Ode to the spoon

Ethan's aforementioned toothbrush fascination has been slowly waning (though I don't expect it to disappear completely for awhile!), and he's had a growing interest in kitchen utensils. I think I mentioned before that he occasionally "rides" a spatula like a horse. He also likes wooden spoons, and really anything with a good handle for gripping. He can now say fork, spoon and knife, and regularly requests and uses utensils at mealtime. He ate both oatmeal and tomato soup yesterday with great finesse.
Tonight as I was washing a plastic Wendy's spoon, I couldn't help but smile as I reflected on what an exciting afternoon it'd had. I don't normally save plastic fast food chain spoons, but this one had made it into our drawer, and Ethan got his hands on it. I hadn't really thought much of it until I realized he still had it clutched in his hand when I was buckling him into his car seat for our trip to the grocery store. He hung onto it in the car, waved it around, chewed on it and threw it in the store. As I was unloading the groceries I noticed him digging with it in the dirt out back. Somehow it made it back up to the kitchen and I washed it tonight. What an amazing, multifunctional utensil you are, spoon!