Parenting goes on, but different
February 8, 2008 | T. Suzanne Eller
Richard is sweeping the floors. Leslie and Melissa are winging their way here to decorate the house. Today I make several fruit pizzas (to die for, see the recipe below). Tomorrow night my home will be filled with friends of Ryan and Kristin as we hold their first wedding shower, a couple’s shower.Our Oklahoma weather has decided to cooperate, and we’ll host a “make your own pizza” party in the kitchen and on the deck with lights and candles.
The one thing I hoped for my children, besides a life of vibrant faith, was to meet and love someone and to have a strong, loving, fun marriage.
Josh and Melissa have it. Leslie and Stephen do as well. Now I get to watch Ryan and Kristin start their life together. She’s blond and fun and laid-back, and she loves Ryan. She has a southern drawl, “Suhweetheart”, she says to my son. She’s affectionate. She’s smart. I love her like a daughter already.
Ryan is into the wedding as much as she is, maybe more. He’s ready to start his life, especially to say goodbye to five years of living with a host of roommates and to settle down with Kristin. He’s tired of guys who eat his food, dogs who chew the deck, and guys who set the carpet and couch on fire by throwing gas in the fireplace (a true story).
Watching my children marry and move on is a new stage for me, and yet parenting continues. I realize that more each day.
I now have a different kind of influence in my children’s lives. As a parent of adult children, as a mother-in-law to three that I love as much as my own, I have power to do harm or good in my children’s marriages. I can support them, pray for them, encourage them, and step back and let this new relationship emerge, or I can intrude, fix, manage, and tie strings to my love for them.
Parenting goes on, just different. It’s a new learning curve, and one I plan to master–because I’m the mom to six now instead of three.
Fruit Pizza
one sugar cookie roll dough
one strawberry glaze (produce department)
one cream cheese
one marshmellow cream
fruit (seasonal, not frozen)
spread cookie dough on round pizza pan, cook until done, cool
mix marshmellow cream and cream cheese together (yes, I know it’s fattening, but it’s SO good!) and spread on cooled cookie dough crust
spread strawberry glaze over mc/cc topping
arrange cut fruit on top – strawberries, peaches, kiwi, blueberries, rasberries, bananas (dip in diet Sprite to keep from bananas from browning), and any other fresh fruit you like
Eat!
See ya, Suzie
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Yum!!! Total, total yum!!! If I wasn’t a a conference today, I would be heading to the grocery and making this tonight. My husband’s favorite thing in the world is anything made with fruit.
Thanks friend!
March 8th, 2008 at 1:38 pmI just copied this to my favorite recipes file on my computer!
March 8th, 2008 at 4:54 pmYum. I love fruit pizza!
March 8th, 2008 at 10:29 pm