It was just a matter of time before Ben thought he was smart enough to cook. Lord knows, like most two year-old children, he is smart enough to do everything else he wants. So tonight it was a battle of wills, his against mine, about just what I would and would not let him do to make his macaroni.

Mind you, he was already teed off that this wasn’t “Toy Story” macaroni. It was Kraft, just like the TS macaroni, but the TS macaroni takes twice as long to cook, so no more of that. An extra 7 minutes to an impatient kid that age is not worth even the coolest of patterns in your macaroni that you would never be able to identify.

So Ben helped me get the water in the pot and pour in the salt and oil. (I know, let’s not get into the argument about water and oil not mixing…..it is just my way!) He threw an absolute fit when he realized that he wasn’t going to be allowed at the stove, but a short time later, after registering his complaint with his mom, he was allowed to mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Of course none of that really mattered to him because he wasn’t old enough to make the connection…..he just wanted to eat the noodles. I shooed him away and mixed in the cheese. He seemed no worse for the wear.

I am sure this must be how all the great cooks start, by developing their prima donna attitudes when they are all young and stuff, you know, without the parts about being a woman, or Italian, or in the opera. But I am just glad it is over. Ben “cooked” and ate and now is asleep! Praise God! Maybe I’ll go see if there is any left over!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+