Wow! That was NICE!!

In every parenting career, there are some watershed, milestone moments. The first time your darling, lovely, SCREAMING child sleeps through the night. The first time you leave the house without a stroller, diaper bag, change of clothes, etc. The first day of school.

And the first time your child single handedly (OK, nearly single handedly) makes dinner!

Peter has completed all the requirements for the Arrow of Light, which is the highest rank Cub Scouts give. He's still got a few months, though, before he'll cross over to Boy Scouts. Lots of Scouts, Peter included, fill the time by trying to get their Super Achiever Award, which basically means they've earned all 20 of the Webelos pins.

One of the pins is the Family Member pin; on of it's requirements is to help plan the meals for your family for a week, help do the shopping, and help prepare at least three meals.

Woot!

So, Sunday night he and I sat down and planned our menu for this week, and decided that tonight we'd have tilapia. We went shopping, and got everything we needed.

On Mondays Peter rides the bus home. Also on Mondays we have a bit of a tight schedule; G has To Shin Do at 5, and today she ALSO had a basketball practice at 7:15. We were NOT going to be able to eat if I started cooking at 6:15 after getting home from To Shin Do.

Enter Peter the cook.

When he got home and finished his homework, I had him start the prep work for dinner (basically just making the bread crumbs that would go on the fish). He did that easily, though for some reason couldn't find the garlic and dill, but decided to improvise spices. When G and I got home at 4:30, I put the breadcrumbs on the fish, then put the oven on delay bake; the fish would be done at 6:15. We went to To Shin Do, Peter got his Christmas List made while she was there, then we picked her up, and headed home.

The fish was done; Peter quickly made the green beans and the corn, while I set the table, and we were sitting down eating by about 6:20. It seems silly, but there's no WAY I could've done it without Peter's prepwork and help.

I LOVE having a kid who's competent in the kitchen!