In the evenings, I put a filter, coffee, and water into the coffee maker so that in the morning, I only have to turn on the machine to prepare it.

Elliot watched me do this for a long time, and then one day some months ago he asked to do it himself. I put him on the counter, gave him the filter, a spoon, coffee, and mugs of water. Of course, the coffee and water spilled every where. But I encouraged him anyway, and allowed him to make a mess. He got a little better over time. He still can make a mess, but not as bad, and he gets such joy out that I love watching him do it. I try not to help. And I fill the mug only half-way so it’s not as heavy.

This is not a photo of him preparing the coffee. It’s the morning. I’d already drank the coffee. Elliot wanted to make more, but I said I did not want anymore. He could make green tea for me instead. The tea is a powder that he likes to prepare and sometimes taste. So he poured the powder in the mug. I filled the pitcher and showed him how to boil it, and then I poured the water into the mug. He stirred and stirred and stirred – I don’t think I’ve ever had powdered tea so well-mixed!

He gets such joy out of doing these things for me. I love it.

Here is a video of this. I’m referencing a Sesame Street clip that he likes. Actually, it’s a series of clips where Grover is a waiter that Elliot likes (the first one we watched Alphabet Soup and Elliot had to try Alphabet soup after that – he could not believe such a thing really exists). In this particular clip, Grover is a waiter at a coffee shop and the customer orders coffee. Grover gets the freshest coffee (from a coffee bush), freshest milk (from a cow), and freshest sugar (from sugar cane) which just annoys the customer.