Mackenzie's Achievement Day Goal

Ever since Mackenzie has turned 8, she has been able to participate in Achievement Days. Achievement Days is an activity program in our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where she learns skills that strengthen her spirituality, lets her serve others, and develop her talents. You don't have to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to go to these activities just in case there is someone out there who reads my blog who is interested in having their 8-11 year old girl participate. Anyways, it is a fun experience for Mackenzie to associate with her peers and learn new things at the same time.

The program has you set goals to achieve within a year, two per section. Mackenzie has been able to finish her physical fitness goal of learning a sport or activity and participating in it for at least one month. That was her basketball season.  Another one that she has just finished is to make an item from wood, metal, fabric, or other material, or draw, paint, or sculpt a piece of art and then display it for others to see. Mackenzie loves to draw and she is pretty amazing at it if you ask me. I hang her pictures up all the time. She also just finished this fabric apron (scene in the picture below). She started it in her last achievement day activity and then finished in this last activity. She sewed little felt flowers onto her apron. She was so excited and proud of what she accomplished.

The goal that she finished today for her "Serving Others" section was plan, prepare, and serve a nutritious meal. She said that she wanted to make grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, grape juice, and grapes.  I guided her through the whole process but she mainly did everything. Normally I like to just cook on my own but it was really fun to help her learn how to cook and teach her cooking safety at the same time.

Right here she is buttering the bread.

 Then she carefully assembled the sandwiches on the griddle, with a crowd watching her every move.

 I taught her how to flip the sandwiches and also how to just check if the bread was lightly browned or not. She would check and say, they need a little bit more time. Seconds later, she would check them again, only to proclaim that they still needed more time. I loved watching her focus so hard to make us dinner. (This is the first time that I think I haven't burned at least one sandwich when making grilled cheese. Duh, I should have Kenzie cook them more often!)

It is a great program that has built Kenzie's confidence and I hope that she takes in all the things that she is taught.