Just go ahead ...

and give me the Mother of the Year award: His mouth is full of broccoli.

Thank you, thank you.

Short post tonight on account of the visit of the Maternal Grandparents and the incessant needs of the pre-teen grammar tyrants. This past week, one of them sent me an email with the word "variegated" in it. I only thought that word could be applied to Lantana, a native Hawaiian plant that landscapers in the southeast love because you can't kill it and it doubles in size every day. It's like a combo ground cover and showcase flowerbed perennial (you know, like those kind they put in front of large apartment complexes or business entrances). Mostly yellow, the buds are made up of conglomerations of miniature sunbursts. Sometimes, however, they can be orange AND yellow (i.e., variegated). Apparently, so can subordinate clauses.

Anywho.

Other reasons I should be MotY:

Here he is learning to use a knife and fork to cut his chicken and bok choy burritio [sic]. Somehow I got the Mexican Dinner Night ingredients confused with those flagged for Asian Night and we ended up with tortillas filled with chicken and chopped bok choy. And it was good, y'all. Add to the list of retirement options: Culinary School.

And now, the third and final reason that I should at least be nominated for MotY ...

Forget about the Muscle Man, and please look down at his food ... the bowl is full of Black Bean & Tomato Spaghetti with a side of steamed broccoli (see first photo on this page) and grilled catfish. WHOLE. WHEAT. SPAGHETTI. I made it with leftover black beans from the aforementioned burritio night.

Sometimes you have good ideas about food combinations. Sometimes you don't. But dadgummit I know how to use a pot of leftover slow-cooked, cumin-infused black beans.

Thank you again.

Iyi geceler.

(That's Turkish for "good night.")