Opposites

Overheard in the bubble bath tonight:

Little Philip:
Daddy, I know the difference between boys and girls.

Big Philip:
Really?

Little Philip:
Yes, boys are handsome, and girls are pretty.

Sad, Sad Day

While filming Little Philip's Lessons and Carols service at his school the shutter button came off our camera. I was devastated, knowing that we would be without a camera this Christmas, Helen's first Christmas! We are glad we bought the extended warranty on the camera so the repair is free but it will take as much as six weeks. We will have to rely on other family members to help us capture those special memories this year. Little Philip will be attempting to capture memories in the art medium of fingerpaint. Stay tuned....

Bathroom Cleaning

Once a week, sometimes more, I am faced with this.It is the doorway to filth, filth that must be eradicated. Now that we are potty training, I am feeling compelled to increase the weekly cleansing ritual because of this. Having grown up with all girls, I had no idea about boys in the bathroom and how often they miss, especially when they are three and are so easily distracted. And since I am more concerned about the cleanliness of the actual body parts of the family, there is this to clean as well. While talking to a friend today I told her that the tub currently resembled a crime scene. She suggested that a few M&Ms had been the victims of a violent crime. I couldn't have put it any better myself. See what I mean? And please notice how thrifty we have become, molding pieces of old soap onto new soap, resulting in a lovely bouquet of yellow deodorant Dial, Ivory, and Lever 2000.

Mr. I-Like-To-Draw-Big-Dark-Lines-All-The-Way-Around-The-Tub is rather fond of grinding the bath crayons deep into the grout line between the tile and tub. It requires the strategic use of an old toothbrush to remove, along with an entire bottle of Soft Scrub.

Ah, the joys of keeping the house tidy, or at least attempting it. And then, I see this...

and know it is all worth it.

Falling Rather than Crawling

While Little Philip was napping this afternoon, Daddy and Helen spent some quality time together. This is good considering Helen screams and pitches a fit if anyone other than Mommy is holding her. So, along with potty training, we are also trying to get over stranger anxiety, and working the ability to be happy in Daddy's arms while Mommy is still within sight. Afterall, it's a small house so staying out of sight is out of the question.

Anyway, I had to catch this sweet moment between Daddy and daughter. It reminded me of being a little girl, sitting on the side of the pool with my Daddy in the water, holding his hands out for me to jump.

Potty train up a Child and...

It was in September 2007 that we began the battle that made me seriously question my ability to be a mother, let alone maintain my sanity. We did not plan on trying to potty train that early but Little Philip said he wanted to try. Remember the singing potty? That was ploy number one followed by:

Tickle Me Elmo used for "potty training in one day" - FAILED
Star charts - FAILED
Sticker charts - FAILED
Hand stamps - FAILED
Setting the timer to go off every 10 minutes to go potty - FAILED
M&Ms - FAILED
Skittles - FAILED
Fruit loops to eat while trying - FAILED
Fruit loops to "shoot" while trying - FAILED
Books about the potty - FAILED
Watching mommy try - FAILED
Watching daddy try - FAILED
Watching Nee Nee try, - FAILED - not to mention disturbing
Peer pressure - FAILED
Dollar tree toys - FAILED
Picking out new big boy underwear - FAILED
Any toy the boy wants he can have if he'll just potty - FAILED
Running naked at all times we are not in bed or at school - FAILED
Choreographed "tee tee" dance that Mommy will do if... - FAILED
One piece of Halloween candy for each time you tee tee - FAILED
Two pieces of Halloween candy for each time you poo poo - FAILED
Watching all potty training videos on YouTube possible - FAILED
Watching Elmo's Potty DVD - FAILED

We don't know what did it but Philip has not had an accident since last Thursday. We are speculating that perhaps it was that we are stressing how important it is that Little Philip set a good example to his little sister. We've noticed him trying to show her how to crawl, how to hold a book, how to clap, etc. He really takes his big brother responsibilities seriously and it is so flippin' cute. Daddy recalls mentioning to him that one day he would teach Helen how to use the potty. Could that have been the sticking point we've so longer for now for over a year? Whatever it was, we are super relieved!

Fancher Wins!

