Rainy Afternoon Cinnamon Crust

Short nap, afternoon thunderstorms, and a loooong time before bedtime means you gotta get creative with your 1 year old! Cap pretty much only wants to go outside, but it just can't always happen. He is not yet equipped with the proper clothing to play in all weather conditions unfortunately.

Since he has been interested in the paint bottles lately I decided to give that another go. This time we stripped down and did it in the tub with construction paper. He was impressed for several minutes than lost it once again. I don't think I set him up in the best way to succeed with the painting. Bryce did a quick bath with him to clean him up and then we moved on to the kitchen.

I decided to make some Cinnamon Crisp out of homemade pie crust. This was an easy recipe to have Cap help me with...well, I use the term help very loosely:) This was a success! He LOVES to help us do whatever it is we are doing. Since the beginning we have been very intentional about letting him be part of the "life process" as a whole. Not just the fun roller coaster kind of stuff. He is in the part of the preparing for the ride and cleaning up the throw up from way too many roundy rounds!

He likes it too. We make it fun at times and at times it can be just work. I don't clean and do like crazy while he is napping. I wait for a lot of chores to do while he is awake so he can be part of the community/human process.

Here is a list of some of the many things he helps us with: takes things to the trash (his favorite right now), puts things in the recycling crate, walks with us to the big dumpster and recycling area and helps us sort things out, wipes the table, his hands, and his mouth, sometimes even our mouths!, vacuums, shuts the toilet lid, fills the bird feeder, washes dishes, turns light switches on or off, shuts doors, and sometimes helps me load the washing machine, etc.

Back to the Crisp! Simple recipe and easy for him to be involved in. We did lots of playing and figuring out the flour as you will see from the pics. We did it all on the floor since it was an easy place for him to be. He isn't ready to measure things out or anything like that but he is a great mixer! I can also pre-measure things in one bowl and have him transfer from that bowl to the next. That is how he helps put the bird feed in the feeder. He can't lift the whole bag, but he can grab a handful off the ground and add it in that way.

I love a clean house and clean areas. I also am very efficient and completing tasks. Cap has changed that. It is way more important to me to take an extra hour to vacuum and let Cap help than it is to do it myself in half the time. It is better to let him help with the cooking even if every piece of pre-cooked squash has a little nibble off the side then for me to do it on my own and him never see the process of cooking.

Since we only have Cap, I have no idea how this idea would work with other personalities. I do find it extremely important and valuable though. Even though he has been part of most things that happen to make home and life happen since day 1, every week brings new things that he can get his hands into and explore and contribute.

Here is for a good ol' rainy day out east.