By Josie turned 12 on Saturday. Six girls, twenty pizzas, one gigantic chocolate sheet cake, one slightly stunned mother, and an enormous amount of screaming. They watched three movies in a row. They fell asleep at 3 a.m. in the living room in a pile. Dave and I woke up at 7 to the smell of nail polish remover. They had done each other's toes at 2 a.m. The house smelled like chemicals for two days.
Josie is twelve. The 6-year-old girl who asked where Grandpa's present would go that first Christmas without Larry is now twelve, and she has friends she calls her sisters, and she has an opinion about everything, and she is going to be okay. More than okay. She is going to be a force. I think about her every day and I cannot predict her, which is the sign of a child becoming a person.
Drove Tuesday-Wednesday, a Lincoln round trip. Home Wednesday night.
Gayle stayed in her room for the party Saturday night. She read. She said, "I am too old for twelve-year-olds in a group." I brought her cake. She ate it in her chair. She said, "Your sister would have been in the middle of that group screaming." I said, "Darla would have been the ringleader." Gayle laughed. Gayle is laughing more. The story has a new shape.
Book two at 34,500 words. Slow progress this week — the birthday party ate a whole day.
Twenty pizzas for six twelve-year-olds sounds like plenty — and it was — but what I keep thinking about is the breadsticks I made the afternoon before the girls arrived, the kitchen smelling like yeast and garlic butter while I was still pretending I had everything under control. Breadsticks are the kind of thing you make when you want the house to feel celebratory before the chaos starts. They’re simple, warm, and they go with everything — including a pile of giggling girls who will eat them straight off the pan before you can get them to the table.
Homemade Breadsticks
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 16 breadsticks
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (110°F)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Activate the yeast. Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir gently and let sit for 5–7 minutes until foamy.
- Make the dough. Add flour, salt, and olive oil to the yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
- Rest the dough. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel, and let rest in a warm spot for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
- Shape the breadsticks. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 8 inches long and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart.
- Apply the butter topping. Stir together melted butter and garlic powder. Brush generously over the shaped breadsticks. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and Parmesan.
- Bake. Bake for 12–15 minutes until golden and cooked through. Brush with any remaining garlic butter immediately out of the oven.
- Serve warm. Serve straight from the pan alongside marinara sauce or pizza for dipping.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 110 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 16g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 160mg