I wasn't looking forward to today. It's Saturday and what's a Saturday without getting up before dawn and running. When we went out I had serious runner's envy every time I saw one of my soul brothers or sisters.
But I managed to survive the day by bedding down with my favourite puppies and a good book and then hitting the kitchen. Today's creations were whole grain bagels and tangelo and poppy seed muffins. I'm particularly happy with the muffins. The tangelos came off our tree and each of the 8 eggs came from our hens. And the poppy seeds ... as much as I'd like to say they came from our own opium patch, honesty forces me to admit they were from the supermarket.
I'd just pulled the muffins out of the oven when Luke walked into the house.
"I love coming home when you've been baking. It smells so good"
And then Josh turned up with a friend and repeated what Luke had just said.
It warmed my heart. And made me think. All these habits we have as parents make such an impact. My thing is obviously baking - always has been - and my kids relate the smell of cakes/biscuits/muffins/bagels baking with home and love and a time when they were cared for and nurtured.
Some parents are big on making a fuss of holidays - decorating Christmas trees with the family, creating Easter egg hunts, going to midnight mass. All of these family traditions are things that make families unique and bonded as a unit. They are the things that you remember well into adulthood and try to emulate for your own children.
It's kinda nice to think that years from now my kids might walk past a bakery, take a whiff and be transported back into my warm kitchen.
What memories are you creating for your families?
It must feel good to bake for your boys. Years from now when they are coming home to visit, I'm sure they will look forward to walking int the door to that familiar smell of Mom's baking. :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rest of your weekend!
I could go for the muffins. Sounds wonderful. We all hope we are building some good memories.
ReplyDeleteI don't do much baking, but there are a few favorites that are traditions. I could almost smell those muffins, they must have been delicious. How sweet that your son's both commented on the familiar smell as they walked it :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that your muffins are very good. Mom's baking is always important.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend!
Will you be my Mom? Please.
ReplyDeleteI bet you are an awesome Mom.
I have not got the flag yet, but I am anxiously awaiting. Thanks again Char!
you seem like the BEST mom ever Char! I'm so glad to have "met" you via the blogosphere! You can send me some baked goods sometime!! :) I'll accept.
ReplyDeleteYou brought tears to my eyes with this post! I doubt that my kids will relate the smell of baked goods to me like I do to my own mother, but hopefully they will think of me when they do a puzzle or play a game with their own children.
ReplyDeleteI have memories of my mom baking a lot when I was growing up. I don't look at most of the stuff my wife and I do with our kids as tradition setting, though it might be. We go to the state fair every year and indulge in the same bad foods each time. We also travel for marathons once or twice a year as a family.
ReplyDeleteI've got small kids still, and I often look at how cute they are and think about my responsibilities to give them a good childhood.
Beautiful post, you are a very good mom. The traditions of the family are very important, I miss all of them. For me now they are only memories, mom has gone 10 years ago, I don't have brothers and I don't have anymore any relationship with my dad.
ReplyDeleteAnd the smell of the baked and cooked foods are part of these unforgettable memories.
Thanks again for this post.
I wish I had the time to bake, I make awesome jalapeno muffins.
ReplyDeleteI just love the baking comment. I agree with you - as parents we are always creating memories, hopefully most of them good. I want my kids to remember that I was "fun" and "available" - that I was THERE - baking, playing with them, joking around, making them do chores, kissing them goodnight and making waffles for them in the morning. It's the little stuff that adds up I think.
ReplyDelete