The Golden Egg

Whenever I make dough or pie crust or anything I have to roll out Elizah has to make her own creation with what's left over. This is her contribution to the kitchen most times. Sometimes I sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar or drop some blueberries on it and bake it. So, I have made her an official dough squeezing apron. Her creativity inspires me and helps me to let go in the kitchen and be okay with flour being everywhere and dough globs on the floor. She is exploring and creating and that is far valuable than a clean kitchen. Just one of the few lessons she has taught me.
The apron isn't our only creation lately though. Yes, we have had our first egg! It is so tiny and cute and we are so proud of it. I was so thankful for that egg that I almost didn't care of the chickens pooped all over my patio. (By the way if anyone knows how to keep them off without putting a fence around it let me know. It's driving us crazy!!) At last I don't have to buy eggs anymore. In fact yesterday I wanted to make a pound cake but didn't have enough eggs. I waited and kept checking and waited and waited and finally there was one so into the kitchen I went and out of the oven came blueberry pound cake.

This is Elizah roasting her first marshmallow for her first smore. Camping always causes us to have many firsts. Like the first time Hazel has slept on my chest for two nights in a row or the first time my husband and I have bathed in the creek while our girls sat on the bank wondering why we were trembling as we splashed freezing snow water on ourselves. Trying to get clean while camping is absolutely in vein. Dirt is everywhere so we might as well embrace it and have fun in it. Also, the first time I woke up and couldn't walk because I was so sore from hiking almost ten miles throughout the weekend with Hazel on my back.

Before we had children, Josh and I were backpackers and now that aspect of our lives seems to be on hold until our kids get a little older. So we have replaced it with car camping. It's not what we prefer, but sometimes we just need to get away from society and out where we can see 1,000 stars and hear the babbling brook all night and be awakened by the singing birds and the sunshine. We felt like the girls were just happier too. It was so nice and my brother, sister-in-law and their son joined us for a night which was a joy to see our kids running around filthy and having the time of their lives!

We bought Elizah a little kitchen table so she could eat at and do art or paint or whatever. Little did I know that she would want to eat all her meals at the little table and not care to eat with us any longer. Hmmm....I'll have to think of something. I made these place mats so she could set her place herself and at the same time learn where the various items are placed on the table. This has been a huge help. She now has a bottom shelf of the pantry where all of "her" dishes are kept so she can get them and just set it herself. I got the idea after reading an article about Montessori (my sister-in-law is really into it). The idea that kids can do a lot more than we give them credit for and thus should be taught to be independent in what they can do. It's way more complex than that but I guess that's the idea behind the place mat creation. She also has a little pitcher filled with water so she no longer has to ask me twenty times a day for water. She can just get herself a cup from her shelf and open the fridge and pour herself a cup of water. She loves the independence and thrill of doing it herself. The fabric I used is from Moda Fabrics.
I love most of their prints.

What a crafty day! I also made this new cover for my KitchenAid mixer because of the continual dust that makes it's home in my bowl. I like the way it came out and it fits my kitchen well. This fabric is from Maywood Studio. We are off to go camping this weekend and it should be a wonderful adventure. Hiking, bathing in the creek, campfires, dirty babies and instant cook oatmeal. When we come back we will probably need a vacation. That's usually how camping is with children right? Have a great independence day celebration!