Candlelight and Kids

Every night, we have a candlelight dinner! Oh, the romance, the ambiance... the highchairs and sippy cups?! It's really important to us to have dinner together as a family to have a chance to unwind, talk about our days, and share a few moments together away from the chaos of the day. This may sound very logical and pleasant, but it's no small feat getting dinner together, the table set, and everyone actually sitting in their chairs long enough for us all to shovel it in before we hear, "I'm all done!" Enter the candles. They have evolved to become the magic cue that dinner is ready. They're exciting, enticing, and a welcoming reason to come to the table. Their magical little flames are mysterious and alluring, and seem to draw people to the table. When Lizzy finishes her dinner (the inevitable first one done every meal), it is her "job" to blow them out, and Peter always loves watching the smoke float up and away. It is these very simple joys that children marvel at that always warm my heart because children always have it right: if you take the time to notice, the very simplest of things around us are magical and special- like children and families sitting together in the warmth of candlelight, even if only for a few minutes, cheers-ing our glasses with sippy cups and toasting to the delights of our days.