Taste Your Nerds

We were on vacation at grandma’s house last month and the kids had been outfitted with about all the candy and treats their bodies could handle. They were enjoying life immensely.

One night, after brushing his teeth, Magoo asked if he could eat more candy, specifically Nerds.

“But Buddy,” I explained, “You already brushed your teeth.”

“I know. It’s okay because I have a plan. I don’t even need to chew or suck on them. I’ll just swallow them down. Then they won’t get on my teeth.”

“But then you wouldn’t even enjoy them.”

“That’s okay,” he said.

Dan and I laughed about this and suggested that maybe we should just inject sugar directly into his veins, bypassing his digestive system altogether.

A couple of weeks later we were back home from vacation and I was multi-tasking when Dan arrived home from work. I was cleaning the kitchen like mad with my laptop on the stove, playing So You Think You Can Dance. It’s my favorite show but I wasn’t watching it, not even really listening to the music. I was checking it off my to-do list.

“What are you doing?” Dan asked.

With a sheepish grin, I responded, “I think I’m swallowing my Nerds.”

If you’re gonna eat something yummy, eat it. If you’re gonna watch a show, watch it. If you’re gonna spend time with your kids, be present. Make sure you at least taste the candy on its way down.