Rookie Dad: For the Love of Cheese

Kids are weird. Maybe I think that way because I'm more than a few years removed from being one myself. But it really clicked for me this morning as I stood in the kitchen attempting to assemble my lunch before heading out the door.

I had laid out two slices of whatever bread was in the house and was already facing twenty questions from The Youngling.

"Daddy makin' a sandwich?"

"Yeah," I replied.

I walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a tasty new block of my favorite brand of cheddar cheese and the ham which I hoped hadn't turned into a science experiment yet.

"You puttin' ham on your bread daddy?"

"Yep, dad's gotta eat."

I grabbed one of my semi-ancient Ginsu knives out of a drawer and opened the new block of cheese in a way that could have very well resulted in me lying on the floor bleeding to death.

"You gonna put cheese on your bread daddy?"

"Yeah, I'll put two slices of cheese on it like always," I said as The Youngling stood on a dining room chair next to me.

I turned to move my Scoody Doo lunch pail closer and reached for the block of cheddar cheese and the cheese was gone.

I looked to my right and there stood The Youngling with the block of cheese in the corner of her mouth gnawing on it like any normal kid would do to a candy bar.

Laughing now, I asked "Do you want me to cut off a couple of slices of cheese for you?"

"No daddy, I don't want any cheese."

Maybe she actually meant that she didn't want any more cheese. Whatever the case, at least she had something different for breakfast.