Unexpected

So, in the course of trying to have quality time with my four wonderful chidlren amidst the chaos that is my life, I confess to sometimes contriving situations I think will be memorable. Sometimes they are, sometimes they disintegrate before my eyes as I try to return whatever has erupted back to relative calm. And then there was tonight. I had an abbreviated lesson schedule, and so I waited to make dinner until after I was done. We ended up making it together. Paul helped Ashlyn break and beat 12 eggs and then I helped her pour them slowly (so as to leave behind all the little accidental crunchies) into a preheated pan. She watched and starred them vigilantly and was SO proud of herself when they were done. "Theses are hard mom, aren't they? But I did it!" Conner wanted to learn pancakes. I put the ingredients in, and I allowed him to use the mixer to blend them together. Then he used a scoop and put them on the hot griddle. I showed him how to flip, and he did it. Maybe not so well at first (we ended up with some broken and two-headed pancakes), but he stayed until the last bit of batter was browning. Paul wiped the table and Maryn ,with her injured thumb, made juice and set the table...with place mats and everything! Then the kids decided they wanted to eat with just candles for the meal, and have on some music. I smiled and sent Paul and Maryn scurrying to get the right candles, which pyro Paul lit. Then I went and got my laptop and put on some nice background music. That's right. We ate scrambled eggs and pancakes by candlelight to Bach's Suite for Cello.

It was wonderful. And it was completely unexpected.