We're pretty strict about a few things and food is definitely high on our list. Simon had very little sugar in his diet before he was two (and he doesn't have much more now) and almost nothing fried. He is forced to eat fresh vegetables and fruit every day whether he knows it or not. His pasta is whole grain and his "special" drink is steamed soy milk. His peanut butter has an ingredients label which reads: "peanuts." We willingly admit that we get a kick out of reading the AP and Reuters health news that, with increasing frequency, reports just how important good nutrition is in the first three years of life. It isn't easy getting a toddler to eat healthily and these articles are our reward. Simon WILL be healthy into his 90's. Oh yes, he will.

Simon, however, is no longer in our hands for lunch Monday thru Thursday. His preschool program provides him with a balanced meal which is occasionally fried and often sweeter than we would like. What we do like is that he isn't offered the same meal more than once a month. We figure a little exposure to new things is probably worth the extra empty calories.

Last weekend we took Mike and Cindi downtown and ordered Simon a toasted cheese sandwich that came with fries. Simon was restless in the restaurant so Hava and Simon were out exploring the escalators when his meal arrived. By the time they returned, Matthew had dutifully removed most of the fries from Simon's plate (to be replaced with a plum we had brought from home). When Simon sat down and saw the few remaining fries he asked for ketchup. We were a little taken aback by his request (we didn't know he knew about ketchup) but Hava squeezed a bit on his plate. As if he had been doing it for years, Simon lifted each fry one by one, dipped the fry into the ketchup, and brought it to his mouth. When he finished the fries he asked for more.

The next time we went out, we asked that no fries make it to the table. Sometimes we're just that mean.

And sometimes? We're not...