Eating Arils

My boys were happily munching a shared pomegranate. I split the fruit in two, divided it, put the succulent seeds into two separate bowls and gave a bowl to each. They attacked their late-afternoon snack with great gusto and I noted with amusement, their different eating styles, which said a lot about their present stage of development, (or so I'd like think!)

The EO, picked up the fleshy, maroon seeds and popped them one by one, into his mouth. He must think this style a very grown-up way of eating individual units of small food items. He has probably seen his father, a grandparent or me, enjoy a snack of popcorn, nuts or puffed rice in this manner. So he wanted to relish his afternoon snack the way the grown-ups do. How sweet of him to remember it! How adorable of him to try it! And how very almost-five and all grown-up like!

The YO wanted to eat his juicy, luscious, translucent seeds with a spoon. He's growing up too... faster than the EO did when he was at this age! He wants to do everything himself! Especially when it comes to all matters relating to food and dining! I still need to feed the EO myself, otherwise I can guarantee you that we'll be spending two-hours-forty-five-minutes over a chicken leg and one helping of rice! The YO, on the other hand, shuns any kind of assisstance, loudly asserting his independence! Like he did, once again, this afternoon.

Oh! And did you know that the fleshy seed we eat, such as pomegranate seeds, are called arils? I wanted to be absolutely sure before writing this post, that I wasn't making an ignoramous of my self by using the term 'pomegranate seeds'. I'm not, and even though 'pomegranate arils' sounds terribly erudite, it's also a bit show-offy! So, I'll stick to calling them 'pomegranate seeds', thank you very much...except in the title of this post, of course! ;p

A new word learnt! My boys do teach me much, don't they?