Common Sense by Michelle Devon

(Here’s a story I wrote based on something that my son really did back in about 2006. I wrote it back then, but I’m not sure much has changed since then…lol Enjoy. Don’t laugh too hard at his expense!)
 
The grocery store had a good sale on some of those pre-prepared casserole dishes, like lasagna, and Mexican chicken casserole, and those types of things. They were three for 10 bucks. Really, you can’t beat that for a night when you don’t feel like cooking but still want something better than fast food. Plus, I figured it would be easy for the kiddo to make himself.

What was I thinking?

I mean, how many blogs have I posted about the brat boy nearly burning the kitchen down? Still, he’s almost fourteen (he’s seventeen now, almost eighteen!) and should be able to cook some things for himself, right? Plus, those pre-packaged meals have very easy to read and clear instructions on them, don’t they?

Don’t they?


Well, okay, so I figured I’d let him cook dinner last night, or at least, he could follow the instructions on the box and put dinner in the oven. I figured I’d do the veggies and such on the stove. Brat boy and I actually do like to cook together.

So he opens up the box and pulls out the tray and reads what to turn the oven on to pre-heat it. He then pulls the film off the top of the box, and then I go to the bathroom and come back and the food is in the oven.

Cool.

So about 1/2 an hour later, I come into the kitchen to see if it’s ready.

What do you think I find?

Well, he had taken the casserole, while frozen and had, as the instructions indicated, placed it on a cookie sheet.

The thing is...

...he didn’t put it on the cookie sheet in the tray.

That’s right. He turned the casserole upside down on the cookie sheet without the tray it comes in.
So while frozen, this was not a problem.

When it thawed and started cooking though, the once inch tall frozen casserole starts to, uhm, melt? over the edges of the very shallow cookie sheet, and drip all over the burners and the bottom of the oven.

Nice.

I asked, “Why did you take it out of the tray?”

His response: “The tray was plastic.”

“So?”

“Plastic melts in the oven.”

“Did you read the instructions like I said?”

“Yes.”

“Did it say to take it out of the tray?”

“Well, no, not exactly.”

“What exactly did it say?”

“To put it on a cookie sheet, and I did that.”

“Yes, son, you most certainly did.” Sigh.

So turn the oven off and clean up the mess, toss out that casserole, what little was left of it on the cookie sheet was close to burnt anyway, and ask the brat boy to get another one out of the freezer.
I say this time, “Just follow the instructions exactly, okay?”

“Okay,” he responds, “but if the plastic melts, it’s not my fault.”

(shaking head)

I do have to laugh though. Ryan and I were talking the other night about how this kiddo doesn’t have a lick of common sense, and how common sense is something that kids just have to learn over time (and some never do), and not really something you can teach them.

In one respect, my son showed good common sense in that he was thinking ahead that perhaps plastic would melt in the oven.

Good thinking, right? Okay, I’ll grant him that.

BUT…

That same ‘common sense’ never stopped to consider that a 1 inch tall frozen casserole on a shallow cookie sheet would end up expanding over the edges.

Ah, well.

Ya’ll have a fantastic day!
Love and stuff,
Michy

Today, my guest blogger is Michelle Devon, a terrific lady who has some hilarious stories on her website.  Her original article is posted here.