Long Weekend With The Littles

This long holiday weekend has been a real "grandmother gig" for few days. As I write, I'm looking at my kitchen table covered with construction paper, felt, blunt tip scissors and glue sticks. And I'm watching small hands "creating" and "crafting" (her words) things for the dollhouse. "I've never crafted in the morning before. I'm still in my nightgown." I've let the smallest grandchild work on her own, with minimal supervision. Yep. Scissors. Glue. Markers. I can clean up when the house is quiet and empty. The girls will "clean" up the big things. I'll finish up later.

It's a grandmother privilege to let them make a huge mess. Understand I'm talking about a creative kind of mess. I keep a good supply of markers and crayons, paper, tape, glue sticks fabric scraps and leftover yarn stashed where they can reach it. And this weekend we've learned to look for things we usually throw away, like bottle caps, and see that upside down, it looks like a dollhouse bowl. For two days we've been on a hunt for tiny trash that can be converted into treasure.

This dollhouse and the critters who inhabit it belonged to their mommy. Who would have thought that 30 years later children are still playing with it? Saturday we made knitting things for the dollhouse mother. All houses have knitting sitting around, don't they? Toothpicks, leftover sock yarn and LOTS of patience and an hour later, we had actual knitting and a knitting basket for the mama bear.

When the dollhouse critters needed to rest, we baked. Both little girls have kitchen skills. This time it was Baby Girl who helped me bake while Little Sister was out on the tractor. Little Sister gets her turn in the kitchen later today helping Mommy bake cookies to leave a treat for Daddy-O when they head home tomorrow.

For generations, our family have been good deed doers. My mother was the best to take food when there was a need. And to make sure no child was cold in the winter. And to make sure people knew someone cared. These little girls are learning to carry on that tradition. Yesterday after church we delivered muffins and a get-well picture to a friend who is home with her foot propped up as it heals.

Applesauce Muffins

Here is this recipe again. These are among our favorite muffins to make. The recipe makes plenty to share. Or, to freeze for later. It's simple enough for little hands to help. The smallest hands can put paper liners in the muffin tins. As they grow, the "help" increases. Baby Girl likes to pour in ingredients. Little Sister can crack an egg like a pro. So far, no one loves cleaning up afterwards. 😊

APPLESAUCE MUFFINS (2 dozen)

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups applesauce

4 cups all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup of your favorite add-in...diced apple, raisins, or chopped nuts (optional) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Stir in applesauce. Combine flour, baking soda and spices. Stir into creamed mixture. Fold in add-in, if using. 

Fill greased muffin cups about 3/4 full. (Or use paper liners.) Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. 

Cool for 5 minutes and then remove to wire rack. 

Makes 24 muffins.  Pop some in the freezer for later. 

It is going to be very loud silence here when everyone is back at home tomorrow. No more little girls crawling into our laps in the morning. Sleepy eyes and messy hair and little bodies still warm from the bedcovers. Daddy-O gets one girl in his lap. I get the other. I'll miss having the little girls crawl into my bed at night, one on each side of me, to hear bedtime stories before they head to their own beds. Yes, the house will cleaner and quieter. But goodness, it's going to feel empty.