Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes...

My kids used to be such slobs.

I can't tell you how many times I instituted a "no food in the car" rule only to be over-ruled by two hungry little boys.  When you have a minivan, it's not only a car, it's like a moving dumpster full of half eaten french fries and Cheerios.  CHEERIOS EVERYWHERE.  Since we've had kids we've always leased our minivan and every time that I have returned our vehicle, I'm reminded about the hundreds of times I told the kids to stop eating in the car. Apparently they never listened.

We used to have one of those little snack cups that you would fill up with Cheerios or other small snacks where you could get your hand in, but none of the snacks would ever fall out. It went with us everywhere, but eventually we stopped using it. I was actually looking for it the other day, but like a lot of things from when they were little, it's nowhere to be found.

I used to lament the fact that my kids are getting older.

The boys when I first started this blog

I struggled everyday as my kids became more and more independent. No longer were they my little babies, they were now fully functioning little men.  When I first started here, my oldest Tyler was six years old and scared of spiders. He used to watch Scooby Doo and had this cute little stutter as he tried to find the words he was trying to say.  He's now 12 and has a girlfriend. He's as sharp as a tack and no longer has arachnophobia.  He watches more adult shows like Modern Family and The Office. His face is starting to break out and he smells.  Puberty is starting to set in.

My youngest Carter was just a baby at the time. When he slept he would curl up into a little ball.  He had this raspy voice from screaming so much and he was obsessed with Star Wars.  He's now almost 10 and quite possibly the best little athlete I have ever seen.  He doesn't curl up when he sleeps anymore but for some reason he's started to sleep with a whole bunch of stuffed animals.  His voice isn't as raspy as it used to be, but he still throws tantrums like you wouldn't believe. While Tyler is my little man, Carter is still very much my little boy.

The boys now... big difference.

As much as things have changed over the years, there is one thing that hasn't... breakfast.  Everyday it's the same thing.  I ask the kids what they want and in turn they ask me what do we have. I don't know why they do that, because it's always been the same few choices for the past six years.  With everything that we have in our pantry and refrigerator more often than not it comes down to some variety of Cheerios. My kids are creatures of habit and I should know that because I am the same way. I mean who doesn't LOVE a big bowl of Cheerios?

A photo posted by John Willey (@jdubs44) on Feb 2, 2017 at 10:14am PST

While my kids have changed so has Cheerios.  They now have a Very Berry Cheerios variety that have a taste of real berries in every bite.  Like everything else it seems nowadays, they are also gluten free and contain no artificial flavors or colors.  Follow Cheerios on Social Media and share your #berrieseverywhere moment with them.

**I have partnered with Life of Dad and Cheerios on this campaign... all opinions are my own unless my wife tells me otherwise.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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