We haven’t been baking as much as we want to since Manny came into our lives. Initially we were busy settling into new schedules with a new baby, and then I started sewing which took up most of my energy in the day. The kids been barking me to bake with them for a while and we did on a few occasions.
It wasn’t easy baking (or do anything) with 4 children of different ages and temperament. I often have to send a couple of kids to time-out in between the mixing and baking process. On some occasions I’d flare out at the kids… and wished I didn’t. When that happens I would feel completely out of sorts and pretty much ready to throw everything away, cry into my pillow and declare that it’s all over, let’s just sob and be blue for the rest of the day…
But that’s not what it’s like for children. They are always ready to move on – to have fun again. Reconciliation is often just a hug away. One unpleasent incident doesn’t write off the entire day. Too often, I am the one bearing guarges and refusing to move on – I’d beat myself up too much when I could still save the day. NOT.WORTH.IT.
Many times, a day with the kids is like a baking session. There are good moments and not-so-good moments. We could throw it all away and forfeit the chance of creating something beautiful together, or keep trying.
Yesterday morning, Nat cried and whined and wailed over a flatten cake. I was cuddling Nat, trying to comfort him while coping with my own anger when my eldest calmly said,
” you can cry a river, build a bridge, and then you get over it.”
I cannot agree more.