My Little Cook

One of the best things I've learned as a mom lately is the power of oatmeal. Not eating it, although that is good too. I'm talking about it's properties that make it the perfect ingredient for nearly all of Ruthie's kitchen creations. It is fun to stir, easy to clean up (in it's dry state of course), and ok to eat. Whenever I need to get some cooking done and Ruth is just clinging to me, wanting to go up to see what's going on, I bring out a bowl and pour in some rolled oats and dried fruit. I give her a spoon, and one or two more containers for transferring, and she is all set for a good 15 minutes. And when she's done she likes to 'clean up' with her little broom and dust pan (which adds at least another 5 minutes). These photos are from several weeks ago, when Ruthie was 'helping' Aunt Becky and Mommy make some oatmeal cookies. This is when I first learned of the power of oatmeal :)