deep thoughts and cookie dough

Once a month, I get to pull out some cookbooks or look online for decadent recipes with Liam when he comes over to bake.  I look forward to these little baking dates we have together every single time- not only because we get to try some killer cookie dough or sneak bites of chocolate together (did I mention I have a major sweet tooth?!), but because it's carved out time with him.  To me, baking with someone or running with someone or doing any project alongside another is such a fabulous way to spend time together. It's non-threatening to be able to ask Liam to pass the sugar and butter while also asking him to tell me how school is going or how his soccer team is doing.  Sometimes we talk about little things, but then sometimes, the conversations are ones that are deeper and are ones I remember for a long time.  

I read this on an email sent out about running partners, but I think it's true for just about anything we do alongside someone else: " Sometimes silence reigns, sometimes you chat about the tortellini you ate last night, sometimes the conversations are profound. "Running is conducive to frank, sometimes soul-baring conversations in the same way road trips are," says the wise book Run Like a Mother, "When you keep your eyes on the road, you can speak from your heart."

As we were talking yesterday, I asked Liam if he could tell me about some of his reflections about Malawi. Anna was in the room working on homework and Taylor was making some lunch while we were talking. I asked Liam if he had any advice for us all as we are planning on going to Kenya this summer, and he said that the best thing we could do was to stay positive. With so many things that happened that were out of his control, he learned how important it is to stay positive and keep perspective through it all.  

First of all, I know that Liam has struggled at times with staying positive through the years so the fact that this was his take-away from their year away was so awesome.  And let's not forget that this is an 11 year old saying this and sharing such wisdom.   I loved that Taylor and Anna got to hear him say this too while we were whipping up cookie dough.  This is what I like to think of as ninja parenting- those conversations we want to have with our kids to help shape them and build their character while they have no idea that we are on the move.  

And the other bonus was that we ended up with these when our baking date was done... 

a sweet treat indeed...