An update on our earlier caption contest. The Fancher family wins! The caption about belly button gas was just too funny not to pass up. Now, we are making fudge but we have also become addicted to a new thing - cake balls. This recipe courtesy of my home girl on the range - The Pioneer Woman who offered this recipe at Halloween. Here are some pictures of this addictive concoction. There are two major ingredients that you simply mix together. A cooked cake and a can of icing. Then you simply dip in chocolate and decorate. Mmmm... I took two pictures to show everyone. For the sake of good marketing, I had to bite into one so you could see the moist delicious chocolate center. Because it was blog related, weight watchers points were not counted in the making of this picture.

These things are confection crack and I highly recommend them. This is not to say that fudge isn't also oh-so-good but everyone knows what fudge looks like, right? So, Fanchers, your choice - irish cream fudge (with or without nuts, your choice) , or cake balls?

Mommy's 29th Birthday

OK, maybe it wasn't the 29th but it waking up to my two beautiful children singing happy birthday to me made me feel much younger! It was a delightful day. I took the kiddos to the zoo since I promised Little Philip that he could ride the train. Helen was enthralled with the lemurs that seemed to be a bit enthralled with us as well. She would suck in air and make this terrible gasping noise that used to make my heart stop until I realized it was her way to squealing with delight. The big bengal tiger walked right up to the window, coming so close that Little Philip ducked behind a partition, worried it would eat him. After feeding the flamingos and black swans, we headed home for lunch and naps. Daddy let Mommy nap for her birthday. A whole hour later, I was refreshed and ready for anything, especially my birthday steak dinner, lovingly prepared by the best grill man in the world, my hubby. I would have taken a picture of the plate with my charcoal fired t-bone with a heavenly spiced rub, nestled next to a loaded baked potato and caesar salad but this beastly animal came in and devoured everything in sight. Oh wait, that was me. Seriously, looking at that bone on the plate, would you even imagine a woman ate that? I'm such a lady.

Why Mama Needs Coffee First

A conversation at 7:30 a.m. this morning. Big Philip is making pancakes. He then murmurs under his breath, spelling out a word so that Little Philip will not catch his drift. Mommy walks through the kitchen with Helen to do the smell test for whether or not coffee is brewing yet.

Philip: "Philip, do you want jelly or syrup?"

No answer, as Little Philip slurps his morning milk.

Philip: "He probably wants B-O-T-H."

Mama: "B-I-T-H, B-I-T-H, bith?"

Philip, slower this time: "B....O....T...H"

A long pause

Mama: Quizzically attempting to grasp this difficult concept sounds it out, "Baaaath?"

Brain transplant, please.

Supermen - Caption Time!

Tonight we hosted our weekly church small group dinner. Usually we have a bigger crowd but with so many people preparing for Thanksgiving travels it was just the Mosses and Pruitts tonight. Parker and Philip bonded over superhero powers. You gotta love a four and three year old that don't play alpha male yet over who is the real superman.

HOMEWORK TIME! Give your best caption of either or both of these pictures by Monday, December 1st and Philip and Renie will choose a winner. And yes, you have to put your answer in the form of a blog comment. If you've not ever done this, now is the time to start. Simply register your email with blogger and you can post to your heart's content! After Thanksgiving Renie will be making tons of fudge for some college care packages for cousins and the winner will also snag a stash of it.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May your bellies be filled with bountiful goodies and your hearts be grateful for the many blessings in life!

Thanksgiving in Mobile

We went to Mobile this past weekend to have an early Thanksgiving with Nee Nee and Poppy, as well as great grandparents to Helen and Philip, Memaw and Papa Julian, and Mama Gel and Papa Bear. During the time I was there, I realized that my earliest memories are of being Little Philip's age. I remember that we lived in their house for a short time as my parents finished graduate school at South Alabama. I had to be a little younger than Philip because Aunt Lizzy was not born yet. However old I was then, I remember Grandaddy (Papa Bear to Little Philip) being very protetive of me. He would tell me that a bear lived in their attic. The entire second floor of their house has several doors that open directly into the attic that wraps around the house. It was dangerous for a little three year old but I had caught glimpses of antique treasures in there, and a huge paper maiche elephant that sat just inside one of the doors. I just knew it was filled with toys. It was so intriguing to know what was in there! Being the disobedient child I was, I would sneak up the front stairs and try to open the door closest to the stairwell, only to hear a bellowing growl from the back kitchen stairwell that led to the same second floor. I would run terrified back down the stairs only to find Grandaddy peacefully sitting in the living room or in the kitchen reading the paper, making me think that there really must be a bear in that attic. And that is how Grandaddy's name changed to Papa Bear for my youngest cousins and now, his great grandchildren.

