"I'm hungry..."

It's a phrase we hear frequently in our home... usually immediately following dinner, too! The dishes are not even rinsed before Brendan or Audrey come pleading, "I'm hungry!" When they are in their more dramatic moods they even go as far as, "I'm starving!" It's as though we had only fed the poor children four peas for dinner. It's amazing! And quite entertaining, too.

I usually just shrug off their request and refresh their short memory that they...JUST ATE! But today I had to turn my head when little Maddie Kate came up to me with sweet pleading eyes and said, "I'n hungy." I had to ask her to say it again just to make sure I was hearing correctly. Who would have guessed that one of Madeline's first full sentences would be, "I'm hungry." I had to pull out the camera to capture the moment and the face. Check out this plea for more food...

I know well that when the kids say they are hungry, they don't really mean they are hungry for more spaghetti and broccoli, but rather they are hungry for cookies, goldfish, and Life cereal... or anything sweet. It is great that even my 20 month old thinks that by claiming she is somehow deprived of a major necessity in life that she can convince her Dad that we need more treats and snacks around the house... but it works!! I mean...who doesn't want a treat after dinner; and there is no one more willing to give in to this plea than Dad himself.

They must have learned the phrase from someone. I don't recall following up a great dinner with , "Wow, honey, this was a great meal... I'm hungry." But if it works for the kids, it might have to give it a try.