Baker's Joy

One of Emma's favorite things to do is help in the kitchen. She loves to help to help us cook and clean up (unless it's her own mess, of course!), but what ends up happening a lot is that we're in too big of a hurry to let her be involved. Sometimes, I have to remind myself to slow down and let the Bee help and not insist that everything be perfect, because, after all, where is the fun in that? Emma will probably remember the fantastic messes and sensation of flour on her hands far longer than the sight of a clean kitchen and tidy meal.

  

I happened upon a yummy-looking flatbread recipe this week and decided we should make it together. When I asked the Bee if she wanted to help, she responded with an enthusiastic, "Yes!" I got out the dough that had been rising in the sun all morning and turned it out onto the table to let Emma practice kneading. After studiously working the dough with her hands, the Bee buzzed into the kitchen so she could add "dimples" to the bread. She was surprised when I told her to poke away to her heart's content. When the bread was properly dimpled, I instructed her to slowly pour on the olive oil, sprinkle the sea salt and add the fresh rosemary.

Once the oven was nice and hot, I popped the bread in and set the timer for 15 minutes. Emma turned the light on and gave me a big grin. She then proceeded to turn the light on and off another 10 times, because that's the only part of the oven she is allowed to touch :).

When the timer buzzed, we let the bread cool for another 10 minutes while we prepared dinner. The Bee was super excited and actually ate all of her dinner, for once. I find that on the nights we make dinner together, she tends to eat all of her food. Funny how that works :).

Playtime!

Our house is...chaotic. I often refer to it as the circus, because sometimes it feels that way with a husband always on the go, two cats, a dog and two little juggernauts, a.k.a., Emma and Lily. That said, I don't think it would be nearly as much fun if it wasn't hectic and loud. If the Bee is not sleeping, she is buzzing around with little bursts of laughter, squealing, shouting or crying, depending on her mood or what's going on in the house. Lily alternates between squealing and playful shrieking, which you would have to hear to believe, and bouts of crying, because she is, after all, a baby. Every once in a while, the planets align and the Bee and the Bunny take a nap at the same time or play together in a startlingly calm fashion. I happened to catch one of these rare moments when they were entertaining each other, completely oblivious to whatever Mom and Dad were doing. (Have I still not learned my lesson, which is to never interrupt napping or calm, constructive playing with paparazzi-style picture taking??)

Books Are a Girl's Best Friend

The Bee Family loves to read - big books, little books, funny books, scary books. Nana Bee is a librarian, after all, so it's in our blood! It is one of our dearest wishes to pass a love of reading on to the girls. The Baby Bee gets a story (or three) every night, and can often be seen poring over one of her favorite stories in her room. Even though Emma can't understand the words on the page, she has heard the stories often enough that she can pretend-read on her own. Somewhere in the chaos of two girls, two cats and a dog, Tom and I hope to start reading regularly to Lily every night, too. To my surprise, I happened upon Emma one day "reading" to Lily in my room and I just felt this huge smile spread across my face. She was explaining the pictures on the page to Lily and reciting the words from memory as best she could. I felt kind of guilty for intruding on their special moment. It was just one of those perfect moments when your child does something so simple and loving and it blows you away. And, then, of course, I had to get the camera. But, it is for posterity, after all!

And Now for Something Completely Different...

Dear Readers, if you are still out there, we interrupted our regular programming for the last year and a half or so for the great adventure known as life. We have had our ups and our downs (mostly ups!), many changes and a couple of new additions to the family. In fall 2010, we adopted Phineas, a golden retriever/chow chow mix from our local shelter. Phineas can best be described as the oldest, laziest and most loving dog there ever was. Tom and I were looking for a dog that would fit in well with the rest of the circus, and he has quite well. He loves to sleep, eat and be adored by roving bands of small children. His favorite thing to do is go to the park and be petted by the kids...for hours.

The other addition to our family, the one for whom most of the changes took place and the blog got a facelift, is our new baby, Lily! Lovingly referred to as the Bunny, because of her sheer, um, bunny-ness, Lily is rapidly approaching six months at the end of May. So, as you can see, we have been busy! To make room for Lily on the blog, I have changed the title from "A Baby Bee" to "The Bee and the Bunny." Emma shall forever remain the Bee, of course, but as you can see from the pictures, she's not really a baby anymore. Despite adding the Bunny to the mix, we shall remain the Bee Family, which includes Tom, myself, Emma and Lily. Extended family members occasionally make an appearance, and they include Nana Bee (my mom), Papa Bee (my dad), Sue Bee (Tom's Mom), Fred Bee (Tom's stepdad) and Grandpa Bee (Tom's Dad).

In October, Tom received a new assignment, here, at Fort Sill. Our daily tempo has changed with the pace of his new job, but it's a welcome change! Also, Emma has started attending hourly care on base for a few hours a week to get some time out of the house and make new friends. The on-post facilities are wonderful and provide a nurturing environment for learning and fun. Eventually, we will start looking at preschool programs in the area. It's hard to believe the Baby Bee is now three! In the meantime, as the temperatures start to rise and the famous Oklahoma winds die down, we prepare ourselves for another Soonerville Summer, which means crushing heat, things with wings, and water parks :).


Thank you for bearing with me as I re-acclimate myself to the blogosphere and get back into the swing of things. As before, I promise pictures and a daily to semi-weekly narrative of the girls and their adventures. We appreciate your readership!


-The Bee Family