I’d like to dedicate this post to a very important person at Babycakes… Ross, our aquatics engineer.

Ross joined Team Babycakes in June, and sadly (for us) and ecstatically (for him) is about to leave to go back to college next week.

I have to say, part of what I love the most about work are the people who are stuck in the kitchen with me.  We’re an odd group (no offense) – two teenage moys (manboys), four girls all in our 29’s, and my husband, the lone (deep manly voice) MAN.  We laugh about stuff that I’m convinced no one else would find even remotely amusing.  We discuss (in August – always best to plan ahead) when Christmas music should be legally public (after Thanksgiving and not a moment before).  We talk about raspberry jam a lot.  We try to pry information out of the moys – they are usually non-compliant.

Here’s my fear:  When Ross leaves babycakes, he’s going to look back on this summer and think of it as his ‘thimble factory’ summer.

“Thimble Factory Summer”:  A summer in which one works at a temp labor agency, gets sent to the local thimble factory to count and inspect more thimbles than should be allowed to be manufactured.  A summer in which one grows as a person while simultaneously and quietly sliding into mental madness.

I experienced such a summer when I was a teen, and I promise you, all it takes is one thimble summer to help steer you in any other direction but that.

Ross has spent his summer in front of our sinks, cleaning our dishes, pots and a sheetpan or two (thousand).  He has endured the endearing abuse of fellow co-workers (yours truly excluded) and made his way through the summer with a patient smile on his face.  We are all going to miss him, and have threatened to drop by college if he decides not to come visit us first.  We might just bring Marge…

Best of luck Ross & thanks for EVERYTHING!!!!!