Enjoying the Journey

I have to brag about this one, just have too.

My four year old son came back from a couple of days at his grandparents house. His little belly was as round as it could be and I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that his grandparents had once again filled both of my boys with junk food.

The other clue was the throw up in the back seat of the car from my almost 2 year old. This was the second time, he did that after coming home from their house.

I have tried numerous times to talk with my inlaws about "junk food." They just don't get it. We've been nice, we have explained until we are blue in the face, we've had fights about it - seriously. Nothing seems to work.

When my kids go up there, I try to tell my four year old that he needs to exercise self control and say no. I know that is a stretch to tell a four year old to say no to cookies, cake and ice cream all in the same day. But, it is a lesson that we all have to learn at some point in life, why not at 4?

Regardless, there we were standing in his room, getting ready to go to church and frustrated with throw up and large bellies, I went into my usual tirade of what is just too much sugar and junk food.

He listened carefully to me this time and said, "Mama, I will try. But it is hard."

I backed down, understandably and issued an "It's okay, baby."

We went to church and on the way there I explained to him that he really doesn't need anymore sugar today. He said okay, and we went on.

After church, he said, "Mama, I had crackers and plain cheerios for a snack tonight at church."

I mumbled a, "that's nice dear," and kept going.

But then he told me again and I realized that something more was going on here. So, I asked him what the other kids had....
cookies of course and that "fruit circle cereal."

Then, I got it. He had said, "no," to sugar. He really did it! Apparently he told his teachers that he couldn't have anymore sugar snacks today! In front of all of his four year old peers, who were busily munching down cookies and fruit loops!

I was one extrodinarly proud Mama. Beaming from ear to ear, I praised him with as much adoration as I could. And then I prayed silently that God would reward him in some real way. Because, I of course couldn't reward him .... with something like an ice cream cone!!!

Posted in: on Sunday, July 16, 2006 at at 8:42 PM