A while back I posted an article called Feeding Junior: Adventures in Whining and Dining on VanEats that chronicles feeding S just past the age of 2. We have noticed that although he likes most food we offer him, he definitely has his preferences: soup (especially my mum's), noodles, meat, salmon, fried eggs, toast with butter and honey, wakame, green veggies...but most of all mushrooms.

Today I dropped him off at my folks' while I came home to clean the house. He had a great time playing with Goong Goong (my dad) in the rec room but when he wanted something to eat, he headed upstairs to look for Poh Poh (my mum). Just before he headed up, mum fried some eggs for fried rice. S wound up mooching some egg for a quick snack. He then proceded to mooch some freshly stirfried green beans.

As he was finishing his snack, he said to my mum, "Poh Poh! Mushrooms!" There was not a mushroom in sight. He did, however, smell them. Mum had braised some dried shiitake for another dish she wasn't planning to serve. The nose knows. She gave in and gave him some mushrooms. If he was going to be that clever, he deserved it.

Up until yesterday, my folks have not taken care of S for any extended period of time. They've babysat at night while he's asleep but they had babysat him awake for 1 1/2 hours maximum. It's not that they aren't willing to help. My folks are older and they just hadn't felt comfortable with all the physical demands of taking care of a baby/toddler.

Yesterday was a breakthrough day. Midnight Kitchen was scheduled to be at the market and I was to manage the stall on my own meaning that Roland needed to help me move the freezer and other equipment early in the morning and help me pack up in the early afternoon. We needed childcare so my folks stepped up to bat and agreed to watch him for a while in the morning and then later in the afternoon.

Because my dad woke up with vertigo, my mom was on her own looking after S. I think she surprised herself--she was able to manage him without any problems and both she and S had a wonderful time! When I asked her if it was difficult or stressful, she said not at all! In fact, when I went to my folks' house to pick up S, he didn't want to leave.

So this morning as I lay awake in bed, a sudden wave of relief and new freedom washed over me. We now have an alternate daytime childcare provider besides S's daycare! I know it's not a big deal for most families, but for us it's taken a long time to get used to the idea that S might be ready and that there's someone that's available and reliable.