Well, he shares things he finds on the internet anyway. Here’s today’s instant message:
Wife of a geek got mad at him because he went out drinking without her… So how did she get back at him?
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=269668408&size=o
Cody, my fabulous ten-year old, acquired two books last week courtesy of moi - Betty Crocker Kids Cook! and The ”What’s Happening to My Body” Book for Boys.
Betty Crocker Kids Cook!
I purchased Kids Cook! on a suggestion by Lindsey Nair. The book contains 66 different, kid-friendly recipes and is illustrated with fun characters to get your child excited about cooking. Created for kids 10 - 12, the book contains recipes for breakfast, lunch, snacks & drinks, sides, dinner, and desserts. The front and back covers contain illustrations for the tools of the trade, and there are also pages for definitions, kitchen abc’s, and the food pyramid.
Cody really loves this book. In fact as soon as it arrived he was handing me a grocery list so he could make dinner on Friday night. He got started a bit early though and whipped up some Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for lunch for him and Adam Friday afternoon. Unfortunately Cody learned the hard way that if you’re using professional cookware that the times are off a bit. He cooked the grilled cheese between medium low and medium - the book suggested medium heat - giving the first side the full five minutes it advised. They burned a bit. So keep this in mind if you have good cookware. The sandwiches were still salvaged, however, and filled two hungry tummies while I baked downtown on Market St.
For dinner, Cody made Mini Meat Loaves and Pasta Tubes & Tomato Salad. They both turned out great and Cody needed minimal help to get going. And of course his cooking fun didn’t stop there. He had to make pancakes by himself over at Grandma Cathy’s on Sunday morning. So now I’m considering purchasing Emeril’s There’s a Chef in My Soup!: Recipes for the Kid in Everyone by Emeril Lagasse for him.
The ”What’s Happening to My Body” Book for Boys
Cody is ten. This book is recommended for boys ten and up. (Kind of scary isn’t it?) I am so not a boy, so I didn’t feel like I could really answer Cody’s questions about what puberty for boys is like. And Adam wasn’t much help either. He just told Cody that it was okay to play with himself as he got older, but to be sure he did it in the shower so Mom didn’t find any surprise messes she’d have to clean up. So, wisely, I bought a book. Now Cody has always been pretty comfortable talking about his body as we’ve had age appropriate conversations since he was around four. However, I had not expected for him to come to me the afternoon he received the book and tell me “Mom, I’ve started early puberty.” As I choke, I ask “How do you know?” “Well, I’ve started to grow hair on my testicles.” And I’m the one who gets the giggles, being slightly embarrassed on top of freaking out that my son is only ten and still has a year of elementary school left. On the other hand, at least I know he’ll be able to handle the “condom talk” down the road without freaking out and getting embarrassed. That’s gotta be a good thing, right? Incidentally, you can also purchase The ”What’s Happening to My Body” Book for Girls.
I found the most amazing little handmade journal online last month. It was so cute that I just had to have it! This Green Tea Mini Leather Journal (pictured) was created by Renate, a self-employed web designer living in Austria. (See another photo.) Her journals, which come in a variety of sizes, are created with the intention to be lovely not only to the eye, but to the touch as well. Each books is wholly unique and given special attention as they are individually crafted with love. The shipment of my journal was incredibly speedy, and it made a great gift for a fellow vendor. You can purchase your own handmade journal by visiting http://Kreativlink.etsy.com. The journals start at $12 and worldwide shipping is available. Also be sure to check out Renate’s blog at http://www.kreativling.at.
