yesterday

[Guest guest]

Ended up going out to eat with my extended

family for mothers' day afterall. It finally occured to them that if

they waited until a little later in the day to go out, that we would be

out of church by then and able to go with them. My nieces' 18 month

old daughter sat next to me, so I was dodging spoonfuls of

macaroni and cheese. LOL! She kept filling her spoon and then

reaching up with it while playing with her hair, thus flinging the mac

and cheese in my direction. Her momma ordered for her off of the kids

menu. Not a healthy choice on it. The mac and cheese came with french

fries!! This was at Logan's Roadhouse. I was giving her some tomatoes

off of my salad, although my niece said she doesn't like them. She

liked them well enough to keep grabbing my arm with her cheesy fingers

to get my attention for more tomatoes. Last time I babysat her and

took her to 's my mom came along, too. She fixed a plate

consisting of deep fried chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, crackers

(since when are crackers a 'side dish'), and something else deep

fried. What the heck? Is it any wonder that the child obesity rate is

soaring? I ended up getting her some green beans and peas and carrots

and fruit to go along with it. Afterwards my niece again tries to tell

me that doesn't like green beans... although she ate them just

fine. I remember learning in a nutrition class that fat cells are

added at an alarming rate to our bodies as toddlers. Kids' menu

choices sure don't help. I can remember when I waitressed as a teen,

parents requesting lots of crackers to keep their little ones occupied

while waiting for their meals. Is it any wonder that they then can't

get them to eat when their meal finally comes? They're stuffed on

crackers already. And NO, Clara, a cracker in each hand is not any

more of a 'balanced meal' then a cookie in each hand! LOL! ;-)

hugs,

Janet (who is now stepping down off her soapbox about yet another one

of her pet peeves!)