We got our first little bit of snow today. It wasn’t much, just barely enough to make the ground white before it started to disappear. It’s this time of year that makes me think about all the indoor activities we love that keep us warm and cozy. Although curling up in front of the fire with a bowl of hot soup always sounds amazing, there are other activities that are just as cozy and fun!
Our son Jaydens’ favorite meal is tuna and noodles. Which is really surprising considering he’s the pickiest eater in the world! It’s probably the worst meal you can make. We make ours with bow tie noodles, a can of cream of celery soup, a can of tuna and a little milk. That’s it! But for some reason he loves it! Unfortunately though, his dad hates it so we only made it when he was working a late shift. It became a fun tradition for the two of us and to make it even more special; we turned it into a weekly picnic.
We’d spread a large beach towel on the floor and pour two glasses of milk. Then, with our plates nearly overflowing with tuna and noodles, we’d sit down on the floor and feast. Sometimes Jayden would tell me about his day, other times he’d turn on his favorite show and tell me all about the characters in it.
Thick wool socks makes your tuna noodle picnic even cozier!
Another of Jayden’s favorite childhood adventures was building blanket forts. He’d become pretty skilled at them and built them with multiple rooms and levels. He loved having us visit him in his blanket forts. He usually had a working door that we’d have to knock on and he’d show us around. His favorite fort was the one we built on the deck. We put an air mattress in it and slept in it overnight like a tent. It was a lot of fun!
Even though our son has outgrown building blankets forts, he will still talk and reminisce about some of the more elaborate ones that we’ve built especially the one we built on the deck. Those memories are well ingrained into his mind. Also, we no longer sit on the floor and eat tuna and noodles, but it’s still his favorite meal, which he now knows how to make himself! Every once in a while, he does ask to have a picnic again and that’s a big deal for me since he’s now 17 and doesn’t spend as much time with us as he used to. Hearing him talk about things we did when he was a child makes me sad because he’s no longer my little boy, but also excited because he now has traditions that he can continue when he starts his own family.
What an adventure that will be!
