Jax and his Wadder

I don't consider myself "tall" necessarily, but I am certainly no where near "short". Nevertheless, on occasion, I do need some assistance in reaching the top of the cabinets in my kitchen, etc. So, I have a handy-dandy collapsable ladder-style step-stool that I keep in the kitchen for those days. Well, Jax has recently discovered my "wadder" and he has taken it over! He INSISTS on helping out in the kitchen anytime I am in there, no matter what I am doing, and his vehicle for providing that wonderful assistance is the "wadder". He's like a mad-man, pushing that wadder all over the kitchen -- where ever I go, he's right on my heels, LITERALLY, with that wadder. As I walk from the sink to the stove, to the refrigerator, to the island countertop, to the microwave, etc., there he is right behind me with his wadder! Sometimes I'd like to chalk up my losses and get rid of that dang wadder! ha. But, since Jax insists on helping, I have decided to oblige him. Sometimes I get him to wash the pototoes or other vegetables that I may be using in my cooking endeavors, or he will push the buttons on the microwave for me, or he will stir something in a pot on top of the stove. Whatever he does to help, the wadder contributes a small part too! Most recently, Jax made muffins all by himself! Well, sorta. The wadder was there and helped, and of course I was there to direct and supervise. And, his Daddy was even in a "kitchen" mood and helped a little too - mostly taste-testing, but still, helping. Jax was so proud of himself and the muffins that he made. It was all his idea to make muffins, and he really enjoyed standing on his wadder to stir the batter and add all of the ingredients. He enjoyed eating them, too! Over the last couple of months (the post-wadder discovery period), I have come to realize that although Jax's help may mean a little more time to accomplish a task, it is well worth it, because he is learning so much! He's learning everything from number recognition (pushing number buttons on microwave), to safety (stove and oven are hot), to cleanliness (wash hands before cooking; wash vegetables before preparing; clean-up after using kitchen) to adaptation & improvision (if you can't reach the microwave, use the wadder! and if you can't reach the sink either, just push the wadder over to the sink!!).