Michael's Birthday

We were honored to celebrate Michael's b-day with him while he visited his grandparents here on the western slope. This was one of the first times Joachim seemed more independent with his peers (although, he would NOT join everyone else in wearing a party hat).
Michael's much coveted barn. Fortunately we found an old Fisher Price one at a yard sale about a week later. I keep looking for that toy that will entertain him for long periods of time and the barn was interesting for a while, but cooking remains his absolute favorite past time.

Yesterday he was out a the swings with my mom and he said, "I want to go in now to cook at my stove." He helps himself to our kitchen untensils and we can pretty much be sure that if it's not in the drawer then it's with his "kitchen"... That is where all strainers, spatulas, pots, pans, measuring spoons and so on end up. Last night he worked diligently sawing away at a pinecone with a plastic knife. He also has an "oven" (box) set up in the sand box with half of grandma's cooking utensils... she's just now learning to look in the sandbox for measuring spoons and pie pans.