From the cereal aisle...

The biggest takeaway from my childhood was how I was not going to parent.  But I had to learn what  I was supposed to do somewhere. So I spent a lot of time in the pre-baby and new-baby stage reading parenting books. I have read almost every parenting book on the market. All spectrums. Christian. Secular. Braille.

And so a common thread heard in our house during extended family gatherings was...read dripping with sarcasm... "Is that what you read in one of  your books...?"

Eventually I found my groove, followed my intuition, and think I have a decent handle on this parenting thing. Could I do better? Yes. But it's not because I don't know what to do....it's because I am not a morning person and I have an aversion to routine.

But my kids are great!  They are fairly well-mannered, intelligent, and haven't been to juvenile hall. They may be sarcastic, messy, and too smart for their own good....but we like that about each other. And they are mine. So that is what counts.

But back to parenting books. One of those parenting books convinced me that cereal was from the devil. Specifically sugar cereal. Sugar and colored dye cereal.

So NO! has been my mantra all the way down the cereal aisle.  And on the cereal aisle... I have a will of steel. I buy multigrain cheerios. They hate them. And they start a riot  every time I say we are having cereal for breakfast.

Then comes the hunger strikes. And I am usually good with that until the pressure starts to build in my head because I have not yet had my requisite Rt 44 Dr. Pepper and cannot think clearly. It is not my poor parenting skills but my muddled brain (caused by dr. pepper deficiency) that makes me crack  and get them a taco or sausage biscuit.

All of that to say that this week....on the cereal aisle at Sams Club, life changed for the Evans' family. It suddenly came in a moment of clarity, helped along by the ice cold drink in a styrofoam cup, that this plan wasn't working. My resolve to feed them something without sugar and dye as the top two ingredients was being overrun with the reality that I end up feeding them something that is filled with fat and more calories than they need in two meals. And it isn't cheap.

So I caved. Or rather came to an understanding with the perfect mama who lives in my head....who must be a morning person.

Cocoa puffs, trix, and lucky charms came home with us. In an industrial box. And they have eaten it every morning with out gnashing of teeth or wailing.  And they are  content and quiet too.

Now for my sonic habit? Everyone needs a vice.