Monday, June 6, 2011

Life Skills

Jordan spent the morning with me......he loves berries, black, blue, straw, doesn't matter he loves them. Last week we picked blueberries and blackberries and had them with home made vanilla ice cream, today we picked blackberries and he made his first blackberry pie. For a three year old, he is developing some cooking skills.

I had four brothers, they all learned to cook as teenagers, my dad cooked.....in our house, the guys and girls all had to learn what my parents taught as "life skills". Cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, changing a flat, checking the oil in the car, gardening, all things that I really am glad I was taught. Jordan is learning "life skills"....... to load the dishwasher, fold laundry, cooking, we make it fun, but I watch his face and I see it all click.

He loves to smell food, as we picked berries today, he smelled each one he put in the basket.
When he helps me cook, he has to smell everything, and taste it. It is easy to forget that at age three everything is new, everything is an adventure. His mom will be graduating from college
soon, and I know eventually she will want to move away. I am going to miss him......so I try each time that he visits, each day that he spends, to create some sort of memory in hopes that he won't forget me and the time that we have spent together.

Tomorrow, we are working on a mosaic bird bath. One of the people that we helped who lost her home in the tornado loved to garden, so as we cleaned up the debris of what was left from her house, I picked up pieces of broken glass, plates, vases, dinner ware.......I will use them to do the mosaics on a bird bath for her, and later in the week will take it to her. Jordan and I will take photos tomorrow, so you can see our handiwork.

Goodnight, Sweet dreams.

5 comments:

  1. I am so glad you are getting to spend time with Jordan. He sounds like one curious three year old.

    BTW I have an award for you at my place :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lovely post, and what a precious thought to make that birdbath for the person who lost her home. She will be so thrilled with your kind thought. It's little gestures like that that can make life feel so special, especially after all everyone has been through over there. Wonderful that you are spending time with little Jordan. My little grandson will be arriving in a moment. He will be three at the end of this month, along with his little sister who is 17 months. I think it's marvellous that you were all taught those lifeskills when you were growing up, both the boys and the girls. Your parents were obviously very wise!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Little Leo also loves berries and asked me only the other day if I could get him some blueberries which surprised me as I have never bought blueberries but promised him I would get him some. I buy strawberries each week but they only last a day or two........

    I think it is important for males to learn how to cook and clean, my brother is the one who does alll the cooking and all the housework in his marriage.........if they didn't need the money he would be happy to be a house husband...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Forget you!!! How could anyone forget Jilda? Jordan will always appreciate the skills you are teaching him and I am sure he will be a more responsible person with compassion for those in need. You are a wonderful role model.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That birdbath sounds like a wonderful idea. Hopefully, Jordan grows up and isn't afraid to try to new foods like a lot of kids are. Who knows he may be future chef in the making or a baker. So great the things you spend doing with him.

    ReplyDelete