Holes in teeth

I got upset at Leo tonight at the dinner table. I made the boys' favorite (mac 'n cheese, if you have to ask), but Daniel insisted on wanting to eat in the Family Room. Well, one of the little chairs at the table broke during the New Year's Eve party (that's another story), so I only had one chair. Leo asked if I could move one of the soft chairs over, so I did. Then they fought over who would sit in the soft chair. So, I moved the other soft chair over, but neither of them wanted to sit in that one.

So, I said, "That's it! Nobody's going to eat here - we're eating in the kitchen instead!" So, I dragged them into the kitchen and up into their chairs, with both of them crying. I fixed my dinner while the two of them sat there complaining about not being able to eat in the Family Room. I asked them to quiet down a number of times, which they finally did, but they weren't eating.

I sat down with my dinner and Daniel finally took a bite of his. Leo refused. I told him that if he didn't start eating his dinner he was going to have to go to bed hungry. He said he didn't want to go to bed. I told him that he needed to eat. Daniel was now about halfway through his dinner. Leo just sat there crying.

Leo then asked for his blankie. I told him he could have it, but only after he took his first bite of dinner. He refused. Meanwhile, Daniel asked for the broccoli off of my plate, which I gave him and he promptly ate.

Daniel finished his dinner and asked for dessert from the pussycat. (I keep candy in a ceramic cat cookie jar that was a gift from my father.) I told Daniel he could, which led to Leo asking for dessert. I told Leo he could not have dessert until he ate his dinner. Leo then asked for his blankie. I asked Daniel to wait one minute while I tried to get Leo to start eating. I explained to Leo that he needed to eat in order to keep growing, and that he needed the nourishment in the food to get strong. With tears streaming down his face, he finally took a bite. I congratulated him and got his blankie for him, and he smiled.

Daniel got to pick out two pieces of candy - he chose a piece of chocolate money (leftover from the Holiday party) and a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (leftover from Halloween). I told Leo he could have some if he ate half of his dinner. Leo refused and started crying again. I told him that I had had enough and that he was to go straight upstairs to bed. He said he wouldn't go straight to bed. I asked him what he wanted to do first. He said he would have to brush his teeth first, because if he didn't he would get holes in his teeth and that they would fall out and then he wouldn't be able to eat any more food and then he would die.

I couldn't help but smile at him. His eyes were all puffy with tears all over his face but his statement had such conviction in it. I gave him a big hug and told him he would be able to brush his teeth, but wouldn't it be great if he ate some food first? He hugged me back, ate almost half of the mac 'n cheese, then got two pieces of candy and all was well with the world again.