Tinker

Tuesdays are my favorite day of the week during the summer. We don't have any therapies or dance classes and it is Farmer's Market day. I am not like most people. I don't go to the Farmer's Market for the produce or handmade scarves, I go for cupcakes. In my mind, cupcakes are more healthy at the market because they are always next to a produce stand. Don't ask me why that helps, but it does.

Usually the kids and I spend about 10 minutes walking around and looking at things, grab our cupcakes, play at the park for a bit and then head back to see the rest of the market. Teague is generally not a fan of the crowds, so we keep it short and sweet. The second trip through is when I buy some veggies, but that is only because I feel guilty about eating a cupcake before 10am. I know I said they are healthier at the market due to their proximity to produce, but I never said healthy, hence the guilt.

Today the kids and I did our usual routine. We smelled the flowers, shot the shit with the man selling plants and then made our way to the cupcakes. They never ask what flavor any of the cupcakes are, they pick based on what is on top or what color it is. There are usually a dozen or so flavors to pick from, but the girls always discuss which one looks best and they both pick that one.

After getting our cupcakes, we made our way to the park. We were almost there when Josie fell and dropped her cupcake. Of course it landed frosting down on the sidewalk. Josie was more than a little upset and before I had a chance to say a word, Hailey piped in and said "Here Josie, why don't we trade. I don't really want frosting on mine." The girls swapped cupcakes and we made it to the park without any more tears.When we got home Hailey told me that she really did want the frosting, but wanted a happy sister more.

The other day I was talking with someone about the kids. I told her that Hailey had this incredible ability to sense what others need without being told and help them. She can calm down Teague faster than I can when he gets upset by picking up on little clues that I often over look. The woman is very Irish and was telling me that the Irish have a word for people like that. They call them a Tinker. Often it refers to people who fix objects, but it can also be used to describe people who fix problems. I don't think I could ever sum up Hailey in one word, but if I needed to, I think "tinker" is perfect.