Discovering her culinary skills.

Our table tops and kitchen counters have been looking like this lately...

... and I'm slowly learning to just let the mess go. Our 2.5-year-old has never really been an "empty everything out of the kitchen cabinets and drawers" kind of kid... until now. While Linna's MeMaw was visiting us in Singapore, the two spent a lot of time in the kitchen, and Linna quickly discovered her "culinary skills". She loves to help pour, dump, chop (with plastic knives), and stir. Now, every morning, afternoon, and night, Linna is emptying our kitchen cabinets and drawers, and asking me for ingredients that she can use to "cook" with. She fills cups and bowls with water in the bathroom sink by herself, and could mix, pour, and make messes all day long... and ALL over the house. There's always a puddle (or lake) of water to wipe up, and I can't even tell you how many pieces of rice, pasta, and oats I have stepped on in the last few weeks. Up until this point, Linna has been a pretty tidy kid. Oh how things have changed.

Linna and her MeMaw making potato soup in our kitchen in Singapore.

However, I'm REALLY trying to not let her messes bother me, because she is exploring her love for "cooking", which has resulted in her trying TONS of new foods. When Linna became a toddler, she also became a picky eater. I have to sneak veggies into her food, and she always requests her regular favorites for meals and snacks (i.e. peanut butter toast, peanut butter toast, and peanut butter toast). She NEVER wants to try new foods, unless we bribe her with a piece of chocolate or a biscuit (yes, we've become "those" parents). But lately, she's tried all sorts of new foods. Her teacher told me that Linna ate a fish cake at school the other day (I don't know what this is, but whateves), and she actually requested carrots during lunch at school. She's eating things like celery with peanut butter and raisins, oatmeal, gnocchi, etc. If she can help make it, she'll now generally try it! It's amazing how interested she is in cooking and baking, how how much this new interest has helped with her willingness to try new foods. My kitchen organization, however, has taken a huge hit (deep breath...).

Here's to just "letting it go" (yes, I'm singing the Frozen song in my head as I type this)...