I've heard of an "eye-opener" but this is ridiculous!

Thanks to his multiple food allergies, Matthew's diet is fairly limited. Perhaps as a result, he gets really, really excited when he is introduced to a new snack. When we discovered that Premium brand Saltines are made with soy instead of dairy, Matthew would have chomped through whole sleeves of crackers if we had let him. And don't get me started on Honey Maid graham crackers!

But this week, Matthew tried his first pretzel and, well, it wasn't pretty. Matthew has developed an intense and obsessive desire for pretzels. "Eat dat," he cries plaintively, pointing to the cupboard and signing 'pretzel, pretzel.' "Eat dat pease!" No matter how many pretzels he is given, he is back, minutes later, mouth stuffed and crumbs flying as he mumbles "Eat dat."

A few nights ago, I was awoken by Matthew's cries at 3am. "Eat dat!" he sobbed. "Pease, eat dat, eat dat!" Bleary-eyed, I saw his little fingers signing "pretzel please" over and over. This scene repeated itself for the following two nights.

It's become clear to us. Matthew has a pretzel addiction. A serious one. I'm thinking an intervention is called for. Sit him down with an intimate group of friends and family who will kindly but firmly express their concern at how his use of pretzels is interfering in his life and relationships. And I'm not going to be an enabler any more! I'm going to be tough. Tears or tantrums? Sorry, kid, you can't handle the pretzel.