Eat Your Vegetables

So there's John and Joe, miserable. A plate of mixed veggies before them. Sure, there's taters and pork chops, too. But it's the corn, green beans and carrots killing them.

I tell them that I, too, hated vegetables as a boy. I gave them my strategies: eat a bite, add the pork chop, swig of milk, gut it out.

I tell them about veggies being good for them. I tell them I want them to eat them, to be healthy, because I love them.

John says, "I wish you loved me less."

We all lose it.

With John, it's like this. First thing in the morning, he'll just launch into something. I was snuggling with him the next morning, after the veggie incident. He is not awake yet. Then, his little eyes pop open and he says, "When I was in Mommy's belly, there was a cord. She ate stuff and it went thru that cord. Why don't you have a cord for me and Joe and then you can eat the vegetables?"