Your Better Half

"I don't want the world
I just want your half"
~ from "Ana Ng" by They Might Be Giants

Sometimes I feel like an anal, picky parent. After all, Sofi is three, about to turn four, and I still insist she take a nap (probably for more selfish reasons), I try to insist she drink at least a half liter of water every day and don't let he have a snack until she does (actually I usually forget to do this, but when I remember I stick to my guns about water first), I don't let her check out Barbie movies at the library, and... and...

OK, I'm not all that anal and picky as a parent. I'm probably more laid back about my children's behavior than anything, and if you know me at all this really doesn't surprise you.

Still, we do have our expectations and rules as parents, and one of them is that the kids have a bed time snack before they go to bed, but it can't be sweet. No chocolate milk, no hot chocolate, no candy, no cookies. Sofi is almost four, and no matter how much she has whined about it, she has never gotten any sweets at bedtime.

Until tonight that is.

We were at the coop a couple of weeks ago when Sofi spied the M&M cookies at the deli, and declared that she wanted one. We said no, but I will admit that they looked good, so I replied that we could make some at home some time.

Well tonight is a Monday night, and that means Mary has show choir rehearsal. But the day was extra long because she couldn't come home for supper like she usually does on Mondays, because today she not only had rehearsal, but she also had to accompany Logan's senior choir on the flute. So it was a long day with only Dad and the kids, and I thought tonight after supper would be a good time to fulfill my promise on those M&M cookies.

So that is what we did.

But it got late, of course, and we really couldn't sample them until bedtime. So for the first time in Sofi's life she got a cookie for a bedtime snack.

Except, much to the surprise of Mary and I, she didn't want it.

Cookies are good, but it appears that they aren't as good as what your brother is having. Nothing perhaps is ever as good as what your brother is having.

And what was Isaac having that was better than a cookie?

A slice of watermelon. Yes, we actually heard Sofi whine and melt down, crying "I wanted the watermelon!" while a cookie sat on the table in front of her for a bedtime snack.

Her first time having sweets before bed, and cookie isn't good enough. Mary and I were amazed.

I'm not actually sure if I should be disappointed that she whined and melted down instead of asking politely for the watermelon, or if I should be happy that she would prefer produce to sugar.