lesson #1: the smoke detector is not a timer

Since he's been detained at home by unemployment, my husband has taking to watching back to back to back episodes of "Wife Swap". And he loves it - usually the first thing he wants to do as soon as I get home is talk about today's episodes of "Wife Swap". It's kind of like, "Hey, honey, how was your day? OH MY GOD you'll never guess what happened on Wife Swap today. GUESS!!"

And I'm all "Really? Really, Justin?" And then his feelings get hurt and then it's just awkward. No one ever prepares you for this kind of awkwardness at marriage counseling. You just sort of have to muck through it on your own, figuring out how to not break into fits of laughter because you soon figure out that'll only piss the other party off even more...which makes you want to bust out all that much more!

Isn't that the best/worst feeling ever - when you want to laugh so badly but you know it's not the appropriate place or time? I hate when it happens during movies (I'm looking at you MIRANDA) or funerals (I'm looking at you DOBBY)! It's a hard thing to overcome, the desire to laugh out loud....

Back to the subject, here. (I swear I'm going somewhere with all of this, just bear with me for a minute) My husband loves "Wife Swap" - okay, big deal. At least it's not "Jersey Shore" or worse, "The Bachelor" (EWW). And because he loves this show and I'm such a supportive wife, when we were home together for the past three days, due to sickness and then snow, I sat down and watched a few episodes with him - just to see what all the fuss was about. It's a pretty good show, I have to admit. But after watching a couple episdoes you've really seen them all. They pair wives with families that are a complete 180 of their own - every time. If you're poor, you're with a rich family. If you're neat, you're with a filthy family. If you're boring, you're with a silly family. And vice versa, repeat and start all over again. Screaming, crying kids. An asshole-ish dad. Same ole, same ole.

But it was while watching one of these episodes that I got a little boost for an idea I've been wanting to do with SidMo for some time now. One of the very religious, very men are leaders/women are followers kind of wives gave her visiting family's kid a kitchen cooking set - you know, to get her started in the right direction of being "barefoot and pregnant" in the kitchen. (Don't get me started) But regardless of the underlying message, the little girl was stoked. She had her own kitchen utensils and cookware and she was so excited to be learning some basic cooking tips.

Now, I know Sidney is a little too young to learn about cooking - but she loves helping me out in the kitchen. LOVES IT. She'll sit up on the counter and help me mix muffins together or stir noodles in a pot. She'll pour salt and pepper into whatever we're making - she knows the oven is "hot" and not to touch anything around her. She's figured out a lot just by watching me, so I think that cooking is really something she enjoys and finds interesting.

It excites me to watch her interets develop and grow and branch out to things other than TV shows or baby dolls. Cooking is definitely a hobby of mine, one that I enjoy and one that I can definitely share with my daughter. So, I've been thinking I'd like to make her a play kitchen - yes, I realize I could just go out and buy her one and be done with it. But I'd really like to get creative and make this for her. I'd like to turn something boring and dull into a fun, interactive place for her to use her imagination and create culinary masterpieces all her own. And I know she'll love this - just yesterday as I was frying bacon for breakfast (and Justin had a heart attack because SidMo was in such a close proximity to the grease) I put her some noodles in a couple bowls and brought out an old nightstand we had in the bedroom for her to use as a cooktop. I gave her some spoons and some almost-empty salt/pepper shakers. She was in 7th Heaven!!! It was the cutest thing you ever did see, I'm telling you now.

So I have complete faith she'd love a play kitchen of her own. Hopefully this weekend, I'll find a suitable piece of furniture to convert and we can get started on this grand idea I have! And as she gets older, I can't wait to teach her cooking skills. I look forward to the day she and I can prepare entire meals or desserts together. I am so excited that she is so excited about cooking - hopefully, it's just one of many things we'll have in common, ideas we'll share, and pasttimes we can participate in together.