Lessons Learned

We've learned two things tonight. Two things that we have known before, but were reiterated to us tonight. Nicholas is very independent and he is too smart for his britches (I got that word from my dad). We'll start with the latter.

While I was making dinner tonight, Nicholas wanted to do puzzles with daddy. Good idea. So they pull out the puzzles and Nicholas wants to do his dinosaur puzzle that he got from Grandpa and Grandma Ashton last Christmas. This is an actual puzzle, not one with the helpful pictures behind the pieces to guide him along. So it really works his mind. He's actually learning to find the pieces of each dinosaur and put the puzzle together. Well tonight he was doing well, until the last two pieces he was wanting to be done (he didn't have a nap today so by this time he was getting a little testy). So he was asking Shay to put these two pieces in for him. Shay was trying to encourage him and walk him through putting them in and he wasn't really wanting that kind of help. He came over to me and asked if I could help him, but I told him that daddy was helping and I encouraged him to try and put those last two pieces in. He walked back over to Shay and the puzzle, plopped down on his knees and says, "This is ridiculous," and put his head down like he was all sad. We of course just laughed and started wondering how he remembers all these big words he hears. (I'll admit that he probably heard that one from me.) We are constantly amazed at what comes out of his mouth and what he remembers and has going on in his little mind.

And on to the next story. So every Sunday night we make a dessert to enjoy. Tonight was Rice Krispie treats. Whenever I'm doing an easy task in the kitchen I usually invite Nicholas to come and help to have some mom and Nicholas time. And of course, he loves to help so he comes running. So this is one of the tasks that I thought would be easy to have help with. Notice the key word: thought. So we start out by measuring out the Rice Krispie's. Task done, no problem. Next we move on to counting out the marshmallows with a few slipping into each of our mouths. Task done, no problem. Next task, melting the butter. The butter is in the pan and Nicholas is pushing it around making it melt faster. I tried to show him that if he just let it sit still for a minute that it would melt on its own (just a fun thing to watch). I was informed that it would not and that he needed to push it around. That's fine. Task done, no problem. Next to go in, marshmallows. I thought it would be fun for Nicholas to put the marshmallows in...until he wanted to put them in one at a time....all 40 of them. Task not done, things get a little heated. I explain to Nicholas that they all have to go in at the same time. Nicholas does not want it done this way. Mom gets frustrated and pours all the marshmallows in. Nicholas jumps off his stool screaming and crying and all upset. Task done, but we had problems. Mom encourages him to come back and help stir. He hops up and now tells me that he didn't want to pour all the marshmallows in at the same time because he thought he would break the bowl they were in. Had I known that, task would have been done, no problems. So he gets up to help stir. I didn't realize he would want to stir slowly and try to break up each marshmallow individually. (Sometimes I don't think like a three year old. I'm trying to work on that) So I let him know that we have to stir faster so he needs to hold onto moms arm while I stir. He, being so independent, does not want to do it this way and tries to pull the spoon out of my hand. I, not wanting to make a mess and not wanting to burn our dessert (Sunday is the only day we are trying to make desserts, new goal for the year, so this was vital that these turned out or no dessert.) don't let him have the spoon. I try explaining to him again why mommy has to stir and why it has to be fast. Which makes him more mad and he's pulling on my arm and I'm getting frustrated. I call Shay in for back up. Shay picks Nicholas up crying and trying to explain to him exactly what I had. I let Nicholas know, while I'm stirring, that he can pour in the Rice Krispie's when I'm done. Task done, didn't go so smoothly and had some major problems. So Nicholas is back, standing on the stool, ready to pour the cereal in. I give him the bowl and he starts to pour. He does a wonderful job. Task done, no problem. I finish off and pour them into the pan and they're ready for later. Phewwww.....task done, but didn't go as smoothly as mom thought it might. I say to Shay in the middle of all of this, "He is so independent and doesn't want to listen when I explain things to him." Shay says back to me, "Maybe there are two independent people." Good thing I have a husband to help me have a reality check once in a while.

Lessons learned from this experience:

Number 1: Don't trust Kellogg's website when they say: "Recipes to make with kids." They did not mean 3 year olds.

Number 2: Think ahead. Go through all steps in your mind before you start cooking and make sure that each step can be done by a child so you don't get frustrated.

Number 3: Nicholas is very independent and likes to do things his way, like we all do.

Number 4: Stick to letting your 3 year old make toast. It's an easy task, all they have to do is push the button down. (And they'll even remind you that you need to unplug it before you stick a knife in, when the item is below the top of the toaster.)


Coming soon: Emilie Is Six Month's Old