Cooking: A Way to Unwind

Last night I talked about how snuggling with my wife and children "makes things all better." It soothes me, and I am not so macho that I cannot admit that. Tonight, I was reminded of another activity that soothes me - cooking.

I was not in the best of moods before I started to make dinner tonight. After a few minutes of cooking though, my mood mellowed. I am trying to figure out what exactly it is about cooking that calms me down. Several possible reasons come to mind. First, let me tell you what I made.

We had Pumpkin Pancakes, a simple potato hash, eggs, and sausage. Yes, we had breakfast for dinner tonight. It is a favorite of the kiddies. This was not a hard meal to make; but, it required some planning and prep work. The planning was in starting to cook items in sequence that would allow everything to be done at once. The prep work was in mixing the pancake batter and chopping the potatoes and onions.

The chopping is the most cathartic part of the prep work, and not because I am envisioning that the potato is actually some coworker that has ticked me off. For me, it is the methodical repetition that is so relaxing. I cut the potato in half lengthwise. Then, I cut each half into three piece, again lengthwise. Finally, I cut across the potato to create similar sized cubes. This process did not take long; but, by the end, I was starting to feel better because I was able to let my mind go.

Next, it was on to determining in what order to cook each menu item. It was obvious - the potatoes - they take the longest. After I started them, I knew I needed to start the pancake batter. And, on it went until I had finished making dinner. This problem solving portion of cooking allowed me to get my mind working again.

The best part of cooking is the eating. The pancakes, sausage, and eggs were all excellent. The potatoes, on the other hand, were a little blackened. I started off cooking them with the flame too hot, and I was not watching them as closely as I normally would. They got a little crispy while I was mixing the pancake batter but they were still good. Even Molly ate some.

It is interesting to me that my last two posts have been about things that chill me out. In the end, it makes sense. Things have gotten stressful at work. But, it is nothing that I have not been through before. I know how to cope with these stresses. As a result, I guess I am more aware of how snuggling and cooking help me cope when external forces are trying to bring me down.

A Call to Snuggle

Men of the world, I challenge you to snuggle with a loved one at least once a day. I promise you that it will make your day better for I have successfully tested that theory this very night. Come and read with me as I tell you what I mean.

I put my children to bed about 30 minutes before I started to write this post. Actually, I started the process of putting them to bed. (Some nights it drags on and on. Tonight has been one of those nights.) It seems lately the my youngest daughter is very much in Daddy mode. That is more than all right with me. Considering the fact that she did not want much to do with me when she was a baby, I am loving this. One of the results of her recent gravitation towards me is a request that I lay in bed with her before she goes to sleep. I know that many of you parents are thinking that this is a bad idea, and that she will never learn to go to sleep by herself. Not true. The same thing happened with my oldest daughter and she falls asleep on her own now. But, that is a discussion for another day.

Anyhow, Jillian really likes it when I lay down with her. Besides, how can I resist when she asks like this: "You sleep with me? For just a minute Daddy?" It is a win-win situation. All of my children can curl themselves into the tightest ball. Jillian is the best at it though. She burrows into my chest so tightly that it is as if she becomes part of me. I lay there for a minute, kiss her good night, and down the stairs I go. She is satisfied and I am filled with a daughter's love for her Daddy.

It is kind of ironic. My son woke up crying while I was drafting this post. Coilin almost never wakes up after I lay him down.  He must have known what I was writing about and wanted his share of snuggle-time. And, that is all he needed tonight. Coilin was crying, and I went into his room. I checked his diaper. It was dry; so, I just held him for a few minutes. He grabbed onto my hand while I was holding him. That gets me every time. Against my will, I laid him back down, and have not heard a peep since.

I will not get into details about how I snuggle with my wife. But I will say this, the best snuggle time is early in the morning when the house is cold and most of the covers have fallen off of the bed. You know that time before Mr. Sun begins to wake the earth from her slumber, when all that you have to keep you warm is a thin sheet. That is when I pull my wife close and warm up the both of us. That is an excellent way to start a day.

In fact, the perfect snuggle day would start with me snuggling with my wife and end with snuggle time with my children. Today, I ended the day perfectly and I have to say thank you to all three of my little ones tonight. It was a rough day at work and the time we spent together, made it all better. Men of the world I tell you in closing to pull that special someone close to you tonight and relish in their love and affection.