So Far, So Good!

Last week a neighbor brought us a HUGE zucchini from her garden.  Lyla and I had just finished reading The BFG and we joked about it being her snozzcumber.  It was gigantic!  The best part was that I'd tucked away a little zucchini oat chocolate chip cookie recipe on Pinterest, and it gave us the perfect excuse to whip up some homemade cookies.

It's been a while since I've baked with the girls, and I'm pretty sure it was the first time Sis really got to get her hands good and dirty with some real baking, not just our simple no-bake cookie balls.  Ahh, I had forgotten the joy that is baking with a 2 year old.  I'm not joking when I say we completely started over twice, and it is a real live miracle that we ended up with something edible.

I had to fight back my frustration occasionally, especially when on our third attempt I turned around to see most of the bottle of vanilla poured into our mixture.  Luckily I could pour it out, and we went on our way with the rest of the recipe.  (I have no idea how much vanilla actually ended up in those things, but they did turn out - and even tasted pretty darn good!)

It's easier for me to laugh now, thinking back to Evie grabbing every.single.thing. and dumping it in the mixer, then looking at me with wide eyes, like "oops?"  Lyla was just too cute the whole time.  She is becoming the best little helper, always in a hurry to help me do anything and everything, and kept pep talking us throughout the spills and messes.  "So far, so good!" she kept saying, even when a mountain of salt ended up in my mixture.  (Not so easy to pour out.)  Her optimistic little spirit kept me smiling and reminded me that it's about the experience - not the messes.

They eventually went down for naps and I finished the actual baking part myself - in peace and quiet.  :)  After naps we headed to a friend's house and brought some cookies along.  The little girls dressed up and an impromptu tea party broke out - complete with real tea.  It was so darn cute

It's always more difficult, more messy and more time consuming having mini helpers in the kitchen, but it's also just about as sweet as it gets.  Their tiny fingers and excitement to be helping, their proud faces when they've completed the job, and the jumping up and down before that first bite.  These days can be so hard and messy, but they are the very, very best.  And a little dose of optimism never hurts.  So far, so good!  :)

- K

 

This girl loves posing for a picture these days.  :)

Cutest little helpers.

 



 

Love these tippy toes.

Those blurry, eager hands.  :)

Tea party time.  Cheers!

 



Sis opted out of the tea party.  Forever doing her own thing.  :)