Expanding Aiden's Interests

As I have mentioned, my darling little boy has become a real terror in the mornings. It's so hard to get him to do anything past getting out of bed. So I have been trying to get him more involved in his routine - now he has a new toothbrush that he really looks forward to using, I let him choose between a couple shirts so he'll let me put one on him, and most to his liking he is now in charge of making his own chocolate milk (Ovaltine - don't worry I'm not loading my 2 year old with sugar at 7 am...).

This has been so helpful, usually as soon as he starts stirring his chocolate milk, all grumpiness disappears. He seems to really like having this new job and feeling important. Since we normally get home in the evening and I cook dinner while he plays choo-choos, I've decided he might really enjoy helping cook dinner. He gets to help me and have special important jobs, learn about what is and isn't safe in the kitchen, and hopefully it will keep him from forming this notion that only women cook and that it's the "mommy's job."

Finding recipes that are easy and affordable/don't involve nightly trips to the store has been the challenge. I picked out pigs in a blanket first and thought he'd really like it because it's hands on, and its hot dogs - one thing I know he will eat for sure! While I was surfing the intertornado to find approximate bake times and recommended ready made dough brands, I found cheesy pigs in a blanket - EVEN BETTER!

Aunt B came over to help when she heard what we were doing and we had a blast!

He had to test the ingredients first.

Once he mastered rolling the hot dogs he was really anxious to put them on the tray himself

It was so totally simple, roll them in cheese, wrap them in dough, bake 15 minutes on 350 and enjoy!! 

Because he was so helpful with dinner, we decided to make cookies afterward too. Again, my domesticity has its limits - I am addicted to the effortlessness that is frozen cookies, so Aiden got more practice placing things on the cookie sheet.

Aiden tryin it alone

Getting a few pointers from Aunt KiKi

Almost losing his cookies to Miles

On top of all this fun stuff, Aiden was finally in bed before 9:00 for the first time this week. I know he needs it more than ever but the time change has been harder to adjust to that we thought it would be and things always seem to come up at the last minute - we need to go to the store, dinner runs late, we get invited to someone's house. 

And! Cross your fingers for this one *Aiden hasn't thrown his stuff out of his crib in a whole week* I am ecstatic. Finally, something that really was only a phase!

Here's hoping for a beautiful weekend to all.