"Mommy, I'm Finished!"

So here's to all you Mommy's out there with picky eaters! Tonight I have a funny story about dinner. I made, in my opinion, a pretty yummy meal tonight. I just found it, Broiled Tilapia parmesan, sauted broccoli, and potato slices. Well Garrett was excited because we were having broccoli, I know he's weird. Mally is always my hard one, she doesn't eat anything, she just sits there with a very pathetic expression on her face and whimpers! So I'm a frazzled Mom and will do anything to get my kids to eat dinner and that means I bribe! So I told them, "If you eat all of your dinner I will let you have ice cream." Garrett got really excited and started eating his broccoli. After the broccoli it starts getting a little bit tougher. I finish and put away the left overs for Neil to eat later tonight, and remind Mally for the 20th time to start eating. Garrett is still working on his fish when I leave the room to write down this recipe so I don't forget about it. About 10 minutes later he comes running in, " Mommy! I'm finished!" How many times have I heard those words only to find that they are not true? Way too many to count! So knowing my kids, and not being a dummy, I go out to check his plate knowing that he won't really be done. The first thing I do is look in the garbage can as I pass by. There sitting near the top are some potato slices. I look at Garrett and he's already wearing a guilty expression! I ask, "Are these yours?" He thinks about lying, I know because he starts to say no but sees my face and knows I know! So he says, " yees". Mommy knows when you lie!!!!!! I tell him, " you're not finished so you don't get ice cream" thinking well thats it, no ice cream for these kiddos! Well I thought wrong! Garrett fished those potato slices out of the garbage and ate them right up and came running back to tell me! Well, I believe he has earned his bowl of ice cream tonight!!! I hope he doesn't get sick because those slices were right on top of the packages for the fish! Oh well, it's good for the system right? Guess I was a dummy this time, I underestimated his desire for the ice cream! Oh the wonderful surprises a mother gets! At least this one made me smile!!! Mallory still has a full plate of food, it has now been an hour since we sat down for dinner! She's not getting ice cream!!!