Have you noticed...

...that you can put the word party on the end of almost (notice I said almost) anything and make it fun?!  In the Maseda house, we do this quite a bit: pizza party, ice cream party, movie party, cleaning party, dance party, room cleaning party; of course in our house, music is also always a must for all parties, but music is playing in our house 90% of the time anyway!  Well, a couple nights ago was no exception.

It started out as anything but a party; I was getting out my recipes for the night and preparing for our nightly supper ritual, only this night, a certain little girl, who had just received an ADORABLE apron for her birthday, wanted to help.  I had just pulled my recipe binder out of my cabinet, when I hear, "Mama, are you making supper?  Can I cook with you?"  I looked down into her beautiful blue eyes, thought about how much longer it would take to get supper on the table with a little helper at my heels, but relented, knowing irreplaceable memories would be made.  It was an opportunity to share my love of cooking with my oldest daughter, to prepare her for her role one day as a wife and mother, and to spend precious time with her; so I got her new apron off of its assigned hook, and began to help her put it on and tie it in the back.  We pulled the kitchen stool over, she climbed on top, and the cooking began. 

Brooke stared at me with wonder, as I explained how important it was to first look at your recipe, checking to make sure you understand all of the instructions, and then to collect all the ingredients.  I discussed how having all of your ingredients readily at hand, makes the process smoother.  I then turned the reigns over to her to make our cobbler for the evening.  She put the pie filling in the crockpot, and then began to break up the cake mix with a fork. 

About this time, three other hoodlums came into the kitchen, two who wanted to cook, and one whose only desire was to get into everything he could get opened.  Being the sweet sister and fellow party lover,  Brooke welcomed the help; they mixed, they cut, and they had fun! 

How do I know they had fun?  

I know, because in the middle of all the hustle and bustle, I hear Brooke exclaim,

"Mama, it's like we are having a cooking party!" 

See, what did I tell you? 

Take a thing or an activity, put the word party at the end of it, turn on the music, and let the fun begin!