OF COURSE YOU LIKE THIS!

Day 23

After my 5-year old returned from school today he said to me, "Dad, for snack I can either have ice cream or a popsicle." Kids!



Tonight, my assignment was to grill the fish and bok choy (by the way, I started dinner at 10 minutes to six and it was finished by 10 minutes after six! Go me!--OK, I wan't alone. My wife helped...a lot). If you've never had grilled baby bok choy, you're missing out. I cooked this several weeks ago, and as I remember, everyone in the family ate it, and liked it.

So, as a family, we were playing a game, 'Silent' ball. Everyone was laughing and having a good time, INCLUDING our 5-year old. At 5:50, I remembered I was supposed to make dinner so our kids could be at scouts at 6:30--Yeah, I know...running late.

Our 5-year old was just FINE five minutes before I stepped out to the grill, but the moment I stepped out to the grill, he started wailing about how hungry he was, and 'when is dinner' and 'I'm STARVING!'



Whose kid WAS this?! Tell me this 'instant' change from peaceful to full-blown anguish has happened to you!

He came out to the grill to see what was taking so long. He is just tall enough to see the edge of the grill and could tell that I was grilling something green (not always a warning for him, because he DOES like salads, but this time it was just too much).

"What's that?" he asked.
"Baby bok choy," I answered.
"I don't like bok choy," he said.
"Of course you do."
"No I don't."
"You ate it the last time we had it."
"No I didn't. I don't LIKE it!"
"You like bok choy as much as you like fish," I countered.
"I don't like fish" (a real bummer for him because that was the other half of the meal).

This went on for quite some time, using many examples, until I finally said,
"You like bok choy as much as you like ice cream!"
Without a pause or hesitation, he countered, "I don't really like ice cream," he responded...with a smile...

It is so nice to know that the momentary 'lamentation-filled' five-year old from the living room moments before, still had a sense of humor. Dinner was uneventful and the tears stopped before the prayer began!