For our early Thanksgiving dinner in Mobile, Memaw and Papa Julian and Aunt Ruthie all came over "across the bay" from Daphne to join us. After a huge dinner made by Nee Nee of turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, asparagus, green beans, rolls, pies and more, we settled into some after dinner entertainment. There was this, the turkey gobble competition between the two great grandmothers.

Then there was the time when Little Philip helped with our thanksgiving tree. On each leaf a family member wrote something for which they were thankful. Mommy read them aloud as Little Philip placed them in the tree. Our favorite was Papa Julian, who shared that he was thankful for a full stomach.

Afterwards, everyone took a little rest and Helen enjoyed some cuddle time with her namesake, Mama Gel. We also celebrated Mommy's 29th birthday early. Yes, 28 has been a glorious year but I feel even more youthful at 29. Ah, yes, 29 glorious years. You know, at 34 years old, that really is too old to even make that joke anymore. It's not funny at all. More like, creepy. Before we left town on Sunday, Poppy, Aunt Ellen and Aunt Lizzy took Little Philip to feed the ducks at the lake. Since it has been too cold for us to feed what ducks are left in Birmingham, Little Philip thought this was quite the treat.

Now we are gearing up to head to Tennessee for Moss Thanksgiving. We're hoping for mild temperatures but know it will be another fabulous time for family memory making!

My Heart Stopped

So, I'm on the phone this morning with my friend, Mandy, walking in and out of rooms while cleaning. Helen is happily playing in her exersaucer while Little Philip finger paints on his easel next to her. I see a large brown cockroach upside down next to the exersaucer and assume it is one of Little Philip's very realistic plastic bugs so I naturally pick it up, intending to put it with the others. That sucker wriggled in my hand for about a nanosecond and then headed straight for the exersaucer. I had to do what I hate to do. I had to stomp him. Poor Helen looked up in sheer terror as I screamed and jumped around the room as if the floor was electrified. Little Philip just looked up at me and said "did that bug bite you?"

Just sharing one of those tender parenting moments on this cold rainy day. Shelia, if you read this, thanks again for the box o' bugs.

Philip's Memory Quilt

When Philip was about four months old, I started having those tender but sad moments where I had to put away sweet little outfits that no longer fit him. When the bottom drawer of his dresser became too full to add anything else, I was forced to put them all in a rubber maid tub, perhaps for another baby one day, but a few times these past three years, just to open and reminisce.

Enter Little Philip's Great Aunt Mary Helen, who offered to make a memory quilt for him. I had seen examples of these quilts before, usually made with t-shirts. It's a great idea and a loving way to preserve memories. However, nothing could have prepared me for how cute Little Philip's quilt would be, or how much he would love it too. It arrived last Friday, just as we were pulling out of the driveway for our trip to Nashville. I put it in the car and Little Philip slept on it the entire weekend. Since then, it has been a nap mat, a TV time blanket, the roof to a fort, a great hiding place, and even a tummy time quilt for Helen. For his parents, Little Philip's blanket has been a trip down memory lane.

On one square, Aunt Mary Helen included the snap bottom from a sweet little onesie, one I recall being on our baby boy around two months of age. Now, our three year old boy enjoys unsnapping and snapping with hands that are about the same size as his once teeny-weeny little bottom.

Another square is from my favorite little red sweater Philip wore at eight months old. It had a brown horse on it, something I knew would please his Daddy. After all, Big Philip's first word was "horse."

Yet another square was of a yellow shirt, appliqued with a firetruck and monogrammed with Philip's name. This shirt was very special because it is what he wore on his first day of daycare at Trinity UMC, when he was about 14 months old. I remember crying as I left him that day, Big Philip dragging me out the door as I pointed to his shirt to remind his teachers of his name. Next to this square are the back pockets of his seer sucker romper. Now he hides coins and fake bugs in them to find later.

