If Men Were Left

To raise our children… oh what a difference it would be. I had plans for this Saturday morning so I wasn’t home and had left before Prayse and Raymonn got up. I know they have a great time together, she is obviously alive and well. But goodness, what a difference it is even when I’m gone for a morning.

If men were left to raise our children

• Their diet would consist of 97% crackers (Ritz Crackers, Graham Crackers, Saltine Crackers, Oyster Crackers, Nilla Wafers ((they kinda count))…)
• Their wardrobe would consist of 95% pajamas
• Their toys and entertainment would consist of 80% kitchen utensils and 20% PlayStation 3 (at the age of one)
• Naps would be optional
• Bedtime would come much later

On my way home I had called Raymonn and asked if he had started lunch for Prayse yet. Typically she starts getting cranky and I have lunch fixed at 11:30 – 11:45 so she can take a nap around 12:00 or 12:30. He said that no he hadn’t because she had a later breakfast. Kind of strange because she woke up at 7:30 he said but okay.

I walk in and get greeted with the best hug ever, and a beautiful smile from both of them. Heading into the kitchen to get lunch fixed I notice first of all that my once clean kitchen is now in shambles. The second thing I notice is that there is a plate with leftover, half-eaten spaghetti on the table.

Me: “Oh, did you go ahead and warm her up something to eat for lunch then?”

R: “No. Why?”

Me: “I see the spaghetti on the table. Why is it out then?”

R: “That was for breakfast.”

PAUSE

Me: “Breakfast?”

R: “Yeah. Breakfast. What else was I supposed to feed her?”

Seriously? SPAGHETTI. For breakfast. Ummm… how about milk, fruit cup/applesauce, toast, bagels, bananas, grapes, oranges, breakfast bar, pancakes, banana pancakes, biscuits… our fridge is no longer empty friends. From what I can tell in re-cleaning and picking up both the kitchen and living room this is what my one-year old had for “breakfast”:

• Spaghetti (sigh)
• Milk
• Half of a fruit cup (I’ll give him credit for this)
• Animal Crackers
• Annie’s Honey Graham Bunny Crackers
• Oyster Crackers
• Ritz Crackers
• I am not 100% sure about the pretzels… but I do suspect

We each must do things our own way. I am somewhat of a control freak when it comes to my daughter. At the end of the day I just shake my head and am thankful they both come out of it with limited bumps and bruises and tears.

Gotta love ‘em.