cajun in training

The picture shows the family's newest video game addict, helping his Daddy 'drive' a big rig in the video arcade at Wal-Mart. Dennis climbed up there by himself, so David put in a couple of quarters and let Dennis drive the truck around. He thought it was great fun. He played terribly, of course, and didn't finish the game before he was jumping down to go on to the next thing (the next thing being home, as we were finished shopping).

Supper was late tonight, nearly 8:00, and we sure heard about it. He complained and kept up the "eat eat" chant from 6:45 on, and though it was cooking, it wasn't happening fast enough to suit him (or me--I was SO hungry). We gave him chocolate milk as a mood enhancer/stomach empty-soother, and that gave us a few minutes, but he couldn't take it anymore and walked to his bedroom door and beat on it and cried to get out and go to the kitchen. Since it was almost ready, I put him up in the high chair and gave him some bread (12 grain whole wheat by the way, which is what we always buy) while the red beans & rice with smoked sausage was cooling. I don't know if he'd ever had red beans & rice with smoked sausage before, but I think it might have been his favorite meal ever. He was eating it with both hands as fast as he could, and he wanted a couple more helpings. Here's how I know it wasn't because he was starved: I also baked peanut butter cookies which were cooling while we ate, and when he'd emptied his plate the last time, I gave him one. He LOVES cookies and asks for them every day and everywhere but doesn't get them that often. He held the cookie in one hand, took some bites, and then, with his other hand, he turned his plate over and saw more red beans and rice underneath. He PUT THE COOKIE DOWN to eat what was under his plate. He finished that then wiped his high chair tray clean and licked his fingers (he never does this), and THEN he finished the cookie. After the cookie, he picked up any remaining pieces of rice and beans from his bib and ate them after we took away the high chair tray. We had no idea he'd like it that much. He smiled throughout dinner. I wonder how he feels about jambalaya...