The omnivore's dilemma

P listens to Everything. Sideways remarks on the street. Wisecracks between E and I. Serious chats. Everything. And so we find ourselves editing quite a bit to save the child from the worries and weight he willingly puts onto his own little shoulders. We wait until the rare moment he seems involved by himself or the even rarer moment that we are both awake and he is not :) But still, he hears, seemingly involved or no. (Its one of the classic traits of the Active Alert, described here ) And then surprises us with a zinger.

P grew up in a vegetarian household. It wasn't ever really a discussion and he was surprised when he first learned people ate meat. Offended, really :) Eventually, he saw how common it was and his dismay went by the wayside. Then E had some help, health wise, with a strong, strong recommendation to start eating fish. He scoffed and said no way. As the months went by and he attempted to give his body what he needed without crashing, he finally realized his new reality. Eat fish or feel like shit.

We weren't sure how P would handle the change. He asked me if I was going to eat fish, I said no, he said okeydokey. And that was that for him. The next time we went to the Co-op, I purchased a couple cans of salmon for E. As P unloaded it onto the conveyer belt, he apparently felt the need to explain our new meat purchase. "We're vegetarian, but my Papa, he's an omnivore cuz he's hypoglycemic." The lady blinked at P, looked at me and then just laughed. As did I. P, of course, didn't see what was so funny - he'd been giving out some important information :)