Rockstar exits Sunday school one morning with a tiny cup of mini-marshmallows…
Me: (After deliberating over whether I want Little Miss, who hasn’t said a word as she watches her brother popping mini-marshmallow after mini-marshmallow into his mouth, to have one) Sweetie, can your sister have one please?
Rockstar hands over the cup immediately.
Me: Oh. It’s your last one. (Hesitating; I can’t remember when he last had a mini-marshmallow, let alone a freebie mini-marshmallow, which is just the very best kind to him. And Little Miss wasn’t even asking for a taste. I should’ve left it alone.)
Rockstar: It’s ok Mum, she can have it.
Me: Really?? You sure?? Um…
But Little Miss has already heard me ask for one for her. Even though she’s not saying anything I know she’s wordlessly taking all this in because I’ve seen her absorb other exchanges equally efficiently (and then raise hell when we dared think we could slip one by her). This time though, whether she does a nutty is another story, I’m trying to decide whether to let Older Child have Valuable Last Freebie Mini-marshmallow I Know He Loves or follow through with letting Younger Child have a taste of something Older Child has.
Rockstar’s still proffering the cup, and as I take it from him Little Miss abruptly reaching for it while still in her sling attached to me nearly empties the mini-marshmallow out onto the street…
Kings: (To me) You better give it to her properly before she drops it.
Gingerly, I hand Little Miss the mini-marshmallow out of the cup. She takes it from me, examines it thoroughly…………… And hands it to her brother who grins delightedly from me to her before popping it into his mouth.
And so we carry on down the street. Except suddenly it’s a beautiful day and Wow I Never Knew Little Kids Could Do That.
Now I really love mini-marshmallows.
And Wow Little Kids Can Have Spaghetti-Stained Mouths And Mess With Toddler Scooters Too (Rockstar’s pushing her back and forth):
ps: Yes, Little Miss has eaten a mini-marshmallow before today
Wah this is so heart warming. Both your children are so generous and kind towards each other.
Ah, Miss Rockstar was smiling so sweetly with Spaghetti-Stained Mouth in the photo. Must be really satisfied with her meal.
She loves dipping into the bro’s spaghetti and other noodles… She ate quite a lot considering she shouldn’t b hungry…
Rockstar gets especially delighted to receive good treatment from Little Miss, a lot more so than the other way around though she does appreciate it.. She does annoy him easily though, cos by nature he’s a fusspot over every little bump n shove… Which little miss rewards by doing it more 😀
Pure curiosity yeah… You let Lil Ms eat what you guys have e.g. spaghetti? As in full strength robust flavored to adults’ taste buds? You don’t tone or water it down?
Ah very good question. In that pic Rockstar is eating the kiddie version (though I’m not sure that is not full strength).. Rockstar generally takes quite bland (as in un-salty, though he likes certain chilli) foods and tends to leave a lot of the sauce uneaten so by default the Miss would get that if she gets stuff from him. (Both of them like doing that – Rockstar will start putting some of his food into her bowl without being asked, and more likely I have to stop him rather than the other wat around..) Her own regular diet is Ella’s Kitchen, Heinz and other baby purees, but while I don’t actively wash adult food in a bowl of hot water to remove excess sauce (I know actual grownups who do that with their own food not just their kids’ food) it’s kind of at the back of my mind to take the bits with the least sauce. But no I don’t do anything else about her taking full strength and our old ped used to scoff at any remote “kiasu-ness” about salty food cos he said parents who asked him tended to go overboard with limiting salt intake n they still need a little salt..
Touch wood for the moment giving them very occasional adult-strength sauces doesn’t seem to have diminished their appetite for milder kiddie ones..