We’ve waited for today for weeks now. A whole day off. I’m not at work, and they’re not at school. It was going to be the best one-day mid-term EVER. We made no plans – we were going to take it easy – see where the day might take us. And that worked out just as well as you might expect.
The first hour or so was great – the kids played, while I drank coffee, did laundry and read Twitter. Everyone still in pyjamas. My kind of mid-term.
Then the three-year-old decided to help me do the dishes, which meant dragging a chair to the sink, and firing the already clean dishes back into the water. Soaking himself and the floor in the process. Distraction time.
“Oh, I don’t need you to do that – why don’t you help me fill the dishwasher instead?” I said.
“Yippee!” he said, because he’s easily pleased.
Then he picked up a cup, and still standing on the chair, he flung it into the dishwasher.
“No!” I yelled. “That’s not how you do it – you put the cups in the dishwasher – you don’t throw them!”
“This is how me do it,” he said. “Me throw them, and then they putted themselves in the dishwasher.”
Time to go out, I thought.
So we went to Dun Laoghaire for bagels, which was mostly lovely, except for when I was trying to order and pay, and the three-year-old walked out of the restaurant, crying because he had no seat, and the girls came up to tell me to change their orders, and nobody stayed at the table like they had all promised they would.
Then we went to the playground, which was mostly lovely except for being absolutely freezing and both girls falling and the three-year-old annoying all the other kids by going up the slide the wrong way eight thousand times.
Then I got a takeaway cappuccino, which was truly delicious, only slightly marred by the scuffle that broke out when all three kids tried to open the door for me, and when I spilled half the coffee on myself trying to break up the fight.
Time to go home, I thought.
Our afternoon plan was to bake. Doing so without any fighting or throwing or spilling seemed a tall order, but I took a deep breath, threw in some empty threats, and got to work.
What I did have, was a gorgeous baking set sent out by Flora earlier this week – the kids couldn’t wait to try it out, and it was enough of a carrot to keep them on their middle-best behaviour.
We decided to try the Lemon Drizzle cake from the lovely Flora Family Fun Guide that came with the baking set – you can see recipe here in the online Flora Family Fun guide or here on the Flora website.
Our end result was possibly a little flat in shape, because I didn’t have the right size tin, but the kids thought it was AMAZING and actually, it did taste really good. I had to have two slices…
I’m not a baker – I like simple recipes – and this was fabulously simple. The kids did most of it, with me just chaperoning, and preventing the toddler from throwing in six extra eggs, shells and all. Which means all in all, our one-day mid-term will be remembered (in a rose-tinted glasses kind of way) as being the best one-day mid-term ever.
Competition time! **this competition is now closed**
Would you like to win this gorgeous baking set from Flora?
To be in with a chance, just comment below, or like and comment on Facebook, or share on Twitter. And for more great recipes that are easy to do with kids, check out this gorgeous Flora Family Fun Guide
Good luck!
Draw will take place on Friday February 27th. Part of this competition is hosted on Facebook but is not associated with Facebook.
sounds so familiar ……..i also have a dish-flinging 3 year
My littlest boy puts everything away by throwing it, I don’t dare let him help with dishes lol!
Looks like they had great fun baking, enjoy your cake, well deserved!
Your life sounds so like mine…I love all your posts!
The cake looks fab to me! I’d love to win the set as I do enjoy baking… sometimes even with the kids…
Your little boy in his glasses is possibly the cutest thing I’ve seen all day. I’ll bet you can’t stay cross with him for long – even when he is flinging things!
Sadhbh @ Where Wishes Come From recently posted…Love in the Emergency Room
Yes please, I would like to be entered into the competition for the baking set.
Thanks Celine
Yes please, I would like to be entered into the competition for the baking set
Thanks Celine
I have a 19 month old who eyes me up before throwing everything. He loves to help out in the kitchen too. Last week he melted a plastic tub in the toaster while “helping” me cook.
I would love to win the baking set. Friday is my parental leave day too and if it is raining we bake.
Your midterm Friday bore more than a passing resemblance to my midterm Monday, then far from perfect but mostly lovely and seeming all the more so with every passing day since.
Love baking with my little one.
So cute, love the “helping” 🙂
All ahead of me (we’ve only an almost 8 month old), but already I can start to relate… At this stage I can’t imagine how people manage more than 1 kid, so it’s great to get an insight!
They are so cute and concentrated in those pictures! Love the focus. Isn’t it great how baking can bring everyone together?
Deb recently posted…Accidental Paleo Samosas
Fighting each other to open the door, so familiar! I don’t know how often I ask the children to ‘stop helping me’ which just sounds wrong. Photos are adorable!!
Aisling recently posted…Addressing Anxiety
Looks like a really lovely baking set.
Oh I hear you! My idea of a nice day off is always spoiled by something! This time it was headlice. So I spent it shampooing heads and boiling clothes! I could do with. Nice slice of lemon drizzle cake!
Had a good giggle reading this post!! Cake looks yummy! I would love to win this set
That is so sweet my kids would get so much enjoyment out of this kit, & we would all spend quality time together, & have something yummie to eat after all the fun , its winner winner, chicken dinner or yummie yummie cake of love
yes please, would love to win
Please include me in the competition, love baking with my little one!
Sounds like a nice day all in! My 18 month old loves the dishwasher too & all interested in what I’m cooking, won’t necessarily eat it though. Would love the baking set
Laughed out loud at this! I have a 3 year old who loves to ‘help’ with the dishes aswell
Haha, lmao at your day – oddly familiar 🙂
Such a fun day! That lemon drizzle cake sounds delicious and is something I must back. Sometime. In my defense I have made lemon drizzle cupcakes!
(I’m not entering the giveaway as I don’t have younger children but I’ll give you a twitter share anyway!)
Jazzygal recently posted…The Very Patient Boy and his Dream Gaming Machine……..
Familiar story in our house! Would love the baking set.
I’m still finding flour since our last baking session, last month. I gave up trying to clean because she wanted to help.
Regarding the giveaway… I’ll be honest I just need the rolling pin 😉
kellie kearney recently posted…Bee the Book – Farm Friends – Review, Giveaway and Discount Code
I’d love to win that baking set-looks like great fun for a 4,3 and 1 year old to get busy with
What cuties! 🙂 Thanks for the fun giveaway!
I have an excitable two year old who loves to help me out with often enthusiastic but disastrous consequences :). The Flora Toddler Baking kit sounds perfect for us…we would love to win it.and bake some cakes 😉
I have a helper same age at home, drags the blue chair across the kitchen to “help” , we would love this set for more helping…
Thank you everyone for entering – the winner as drawn on Friday February 27th is Yvonne Fahy, who entered via Facebook. New competition coming soon!