The girls were helping me with some dinner prep this afternoon while Kate was still in bed. They helped me pull cilantro leaves off the stems and watched me slice some peppers and onions. I often don't like the fact that I can't even make my coffee in the morning without a child jumping in front of me with the stool wanting to be involved in the bean grinding. My attitude about this changes from day to day.
Today I had the grace to see the preciousness of the girls as they pulled off cilantro leaves, even though it slowed the process. Claire was so apologetic and dissapointed when she tore a cilantro leaf. I laughed and wanted to cry. They just want to please me and be a part of my work and be my little helpers. I reassured her that I would chop up the leaves anyway and told her she was too cute, and then her mouth went gaping wide with her tongue hanging out. She does that when she's trying not to smile when she's embarrassed. I know it sounds strange, but it's cute. Ange actually did that when she was little.
Then there's the constant conversation going with Riley saying, "Ya, ya, ya, cilantro is like, like, so strong, and I just love cilantro because it's so strong." Then she asks a question about the peppers and I tell her the answer and she nearly interrupts the answer with, "Ya, ya, ya, because..." and finishes explaining the answer to me. Reminds me of Nathan :)
Pulling cilantro leaves off of the stems brings back old precious memories. I told this story to a friend the other day. When I was pregnant with Claire and Riley was about 18 months, I was having a hard day trying to get dinner fixed. Riley was the clingiest of the girls and hanging on my leg crying while I was trying to pull off cilantro leaves. It wasn't long before I started crying too. I plopped down in the kitchen floor and tried to do my work holding Riley. Soon after I did that Riley stopped crying and got to work pulling off cilantro leaves and it was really sweet. From then on she's loved being a part of any work I'm doing.
Well, I guess I said all that just to say I'm feeling sentimental about my girls cooking with me. I love it.
3 comments:
that is too precious.
I second that. Someday they'll actually cook dinner for you and clean it up and make your kitchen look "as if it never happened." :)
so cute. Your girls will remember cooking with you. Some of my favorite memories are with my mom in the kitchen.
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