memory making-baking day with "little guy"

Earlier this week I text messaged my daughter and asked if "Little Guy" could come have a baking day with me on Saturday. She consented and said she would have him at our house by 9:30 or whenever he wakes up.

I feel like if I don't just plan to spend time making memories with him then some other someone or something is going to always compete for my time or his and one day he will be all grown up and we won't really know each other and I will be just an old person in his life who he has to be respectful to and spend holidays with. I don't want it to be that way, I want to be old and he has a warm heart toward my husband and I because we spent time with him and cared for and loved him when he was growing up. I hope he will want to visit with us when he is older and we are one of his priorities and enjoyments in life.  I feel because I work full time and am doing other things on the side that I can and do neglect so many folks in my life. This is one person that I just don't want to neglect, ever.

I set my alarm clock for "early" this morning so I could get up and make the cookie dough as it needed to be refrigerated for 2 hours prior to baking. I got the dough all mixed up and in the fridge and then cleaned up the kitchen, started the dishwasher, took care of the last load of laundry in the dryer from last night and then I hit the sack again for an hour. 

Little Guy knew he was going to bake cookies with grandma before he came, so he was excited and didn't care when his mama left him here.

Here they are arriving, potty chair also came along because Little Guy is being potty trained. (Only problem is, he is only trained when his parents are with him, because grandpa and grandma have not been so successful with the potty chair today. In fact, he had two accidents so I ended up doing a small load of laundry because we will need fresh undies if another accident happens. I'm smiling..it's all good.) 

First block of cookie dough, ready to roll out. I was getting started before Little Guy arrived. 

Cutting out some cookies. 

Posing.

  (His grandma has issues when he is around with overuse of her camera. He knows to pose or ignore, whichever he chooses to do if fine with grandma, because the pictures are all good, all the time. ha ha)

Taking a stab at rolling out the dough. 

He did a pretty good job rolling out the little ball of leftover dough, but then he was kind of over it, done, finished, kaput! 

He asked for marshmallows and took a seat, wanting to watch "ga ga" (aka Curious George) 

Selecting the perfect marshmallow. 

Maybe a couple at a time would work better? 

Taking aim.

And stuff it in. 

I love that I caught the marshmallow on his lips. Cute! 

Grandpa is always game to watch "ga ga", Blues Clues or Bubble Guppies. I loved how Little Guy was sitting here with his legs crossed. At this point he had moved on to "ships" to eat. Yes, we are the worst grandparents, he has done almost nothing but eat snacks all day. Usually he wants to eat "steak" which is any kind of meat, but today, no steak, no macaroni and cheese, he even peered into the fridge and nothing looked acceptable to him, he just shook his head and said, "uh-huh!." He did eat some Raisin Nut Bran cereal with grandpa, so I hope that counts as healthy and sufficient. He refused the apple and banana I offered as well and never tasted even one of the cookies. Insert un-smiley face.

He watched me frost and decorate a few of them, but always kind of ended up back in the living room watching "ga ga". It's OK, he spent that time with grandpa. 

I used this recipe found here: Lofthouse Style Soft Sugar Cookie.

Three sheets full of heart shaped cookies in various sizes. I packaged most of them in Tupperware containers and will send them home with Little Guy. He can give them out to his friends and family for Valentine's Day if he chooses to do so. They will keep well in the freezer so I'm glad we made them ahead of time and they will be there for him to give out whenever they see folks he wants to give some love to. I kept a few for us, but my husband doesn't like cookies with frosting on them and I don't need them, but wanted a few because after all that work, it would be awful not to get to enjoy a few of them. Yes? 

All of a sudden he got real quiet, there he was on the couch, conked out. I text messaged his mama and asked if it was OK if he took a nap and for how long. She said it was just fine, not to worry, so while the house is quiet, I am typing up my post and downloading pictures. 

I love this little fellow so much. So grateful for any moments of time I get to spend with him. I like to look at his features and watch his little hands and feet. The way he says things and moves his lips around to make noises and sounds, how he expresses himself, so cute and his own little person. He is such a blessing in our family.

A Saturday well spent..and Little Guy's parents got to spend the day doing various things that otherwise would not have been so easy to do with him in tow. It just worked out all around. 

I like when things work out like that.