My Assistant

Some people have a housekeeper. Some have a private chef. Not me. I just have a very helpful three year old and a trusty old stepstool that is always being pushed around my kitchen. From the time that Sophie could stand on that stool, she has been right by my side during just about every meal, snack, and dessert preparation. Just lately I've started to realize just how much she's learned by being at my side. Yesterday I asked her if she wanted to make cookies (which we do just about every day since the baby was born...am I EVER going to lose the rest of this weight?!!!) she of course said yes, then I got busy with William and she disappeared. A few minutes later she came to me and informed me that we were all ready to make the cookies. "I got the mat out, Mama." When I went into the kitchen I realized what she was talking about. She had gotten my Silpat baking mat out and put it on a cookie sheet. It's moments like this that make me realize just how much we're teaching our children simply by our actions. One day, probably very soon, Sophie will be cooking dinner on her own. One day, very soon, that little stool in the kitchen that I curse on a regular basis because it is ALWAYS in my way is going to sit empty because my little assistant is going to be too big to stand on it. Makes me kind of sad to think about. And it makes me appreciate all the more every moment I have with my little assistant in the kitchen....even when I'm in a hurry and just want to get it done. And I remind myself that we're not just making food. We're making memories.