Egg Pancakes

I've been really missing my blog time, but this week I can't tell if I'm coming or going. I mean that literally. You see, I arrived home from a two week vacation and had one week to unpack/repack because I'm leaving again to take my kids to camp. The suitcases stayed 1/2 unpacked most of the week, and I decided to have a "glass half full" attitude about that. The good news was that I was half unpacked from the first vacation. The other good news was that I was halfway packed for the second vacation!

The Pee Wee was a real trooper on our trip. She was an outstanding traveler, save one minor detail. She would have nothing to do with her playpen. Phooey on that, she said. It was lonely in there. So, the baby spent the better part of our two week vacation in bed with me. Phooey on that, I said after the first few nights. It was crowded in there. The long and short of it was I created a sleep issue, and I have suffered this week from a sleep deficit that seems to be effecting everything. I'm not too worked up about it though, because I'm frankly too tired to tantrum. I do know that when I return home from my next trip, sleeping through the night will be a huge priority for both she and I. Or is it her and me? Too tired for grammar.

I'm taking my kids to camp this weekend, and the excitement is really brewing. This will be Hannah's 4th year at camp, Max's 2nd, and Hayden's 1st. Drop off day will be huge for Hayden because he is going to camp on his birthday. The Old Buzzard will have to stay behind and do that pesky make a living thing. After drop off, I will head to Hot Springs with the baby to spend a week with my Dad. I'm looking forward to some R&R, and I have high hopes of getting caught up with blogging, letter writing, school planning, and my summer Bible Study.

Pancakes? Isn't this supposed to be about pancakes?

Since Hayden is going to be gone on his birthday, we decided to do our family dinner for him last night. He got to plan the menu by himself, and it was a hands down, easy decision for him. He asked my Mom ("Oma") if she would come over and fry him egg pancakes. My Oma used to make amazing pancakes, and she learned from her Oma. This tradition has been in our family for generations. An egg pancake is a lot like a crepe. The "recipe" seems to run in Oma blood. A pinch of this, a handful of that, and you mix it until it "feels right". Then, you swirl the batter in a certain pan and flip the pancakes with a certain spatula. It's all very particular. No one makes pancakes like my Oma. Bar none. However, my Aunt Joan runs a pretty close second. I've had my Uncle Rick's pancakes too, and he definitely inherited the pancake gene. I used to tease my Mom that her pancakes couldn't compare to Oma's, but last night she put an end to all that. I told her if she cranked out another batch or two of pancakes as perfect as last night's I was going to have to put my pancake teasing to bed for good. Man, she done good last night. Pancake night requires a certain set up, and it absolutely must be done the exact same way, every single time. No exceptions. You need soft butter, a sugar bowl, some maple syrup, and either pie filling or preserves. Sausage goes on the side. You fill the inside of the pancake, then roll it up to eat it. I always eat my first one with a little butter and sugar inside. I like my second one with syrup. Everyone has their favorite way to eat them, and we eat ourselves silly every time. It is important to have left overs, because they are excellent chopped up and fried in butter the next day. I'll eat them at any time of day, but I particularly love egg pancakes for dinner, because the smell lingers in the house for many hours and I love falling asleep with that smell in the air, remembering how it was in my Oma's house when I was little. Hayden chose the perfect dinner, and Oma hit a home run. I was so tired I was cross-eyed, but those pancakes fed my soul.

How about you? Does your family have any special food traditions?