Ooh, So Close.

This is why I should just stick with pancakes on non-Carmine nights.

I will not bore you with the details of why a twenty minute errand ended up taking two hours.  Frankly, I blame the stores advertising big clearance sales on their windows, it's impossible to fight that kind of temptation.  Needless to say, I wasn't going to get home in time to put the frozen lasagna in the oven for dinner, hence my phone call to Noah:

Me:  Noah, I need you to start dinner for me. Will you please pull the frozen lasagna out of the freezer and just follow the directions on the box?

Noah:  Wait.  What?  You want me to fix dinner?  I'm not sure I can do this.  I've never made a lasagna before, mom.  I don't think I'm ready for this.

Me:  You're not making it, you're just cooking it.  There's a big difference.  It's easy, I promise.  Just pull the box out, find the directions, and follow them.  Seriously, there's like three directions total.  Can you do that for me as soon as we hang up?

Noah:  (takes a deep breath)  Ok.  (another deep breath)  I can do this.  But, mom?

Me:  Yes...

Noah:  I'll need you to talk to Reagan and tell her she needs to stay out of the kitchen.  I have to concentrate on cooking and I can't have her bothering me.

Me: (slight eye roll) Noah - this should take you about 30 seconds.  You're going to be ok.  Just hurry and get it going and I'll see you soon.

As he's hanging up, I hear him yell, "Reagan!  I have very impor--." I'm not sure what he yelled after that, all that mattered was the lasagna was going to be done on time.  Success!

About 30 minutes later I walked inside to the smell of lasagna.  As I went into the kitchen, I was walking over to Noah to tell him good job, when I noticed something on the counter.  It took me a minute to realize it was the aluminum lid that comes on top of the lasagna.

Me:  Noah, awesome job on getting the lasagna in the oven.  

Noah:  Thanks!  Did I do it right?

Me:  Yep, you only forgot to put the lid on the top.  No biggie.

Noah: What are you talking about?

Me: (pointing to the lid on the counter)  That.

Noah:  (looking confused)  Yeah, I wasn't sure what they wanted me to do with that.  It just said to take the lid off and bend it in a tent shape.  I figured it was something for little kids to play with, like a tunnel for cars or something.

Me: (pause) Um... (paused again) Sure - we'll go with that.  Great job, babe.


If McDonald's can give a toy with their happy meals, why can't frozen lasagna come with a tunnel for toy cars?  Makes sense to me.