the 6th love language

I've been practicing a new self-discipline. As I spend more time with Silas and he learns new skills and words, I realize what full-sensory oriented world he lives in. It's really marvelous. Silas is training me to listen, touch, smell and hear so many things that I've come to miss in the whirlwind that is my life here. I delight even more in cooking and baking. Because of Silas, I can enjoy the sound of soup simmering on the stove, take in the smells of sage and curry. I find kneading bread and feeling the smooth, rubbery texture of pizza dough therapeutic. Taste and oral texture have never escaped my attention, but I've also come to appreciate even more the presentation of a dish.

It is often difficult to enjoy intelligent conversation at the dinner table in out kitchen. There is nothing leisurely about feeding Micah oatmeal and pears at a rate that contents him. Silas invites Lewis to partake in our experience by throwing scraps from his highchair, which he asks for later. It is not uncommon for Joel and I to endure nearly an entire meal with crying or yelling from either side.

It can be draining, but usually by the end of a meal, I feel I've found myself again. In this communal and spiritual affair, I can satisfy multiple roles I've come to play in our household. I am mother to my children. Chef and banquet director of my kitchen. And even if only for a brief moment, I am friend and lover to my husband, as we can enjoy the culinary regalement together, amusing ourselves not only with taste, but with the sight and sound of our children enjoying what we've together put before them.

This is Silas enjoying pumpkin bean soup and vanilla pudding with walnuts. You can't tell, but this shirt has buttons.