Use for a Hammer #437

We all know that Joshua, aka Mr. Fix It always has his tools nearby. He carries them in one of a number of tool storage options (two tool boxes, one tool caddy on wheels, a belt with loops and pockets, his backpack or even one of my Longaberger baskets). Regardless, they're always within arms reach.

This story is one of juxtaposition.

Add to the tool situation the fact that we've found, in recent weeks, that involving Joshua in dinner preparation is a good idea. He's more likely to eat the things that he had a hand in helping with.

So last night I was making chicken parm (which, by the way, is a new recipe that seriously rocked my world and will be going into the Dugan family rotation for many years to come...go here if you want to get the recipe for yourself). I saw this as the perfect opportunity for his participation so I told him to get his hammer. Not a chance I was going to give him the real meat mallett...are you kidding me? He was so happy to be pounding the chicken that I had to tell him to stop because the poor chicken was about to yell "uncle".

And here was the look on Lauren's face during all of the pounding. She looked concerned...as did I.


I wish I could tell you that Joshua gobbled up that chicken like a big boy. But I had a real mistake moment that quickly got woven into the evening's menu. I usually check labels really closely when I grocery shop and have found Wal Mart brand cheese to sometimes say "may contain traces of pecans". As a side note, I have no idea why there might be pecans in cheese, but we can't take chances. So I had cleaned up the whole mess of pans and dishes from the chicken parm prep. As I was putting the mozzarella cheese back in the fridge (which incidentally was now melting over the chicken parm in the oven), I glanced at the label and saw the dreaded pecans listed on the ingredients. All of a sudden I thought I was going to have to get more chicken out and start the process again to get a piece that Joshua could eat. Jason, in his infinite wisdom, suggested that I put a few chicken nuggets that we have that are safe for him down in the sauce and pass them off as the chicken Joshua had made. That immediately sounded better than recreating the mess I had just made and then cleaned up. And so we did. He ate his chicken nuggets and pasta like a champ, all the while thinking it was the stuff he had pounded the living daylights out of a half hour prior. Someday I won't be able to pull those switcheroos, but for last night, it worked. Phew.

Boy that was a long story about chicken parm. Sorry!

And just for fun, here are a few pictures of the kids from this morning. If I could eat them up I just might.