The Thoughtful Spot 2 - A Candy Conundrum

 I wanted to address this heady, sugar-filled time of year between Halloween and New Years Day. We're not dessert eaters at my house. Don't get me wrong, I love chocolate, ice cream and basically anything in that particular food group, but its not a staple in our house. Treats are, well, treats. I'd like to say that my husband and I managed this with finesse and dignity. That we planned and thought and established healthful guidelines. We didn't. It just sort of... happened.

My eldest son, 4 ("and a half, Mommy!"), was never really into sweets. He likes to get a baked good when we are out somewhere. A muffin at the grocery store was always a traditional bribe. But, he gets full fast at dinner, he knows he can't have dessert unless the dinner is finished, and he is a tiny little foodie. He would just as soon try cheddar mashed potatoes, or wasabi peas as a piece of candy. We still dole out the obligatory Easter candy. He still participates in trick or treating, but on the shelf the bucket sits - full of sugary goodness that tempts his mom much more than him. Just before Halloween, I empty the bucket, tossing the leftover chocolate eggs and bunnies that have been laying, forlornly, in the darkened pantry waiting to be set free from their plastic wrap prison.

Fast forward 3 years to my second child, now 15months. He has had no more exposure to candy than the first. Has not grown to assume that dessert will follow dinner, and, in all likelihood, has no recollection of his previous Halloween (for which he was not old enough for candy anyway.) Yet, this little being, this tiny, new to the world, unencumbered human has what I now refer to as "the chocolate crazies." When the eldest does finish a meal, he will request a piece of his Halloween booty. The moment I walk to the pantry where the infamous bucket is stored, his little brother squeals in joy and delight. He bounces in his chair and reaches his sticky little paws in the direction of me... but not for me. Rather, through me, attempting to summon the candy treasure beyond the slatted door. If, by any chance, he has not yet finished his meal, these gurgles and giggles quickly degrade into the most soleful and hysterical crying I have yet witnessed from his tiny lungs.

And so, I have reached a decision. For my family, for my sanity, for the well-being of my children, I must, figuratively, "take one for the team." Despite the work I've done to lose those baby pounds, despite the fact that I finally found a pair of jeans I don't hate, and despite the fact that after 32 years, the dentist just found my very first cavity. I must eat the candy. I know, I know, I hear your collective yells of "NOOOOOOOOOO!" But, it must be done. The candy must be vanquished before son number two becomes addicted to its evil tastiness. I will raid the buckets tonight, after the boys have gone peacefully to sleep, and rid our home of chocolate's evil grasp. After all... it would be wasteful to throw it away...

 If you want to see what else I think about instead of sleeping, check out the links below.