Eat, Papa, Eat!

Something quite interesting about the R.A. is that in many ways he is late to the party, meaning there will be activities that we have engaged in for years and one day he suddenly notices - "Hey, that is booma rooma interesting!  Is it something new?"  For example, recently the R.A. noticed that I put shoes on in the morning.  If he is in my bedroom while I am getting ready for work, he will cease what he is doing and watch, mesmerized as I put the shoes on.  And it's not like I even have totally cool shoes.

Tonight, like many nights, the R.A. was initially working through dinner (those Thomas trains and Thomas cards don't line themselves up on their own).  The rest of the family began eating their meals.  Surprisingly, the R.A. sat down next to my husband and watched intently while my husband ate his dinner.  The R.A.'s expression said, "What's this about? What are you doing?  What are those metal things that you are holding?  What's that stuff on the plate?  Is this something new for you?  How long have you been doing this?" My husband was thrilled because the R.A. was showing a keen interest in an Earth activity.  We do tend to encourage that sort of thing as typically  the R.A. is either dismissive or disdainful of any Earth endeavors.  My husband started to explain to the R.A. that this was his dinner and pointed out the food on the plate.  But then the R.A. started to become involved in the whole eating process.  The R.A.'s father offered him some food which the R.A. emphatically declined.  Instead the R.A. grabbed the fork and tried to direct it into my husband's mouth.  The R.A. then proceeded to direct his father's meal consumption.  The R.A. was not a fan of any of the vegetables or potatoes - the only thing the R.A. permitted his father to eat was the meat.  Then, what his father was eating wasn't the only important thing but how fast he was eating and according to the R.A. not nearly fast enough.  My husband barely got a piece of meat into his mouth when the R.A. was already focusing on spearing the next bit of meat.  It's like the R.A. was some sort of bizarre food drill Sergeant who clearly thought chewing was for pansies.  At one point the R.A. became most impatient with his father's lollygagging and clapped his hands at his father as if to say, "Pick up the pace, fella!"  Most incredible was that it was too fast even for my husband who pretty much inhales his food.  At one point my husband had a hard time catching his breath.

Then, just as quickly and surprisingly as it started, it stopped.  The R.A. hopped off the chair and went back to his Thomas work, demonstrating no interest in the rest of my husband's meal.  My husband was grateful to enjoy his indigestion in peace.  Tonight my husband's Facebook status is "Force Fed on the 4th of July."  None of his friends believe it.