A slice of experiencing : Birthday cake

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3 hours ago

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The long awaited day finally arrived: my husband’s birthday. Do you remember that feeling from your own childhood? Waiting for special days hoping for treats and being mesmerized by decorations? That energy and vibes feels so alive. Through my kids’ eyes , I get to step back into that world and live those moments all over again.

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I am a firm believer that the best gift comes from the kitchen. I was dying to try this new sugar-free, All purpose flour-free cake recipe I found on youtube (and my elder one was dying to eat that haha!) Once the morning bustle settled and I tucked my little one in for a nap, the “game” began. My eldest son, who loves watching recipes almost as much as he loved to help was right by my side. We moved slowly, gathering the raw materials, measuring them with care and whisking them together. There is a certain stillness that washes over you while watching a cake rise in the oven, isn’t there? Watching a delicious transformation in real-time!

Fast forward a little while: the cake was ready and out from the oven, the aroma filled the house and our youngest has just woken up. After a loud, joyful round of “Happy Birthday” and shared blessings it was time for a mother to serve the two tiny humans.

In that moment, I found myself thinking about Equality versus Equity. Even though they have different appetites due to their ages, I realized this was a moment of Equality by giving them the same amount of cake. Why? Because in this moment, the focus wasn’t on nutrition — it was about fulfilling their excitement and taste buds equally. Realizing it was a real-life way for them to experience a big concept. I find that these “live definitions” go so much deeper than words on a page. I am always looking for daily real life encounters to help my kids experience new words/concepts/ subjects/topics.

Have you found a moment recently where simple act turned into “experience” for your kids to understand new concept/word/subject/topic?