S loves to cook. He has raided most of the kitchen cupboards and drawers. His basket of cooking utensils is overflowing. He is starting to pull out cookbooks to look at from the bookshelf. And he's started to ask to watch cooking shows on TV.

Cooking is the only game that will keep S engaged for more than 10 minutes. In fact, he will often cook on his own for half an hour. He will imitate mixing, stirring, pouring, mashing, kneading, whisking, flipping while naming ingredients and foods that he knows like meat, oil, broth, eggs, pepper, milk, bread, dough...

It's completely entertaining and we can see where he gets it from. I'm in the kitchen cooking much of the time and he loves being there to smell, taste and touch. When he's not imitating me, he wants to see what I'm doing and whenever possible, help out.

For Christmas we got him a kitchen play set...one of the ones with a fridge, sink, stovetop, etc. Now he wants to cook all the time. He loves to cut his velcro fruits and veggies, wash dishes and cook on the stovetop. All the while he says to himself, "Cook...cut...wash..."

The kitchen has been kept him busy while I cook and has miraculously kept him out of our kitchen drawers and cabinets. I almost wish we got it for him earlier! But at the same time we ask ourselves if we should be perpetuating this obsession. Maybe we should be encouraging him to play with other toys.

Or maybe we should start saving up for his culinary training.

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Jean Lyons will be held on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 10:30 a.m. at Christ Church Cathedral (corner of Burrard and Georgia Streets), Vancouver. For those wishing to contribute, a memorial scholarship fund has been established and donations may be made at the service or through the Jean Lyons School of Music (604.734.4019).

S started daycare yesterday. Considering he hasn't had much time away from neither Roland nor I, he did very well. When we arrived, he was a bit apprehensive and clingy but before long he was playing with some trains along with 3 older kids. Of course when I left he started to cry, pretty typical behaviour (later I was to discover that he cried for less than 2 minutes. Ah ha! Attempts to pull at Mama's heartstrings!)

He was a happy camper all morning--a visit to the library for storytime, free play at the park, interacting and playing with the other kids. But with all the new activity and stimulation poor S had had enough by lunchtime. He wouldn't eat and he refused to nap. And he wailed for half an hour.

So the daycare provider called and I b-lined out the door to pick him up. When I arrived he was still sobbing and red-eyed. Poor bubby. But half way home he was his happy self again, singing along to Old MacDonald. And he had a good nap.

How did I do with S in daycare? I was ecstatic! I had a list of errands I needed to run and felt liberated. I knew that he'd stop crying soon after I left. When I got home I did miss him a bit but not too much, especially when I had a chance to lie down to nurse my emerging migraine.

Daycare is a good change for S. It's definitely time for him to be around folks other than me. I say the same for myself.

Happy New Year! 2006 is already here...we can't seem to figure out how 2005 could zip by so quickly.

I'm not one to make new year's resolutions but some of my hopes for 2006 include getting the business launched, exercising more, continuing to parent as best as I can, more self care and cooking more. And blogging more, of course!