Baking With My Big Boy. #Awesomeness #DoThis

Somewhere between two and two and a half, my little guy began talking and singing up a storm, and insisting on doing everything, including the things I'm doing. If I'm eating, sleeping, working, cooking, cleaning... he needs to be right in the middle of it, asking questions and trying to help. Even though sometimes it's SUPER annoying, I know it's the only way he will learn, so I try my best to be patient and let him help when he can; Even if it does take four hundred times longer, makes a HUGE mess and drives me crazy. It's for the good of my little man's understanding of the crazy world.

In an effort to nurture his love of learning and helping, I've started letting him help me do all kinds of things. Sometimes it works out well, others not so much. Some of you may remember the toilet mopping incident.  

Thankfully, last week when I decided to let him help me bake a cake, there was no such failure. Only lots of proud moments for both of us.  The whole experience was so awesome...

It all started when I was working on a freelance article, and needed to do a little cake baking research. (Read: I just wanted to eat a cake, so I made up an excuse.) Being that I procrastinated with the article, I had to run out to the store, with Ollie in tow, to buy cake mix to bake it immediately.  When he saw what I was up to, he got SO excited. It was there in the store that I decided I would let him help. The whole way home I explained what WE were going to do, and how he could help me, but only if he was a big boy and followed directions.

As soon as we got home, I dug out his cooking apron, and handed him the box, so we could read the directions together.

He was so stoked!

I have to admit, it was a little scary handing over a full bag of cake mix to a toddler. I had visions of my kitchen coated in flour...

He did it!

When the time came for the eggs, I cracked them into a measuring cup. (Tip from Rachel Ray: It's easier to fish egg shells out of a small bowl then cake batter.) It also made it easier for Ollie to pour them in the bowl.

He didn't spill a drop!

At this point, I was SO proud! I couldn't get over how big and wonderful he was, and that WE were baking a cake together! This was such an awesome mom moment for me.

Once all the ingredients were in the bowl, I pulled out the mixer... The poor guy was TERRIFIED of it. The two big beaters that snapped into the strange contraption.  He was freaked out!

Before I even turned the thing on, he jumped off his chair and ran off. Once he realized it wasn't going to kill us, he climbed back in his chair, but still kept his distance.

Then, are you ready... I poured the batter in the pan, and marked it with an "O" for Ollie and me!!
We even sang the song...

SO PROUD!!!

I'm not sure which one of us had a harder time waiting for the cake to cook then cool. What I do know is that both of us were equally excited to frost and eat it!!!

I had so much fun spending the afternoon baking with my son.  I can't wait to do it again. He loves it as much as I do, and truth be told, he didn't make any bigger mess than I would of. He only made it way more fun.

My friends, DO THIS! 

Bake something with your little.