Hands

Gwen and the girls drove up to Vermont a couple of days ahead of me last week, and on the way they stopped off at the Yankee Candle Company's factory and flagship store in Massachusetts. We'd run in there before to buy some candles, but this was more of a field trip, and the many kid-friendly attractions and crafts included the wax hands pictured above.

Sounded like a really interesting activity, the girls dipped a hand in cold water and then into some lukewarm wax, then back and forth between the water and the wax a few more times to build up the layers before the creation was gently eased off. I loved the look of them, but was really struck by the fact that - even though they were about the same size - I could immediately tell which was which, because the positioning and expression in the fingers so clearly reflected Madison and Ava's corresponding personalities.

Madison's hand is on the left, extended and probing, wondering how hot the wax was going to be before she committed herself to it. I would be willing to bet she took some time with this, especially the first dip. Careful and cautious. Curious. Delicate.


Ava's on the right, fingers clenched in a loose fist, thumb protruding slightly. Got herself ready and then just went, her introduction to the wax must have been more of a dunk than a careful dip. Bold, fearless. "I'm doing this," and that's it. Less nuance, more visceral. Plowing ahead with confidence.



These little creations now live on the base of the window above our kitchen sink, and it's amazing to be able to look at them and see our kids, both of them, in their full form and being, off of just one hand, one moment, frozen forever in pink wax.