Manners, Please!

The other day, the boys had a teacher work-day, so Becky brought them in to meet me for lunch. The boys always enjoy coming down to Fairfax for lunch, and were thrilled to go to the all-you-can-eat Indian buffet. Eddie, despite his loss of appetite, found a way to eat several scoops of butter chicken, while Luke pounded down the naan.

After lunch, we were heading out the door, when Eddie walked by one of those dishes of mints that sits near the exit. Unable to resist, he immediately reached in with his grubby little fingers for the mints.

"Eddie!" I barked at him, "Use the spoon!" (For there was this white plastic spoon placed there, just for this purpose.)

So, obediently, Eddie dropped the mints in his hand back into the bowl, picked up the spoon, carefully scooped up a neat little spoonful of mints, and placed the spoon in his mouth.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

But what could I do? He did exactly as I had told him to. And he even put the spoon back when he was done.