Putting those critical thinking skills to work!

This week I made a batch of brownies. It's been pretty hot around here lately, so once the weather cooled off I took the opportunity to *finally* catch up on some baking. You might be thinking "ummm... you have 5 kids! How on earth do you have the time to bake anything!?!" However, I submit that it's less a question of whether I have the time to bake and more a question of whether I have enough energy to NOT bake.

4 little children (Thumbelina not included) saw a tray of brownies and as their eyes lit up, the negotiations began. After a couple rounds of bidding, it was decided that to earn the brownies studded with chocolate chips and reese's pieces, the children had to scale Mount Laundry, sort it by child, and put it all away. However, there was an obstacle to the completion of this task: Thumbelina has started to "help" whenever she sees laundry, except that her "help" largely consists of picking out every single item of clothing in reach, trying to wrap it around her neck and then discarding it with impressive speed.

The horde was aware of this problem. Very aware of it. This is their solution.



Yes, that is Thumbelina in a basket full of toys piled so high that she can't get out. And yet, everybody won! Thumbelina got to sit in a basket full of toys, laundry got sorted without TODDLER SABOTAGE, and there was peace, clean clothing and peanut butter studded brownies throughout the land.

So, the question, dear readers, is not so much what baked goods will do for you as what your children will do for themselves to get the baked goods that you are offering.

Have a great rest of the weekend, everyone!