Fourinarow.net

Q: Who would think that a bowl of cereal could turn my sweet, snuggly 3-year-old into a raging, nasty lunatic?

A: Anyone with a 3-year-old.

This morning when I woke Jack up for school and asked him what he’d like for breakfast he said he wanted Malt ‘o Meal.

I checked my watch. I had enough time, so Malt ‘o Meal it was. All of the kids love it, so I was killing several birds with one stone. Plus, it’d take Jack about that much time to get dressed.

When it was ready, I filled three bowls (too messy for Sam) lovingly with Malt ‘o Meal. I topped Maria’s with some brown sugar - enough, but not too much. I topped Jack’s with four chunks of butter and a dab of brown sugar, but not so it touched the butter. And I topped Luke’s with a few dabs of butter and a sprinkling of brown sugar. Just the way everyone likes it.

And then I called the kids to the table. Mmmmmmmm Malt ‘o Meal! Everyone was thrilled.

That is, until Luke looked down into his bowl and saw…

THE BUTTER WAS MELTED!!!

“My butter is melted!!!” He SCREAMED. “I don’t want my butter melted!”

“Sweetie,” I responded. That’s what happens to butter on hot cereal.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! I don’t want my butter melted!” he continued to scream.

“Look,” Jack told Luke. “My butter is melted.”

“My sugar is melted, too!” Maria chimed in.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” Screamed Luke, as he pounded the table and cried. And screamed some more. And tried to hit me.

I won’t go into the gory details, but Luke did not have Malt ‘o Meal this morning.

I hope he liked it the last time he had it because he won’t be getting any more this century.