Making a Mess

Sometimes our circus isn't just crazy; it's messy! That has certainly been the case around here lately. Here are a few of the ways we've been keeping the bathtub and laundry full:

Kathleen and I made ice cream sandwiches to take to a cook-out last week. They were a huge hit -- and they couldn't have been easier. We baked a nice big batch of chocolate-chocolate-chip cookies (and another batch of chocolate chip cookies -- you know, so people would have options). After the cookies had cooled we filled them with soft vanilla icecream...

Anyway, about the baking. Kathleen wasn't too crazy about the stand mixer; it's still a little loud for her taste. But she was willing to overlook the noise when I let her taste the mixer...

(And, I know -- the raw eggs, the sugar, the chocolate. There are about a hundred reasons I shouldn't let her lick the batter. But I did anyway, for this one reason: it's so much fun!)

A few days later we decided to pull out the water colors. Kathleen loves to paint, but it had been a while since she'd had a chance to do so. A few unsupervised moments later, this is what I discovered:

Surprisingly, there was actually paint on the paper, too!

And Madeline wasn't about to let all the messy fun pass her by! She was recently introduced to frozen blueberries. They were one of Kathleen's favorite foods when she was little -- they're good for mixing in plain yogurt or for sprucing up some plain old apple or pear puree. And they're even good for finger food!

It's a good thing cleaning up can be fun, too!