Yesterday showed a rare thing - nothing to do for a little while. It seems like every minute is consumed with either a school function, birthday party, work, cheer, or something else. Hectic is more of a way of life than a temporary state. Yesterday morning was different. After a late Saturday night of seeing whatever Disney's newest version of oversized characters ice skating, Sunday morning started off quiet. My youngest daughter woke up, found me in the kitchen, and said something I have been waiting all of her three years to hear. "Daddy, can we make pancakes?"
Every now and then she decides she needs to help me cook. Every time it happens, the result is usually the same. We argue about what needs to go in the food, the right unicorn utensil for the job, and really important things like how much lemonade gets mixed in pancake batter. A little less than an hour later, and we had REALLY thick pancakes, eggs, and what looked like the aftermath of a small tornado in the kitchen, including a dog covered in flour. It was a great morning.
My professional career in kitchens drilled things into me, like cleaning as you go, mise en place, minimal waste, speed, and effeciency. Being a dad changed all of that. I found myself moving slower, not getting the egg shells out of the silverware drawer immediately, and just having a good time. When it was done, we ate our masterpiece, tried to get all the syrup out of her hair, and then spent some time watching bigfoot movies, as all culinary endeavors should end.
I didn't get any pictures of it, I'm not totally sure I even had a phone in the room. It was probably safer that way. But, it was a really good time for both of us. I always recommend cooking with your kids.
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