Choices

David had me [secretly] chuckling again tonight.  During dinner, Daniel reminded me that they still needed their multivitamins, which I usually give them at breakfast.  While Daniel was insisting he wanted two (his maximum dose), David said he only wanted one now, because he thought they were starting to taste funny and he didn't care for them anymore.  I said, "No problem, but then you're going to have to start eating vegetables."

Instant response:  "I'll take two vitamins, please."

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We also encourage him at times to take a "thank-you bite" of something at dinner to try new foods and show gratitude for what has been prepared.  He's only obligated to eat one bite, and we've managed to get him to discover a fair amount of new foods that way.  Oddly enough, sometimes we have to force him to take thank-you bites of things any normal kid would leap at the chance to eat.  Like ice cream or homemade cookies.  He's only just recently tried and discovered he likes both my peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and iced molasses cookies.  Good thing, too, because what kid doesn't like chocolate chip cookies?  It's un-American!

Today I made both Scotcheroos and Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies for several treat-appropriate gatherings this week, and he came home from school raving about how good the cookies smelled.  I encouraged him to try the pumpkin cookies since he thought they smelled so good, but he resolutely declined.

So tonight after dinner he requested a treat, no doubt with his dwindling Halloween stash in mind.  I told him he could have either a Scotcheroo or a pumpkin cookie, and that was going to be his thank-you bite since he didn't have any vegetables at dinner.  He silently eyed the Scotcheroo Daniel was trying (more like inhaling), looked at the pile of pumpkin cookies I was bagging, then went and fetched peas from the freezer.