Wednesday, December 21, 2011  A disturbing experience  I'm all
for trying to establish healthy habits in your small children,
but...  Wait, I'll start at the beginning. Helen had a dentist's
appointment, and Kai and I had dropped her off and then gone out
for some father/son breakfast time. When we came back, there was
a mom sitting in the waiting room with a small daughter -- I'd
guess maybe five years old or so -- and a slightly older son.  I
stepped over to the coffee machine that Dr. Rimes keeps in his
office there, and the following conversation took place behind
my back, but with the mom's part pitched at a level of volume
that clearly was deliberately intended...well, you know, she was
pretending to be talking only to her children (so that if I had
turned around and complained she would have pretended that she
hadn't realized I could overhear her), but she VERY clearly
intended for me to hear. I found this first.  LITTLE GIRL: Look,
mommy, he's getting coffee! They have coffee here!  MOMMY: Yes,
I see