If you haven't thought of having a memory quilt made, I strongly recommend it. All those wonderful memories of that first year of parenthood are now visibly in our home. Every square of that quilt reminds me of another tender moment and how important it is to cherish the time I have as a mama of little ones. That sweet little baby bottom that once fit into that onesie now belongs to an energetic three year old...that insisted on wearing his batman pajamas to show off his quilt.

Thank you, "Ellen Mary Ellen" for our quilt! (watch the video and it will make sense.)

Christmas Pictures

We've decided to forego sending Christmas cards this year as a financial decision but did get some portraits made of Philip and Helen for the holidays. The dress Helen is wearing is my second smocking project. As was the case with the watermelon bubble, I did not sew this dress together. I just smocked the collar and sleeves. I'm still hoping to learn how to sew a dress together but for now, I'm very happy with how my smocking skills have improved.

And, to compare Philip at 8 months to Helen at 8 months, take a look at these bottom two pictures.

Nothing Much

We've just returned from a great weekend in Nashville where we visited with Aunt Judy, Uncle Win, Cousin Annie, Aunt Maralie, Uncle Richard and an assortment of both families pets. We also visited with my Vandy college friends as we, once again, commiserated the demise of another hopeful Vanderbilt football season. Those Florida fans are brutal.

There's not much else going on around the Moss house that is noteworthy. Helen has her second ear infection in a little over a month. My guess is we are headed towards getting tubes in a few months but we'll wait and see a little bit longer. Speaking of that, Little Philip loves to say that when we tell him he has to stop doing something. "I want you to stay in bed and cuddle with me just a little bit longer." We wish he would sit on the potty just a little bit longer but describing this current battle drives me to tears so I just refuse to talk about it, OK?

I finished smocking Helen's Christmas dress and only have to hem it now. I've never hemmed anything so if I can learn to hem by Saturday's 9:50 am portrait appointment I'll be golden. Little Philip has two possible outfits. One is smocked and would match so well but Daddy is reluctant. I reminded him that he is only three and that this year, I promise, will be the last smock year for our boy. He reminded me that I said that last year. The back up is a nice holiday sweater/turtleneck/with cords outfit. It will be just what he wears for the rest of his life to every corporate Christmas party. This is why I'm voting for the smocked two piece outfit.

We are considering what to do about Christmas this year, given our new financial perspective. Hindsight is 20/20 but I'm not sure I would have resigned from work knowing that the economy would tank a few months later. Then again, I do believe God is in control and He will provide for us. And so, flipping around some catalogs that are on our coffee table just for show rather than purchases, we considered some possible Christmas gifts for our family. I found a hide and go seek monkey game for Little Philip where the monkey is hidden and you carry an electronic stick around the house that beeps and makes other noises as you get closer and closer to the monkey. Big Philip reminded me that we already have that game. It's called hide the cordless phone and hit page.

And the last big news is that Mommy is hitting Weight Watchers again. I'm tired of hearing that BEEEEEEP.....BEEEEP...BEEEEP noise when I walk backwards. This way, Philip won't have to get a forklift license to sweep me off my feet anytime in the near future. I have 19 pounds to lose to get back to the weight I was the last time I did Weight Watchers in 2003. I'm not being very strict since I am still nursing but just getting into the habit of food journaling again has been convicting. For instance, for lunch I had one hot dog with just ketchup, mustard and a wee bit of shredded cheese. Normally I would have had two dogs, with squeeze cheese, Sneaky Pete's sauce, chili, mayo, mustard, ketchup, kraut, and relish. Yep, I'm a real woman.

We'll focus on getting well this week, forcing down yet another strawberry flavored antibiotic. Many thanks to Publix for making that stuff free these days. Our next post, I hope, will be of two adoring children in Christmas frocks after a successful portrait appointment!

Let's Play a Game

The potty training war continues, with the three year old in the lead. This makes laundry a nightly requirement. Below you see two pictures of objects I found in two pairs of pants.

Can you tell whose pants belong to each picture? Boys...

Happy Halloween!

And now the comic relief.

Disclaimer: No child was harmed in this moment, due to the cat like reflexes of her daddy.

"Philip, I'm not sure she is going to be able to sit on that pumpkin all by herself."

"You just take the picture. I promise, I'll catch her if she falls."

