If you can't stand the heat.....

Simon is very eager to help in the kitchen. Each afternoon he drags a chair from the table to the counter and settles next to me offering his support in dinner making. He loves to peel the carrots, stir the stock, and rinse the beans, making each of these chores more lengthy, messy and enjoyable than they would be without his help.

I recently resurrected Greta's play kitchen that her Auntie Heather bought her for her third birthday. It had spent a summer outside and had suffered some water damage, but I was not ready to see it go, so I packed it up with plans to re-evaluate its situation in Rockland. In light of Simon's recent culinary interest combined with my fondness for the "painted update" look, the kitchen is back up and running. I have so, so many memories of Greta "cooking", and the little gems I would find in her oven (I think that the dandelion cupcakes were my favorite!), that watching Simon's excitement about the same toy made me feel a little sentimental. He spent all afternoon stirring and sorting chickpeas, all the while exclaiming to me in pure toddler amazement, "Cook, Mama, Cook!!". I'm so pleased that this "old friend" is back.