7 Quick Takes - John Paul-style

Ah, woken up at 2 AM by the smoke detectors that have decided to make random, intermittent, and very LOUD beeps (but not enough that would make us think something is, say, smoking...).  Turned off the heat, disconnected the detectors, and am now praying that we don't wake up dead in the morning because there was a secret fire somewhere...   But since I'm up I might as well post these, right?

 

--1--

Oh, the escapades of my firstborn.  I was nursing the babies yesterday when I heard a strange clicking coming from the kitchen.  Cecilia was taking her sweet time on the potty ("MOM come watch me poop!!!  MOM hug my while I poop!!!") so I knew it wasn't her...

Then John Paul came in, crunching something in his mouth. 

"What are you eating, John Paul?"

"A crunchy bear."  These are the chewable vitamins the kids eat

"How did you get it?"  These are in a childproof container on one of the highest shelves in the kitchen.  He DEFINITELY climbed up on a counter and got one out of the cabinet while standing on the high counter. 

No answer.  Well, I knew the answer anyway.

"How many did you eat?"

"Just ONE!" He announced, pleased with himself for exercising self-control and following my instructions.

Now, I honestly couldn't be that angry with him - he knew what he was allowed to have, it just didn't occur to him that he wasn't supposed to be the one getting one.  And since he's been exercising his independence in the kitchen so much (a little too much...) lately, it was the obvious solution to get himself a vitamin instead of bothering mom! 

"Well...  Go get one for Cecilia too."

And then he happily grabbed one for her and fed it to her while she finished up on the potty.

High shelves?  No longer safe.

Childproof containers?  Not even close.

We are screwed.

--2--

John Paul decided he wanted applesauce yesterday but NOT the applesauce we already had in the fridge.  No, he wanted to make his OWN applesauce.  And thus he embarked upon a culinary journey...

--3--

First he took an apple out of the fridge and placed it in a bowl of water, telling me "The water will help the apple grow.  It will grow and then it will be applesauce on Monday!  And we will eat it on Epiphany!"

Then I explained to him that's not how growing works.  Or applesauce.  I told him that to make applesauce we had to cook the apples and then mash them up.

So he found a toy microphone to be his masher, and started mashing the apple bobbing in a measuring cup full of water.  I made him take it to the playroom so he wouldn't make a mess in the kitchen, and apparently that inspired him to add more ingredients...

--4--

When I checked on him next (to bring him an actual potato masher so he would stop using the microphone), he had added a little milk, carrots, and bread to his "applesauce."

THEN he had the brilliant idea that he needed to CUT the apple up!  So he grabbed the plastic scalpel from his doctor kit (which he had used that morning to cut up his breakfast banana), but it wasn't sharp enough to cut the apple.  He stole my metal measuring spoons and those were perfect!  Little scoops of apple were added to the mixture of milk, water, whole wheat bread, and carrots.  He dutifully mashed it and left it to sit.

I figured he realized that he wasn't *really* making applesauce.  But when he went to check on it after Andrew came home and tossed it out, he was nearly in tears with the devastation.  "WHERE IS MY APPLESAUCE???" he cried out, in a shocked and nearly sobbing voice.

He got over it almost immediately when he realized it was time for dinner and that he would get to eat ANOTHER one of his glorious creations!!!

--5--

Have you seen this pin?



Halved Potatoes, cooked face down on a layer of butter, garlic salt, Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 for 45 min. Oh my word.

I repinned it from The Pioneer Woman but the link is dead!  And those instructions are not quite enough for my detail-loving self.  So John Paul asked if he could help me cook and after he spent 15 minutes washing his hands (during which time I assembled all the ingredients and cut up the potatoes), and he was SO excited to help cook!

I present to you...  A pinnable version of this recipe with ACTUAL QUANTITIES!

5-6 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds

1/2 stick butter, melted

Garlic salt

1 cup shredded parmesan (or 1/2 cup powdered parmesan)

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix butter, garlic salt, and parmesan on a baking sheet.

2.  Place potatoes flat side down on baking sheet mixture.  Sprinkle with garlic salt.

3.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, until largest potato pieces are soft when pricked with a fork.

 

WHOA and I can link this up with Dorian Speed and be a Pinisher!  Win!!!

 --6--

So easy a 3-year-old could do it!

--7--

And he's sleeping well tonight, thank goodness!  We went for a 1.2-mile (round trip) walk to the frozen yogurt place and back.  He ran/walked at a VERY brisk pace the whole way while I wore Mary Claire and Andrew pushed Cecilia and Elizabeth in the stroller.  Normally he's up for 30 minutes or more after he gets tucked in, singing or shouting or whatever.  Tonight?  Absolute silence.  Beautiful!

 

Check out more takes at Jen's!