Life in the kitchen

When I uploaded our pictures from the past week I noticed a common thread - they all took place in the kitchen. I feel like a lot of our life happens in the kitchen, especially now that we can all three fit inside of it. (Remember our previous kitchen was just a part of the 'hallway'.)

Ava loves to cook with me, and can often be found standing on a stool assisting. She's always loved sandwiches: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack. It really doesn't matter to Ava. Sometimes I feel like we're raising Joey Tribbiani. Recently she learned to make her own sandwich.

Yes, she's wearing her pajamas. This was a breakfast sandwich, so to speak. Her favorite sandwich is: wheat bread, light Helmann's, peppered turkey breast, and colby jack cheese.

Another fun activity in the kitchen is packing Daddy's lunch for school. We always stick a napkin with a special note inside.

Mondays are very busy with gymnastics, lunch with Law Widows and Orphans, a long nap, and dinner preparations. Ava likes (demands) school every day, even Sunday. No duty-free days for this mommy/teacher. I was finishing up dinner and laundry and Ava kept begging for us to go upstairs and have school. When I returned to the kitchen this is where I found her.

Putting the Leap Frog letters in order. Before placing it in the correct spot in line she would put in inside the speaker box and practice saying the sounds. She sat for at least 15 minutes, meticulously ordering the letters.

I celebrated the completion of her project and said, "Wow, you just had school in the kitchen!"
Her face in this picture is the beginning of her response, "This isn't school Mommy, we haven't counted or said the months and days. I didn't change the weather chart or read any words. Come on, let's go upstairs and have school." At which point she grabbed my hands and pulled me upstairs to the classroom. No rest for the weary.

Later that evening, after school and dinner, I was cleaning the counters and accidentally knocked the 'O' and 'P' askew. Little Ms.Type A Firstborn rushed into the kitchen and asked who messed up her letters. Oh, life in the house of all firstborns...