So What's in a Name?

I figured my first post should be about the method to my madness. So why, exactly, did I choose the name Teddy Bear Pancakes? Well, my mom was my first creative influence. She could draw and paint, and she was a great crafter. One of the things I remember about our first home was the mural she painted on the stairwell wall. I often wonder if it's still there - the painting, I mean, not the house. I know the house is still there - I have to admit my sister and I have driven back that road more than once, and have sat outside of the house, afraid to get out of the car, but dying to knock on the door and ask if we can tour the old abode.

Anyway, where was I? Oh right, why pancakes? Another of my fondest childhood memories is of weekend breakfasts consisting of warm, golden-brown, teddy bear pancakes. Mom would make us kids pancakes in all sorts of animal shapes, using only a spoon and our collective imaginations. Elephants, Mickey Mouse, dinosaurs... but teddy bears were, by far, my favorite! Those syrupy mornings taught me that creativity doesn't have to be limited to paint and paper, and that even the ordinary can be made extraordinary.

Mom died in a car accident in 2001. Since then, guess what we've discovered several of our childhood friends remember most about her... That's right! Her teddy bear pancakes!

Now the tradition continues at my house. I make my kids teddy bear pancakes. I hope that someday, they'll remember these times and smile. I know I will!