The Overwhelming Benevolence of Mark

It all started with a story around the dinner table.

I was recounting a trip down the cereal aisle at Superstore when all of a sudden Milo starts gesturing excitedly. I turn to where he was pointing and there it was. The pink, beautiful parrot in all it's sugary glory. Not just any parrot but the Fruit Loops Parrot. He had never seen it before, never tasted it before and yet he could not resist the alluring, multicolored, seducing box. I thought, "damn you, you evil marketers that manipulate and exploit children. Hope you enjoy hell. I will never succumb to your wiles".

Looks like I don't need to because Milo has uncles.

I shared this story at the family retreat, the weekend of Jun 16-19th and Mark, in his overwhelming benevolence, purchased a box and placed it on top of the refrigerator just waiting, biding his time to facilitate the box's entrance. Hunter and I warily ignored it but on the last day it was taken down, opened up and placed in full view.

Forget about croissant french toast, forget about fresh succulent fruit Milo saw it and it was as though they were the only two things in this world. "UHHH, UHHH" he yelled pointing to the creepy parrot and we knew we had lost the battle. We poured some out, hoping he'd find it repulsive and after the first bite he expelled: "ummm, ummm. Nummy". He couldn't forget about it all day. He had fruit loops for breakfast and lunch and a couple days later while going down that very same cereal aisle he stopped and pointed to his new found friend and said "mine, mine!!"

Desperately trying to avert a melt down I thought of many ways to distract him, but to no avail so finally I said "Sorry. You can only have it when Mark's in town. He has to buy it for you". And resigned, Milo turned away and I grinned, congratulating myself on my cleverness because I won the war.

ps- Hope you bring a box next time we see you Mark!