THE STRAW

Apparently, there is this raging debate about small children and straws (really...Google it). At what age do you give your child something to drink via a straw? Is the straw dangerous? Will it poke little mouths or be a choking hazard? Does 'straw mastery' advance the development of language? On and on the questions go (big SIGH). What's a parent to do?

Well, Olin solved the dilemma (as if there really was one) when he grabbed the straw from my coffee drink last weekend. Yeah, I got some serious stares from the (childless) patrons at the local Starbucks but I was more interested to see if he could actually get anything through the straw. Up until then, he had merely gnawed on them. Imagine my surprise when he slurped up a big gulp of icy cold frappuccino. On second thought, imagine HIS surprise! He looked quite stunned. Then he tilted his little head to gaze up at me and cracked a huge smile of delight. After which he promptly went back to working on the straw. Lets just say he was bummed when I took it away from him and substituted a tippy cup full of water. Score one for Starbucks, zero for mommy and her 'healthy' drink. Do they plan it that way?

Anyhow, yesterday was another scorcher so we went to Jamba Juice and I had the nice clerk make him his own little all fruit smoothie (it HAS to be better than a frappuccino). He took to it like a duck to water. We were both quite delighted with it until he managed to wrench the lid free from the foam cup. Exit the smoothie.