Several years ago, I found myself struggling with the fatigue that accompanies new motherhood. There were joys for sure, but it was notably in the kitchen where I felt most overwhelmed.
 

            Snapshots from my kitchen:

• Putting the milk in the cupboard and the cereal in the fridge.

• Scrambling to take the smoke detector off the ceiling and knocking a glass jar of honey off the counter.

• Serving burnt granola and calling it “crunchy”.

• Helping the kids make pretend puppy food out of play-doh and later fishing it out of the dog’s mouth.

• Stepping in… chocolate? 

• Painting with the kids and dipping my brush in my tea.

• Thinking the gingerbread house tastes like cardboard and then noticing it was cardboard.

 

At these times, connecting with my friend Elizabeth Witzke (Lizz) was like a lifeline; we were allies in our efforts to entertain little ones and coordinate food preferences and allergies. Meeting with Lizz for lunch, describing my kitchen blunders and listening to hers, laughing until our bellies ached, helped us feel less alone. We shared how we felt stuck when one child said “I’m bored” at the same time as another said, “I’m hungry”. We talked about how we craved a greater sense of community.

 

We found that we weren’t alone in our struggles and created Catch Me in the Kitchen as a creative response to the challenges of caregiving. Through stories, songs, recipes, and activities, we invited families to explore how we can connect to feel less isolated in our kitchens.

 

Flash forward to now: We've served up our debut production! I’m incredibly proud of the work by our Audio Adventures Creative Team in creating our First Episode featuring reimagined classic tales in a fun and music-filled kitchen. I hope you have as much fun listening to it as we had making it!

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