Mashed Potato Monster

For Christmas my parents got me the best kitchen gadget ever; a potato ricer. I used to hate making mashed potatoes because I'd have to haul out the mixer, they always turn out lumpy anyway and I just didn't seem to have the knack making them just right. Enter my potato ricer which actually makes wonderful mashed potatoes with about a third of the effort.

So since I'm now able to make great mashed potatoes we have them every so often, and Noah loves them. Before he has been a little unsure how to get them in his mouth. We give him his little "dipper stick" but he's not quite sure how to get them to his mouth that way. For the first time tonight I could almost see his little brain working and saying "to hell with the dipper stick" as he dug both hands into his little dish of potatoes and started shoving them in his mouth. The following mess that ensued (pictures below) was hysterical. The kid even had mashed potatoes on the back of his head in his hair. I finally just stripped him and am letting him crawl around in his socks and a diaper for awhile before an early bath.

Part of me wants to cringe at the mess. I could have fed him the potatoes, no mess but a little hassle. Then the wiser part of me says that he has to learn somehow and a little mashed potato mess really isn't going to hurt anything. It's hard to get past this gut reaction to just do everything myself because I have convinced myself that is the easiest way to accomplish a goal. I keep reminding myself that I have a little boy and he is indubitably going to make quite a few messes, break some things and doing countless other things that I'd really rather that he didn't.

Another thing I wish he wasn't doing yet; climbing up things. He has now figured out that he can pull himself into a standing position using the couch, a chair or like below, the gate that is supposed to be keeping him out of certain places. He just figured out the crawling thing, is the kid not going to even cut me that slack? I'm proud of him for accomplishing these "milestones" but dang!

Alright, I need to go track down my little mashed potato monster, I think he's bothering my fantastic husband who's cleaning up the kitchen. Oh, and a shout out to Scott - feel better, kiddo! Everyone else, plenty more tomorrow. Enjoy the pictures!

The baby version of rock climbing

Look what I did Mama!

This is not a hat

I don't want to wear this, Mom!

My little sous chef

Mmmm, potatoes

This face says it all

Can't... shovel... fast.... enough

Yummy!

Potato beard!