I’m a mom of four: an 11-year-old girl, twin 13-year-old boys, and a 17-year-old boy. That’s three boys and one girl. Including my husband, the ratio of male to female is 4:2. My daughter and I are outnumbered, and sometimes we need a little girl time.
Several people have told me, “Enjoy her while it lasts because once she becomes a teen, she’s going to hate you!” Or, “It’s nice now, but just wait.” I don’t know what the future holds or what her high school years will look like, but I’m determined to be part of them. So once a month we go out and do “girl chores.” This name came about by accident. One day, Eve and I were sneaking out of the house — because sometimes there’s just too much testosterone! — when my husband texted while we were pulling out of the driveway and asked, “Where are you two going?” I swiftly replied, “Oh, nowhere really … just out to run a few errands … do a few girl chores.” And we proceeded to do the best chores ever! Crafting, makeup, food, and books. Now it’s our monthly escape, just a few chores here and there around the city.
Sewing Club at the MPL
My daughter and I are both part of the Raleigh Library Sewing Club. We’ve been sewing for a little over a year. While I always play it safe making cute little bags, my daughter is more adventurous. She takes her clothes and alters them. Her latest creation is a pair of laced bell-bottom pants. She has been growing like a weed, straight up to the sky. To avoid ridicule for wearing ankle-beaters, she added lace to the bottom. Cute! Now she’s really into thrifting and doing the cutest alterations to her clothes.
While we sew, we chat about the latest fashions, and I show her my Pinterest page of bags and clothes I’d like to sew once I’m brave enough. She encourages me to just try. She’s able to do this and more at the Raleigh Library because they have sewing machines for the public to use! (I know you’re probably tired of me telling y’all how awesome our libraries are, but they’re amazing!)
Novel Bookstore
After sewing club, we head to Novel. We’re both avid readers. We roam the shelves looking for our next read. I can enjoy any genre, except romance. If I’m gonna read one, it must be spicy and sci-fi or thriller-adjacent. My daughter used to be a big fan of graphic novels. She’s read all the The Baby-Sitters Club books, the entire Nat Enough series, and every book by Raina Telgemeier. She would finish one in a day. After being pushed into different genres by summer reading requirements, she discovered she enjoys realistic fiction. She read The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty and was hooked.
Recently, she’s been diving into romance! So her book selection, The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, was a no-brainer. And the fact that it’s also a TV show? Bonus! No wonder it’s such a popular book for teens.
And since we’re already at Novel, we might as well read a little and get something to drink. I grab a house red (of course) and she grabs a lemonade. We read a few pages and spend the rest of the time talking to each other. We talk about school, work, friends, crushes, goals, concerns, and a little bit more.
Kukuruku Crispy Chicken
After drinks, we craved crispy fried chicken. (We know we could have eaten at Libro’s, but we wanted some FRIED, fried chicken.) We drove to Kukuruku Crispy Chicken on Poplar Avenue. We marveled at how different the place looks now that it’s no longer part of Lucchesi’s Beer Garden. Nevertheless, we were greeted with a friendly smile. I ordered the two-piece with gravy and she ordered chicken tenders with fries. Each combo also came with a drink and a cookie. The chicken is fried fresh! So if you’re looking for something quick, it’s best to call ahead.
The chicken was perfectly crispy. The skin! LAWD! So good! I dipped my chicken in gravy (as any normal Memphian does) and did my happy dance. Eve enjoyed her meal too and even tried several of the sauces they offered.
Afterward, we went to Ulta to combat the “itis.” That’s when you eat a good meal and immediately get sleepy. We purchased a few things to add to our face care routine and concluded our “chores.”
I look forward to this time together every month. Doing girl chores with my daughter is amazing!
Patricia Lockhart is a native Memphian who loves to read, write, cook, and eat. By day, she’s an assistant principal and writer, but by night … she’s asleep.