Like many small children, mine likes to pretend to be the people he sees on TV. Unlike most, though, he doesn’t generally play that he is Robin or any of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He instead pretends to be the personage he finds most fascinating: Alton Brown. Yes indeed, my son’s current passion is the Food Network, and the show to which he is most dedicated is “Good Eats”. He makes books into a stove or oven or whatever he needs, and proceeds to “cook”, explaining the nature of the ingredients as he goes. Most recently he explained to me in earnest detail how to make chocolate, cautioning me not to touch the “stove” lest I be burned because it was hot. It’s a hoot.
Of course, there is a slight problem with reality on occasion. He was quite put out with me yesterday. He wanted me to come be Mr. Brown’s sidekick, and did not approve of the delay that ensued when I had to put out a real fire on my real stove. (No harm done, except to a spoon rest.) After all, what’s important – keeping the house from burning down or pretending to roast a coconut so that it could be split open more easily? At least now he knows what real smoke drifting through the air looks like.
And it just dawned on me…the smoke alarm did not go off, though I was opening windows and doors and turning on fans air out the house. Pardon me; I have to check some batteries.
Most “cute kid” stories don’t amuse me, but I love this one, especially because I’ve seen the episode of “Good Eats” in which Alton Brown makes chocolate and roasts coconuts.