Salad, Anyone?
March 20, 2008
Three years old is the age of the helper.
As soon as I went into the refrigerator and pulled out the lettuce Miles went running for the salad spinner. His salad spinner.
He shoved me out of the way in front of the sink, banging me in the shins with his chair. Frantic that I might dare to wash the lettuce without him, despite the fact that I repeatedly assured him that the job was all his.
If only they were that eager to help as they got older.
I may have to start making salad at 2 o’clock in the afternoon to have it ready in time for dinner when he helps, but could you deny that blurry little face?
Why yes, he is wearing hot pink nail polish. Sometimes a boy just feels the need to be pretty.
RSS feed for comments on this post.
The URI to TrackBack this entry is:
http://www.notesfromthetrenches.com/2008/03/20/salad-anyone/trackback/
He’s adorable … and how true is this!
“If only they were that eager to help as they got older”
My oldest is only 6 and my 3 year old is a better helper and his willing to help without bribery!
March 20th, 2008 at 9:10 amhe’s willing to help …
must.get.caffeine.now.
March 20th, 2008 at 9:11 amWhat a cutie! Just as I was thinking, “Is he wearing pink nail polish?” you answered by question. It’s Spring - pink nail polish gets you in the spirit!
March 20th, 2008 at 9:11 amWow, if I get me one o’ them there fancy salad spinners and let MY 3-year-old help, maybe she’d allow some lettuce to actually pass her lips!
March 20th, 2008 at 9:25 amI was just having this exact conversion with my in-laws yesterday as my 2 1/2 year old “washed the dishes”, too true that the eagerness to help is inversely proportional to age. Or something like that.
March 20th, 2008 at 9:31 amLove the pink nail polish. My 2 year old son has now developed a love of dress-up jewelry. How can you deny them that?
March 20th, 2008 at 9:56 amI am in the exact same boat with my three-year-old. It takes twice as much time to get dinner on the table, but at least it’s quality time.
March 20th, 2008 at 10:01 amMy almost 5 year old son prefers the Halloween Green nail polish since in his mind that color is good for boys.
March 20th, 2008 at 10:20 amMiles is in touch with his feminine side. That’s not necessarily a bad thing!
Gotta.Love.Those.Dimples!!
March 20th, 2008 at 10:31 amMy 8 yr old step-daughter is always wanting to help cook and wash dishes. We let her (because it makes it more enticing if it seems like a privilege, not a chore) a couple times but then she started having a skin reaction to the dish soap. So now she’s back to just loading and unloading the dishwasher and setting the table.
March 20th, 2008 at 10:36 amMy oldest son liked to have his nails painted at that age also. Toes and fingers. He’s 14 now and I don’t think it would be safe (for me) to remind him of those pretty, pretty nails.
March 20th, 2008 at 11:14 amI started this with my daughter when she was that age as well, and so far now (7-1/2) she is still a helper, and it only takes 25% longer now than it would if I do it myself. Having patience with them at this point goes a long way to keeping them helping.
March 20th, 2008 at 11:14 amHe is absolutely adorable. I would want to eat salad every day just to see that face!
March 20th, 2008 at 11:30 amIt warms my heart that all three year old boys are the same, eager helpers who sometimes feel the need to accessorize. They are the best!!
March 20th, 2008 at 12:03 pmChris - I’ve been reading your blog daily now for the last week or two. I just love all of your entries and all the fantastic photos. I was looking through the archives last night and found the video of Miles cracking eggs. He’s such a cutie and a great little kitchen helper!
March 20th, 2008 at 12:05 pmIf the makers of the salad spinner knew just how popular it was among 3 and 4 year-olds, they’d charge a lot more money for it.
March 20th, 2008 at 1:46 pmCan I borrow him? I’d love to have someone wash and spin dry my lettuce.
March 20th, 2008 at 1:49 pmHow cute is he? He looks just like you. And the pink polish is so funny. Right now 2 1/2 yr old Roo is sporting one pink toenail. He couldn’t stand it the other night when I was doing my toes.
March 20th, 2008 at 1:49 pmHe is so cute I just want to eat him up whole. In a mommy kind of way, not a weird-stalkerish Hannibal Lecter kind of way, I promise!
March 20th, 2008 at 2:03 pmI love how you can see the blur of the salad spinning in the 2nd photo, and the look of fasination on his face…what a neat moment to capture!
Miles is such a sweetheart!!! He looks so much like you.
March 20th, 2008 at 2:44 pmI love it! The nail polish, the spinning salad, all of it!
March 20th, 2008 at 2:50 pmIs he available for hire?
March 20th, 2008 at 3:09 pmI’m glad to see that he’s rockin’ out the hot pink nail polish. I used to have to beg to get my nails painted when I was little. I loved having painted nails and glad to see that it’s still a desire for young boys. So fun.
March 20th, 2008 at 4:12 pmDude. I’d totally be all over making the salad if I had a spinner. That sounds awesome! Like a sit-and-spin and then at the end…salad!
I may have misunderstood what a salad spinner is.
March 20th, 2008 at 4:32 pmHoly smokes, I want to nibble on those cheeks! And I HATE washing and drying lettuce, so it would only be a bonus that those cheeks come with lettuce washing benefits. We eat about a zillion salads a week (not that you could tell by looking at me) so he would be a happy boy!
March 20th, 2008 at 5:11 pmI have been wanting one of those crazy contraptions… the salad spinner not the boy!! Way past the “parenting of the young child thing, although he is very cute, pink nails and all!!” I have my fourty something birthday in a couple of days, maybe the Easter Bunny will leave one for me! I love your post, very funny!
March 20th, 2008 at 8:06 pmLove the nail polish! That is too funny. The salad spinner is always a hot conflict around here, everyone wants a turn.
March 21st, 2008 at 7:22 pmMy DD is 14 and toatlly wants a salad spinner. I may get one just to shut her up! LOL DD painted the boys’ nails the other day with pink sparkly polish. They loved it and showed it off to me. I laughed so hard. The Baby keeps sneaking into his sisys room to steal her nail polish now….
March 22nd, 2008 at 1:51 amCool. I didn’t even know salad spinners were still around. Where did you get it?
March 22nd, 2008 at 9:48 amJoey has red toenails right now - just like mine.
March 22nd, 2008 at 1:12 pmi don’t think he could get any prettier.
wow baby.
March 25th, 2008 at 1:42 pm