Dishwasher

What would I do without Eddie to help me cook and clean?

Teaching him to sit patiently on the kitchen counter while I cook or clean has been a god-send. We have a homemade learning tower that Dave made, but Eddie is still a little short to see everything that's happening so he prefers sitting on the counter.

When he wants to get up on the counter he'll stand in the kitchen and yell, "See! I seeeee!" meaning that he wants to be up where he can see what's going on. I make sure to let him taste everything as it is cooking. Sometimes he wants more and more and more tastes...and other times his face scwunches up, clearly indicating he doesn't like it. The other night I made some coconut milk/lemon juice salad dressing. He didn't like it until I had added some sugar, fresh mint, and grated ginger. Then he kept asking for more! That's why it is important to let him taste throughout the cooking process. Hopefully he'll learn all about cooking this way--just like I did with my daddy in the kitchen as a tot.

The obvious issue with letting him sit on the counter is that he could get hurt. After all, he's high off the ground and there are often sharp things used in the kitchen (knives, cheese graters, meat thermometers). I generally position him to my left, with a cutting board between him and the stove. That way when I am chopping veggies, the knife is in my right hand so he can't touch it. When I'm done I put the knife on the opposite counter where he can't get it.

He has only fallen twice--one I caught him and the other time he fell into the sink. He was reaching for something and the hand propped on the wet sink edge slipped. He was fine, but it was hilarious. Thank goodness the sink wasn't full of water!