Call It What You Want...

As I wait for my popcorn shrimp ("oven crisp") to cook, I thought I would reflect a moment on the development of a small boy's eating -- and choosing -- habits.

It didn't take long for Mark to figure out that THAT plastic container on the counter contains cookies, and that if he went over there while Grandpa Cody was here and looked at it longingly (maybe even raised his arms up a little) both he and grandpa would get a snack. This wasn't the beginning of begging for cookies, but it sure took it to a whole new level. Now he can say "Cookie" while he reaches for the tasty treat. He even might throw in a "please" (pees) and rub his belly in "baby sign" -- something he learned from his cousin Jonathan, I might add. Often if he uses that many ways to ask, Mommy caves (as long as it's a reasonable snack time, which it usually is when he asks).

Daddy bought some "snack packs" of Teddy Grahams on Wednesday. By Friday morning, Mark knew where the bag was on the counter, and knew he wanted those instead of the cookies and animal crackers in the container on the other counter. He went to that counter to reach up and look adorable and pleading. (It was, once again, a legitimate snack time.)

He also went to the refrigerator the other day, pulled at the handle and said "Muk." "Oh," I said. "Would you like your milk?" I got the cup out and handed it to him. He promptly handed it back and started checking out the containers of leftovers on the bottom shelf. The pulled pork he looked at and put back. The macaroni and cheese he pulled out and handed to me. Um, sorry, buddy, not for snack. "How about some yogurt?" Besides the fact that yogurt starts with "Y" (his favorite letter of the alphabet), he also likes it a LOT. He can eat it with a spoon by himself, as long as he doesn't forget and stick his hand all the way into the yogurt cup. Yesterday's foray into yogurt was with only a tiny glob on his spoon-hand (a glob which annoyed him until I wiped it off).

Of course, there are the things he would prefer not to eat. Most of them are green, though I did get him to try artichoke the other day. (He didn't like it.)

Well, the shrimp's done, so I'm off to eat.