Ahead of the curve

CNN and the Associated Press have teamed up once again to bring you the breakingest of news.

The first bulleted item in this story, for those unable to commit to reading all 600 words, sums it up nicely: "Toy kitchens for boys seen as OK."

Clearly Vicki and I are far more progressive than we give ourselves credit for. We were almost two years ahead of this trend.

The story takes pains to note the prominence of celebrity chefs and the reality that more dads cook these days. Both, I'm sure, are accurate, but that line of argument feels a bit defensive.

And to be perfectly honest, if I thought for a second that having a toy kitchen in our house would turn Samson into Emeril (BAM!) or Bobby Flay, I'd get rid of it like a hand grenade.

Not to mention the fact that I do almost all the laundry in our house, but Samson has yet to ask for a play washer/dryer set.

I think boys play kitchen for the same reason girls do: it's fun. And (almost) everybody likes to eat and play with food.

I have a friend at CNN who is very excited about their next collaboration with AP. I can't give away all the details, but it's going to be a three-part series and will take on the issue of women and the trend toward "wearing pants." Stay tuned.