Remember the old saying, "Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, As to be hated needs but to be seen: Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, We first endure, then pity, then embrace." ?
Well, after experimenting with that principle, I can tell you first hand it is true. Darn it, though, I'm afraid I was on the side of vice when we tried it out.
One Saturday we went to the lake with my family for a picnic and skiing. It was one of those lovely, warm, afternoons when the blazing summer heat has ended but the days haven't begun cooling off yet. Linnea was three or four months old, right at the age where she was laughing and smiling and lots of fun to watch.
Mom had brought homemade vanilla ice-cream for dessert, and it was delicious! We were sitting around the cement picnic table on a Ramada overlooking the lake, full and happy and enjoying each others company, but mostly having fun playing with Linnea. Being the first grandchild, she was always the center of attention.
"This ice-cream is delicious," Sheldon complimented, as he savored a bite from his second bowl. "Don't you think Linnea would like a little bit?" He said that just to tease, knowing full well that babies shouldn't eat ice-cream.
"I don't suppose it would hurt her," I answered, because I stubbornly refused to be teased and always avoided taking the bait.
"Can I give her some?" Sharon asked hopefully. She was only ten, and she loved playing with Linnea.
"I guess so," I answered, looking at mom to see what she would say. "After all, it's just milk and sugar isn't it?"
Mom laughed and said she didn't suppose a little ice-cream would hurt, so Sharon put a tiny bit in Linnea's mouth and she happily sucked it up. That started a feeding frenzy. Linda and Julie had to try giving ice cream to Linnea, too, and we all delighted in her cute face and excited bouncing as she wanted more and more.
"I bet she'd like some root-beer, too," Sheldon suggested, trying to get back into the center of attention.
"I don't think so," I told him laughingly.
"Why not?" he wanted to know. "Just see what she does."
I really couldn't think of a good excuse not to let her taste the pop. I was sure it wouldn't hurt her, and she would probably just spit it out, anyway, so I finally gave in. Sheldon sucked a little bit up in a straw, held the end with his finger, and let it dribble out into Linnea's mouth. You should have seen her face! It puckered up and her eyes grew wide and she looked absolutely adorable! It was really cute.
We all laughed, but Linda hadn't seen what happened, so Sheldon dropped a tiny bit more into Linnea's mouth, and she puckered up and made the same face all over again.
Dad and Phillip came climbing up from the lake just then, they'd been down fishing, and wanted to know what everyone was laughing about. Sheldon had to demonstrate all over again and Linnea pulled her cute face once more, tickling all of us as we watched. her. It was so cute that we couldn't stop. Sharon and Julie both had to try giving her a little root-beer, then Linda and even Phillip joined in. Only Linnea wasn't puckering up her face so much by then, and before long she could suck down that root-beer as happily as she licked up the ice cream.
"Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, as to be hated, needs but to be seen: Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, We first endure, then pity, then embrace."
And so is root-beer
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