Ketchup.....

A note on ketchup and toddlers. So, there we were at 11 Water Street for a lovely lunch overlooking the dam--Willie, Grammy and I. Willie of course ordered his regular grilled cheese. This comes with french fries. I know, I know, I hate to see him get a taste for the junk food. But I figure everything in moderation, right? The french fries come with ketchup. You see where I'm going. Willie has lately developed quite a taste for the ketchup. More so that the fries. In fact, he has taken to sucking ketchup off his fries and then pointing at the ketchup and demanding more.

And here it is--another proud mommy initiation moment. Naively, I thought, hmm, I wonder if he would dip his french fry into the ketchup. That would show true genius. Look how smart he is, he can dunk his fries. I placed the nice little white ketchup side car next to his food.

That was all it took. Forget the fries. He dove in, hands first, to eat the ketchup.

All of it.

I know what you're thinking--why didn't I take it away? Nice thought, except that we had just received our own lunches. And every time I so much as touched the shrine of ketchup, Willie let out a scream like I was torturing him.

The choice: eat my own lunch or witness a complete toddler tantrum.

I was hungry.

20 minutes later. Ketchup is everywhere. I had to dunk him in the sink in the bathroom to remove the offending ketchup.

Yes, I learned my lesson.

NO MORE KETCHUP