Soul Highway

Shocking tale from the kitchen

Out of the blue the husband came home earlier than usual last Friday, which allowed us time to run some errands and have a relaxing dinner at a Japanese restaurant. Hibachi dinners are always interesting, even with the fact that you're a mere foot away from your face being sliced off in the event the chef fails to catch one of those knives. Re'Sean was no longer scared of the towering flame bursting out of a stack of onions (aka volcano). Yep, he is growing older. Although the ambiance was not quite at par with Sakura Steakhouse, Hana Tokyo serves excellent food.The husband was pleased with his steak, Re'Sean was amazed to see his order of shrimp go from raw to cooked, and I was simply happy to be eating Asian food.

Talking of cooking, I had to jump out of bed early this morning due to some suspicious movements - and sounds - in the kitchen. We have been slowly introducing Re'Sean to some simple tasks around the kitchen and lately he has been showing a keen interest in cooking. His latest achievement - pancakes and hotdogs. I tell you, this boy can make really good pancakes! Even his dad is impressed!

Re'Sean cooks pancakes for the first time.

On Thursday night, he casually announced that he was making breakfast for us this weekend. Of course, both Kevin and I forgot about it. Well, that weekend was this morning! Straining my ears to hear what sort of sounds were coming out of the kitchen (and not wanting to get out of bed at 8 a.m. on a Sunday), I was almost in total disbelief. That is definitely the sound of frying pan moving around the stove. Oh...my...God... Is he cooking?!!! Unkempt hair flying in the air, I leapt out of bed to avert a possible disaster.

Standing in front of the stove was Re'Sean, in white t-shirt and underwear, heating up a frying pan. On the counter were eggs, pancake mix, milk and sugar. I made a quick assessment: Nothing's burning. Yet. Good. He greeted my haggard face with a cheerful, "Good morning!" Me: What in the world are you doing? Re'Sean: Making breakfast! Me: What?!

And then I realized that we did say yes to his plan to cook for us. Fully awake now, I surveyed the kitchen again. He had followed every step of the cooking process and was now getting ready to pour a quarter-cup-full of pancake mixture into the pan. At that moment, I was both proud and horrified. I can't believe he would take that big step of cooking all by himself! The husband was equally shocked - but beaming with pride. The boy is turning into a little man.

However, we had to establish a new rule to prevent possible heart attacks on the part of the parents. No cooking without parental supervision - at least for now.

Whew. We wanted him to start being independent, but not THAT fast!

Hey, No. 19!

The husband and I routinely tease each other about who we find "hot," to borrow Paris Hilton's famous contribution to the urban dictionary. A true Dallas Cowboys loyalist, his adulation extends to the cheering squad. Go Google the girls and you will see why. On the other hand, Denzel Washington and Christian Bale are high up on my list. No explanations needed.

So last Monday Kevin and I were seated on the couch watching the Cowboys force the Green Bay Packers to pack up. Post-game, wide receiver Miles Austin, who scored a touchdown, came on camera for an interview. Out of the blue I blurted out, "He's so cute!" Kevin: (Eyebrows raised) Oh heck, no! Feigning irritation, he proceeded to change the channel, but only for a couple of minutes. I thought it was hilarious. And cute.

A friend of mine suggested that I buy a white and blue No. 19 jersey and wear it to further push the buttons. I'm not sure I want to cross that line. Haha! Anyway - the Cowboys will face the Redskins this Sunday. Eye candy aside, it's one game to watch. I am a Cowboys fan by marriage but you've got to admit, this team is brutal. Running back Marion Barber is a beast!