Yogurt and Cheerios

This deserves its own post. I know that we've mentioned it before, or in passing, but the longevity of this quirky thing alone demands it be documented. 

For years now, whenever we have yogurt and Cheerios for breakfast (which is at least once a week, and currently each Monday and Saturday and/or Sunday) there is a specific procedure to follow. The Cheerios go in on the bottom of the bowl, then the yogurt gets spread out over the top, completely hiding the Cheerios. 

Now here's the important part. Before the child can commence eating their breakfast a parent must say in mock exaggeration, "Oh no! I'm so sorry- you wanted yogurt AND Cheerios. I forgot and I only gave you yogurt. Sorry, no Cheerios today." Upon completion of the required phrases, the child smiles and scoops into their cereal showing the crunchy Cheerios below. This is immediately followed by "Oh my goodness! There were Cheerios under there after all. That was tricky!" The child can then resume eating their breakfast with a smile on their face. 

There are variations on this, of course. Sometimes they put in the Cheerios and yogurt and you have to say "I thought you wanted yogurt and Cheerios, you must have forgotten your cheerios!" and then say "You tricked me!" Once Austin even put the yogurt on the bottom and the cheerios on top in an attempt to be really tricky. 

I'm not exaggerating when I say that we've been doing this for years and each of the kids still regularly participate. It's funny how it has stuck and turned into a mandatory breakfast ritual. 

Lucy will often make her cheerios and yogurt then say, "Now say the thing that you say about the Cheerios." 

Sometimes we are more theatrical, and sometimes it's a cursory "Oh no, Lucy you forgot your cheerios." / "Oh wow, there they are - please eat your breakfast now!" But mostly it's a cheerful start to our day. 

It will be a sad day in the Peaden house when everyone just eats their yogurt and Cheerios like normal people and no one insists that the Cheerios must have been forgotten, just to discover them hiding under the yogurt.