Saturday, October 11, 2008

Milestones

Ryan and I made cookies this afternoon and I noticed we have reached a milestone in our family. (Drum roll, please.) Every one of our children is now tall enough to help in the kitchen without needing a stool, step-ladder, box, chair, bench, plastic tote, bucket, etc. to stand on in order to see and/or help add ingredients. Neither does anyone need to be sitting on the counter in order to see when a taller someone is already using the stool, step-ladder, box, chair, bench, plastic tote, bucket, etc. The only issue we still have is when Ryan needs to get something out of a top cupboard. But, he is tall enough to just jump up. No more dragging stools, step-ladders, chairs, benches, plastic totes, buckets, etc. into the kitchen to block mom into a 2 square foot space and then leaving them there for her to trip over until she puts them away (because, apparently, it's my fault I mix on the counter instead of the lower table, thus making it my job to put the selected height enhancing apparatus away). What a liberating day!

I suppose I should have noticed this sooner, like when Ryan asked if he could make his own cookies this week and never once asked for help with anything. I'm not sure all the flour made it into the dough, though, because it was pretty runny. He's also not quite past the stage when any sized container counts as a cup. So, I'm thinking the right number of containers was added, but not necessarily the right amount of flour. But, I digress. I was in on the computer and helping other kiddos with homework, so I never got into the kitchen until after the "dough" was made (and mostly eaten!). I just assumed he sat up on the counter and made the dough. I guess he wasn't. He somehow grew taller without my noticing. How does that continue to happen?

Of course, this also means that everyone is now tall enough to reach into the mixer and eat the dough faster than I can actually put cookies on the pan. Oh, the trials we face!

6 comments:

trublubyu said...

so funny that you post about this because we were making cookies the other day with a stool on each side and no room to move.

and it is so true about tripping over those silly stools all the time.

i don't know when they grow. you should have him wear a hat with bricks in it and maybe it will stunt the growth. i may start that with my kids. i don't want to think of them growing tall enough to be able to do without the stool. what would i do with all that elbow room?

Kathleen said...

Hey, I still have to use a chair occasionaly to reach things! I actually use tongs a lot or sometimes I stab things with a long knife to get them off the shelf, my husband just sits back and laughs. I told him I want custom cabinets someday that have a pull out step all around the bottom of the cabinets. Sounds good anyway.

johnanannx2 said...

hi shannon, i love it that they can eat all the cooke batter, never got to do that! they are getting older you better watch out, eating you out of the house take care. love uncle john

luvmymunchkins said...

So funny! Everything you described, that you graduated from, is my life! Only we have to have 2 of everything in order for kiddos to remain safe on the standing apparatus...so my life.

Heidi said...

They love the independence of the stools!! I'm so sick of those draging sounds that yes I'm jealous but I'm also afraid that when they are tall I will still be short and still need the stools:( I'll just ask Hunter to get it for me. I'm sure he'll be six feet by the time he's 9.

Baby Oven said...

I can't believe you're kids are getting that big! I can't wait to see them. It wasn't so very long ago that I remember having to carry atleast two of your children at a time and now I couldn't pick up any of them. In the mean time enjoy the freedom and take photos to remember everything!