Food Critic (by MJC)

Harrison could be so many things when he grows up, and we discussed this today with him, and he told us that he is going to play baseball. When we asked him what Libby will do when she grows up, he said that she is going to watch him play baseball. Well, I can honestly see that he already has a natural pitching arm and the tall lanky build that lends to being a major league pitcher. And he has a love for the game. I saw that when he stayed out and played whiffle ball with my brothers and me for nearly a full hour without losing interest. And he was our batting practice pitcher. Not bad for a 3 year old.

But as I think about it, it is amazing how much potential this little guy has and I wonder what his future holds for him every day. He could be a doctor, and has shown that he loves to make us all feel better playing doctor and checking our hearts and temperatures and blood pressure and giving us shots. He even told us with great certainty that Libby is coming Thursday after giving Mommy and Libby a check-up. He could be a writer with his wild imagination and amazing love of story telling. Not to mention the crazy dreams he has, which must be a hereditary gift from his mother.

He could be a pilot, a teacher, a mechanic, a journalist, the president of the US, a chef....anything really. That just amazes me-- how much I long for the day he finds out what he wants to be. I'm still figuring that out. I am sure my parents didn't watch me playing in the house developing insurance exams. But when I was young I don't know if I ever believed I could do great things. I think Harrison does. And I believe he can.

But the latest of his talents was revealed today at the dinner table. Food Critic. Tonight must have been a blue moon, as I made dinner. And it wasn't breakfast for dinner. I wanted to make the breast of chicken that I had bought a few nights back. The thought of grilled marinated chicken sounded amazing to me. So I came up with a marinade out of the little ingredients we had available. Soy sauce, garlic, a splash of A-1 sauce, and fresh pineapple. I have to say I feel that I executed it well, and Katy did a great job with the frozen chicken fried rice and the fresh broccoli, and I knew we were in for a treat. I just hoped that Harrison liked the marinade. As he grabbed the pineapple slices off the serving plate and put them in his mouth still hot, I figured he would probably like the flavor of the pineapple.

He ate a few pineapple pieces, and then took a bite of the chicken before Katy and I had a chance to sit down or serve ourselves. And out came a very enthusiastic comment. "Daddy, you are the best cooker I ever saw!" I never felt so proud. A 3 year old food critic loved my meal. My ego swelled and I thought that maybe I should even go into business with my brother Shane, a chef at a little place in New Hope, Esca. And then I came back to the real world.

We ate and the meal was good. Harrison shared the same sentiment to his mother for making the broccoli and fried rice. "Mommy, your the best cooker, too!" He said, and Katy and I agreed that sharing that title wasn't a bad thing when you are the parents of a 3 year old. But it just goes to show you that Harrison has so much more real good food to experience to have! As he does, maybe his talent will make him a great food critic. For now, I'll take my one good review and quit while I'm ahead for a little while.

*disclaimer- I wrote this blog in the dark at 10:30 at night, exhausted, and without my glasses. Please forgive any misspellings, poor grammar, or typos. But let this be a tribute to my dedication to this blog and capturing the great moments my family shares.