never comes soon enough. Fortunately, for my kids, it is tomorrow.