First

On the scale of mom days, I’ve had worse and I’ve had better. Although I’ve been battling a rather vicious stomach flu, the kids have been relatively well-behaved. We’ve read books together and independently*, sung lots of songs (mostly ABCs), and haven’t even considered turning on the television all this rainy afternoon. And to top it off, I managed to slip some chicken in the crock-pot at lunchtime, so there was something warm and tasty to serve over a bit of rice at the end of the day.

When Jason arrived home from work, we quickly washed our hands, put bowls in front of boys, and settled down to eat as a family.

“Celery Chicken!” Jason said with a an extra smile in my direction. We both know it’s a perennial favorite of his, so I try to remember to keep it in rotation.

“Nothing like bland comfort food at the end of a cold day, hmm?” I reply absently, picking over my own bowl, still not quite sure if I’m ready for even the blandest of fare.

“Can I have seconds?” Jack asks as he passes his bowl to me, narrowly missing the noses of at least two brothers in the process.

“Well!” I gush proudly, “Looks like this may be someone else’s favorite, too, dad.”

“Good job, Buddy! You really tore that up didn’t you?”

“Yup!” Jack said beaming. “Looks like I was the first one to get it down.”

Jason snorts and I suddenly come down with a fit of the giggles. Apparently, Nigella, Emeril, Ina and all the rest can sleep easy in their beds tonight.

*If you have pre-schoolers ready to start learning to read, may I strongly recommend the Leapfrog Tag Reader be added to your Christmas List.