I Hate Your Food!

We had ten of my husband's relatives visiting this past weekend, including five children ages 8 and under (plus my two). Sunday morning, my husband told the kids that he was heading out to the bagel shop to pick up bagels for everyone. My 6 year old nephew responded that he does not like bagels, and my husband told him that we also had homemade pumpkin bread. As soon as my husband was out of earshot, my nephew announced to his cousins, "I hate your food!" I was standing in the next room and overheard him. A few minutes later, my 6 year old daughter came up to me and whispered, "Did you hear what R said?" Oh, yes, I did! It's not like we were offering him brussel sprouts or broccoli for breakfast!

This was not the first time my nephew had made a similar comment. At my mother-in-law's home over Memorial Day weekend, he announced that my mother-in-law buys "really bad bread" and that his mom's bread is "much better." What kind of bread did my mother-in-law have on hand, you ask? Whole grain bread. What kind of bread does said nephew's mother buy (when she's not picking up takeout or McD's for their family of five)? White bread.

That same weekend, this child asked what Dorito's are made of. I squelched my desire to immediately respond "a bunch of nasty chemicals; read the package," and my brother-in-law instead responded: "Bread with melted cheese."

And we wonder why there's an obesity epidemic in this country...

Happiness, Six Year Old Style

A sensory poem by Cate, age 6:

Happiness is me and my friends.

It sounds like lafing and talking.

It smells like yummy and pretty.

It tastes like good and sweet.

It looks like jumping and smialing.

Happiness feels like nicse, good, mysilf.

Happiness, 40 year old style: Pulling this poem out of my daughter's backpack, and seeing her smiling face every day after school.