I told Lily that I didn’t want her to bake in the kitchen the other day because it was a mess and I already felt like I couldn’t keep up… I was mostly flat on my back and the kitchen was not cleaning itself.
She wanted to bake cookies.
I told her that I’d get up shortly and give the kitchen my attention sufficiently that she could bake, but at that very moment, I had just cleared the counter and gone to sit down, and was pleading with her to not fill the counter up again.
She replied, “No problem.”
Ah, yeah.
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Ten minutes or so later, after a bit of organized clamor and such, she came down defeated, telling me she had failed dismally. I immediately responded, having never really seen Lily display such a lack of confidence and esteem. I asked what could possibly have happened that she would be so upset. She declared she was an inept baker. Her dough was not firm enough and she was unable to get the cutter cookies to stay in a solid mass in order to bake them.
I was a little irked, as I’d requested with some fervor that I wanted her to wait to use the kitchen until I felt I’d had it a little better under control. I remarked as such, which sent her into wails and hysterics.
“I didn’t use the kitchen! I told you I would make my own counter! My dough is a failure. I cannot bake by my own, I can’t do anything!” – I’ve never heard this kid sound like this before… but she was sick and I was sick and Russ was sick and, um, it was snowing and cold and dreary, and who knows.
She led me up to her room.
She carried everything to her room, setup a counter, and proceeded to create a masterpiece. She asked me to help her learn how to manage the oven.
We have been snacking on them all week. 🙂