Surfboards and Waves

One of Sean's favorite meals for lunch is a huge mound of ketchup with a side of chicken nuggets. He usually sits at the counter and watches them cook in the toaster oven. They say 'a watched pot never boils.' Well, the same is true for chicken nuggets - 'a watched nugget never bakes.'

Sean asks and asks, "Are they done yet? Are they done yet? Mom, are they done yet? How about now, are they done yet? M-o-m! " This phrase is too close to "Are we there yet?" for me not to cringe when he says it. Saying that phrase is like nails on a chalk board to a parent. Okay, so the water eventually boils if you remember to turn on the stove and the nuggets bake if you remember to plug the toaster oven back in from charging the camera batteries.

Today, I put the nuggets in and went to tend to Justin. I heard Sean in the fridge, but no loud noises, so I figured all was well. I went back into the kitchen and he proudly announced, "Mom, I got the ketchup and squirted it all by myself!" I told him, "Good job buddy, but maybe you got just a little too much on the plate." Of course, he didn't agree!

mmmm, ketchup!

Sean waiting for nuggets to bake

ketchup with a side of nuggets

He is growing up so fast and can do so many things himself. I am glad to see him finally taking the initiative to try things on his own - even if it means using a whole bottle of ketchup for a few chicken nuggets! Brian was always very independent from a young age. I don't want to compare the two because they are both great just the way they are, but it is still nice to see Sean becoming a little more independent!

He ate five nuggets and then said he was still hungry, so I gave him some apple sauce. Then he asked for another apple sauce to eat while I cooked him more chicken nuggets! So, for lunch he had two cups of applesauce, 12 chicken nuggets, and four pounds of ketchup. I think he hit most of the food groups - ketchup is a vegetable, right? Or is a tomato the trick fruit that is put with the veggies but really a fruit? Grains - check! Protein - check. Fruit - double check! Veggie - maybe check! Dairy - can't have, so check! Fats - Check!

I left him alone for a few seconds while he worked on his second helping. I came back to find all the nuggets piled up in the ketchup. I asked him, "Sean, what did you do to your nuggets and ketchup?" He rolled his eyes and said, "Mom they are surfboards in the ocean not nuggets and ketchup!" Well, okay then! Big, round brown things in a pile of thick, red muck - how could I have not seen the resemblance to surfboards in the ocean?

surfboards in the ocean

I have to add that when he was younger he loved ketchup just as much but he couldn't say it correctly. He would say "chep-a." It was so cute and I miss him saying it that way! But he could say spaghetti - go figure!