Veggie Tales

Maxfield is a good eater. Always has been. He, pretty much, for the most part, eats what we give him. He rarely eats junk food or fast food, unless it is a special occassion, and he really likes his fruits and vegetables. Sure, every now and then, he has his moments where he refuses to eat his dinner and he will whine and cry that he does not like something, but the item of his dislike is rarley a veggie.

Max's mother is the reason for his healthy and hearty eating habits. I say this for two reasons. 1) She must have passed on the good eating genes to him. I do not like vegetables. I eat them but I do not like them. Lauren, on the other hand, loves vegetables. And 2) She serves him whatever we are having and he has to try everything. If he does not like it, that is fine, as long as he tries it. If Max is in one of his moods and after several attempts to get him to eat and he refuses to eat anything, he does not get anything else for the rest of the night. No dessert. No snacks. Nothing. He goes to bed hungry.

I do what I can to support Lauren and set a good example for the kids. However, I am not a good eater. I do not like vegetables. I eat them because that is what Lauren made.

Last night Lauren made chicken, rice and broccoli. Max finished his serving of broccoli before he touched the other items.

"More." He said pointing to empty broccoli area on his plate.

"You can have more Max, but that is not how you ask for something." Lauren said.

"More Broccoli, Please." He smiled.

"That's better Maxfield." Lauren smiled back.

Since there was no more left in the pot, I cut a few pieces of the green flower clusters from the stalks. "Here Max. Have some of mine." I put a few pieces on his plate.

I finished eating the rest of my broccoli, except for a few slices of the stalk. Max wolfed his down. He ate a few spoonfuls of rice and was eyeing my plate. He reached over and grabbed one of the thick stalk slices and took a bite.

"Maxfield." Lauren said in a stern voice. "If you would like more, just ask. Do not just grab it off of someone else's plate."

I looked over to Lauren. "That's okay." I said.

"No it's not. He should not grab things without asking, Isn't that right buddy?" Lauren patted his head and rustled his hair.

Max beamed up at Lauren and nodded.

"I know." I said. "But he was grabbing broccoli. It's not like..."

Lauren cut me off. "Just because he is taking broccoli, something good for him, does not make it right."

I sat quiet for a minute. And then I had to confess. "I did not mean that it was okay that he was helping himself to a vegetable because it is good for him. I meant it was okay because he was taking MY broccoli and that I would not have to eat it."