Afternoons with Noah

For so many years, my job required me to be at night meetings at least 3 times a week.  I was planning events with volunteers and they needed to meet in the evenings after they got off work.  This meant I was rarely there in the afternoons when the boys got home from school.  It makes me sad when I think about all those missed moments, especially now with Austin gone. 

However, I am so very blessed that my job now allows me to be home most afternoons with Noah.  Some days I may leave my house before the sun comes up but it's worth it when I get to see his smiling face bounce off that yellow school bus at the end of the day.

I love the afternoons I spend with him as it is quality mom and son time.  We talk about our days, in the midst of snacks and hugs.  He does his homework at the counter as I start supper.  I purchased three cute little stools and placed them at my counter for that exact purpose; however, usually he's sitting on the counter not at it to do his work.

Sometimes, if he finished everything at school, he'll join me in the kitchen and help me cook.  I've let him cook with me since before he could reach the countertops.  Even as a baby, I'd let him play with cookie cutters or mixing bowls so he felt a part of whatever I was doing.  The tradition has continued as he's grown and I can't wait for the day he cooks me a meal on his own.

I just belive that memories can be made not just from sitting around the table at dinnertime but in the preparation too.  I remember helping my mom cook, whether it was peeling vegetables or stirring a pot.  I have fond memories of times in the kitchen with my grandmothers too.  Even as far back as my great Grandma Davis, I can remember being in her kitchen while she made sugar cookies and how she'd let me place the raisins in the center. That picture is still so vivid in my mind....

The warm scent of the sugar cookie wafts up, enveloping me in comfort. The raisin smile reminds me of my grandma’s face, wrinkled and sweet. She watches me, as if it is first time I’ve tasted one. I think she gets more enjoyment from baking them for me than I do eating the cookies! The first bite always leaves a sugary trail behind, landing on my shirt and the countertop below.

 It's a memory I'll treasure and one that makes me continue to work towards making many for Noah. As I type I big pot of chicken is simmering on the stove, nearly ready to shred apart while dropping dumplings into the boiling broth. Cooking his favorite meal together and then spending time snuggled on the couch seems like the perfect afternoon with my favorite little guy.