Budding chef

My son fixed supper tonight. He followed step-by-step a recipe out of his new Star Wars cookbook for Galaxy Grilled Cheese, then handed the last step of grilling the sandwiches to me. The cheddar and pickle concoction was quite tasty.

Mid-winter break

Our family did a little snowshoeing during mid-winter break. Our first outing --first-ever for our son -- was on the gentle paths and trails in the woods behind St. Scholastica.

The day was gorgeous -- sunshine, clear blue sky, and a stillness broken only by the crunch of our snowshoes and the excited cries of "Mom, Mom" as our son discovered trees full of woodpecker holes, rabbit and fox tracks and the rock fire pits and birdbaths that dot the woodscape.

Great Super Bowl ad

I can imagine my son and his dad doing this.

Ready for the big game

My son took some grief from his kindergarten classmates when he wore his new Pittsburgh Steeler's jersey to school yesterday.

"Aren't you a Packers fan?" his friend Michael moaned. My son tried the diplomatic approach: "I'm a Vikings-Steelers-Packers fan," he responded, giving nod to his three favorite teams.

Grandma Edna promised him a jersey of his favorite Steeler -- Troy Polamalu -- if they won the AFC championship. Grandpa Cook, a die-hard Eagles fan who knows how difficult it can be to follow other teams in this Vikings-Packers dominated land, bought him the Steelers football a couple years ago.

Now all he needs is a Terrible Towel, and he's ready for game day.