Cookies!! Kiddos and Pups

OK. Before I begin the cookie story, you should all know that I have started freelance writing. I am just doing a little bit now, but I am looking to do more and more each day. I am excited about my new business adventure! It is really fun and interesting. I hope to soon have a new site up dedicated just to that, but Kiddos and Pups will remain my favorite pastime! I will continue to post every day, so keep coming back!

I told you that to explain the cookies. Starting my writing career takes a lot of time away from just being mom. The kids always have to wait for me to do something before I can help them with whatever they need, and I am not around as much. That is a major drawback for me. I absolutely love being with my kids, but times demand more income, so I am trying to balance and compromise. Once I get things rolling, I will have a schedule where I can write and also do chores and be with the kids, but for the moment, we have to make some sacrifices. Because of that, I felt I owed the kiddos an evening of chaos, and so we made cookies!

I wish I had come up with the idea earlier, but as it was, the kids were taking baths when we made the decision. After everyone was clean, we went into the kitchen and started to pull out all the ingredients. We got the flour, sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs, chocolate chips, etc., and took everything over to the kitchen table. The kids all scrambled around to find a place that gave them the best vantage point. Unfortunately, that meant some of them were on the kitchen table. I tried to get them off, but then they couldn’t reach, so they got back up. I gave up. With four kids, the competition can be fierce!

I went over to the drawer to get out the cups and spoons and mixer. When I got back, the chaos had begun. Ashley was sitting on a chair with the bag of brown sugar in between her legs, digging in with her hands. Her pajama leg was still wet from her brothers splashing in the bath, so the sugar was sticky and everywhere. Derek and Troy had already dug into the chocolate chips. Jason ran over as I approached the table, ready to do his part, pushing siblings out of the way.

I got everyone squared away and the ingredients back where they belonged. I started scooping out flour and handing the kids the cups. First Troy, then Derek, then Jason poured flour into the bowl. Most of it got in there. I compensated for the rest. Then one did the salt, another the baking soda. The third got to start the sugar, and I did the rest. Then we did the brown sugar, and I let Ashley put it in. She just took the cup and looked at me quizzically and swung it around. Derek and Troy tried to show her what to do, but it was Jason that took her hand guided it to the bowl, and shook it until the brown sugar dumped out. She was amazed at what happened, and smiled and squealed in delight. The boys cheered her on. It was really cute.

Derek did the rest of the brown sugar while Jason and Troy put in the eggs. I was going to have Derek put the beaters into the mixer at this point, but Troy already had. My little engineer always jumps on putting things together, so I wasn’t surprised. I just scooped the butter into the cup and let Troy get it out and into the bowl. Derek got to do the vanilla. I mixed it all up while all three boys dumped the flour mixture in. (Good thing my table was clean. I had to brush about half of it from the table to the bowl). Once everything was mixed, Jason dumped in the chocolate chips. I stirred it up and handed each kid a spoon.

This part was really a mess. They all dug in, eating spoonfuls of the heavenly mixture. I had to join them for a moment…but then we all started scooping dough onto the pan. I tried really hard to get them to understand the concept of rows and columns, but we still got gooey masses. Oh well. They were all covered in flour, sugar, and dough, but they had a blast, and that was the point, right?

I put the tray into the oven and cleaned them off the best i could. I completely changed Ashley. Then I got them into bed with promises of cookies the next day. They all brushed their teeth and eventually made it to bed. They were out in no time. The cookies turned out great, and I feel a little better; a little less guilty. Maybe we will go on a picnic tomorrow. It just depends on the heat, I think.