Papa Papa Toast

Helen has now started some finger foods. This past weekend I spied some Papa Papa toast and decided to let her try it. She loved it, especially with her two new bottom teeth! For those that don't know what Papa Papa toast is here's the deal. Papa Papa is our Brownsville great grandfather, hubby to Mama Em. He slices sandwich bread into 3-4 sticks and let's them sit in the oven on warm for hours until they are good and crispy and then brushes them with just a little bit of butter and let's them cook on low for even longer. The result is a light buttery crispy treat that everyone loves. I've tried to make them myself but they just don't taste as good as when Papa Papa makes them.

Here is our little way to say thank you this morning! Sorry I could not get Helen to smile. She was too busy gnawing on her toast.

Monday night was a difficult night in our house. We started sleep training Helen which means she screamed for about an hour with Daddy stepping in about every 15 minutes to quickly pat her and say he loved her. Mommy can't go in because Helen will want "the good stuff." Just after Helen finally gave up her fight, we heard Philip crying in his room. The next thing Mommy heard on the monitor was Daddy saying "Philip, where are your clothes?!" At some point in the night, Philip had stripped naked and fallen asleep...without a pull up. The result? Our first bed wetting. So Philip ended up coming to bed with us around 4:00 a.m. Tuesday evening Daddy revealed this picture that he had taken just before leaving for work early that morning. See any family resemblance?

More Traveling

This past weekend we went up to Brownsville for our cousin Martha's third birthday party and her little sister Amy's, christening. That means it was a big huge Moss party with all eleven grandchildren in one place! Aunt Emily outdid herself with a Pajamas and Pancakes party Saturday morning, complete with pumpkin painting. Sunday morning was the christening of Amy. I love the way the Brownsville First Methodist church does baptisms. After Amy was baptized, the minister presented her to the congregation, and walked up and down each aisle for the congregation to see this precious little one to whom they had just made a Christian commitment. They also have children's church so when it came time for the little ones to join the minister at the altar, Little Philip went running and fell right in line with everyone, without the slightest apprehension or look back to mom or dad. After the christening we had a delicious brunch with shrimp and grits, one of my favorite dishes.

We hated to leave but Daddy had to drive to Starkville Sunday night to be there in time for a big campus recruiting event this morning. Thankfully, that is his only overnight trip this week. So this Monday morning we are getting back into our regular routine and finishing up costumes. Unfortunately, Peter Pan's hat, made from the neck of a green turtleneck, does not fit over his head. I should have known with that Moss noggin! I'm off to Hobby Lobby to see if I can find something that will work. Helen's Tinkerbell costume is all but finished. She will either look like an adorable little green fairy, or an adorable baby showgirl. Let's hope for the first part!

Trip to the Mountains

My dear friend from college, Liz, invited me and the kids up to Cashiers, NC to spend a few days there with her two children. Cashiers is kind of a special place for me. It was at Liz's 2000 wedding in Cashiers that I polled all of my girlfriends about whether or not to accept Philip's invitation to go to the Moss family beach reunion as a first date. So glad they said yes!

Brace yourself from some serious jealousy. On Wednesday and Thursday I was blessed to experience this majestic view from the back screened porch of Liz's family's mountain home.

While the kids were napping Wednesday afternoon, I stepped outside to experience the beautiful sight, sounds, and smell of the mountains of North Carolina. I took in a deep breath and looked up to see this. It was the perfect week for the colors of autumn to make their debut.

Little Philip and Helen were in heaven with their friends, Matthew and Mary Branch. They played on the golf course, enjoyed riding in the golf cart around course itself, and had a special treat of feeding carrots to Ed and Fred, the resident donkeys at High Hampton Inn.

Helen, not to be left out, made great friends with Etta, a chocolate lab. Who knew she liked doggy kisses so much!

Thank you, Liz, for a wonderful time to catch up and play!

Pumpkin Patch Year Two

We returned to Old Baker Farm this year for another great day at the pumpkin patch! If Philip had fun last year he really had fun this year! He really enjoyed the hay maze, barn full of baby animals, hay mountain, pumpkin patch, horsey swing, hay ride and more. This year, Little Philip is a big brother so he had to hold his sister in the picture rather than a little pumpkin. Our friends, the Hilsmiers, join us with their two boys, and Uncle Robb and Aunt Ellen also came along for a fun fall day.

