Licking the Beaters

One of my favorite things to do in the evenings with Maiya is bake. We bake at least once a week and I take the treats in to the office to share. It is a fun time for us to talk and bond and learn all at the same time. (Side note....I have found it a great way to teach math concepts when we have to half or double a recipe.) Anyway, for about a year Hailey has been an eager spectator but a reluctant participant in the baking process. That has changed. Hailey has discovered the joy of licking the beaters!!! Maiya has always preferred licking the bowl so, in the past, I have offered a beater to Hailey but she would always just look at me like I was crazy and says, "oh, fa shoe" (translation = no, thank you) and I would just put it in the sink. This time, however, Maiya asked for a beater instead of the bowl. So when I offered the other beater to Hailey, she took it. She just held it at first and studied what Maiya was doing. Once she figured out you lick it, it was "game on!" Before I knew it we had Dark Chocolate cupcake batter everywhere. I think she ended up with more on her face and hands than in her mouth. Sometimes I miss being a kid. When you are a grown up you just can't get away with eating with this kind of reckless abandonment.