When a Mom's Words Return

Yesterday my son pulled up with his past week's laundry a few hours prior to dinnertime. It's never a problem for last minute dinner guests, as my husband and I still have a hard time cooking for two, and so there are always leftovers in the house. We have tried to hint to the kids to let us know when they are coming in advance, mainly so I can steer my husband away from cooking things that I know the kids don't like ... or are allergic to. I know my son claims to dislike curry and so I was a little concerned when he walked into the house and asked, "is that curry I smell?"  I replied, "yes we are having Chicken Tikka Masala tonight, but don't worry, I have some great leftover brisket that we made for our friends last night." Suddenly I was reminded of long ago dinners when my kids were very young. Friday nights I would get adventurous with cooking, and attempt to treat my "then husband" with something slightly exotic. I would make the kids Kraft Deluxe mac and cheese with peas on the side, as this was their favorite meal. When my husband and I sat down with our "adult" meal, the questions from the kids would begin. " Eww, what is that?" I would always start out by saying "It's adult food and you probably won't like it." That really piqued interest and they would eventually wind up asking for a taste. I would tell them that it's good to try new things, even if you don't like it at first, because your tastebuds are always changing. My daughter, always the lady, would grimace and swallow if she didn't like the offending food, but my son was a bit more dramatic. The face would grimace and get red, the mouth would open displaying the un-chewed contents, and the food would be spit out on his plate (along with a few gags for effect). Then would come the familiar, "YUCK." I wouldn't get mad, but I would always say with encouragement, "that's a big boy who tries new things." To this day, I have kept track of the foods that all my kids like and dislike, only now their reactions have become a bit more subtle. As I prepared the leftover brisket, potatoes and gravy, and carrots, knowing my son's dislike of curry, I heard him say to my husband, "That smells pretty good, I think I'll try a little, you know, your tastebuds are always changing." I had to smile...  it's so heartwarming when you hear your kids repeat your own motherly phrases as if they were their own. Well, he had a little bowl full of the curried stew and said it was pretty good, especially as he imitated my husband eating it with the Naan bread that was served.  I could tell that this was a baby step, and was glad I nuked up the leftovers for him. But knowing my son, I don't think he will continue making the claim that he doesn't like curry, as long as I let him figure it out for himself (like a big boy).