but i know there are more!...

I do my best to offer healthy food choices to my little one. Fruits, veggies, some lean proteins, yogurt, etc. But every now and then, we all enjoy a treat.

Recently, Alexis and I were at our Super Walmart. Even though it was snowing outside with wet roads and freezing temps, for some reason I decided that was a great time to go grocery shopping - the store should be nice and empty. Never underestimate the draw of the beast which is Walmart. There were plenty of people in there. Apparently rain or shine, shopping must continue.

As we walked the aisles, I came across a freezer case full of ready to bake holiday sugar cookies. They were the kind that had the faces in them - snowmen, Santa, and reindeer. While I'm not a fan of sugar cookies, they were quite cheap and the happy reindeer face was enjoyable enough for Alexis to keep her busy as we continued our shopping. I dubbed them, "the cookies Alexis picked out."

We get home, I preheat the oven, and while Alexis sat on the counter next to where I was standing, we pulled out each perfectly shaped reindeer cookie and carefully placed them an inch apart on the sheet. She, of course, was inclined to snatch one up, but when she got a taste of it, surprisingly, she made a face and gave it back. The preheat timer goes off, I stick them in the oven, and 15 minutes later we have happy little sugar cookies. I put them on my festive holiday plate and plopped them on top of our microwave.

Once they were cool enough, I knew I needed to give her one of the cookies "she picked out." She gingerly took it into her hands, inspected it a bit, then slowly took a little bite. I could see the light in her eyes. "Oh my Lord what is this succulent bit of sweetness in my hands?" Slowly she munched on it until it was gone. "Excuse me? Give me another one please." "Ok, one more, but that's enough." And so the drama began. Tear streaming she insisted that she need another one. "Sorry my dear - one cookie is enough for now."

Every time we went through the kitchen, she'd point up at the place where she knew the cookies lay, ready for the taking. From her perch in her high-chair, she would crane her neck up to look at the cookie plate and point persistently. "No, mom...THERE. See it? Right THERE." Needless to say, while she got to have a few of them here and there, Jamie and I suddenly realized that it was our duty as parents to polish off the rest of the cookies, post haste. The sacrifices we make.