Created By An Almost-Four-Year-Old
One of the resolutions I’ve made this year is to make more of an effort to eat things that I’ve stocked in the pantry. That may not seem like much of a resolution to most people, but I have a fantastic habit of stocking the pantry and then letting it all languish. It sits there and sits there, waiting for me to give it some attention. So we’ve been eating down the pantry, resisting the urge to just close the door and head to the grocery store instead.
Well, recently my son Zander was peeking into the pantry, looking for a snack, when he accused me of not having any good snacks for him to eat. While I had a few of his favorites, apparently I didn’t have what he was after. So I reached for a box of whole wheat crackers and asked him if he wanted them instead. After a minute he agreed and carried the box to the counter. While I got out a bowl for him, he headed back to the pantry and brought out a jar of peanut butter. Puzzled, I asked him what the peanut butter was for, and he told me that I was going to put it on his crackers for him.
Like a good Mom, I smeared the peanut butter on his crackers, and he eagerly popped one into his mouth. After chewing thoughtfully for a minute, he headed for the fridge, pulled out an apple, and told me he thought his peanut butter crackers would be much better with an apple slice on top. I looked on the cracker box to see where he’d come up with the idea, and there was no picture with an apple on it. Where his mind was wandering, I’ll never know, but I dutifully sliced his apple and topped the crackers with a few slices. And just like a food critic, he closed his eyes, took a bite, and savored every last crumb.
