'S' is for... Sous Chef

Preston is no stranger to the kitchen.  He has always loved helping me bake and started with the simplest of tasks before he turned two.  As he's gotten older, he takes on more responsibilities in the kitchen... like preparing sandwiches, measuring ingredients, pouring, mixing and stirring, putting things away, clearing the table, helping with basic (non-breakable!) dishes and so much more. 

It takes my breath away sometimes when I watch him and realize just how big and independent he's gotten.  The other night, he told me he was thirsty and asked to go get some water.  He took his stool over to the cupboard where his cups are, retrieved a cup, got some ice from the fridge, moved his stool to the sink, turned on the filtered water from the faucet, filled his cup and then moved the stool back out of the way.  Sigh.  So unbelievably big.  A couple of days ago, he had a yogurt for a snack and, as I came down the hall with Gracie, I saw him get up from the table, throw his yogurt cup away, retrieve the stool, rinse his spoon and put it in the dishwasher.  HOW did this happen?  Wasn't he just a toddler last week?!

My boys in action last month.
('S' is also for Sunglasses... check out the sunglasses tan lines on my hard-working man's face!)

Over the last several weeks, because of his interest in all things kitchen related and his growing independence, John has taken on the task of teaching Preston more about cooking and his 4 year-old role in meal preparation.  (John is the main chef in our house.  I like to cook, but only if the kids aren't home!  Otherwise, it's just too stressful to manage them and prepare a "real" meal.  Baking, on the other hand... and eating someone else's cooking... not stressful at all!  I also actually enjoy the clean-up, so it works well for all of us.)  Anyway, John is reinforcing all of the kitchen safety rules and continually quizzing Preston while they prepare meals together.  Preston is allowed to stir certain (non-splattery) things on the stove (with CLOSE supervision, of course), he measures, pours, helps tenderize meat (which he thoroughly enjoys!), and loves spending that time with his daddy.   We've also found that he very willingly eats what he helps prepare - - little man has gotten pickier as he's gotten older... bummer.  The good thing is, he is still willing to try bites of new things without protesting.  If he likes it (he usually does) then he will eat some... if not, then he is only obligated to finish the bite.  I sure hope he remains that agreeable!  And, I hope, like his Daddy, he continues to enjoy cooking for his family.  :-)