Daddy almost dropped Philip off the hay mountain. You can see hay flying off of his foot and a bit of a panicked look on Daddy's face in this picture. The hay mountain was about two stories high.

Thankfully, he recovered.

First Dentist Appointment

Today Little Philip went to the dentist for the first time. Dr. Clark Thomas at Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry was our new hero by the end of the day. It started when we first arrived and the receptionist opened the glass window with a huge smile, naming Philip by name as soon as we arrived. The waiting room had two flat screen TVs showing Finding Nemo, one of our favorite movies. Philip sat in one of two toy cars facing the screen for about five seconds before finding a music keyboard to occupy his time while Mommy filled out paperwork. Helen was a perfect little sister, content to sit in the Baby Bjorn the entire appointment. When it was Philip's turn to go back, he picked the red examination chair and was pretty excited not only to continued watching Finding Nemo on the flat screen above his head but also to taste the grape flavored examination gloves. What a concept! Philip was a perfect patient, and got a clean bill of health. Because he was a good patient, Dr. Thomas gave him a gold token that he used to get a bouncy ball out of a fancy vending machine. He also got two stickers for his shirt, Batman and Scooby Doo. I didn't even know he knew who Scooby Doo was. At the end of his appointment, Dr. Thomas helped him put his green handprint on a ceiling tile next to his name. Dr. Thomas's office is in a new location so they are decorating the acoustic ceiling tiles with patient handprints and names. It's very bright and colorful and we were super happy with our first dentist appointment!

Captain Rodney's Cheese Bake

Although it feels like at least a year, it has probably only been about three months since I had this incredible dip made by my sister-in-law, Emily. This is called Captain Rodney's Cheese Bake. The key ingredient is Captain Rodney's Boucan glaze, or any glaze made by Captain Rodney. Emily first had  this cheese bake in Greenwood, MS at a shower earlier this year. She brought back some bottles of the glaze from the drug store where it is sold there. You would think Birmingham would have this stuff somewhere but for the last few months, I have been searching and searching. I called and emailed the company in Bell Buckle, TN and finally got a response that Whole Foods carried it. I sent Philip to the store immediately but they had to order it for us. I waited three weeks for a call from Whole Foods that my order had arrived but as of today, I still had no call. So, I went today to check and there on the shelf were several bottles of this amazing glaze.

Since we are gearing up to watch the Vandy vs. Auburn game, it was fitting to have a pregame appetizer so we opted for the Captain Rodney's Cheese bake. It was so dang good that half of it was gone by the time I got the camera out. Mind you, it's just me and Philip eating it. That diet will have to wait. I'm in ooey gooey cheese bake heaven right now!

Here is the recipe in case you want to make it and believe me, you do. I warn you. This is highly addictive!

Captain Rodney's Cheese Bake

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

8 oz. cream cheese

2 green onions, finely chopped (optional)

8 crushed Ritz crackers

Mix the above four ingredients and place in a greased quiche or tart pan or anything made for baked dips. Top with the crushed crackers and bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

8 slices of crispy cooked bacon, chopped.

1/2 cup Captain Rodney's glaze (Boucan glaze is the same as Mango Pepper glaze)

Top baked cheese with crumbled bacon and drizzle the 1/2 cup glaze over the top. Serve with crackers or any chip you prefer.

Little Pumpkins

If any of you subscribe to the Family Fun Magazine, you know what a great monthly list of fun crafts and activities it offers. For October, the cover features a tiedyed pumpkin t-shirt idea. There was no way I was going to attempt to tiedye with a three year old and six month old so I took care of that part during an afternoon nap this past week. Once the dye was set, Little Philip helped me decide what kind of pumpkin faces to put on his shirt and Helen's shirt. He would say "do one like this" and he would squish up his face. And so, he decided what kind of pumpkin faces to do one by one by making the face he wanted me to draw. Notice that Little Philip is holding his sister's hand. Anytime they are next to each other, he insists on holding her hand.

Krispy Kreme

Daddy had some leftover Krispy Kremes from a recent student recruitment event. Little Philip was in heaven, as was his mommy! However, as we continue to wrestle with his picky eating habits, you will notice that he, too, has a fondness for icing. He ate around the doughnut but we had a hard time convincing him that there was more icing in the very center. Instead, he wanted to eat another one, leaving each one half-eaten.