By Lorry Myers
They charge into my house and head straight to my kitchen pantry. I watch as they throw open the doors and scour the usual places to find what they are looking for. Each one of my young grandchildren are not interested in trying something new and certainly not anything healthy. These kids want what they want and they know I have it.
It’s all about snacks and treats.
Since my three city children moved back to our hometown, I am a busy person. Until a few years ago, the interstate kept us connected on the weekends, or longer when vacations allowed. Now, I walk down the street or drive a few blocks to see my grandchildren which means they are in and out of house and my cupboard on a regular basis.
I had a lot to learn.
Apparently a “snack” is different from a “treat” which means the food my grandchildren prefer, fall into one of those categories. A snack is something to “fill in the blank” before the next meal, which is how my seven-year-old grandson, Ivan, defines it. You could snack on a banana, or a granola bar, or even cereal without milk. Maybe an apple, or a Pop-tart and if you are lucky, a bag of chips which must come in a green or red bag.
Snacks fill in the blank.
A treat is entirely different. A treat would be a sticky popsicle, or Oreo cookies, or anything from the candy line at the Dollar Store. A treat is something you get when it is a special day, or you’ve done a good thing and a treat is your reward.
Every day is a special day at my house.
The downfall to snacks and treats is you have to restock. Anytime that cabinet door opens, something is supposed to appear. As a result, I’ve learned what these kids like and what they don’t. I also know what their parents want for them and what they don’t.
Nobody cares about that.
Roman, who is two years old, wants chocolate chip muffins and crazy colored bomb pops. Four-year old Via, prefers green chips or a gooey push pop in red or orange. Ivan, he chooses red chips and red popsicles, the old-fashioned kind you break into halves. None of them wants the granola bar, the banana, or the apple.
I can relate to that.
For the complete column, see this week’s edition of the Centralia Fireside Guard.
