Lesson Learned

On Tuesday night, we ordered take-out pizza for dinner. The kitchen renovation is on-going and I wasn't able to cook in the kitchen. Luis chose pizza, so we got pizza. Then, as is often the case, Luis ate NO pizza. It was "too hot", then "too cold", then "too spicy", then just plain "I don't liiiiiiike it". Instead, he sprinkled the fake Parmesan cheese all over his plate (and the place mat and the table). This took a few minutes. He would like his finger, dunk it in the pile of Parmesan and then stick his finer in his mouth, declaring, "YUMMY!!". Once the wasn't enough Parmesan to pile up, Luis started eyeing the red pepper flakes. Diego and I issued warnings and said no and told him they were hot and that he wouldn't like them and that it would hurt his mouth. The more we warned, not surprisingly, the more interested he was. And, to be honest, Diego and I were exhausted. So we let him have them. Just like the Parmesan, first he sprinkled it over the pizza and the plate and the place mat. Then he made little piles. Then he licked his finger. (Diego and I braced for the inevitable.) Then he dunked it in the flakes and stuck it in his mouth with blinding speed and a dazzling smile. The smile didn't last long. Tears. "Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow" More tears. "It's hot. My tongue is so hot." "I don't liiiiiiiiiike it." "Mommy fix it."

"My tongue is so hot!"