by Lisa

Finally, now that baseball is over, we’ve returned to eating dinner at the table.  And guess what? It’s nice.

This past weekend, my husband took a rare weekend away, so I was home alone with the kids for dinner on Saturday night. I cooked one of our favorite simple spaghetti recipes, made garlic bread, and added a side of broccoli romanesco, which I dress with salt, olive oil and white balsamic vinegar.  It probably would have been easier to put in a DVD and eat pizza, but I lit some tealilghts and we three sat together. Candles are a small , but significant detail, but on a cold, dark night, they turn even a simple table in to a poem. Also, they make the children calm down, focus, and feel like they’ve been given a special occasion.  Finn’s bottom stayed in his seat (not always the case), we had a nice little chat (not always the case), and generally had a very calm, relaxing meal.  It was lovely to remember what coming together around a table can be at its best: a time to be ourelvs fully and remember why we like each other.