Father's Day helper

Oliver helped make Wes's Father's Day treat this year: Knock You Naked Brownies.  The recipe includes a bag of caramels, which is where Ollie came in.  He loves to help in the kitchen, so I pulled up the step stool to let him be involved.  I got two silver bowls, unwrapped one caramel in front of him, put the caramel in one bowl, the wrapper in the other, and then let him go.  Ollie must've spent twenty minutes, with complete focus, unwrapping caramels.  He hasn't always astounded me with his rate of learning, but he does have a lot of focus for a child his age, as was evident here.  I helped him with a few, which gave him the idea of just handing some more off to get more help.  But he persevered to the end.  I tried to let him help stir the orzo, but he was getting it everywhere, so instead he got down and Swiffered the floor.

I let him get back up later to help put the chocolate chips in the brownies.  The pan had just come out of the oven and was topped with hot caramel, so I told him repeatedly that it was hot, something he seems to understand and respect.  I poured the chocolate chips into one of the bowls so that he could manipulate them easily.  He was standing there with the chocolate chips in front of him while we waited for the caramel to melt, and he asked for a "bite," his way of asking for something he knows is a special treat.  I told him he could have one bite and put it on the counter for him, and he happily consumed it.  But then he kept staring at the bowl, and looking at me, and staring at the bowl again.  I could literally see the battle of wills.  He asked for another bite, but I told him he could only have one and he was all done.  I finally pushed the bowl out of his reach, which led to tears, which led to him climbing down the step stool, only to realize that a few had fallen on the steps that he could eat.  Which made it all better.

The brownies did finally get done and were very good.  Oliver enjoyed a "bite" or more of them over the course of the next week.  And I have to believe they were ever more sweet for his hard work put into them.