Mr. Chicken

Austin has a bear washcloth puppet that we have named Benny the Bear.

He loves having conversations with Benny during bath time.

Though he knows our hand is in the puppet, he interacts with it as if it is real.

So, I should not have been surprised when I was making dinner and Austin came running over and said, "I want to talk to Mr. Chicken Mommy."

I wasn't sure I heard him right, but quickly I figured it out.

I was rinsing the chicken in the sink and he got on his stool, grabbed the wing, shook it and said, "Nice to meet you Mr. Chicken."

I then placed the chicken in the roasting pan, scoured his hands because he touched raw chicken and grabbed the camera because I knew this would be a photo op.

When I came back into the room Austin was talking to "Mr. Chicken" (though headless) and reached over and grabbed a piece of celery.

He said, "Oh, you're hungry. Okay. Why don't you have a snack. Here is some celery."


Now, I know that he has seen me stuff a chicken before roasting it, but I certainly don't talk to my chickens.

He proceeded to feed the chicken celery and garlic, telling "him" that it would be good for him.

This was a moment that I wished I had a video camera, because it truly would have better captured what was going on.

I put the camera down and we finished feeding the chicken celery, garlic, some seasonings and butter.

Then as I seasoned the skin of the chicken, Austin asked me what I was doing.

I told him that I was getting Mr. Chicken ready for the oven so when he was done cooking he would taste good.

He looked at the chicken quizzically and as I put some small pats of butter on it, he said, "What's that Mommy, his lotion?"

I didn't understand what he meant at first, but then I realized he was contemplating Mr. Chicken going into the hot oven.

I said, "Austin do you mean, lotion like Mommy puts on you when you go out into the sun to keep you from burning?"

Yeah.

"Then yes, it is kind of the chicken's lotion, but it's butter."

Oh.

As I put "Mr. Chicken" into the oven he continued talking to him and said, "Don't worry Mr. Chicken, Mommy put your lotion on and you are going to be so delicious when you are done cooking. I am going to eat you up!" (I believe he stole that line from the troll in Three Billy Goats Gruff)

Don't you wish you could be three sometimes and enjoy the fun and wonder of simple things?