Kitchen Help

Claire LOVES to help in the kitchen these days. Actually, she loves to help with just about anything. I can basically count on her - like clockwork - to pull a chair from the table to the island whenever I say that I'm going to get any meal ready. She hops right up and asks, "Can I help?" or "Can I cook, too?" I'm glad she's wanting to help in the kitchen.

She helped Grandmom cook while we were in Dallas a month or so ago.

She also helps wash the dishes, (with the chair at the sink and her hands in the soapy, bubbly water - FUN!), and she helps to unload the dishwasher. She stacks her plastic cups together and hands them to me. And she can put away the plastic containers and lids. She also hands me each plate and bowl, (while I'm just hoping that she doesn't drop one and break it). And she'll hand me each. piece. of silverware. for me to put away. (Sometimes I wish I could just do it more quickly, but I try to remember that we're developing good, helpful habits here!)

And my absolute favorite story about Claire helping in the kitchen is that she actually helped me work faster one time. While making empanadas one night, Claire poured a spoonful of filing onto dough squares for me. I then closed the squares, crimped the edges together, and set each one on the pan. My next step was to get another dough square for Claire to put the filing on. But one time, after I set an empanada on the pan, I looked over and saw that Claire had already gotten another dough square and was already putting the filling onto it. - She was truly, actually, definitely helping me; she was making the process go faster. It was awesome!

I hope her desires to help in the kitchen continue! Even when it's hard to find a task she can complete, I'm glad she has that desire to help!