Since last week, both of my kids have been into cheese plates. I made one for their mom, and now they want one every week. I don’t know how long this interest will last, but I’ll take it.
So far, we’ve done it twice. The first time, my oldest son helped put the plate together. We didn’t have cornichons—the little pickles—and we felt like something was missing. It just wasn’t quite the same without them.
I asked him to come with me to buy some, and he got excited. On the way, we talked. Nothing deep or particularly important. It was just nice to have that time together.
When we got back, everyone sat down to eat. We talked, enjoyed the food, and had fun.
This week, it was my youngest son’s turn to make the plate. At some point, one of my sons said something—I don’t remember exactly what—and I responded, “I like this.”
I liked that we were sitting together with no devices and no rush. Just eating, talking, and enjoying being there.
Sometimes I think about how to create meaningful moments with my kids, and I imagine something that takes planning or a special outing. Then a cheese plate reminds me that an ordinary moment can give us what I was hoping for: time together when nobody is trying to get somewhere else.
I don’t know whether cheese plates will become a family tradition or whether the kids will move on to something else next week. For now, I’m happy to keep making them—and to notice what we’re getting out of sitting down together.