Feeding a toddler when the only response involves burgers.
It’s now part of the nightly routine… it’s 5:00, my wife is still at work and I’m in charge of dinner. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do and as the hours go by each day, I jot down ideas on post-it notes on my desk with ideas for dinner. What will Sullivan (Age 3) eat today? Could I get him to take a bite of food that doesn’t involve pasta or ground beef? How far would he throw a piece of chicken across the room tonight? Would it hit the TV? Would it hit his sister? What if his fascination with throwing things could be a sign that he’d be a strong athlete? My mind wanders as I should be working on 2022 budgets for work but instead, I’m thinking about dinner. It’s hours later, and it’s time to decide. What will we do?
“Sully, what would you like for dinner? I made something delicious!” Before I even finish my sentence, I notice him jump up from his seat as he screams “Burgers!” At this point he starts to rattle off his favorite place in the world, In-N-Out-Burger and their famous Double Double. At this point I know I’m in trouble. At this point I know what we’re doing. At this point the Tupper wear comes out and in the car we go to get a burger before mom gets home and I get busted for getting burgers again.
What makes a good burger? Is it the bun? Is it the seasoned meat patty? Or the toppings that could include lettuce, tomatoes, or onions?
EatThis.com calls out 17 things on the secret menu that you can try from protein style, a flying dutchman, scooby snack or a grilled cheese. For us, it’s the following:
Sullivan – Cheeseburger – Meat, Cheese & Spread with Fries.
Isaac – #1, Double Double No Onion, Fries Well Done and a Lemonade. 2 Extra things of spread.
Brady – Puppy Patty and french fries.
Now what makes In-N-Out a delicious burger? For me, it’s the simplicity of the whole thing. For the most part you have 3 options. For Sullivan, it’s easy to understand. We sit through a drive-thru for 10 minutes and as a reward we get a delicious and salty snack with his favorite foods, meat, cheese, potatoes and spread. Is it the healthiest… No! Do I care? Not really. This kid runs a million miles a second and seeing him smile as he hoards his French fries always makes me laugh.
Is this the best burger in the world? No. But for me, it’s spending quality time with my son with the understanding that it’s those little moments in life that make all the difference. It’s funny how it’s the little things that make a toddler smile. There’s something about the color and shape of the building that makes him yell, “Yay!!! Burgers” every time we pass a location.
With his next birthday fast approaching, it might just be time to introduce him to a vanilla shake and maybe, just maybe he’ll dip his French fries in them too, just like his dad.
