Pasta & Peas, and Leeks & Please

Today, the Sprog had a playdate with an older woman (7 years old) and her mother who made him broccoli-stuffed ravioli, which he devoured. It was his first pasta, and it was very good – turns out it’s an Italian brand called Garafalo she got at Costco.

She also gave him lots of her famous croutons, which made him happily stink of garlic.

We’re trying to all eat the same things for dinner, and eliminate the distinctions between food for kids and food for grown-ups. Tonight it was roast chicken, mashed potatoes with burrata mozzarella, and pureed peas and leeks. Everything except the chicken was new to him, and he loved it, though he didn’t quite finish the peas and leeks. Still, it’s good that green isn’t an automatic turn-off to him anymore.

I haven’t mentioned this before, but a couple points on manners: we tell him whenever he reaches for something, he has to say “Please” first. It’s become a comical elongated “Peeeeeee-eeeeease” with giggles. At least fifty percent of the time, we get a thank you or its equivalent (“Dank doo,” “Eeep oh,” “Zzzxhmqt!”) as well. And the moment he starts to play with his food rather than eat it, it gets taken away, only to be returned with more Peeeeeee-eeeeeases and Dank doos.

After all, in less than a month, he’s meeting Grandma and the manners better be spot on.