Isla is at that stage now where she likes to imitate everything I do. She wears my high heels around the house, repeats what I say to the dog, and the best fun she has is carrying the broom and dustpan around the house pretending to clean.

I had to seize the opportunity. Since she was born, I've had trouble cooking. She really loves to be held, and really can't tolerate attention being split between her and anything else.

This is where the apron comes in. I don't know why I even have one for myself, but I do, so I put my apron on, which makes Isla want one for herself. She has a very adorable one my friend Carrie made her, and it's just her size. She knows aprons go on in order to cook dinner, and she can't wait to get a wooden spoon in her hand and some vegetables to put in a cup. We kind of make a game out of it, and it works almost every time.