I did not see that coming...

Ashley, my most challenging eight year old was sitting on the porch on Saturday pouting surrounded by doll babies. When I asked her what was wrong, she informed me, "I have nothing to do, I have no one to play with!" It was then I remembered that Daddy was at the store, and it was her sister Laney's turn to go to store with daddy, so here she was left behind on the porch. Well I was getting ready to do some baking (I am no Donna Reed, but sometimes I like to pretend). I said to Ashley, "If you have nothing to do, then please clean up all these baby dolls." She sighed loudly and began to stomp around picking up the dolls very dramatically. I responded, "And if you really have nothing to do then...(this is where I usually insert the 'you can help me clean' 'you can work on school work' or other such non-desirable task) then why don't you come in and help me bake some brownies!" Ashley has a new found love of baking and decorating cakes etc, so she was ecstatic. She looked up from the doll babies on the porch, looked at me smiling and said, "I did not see that coming!" And then I taught her the best part about baking brownies...is licking the bowl with your step mom. It was a great afternoon.