The Bizarre Choices an Eight Year Old Makes...

Shea: "Do I have to try something new?"

Rich: "Yes. Here's the sausage and rice, since the only other new thing on the table is the bottle of crushed red pepper."

Shea: "Would the crushed red pepper count as something new? Even though I've had it before?"

Rich: "Shea, I'll tell you what. If you eat a whole spoon full of crushed red pepper, and keep it down- you can't spit it out- that would count."

Me: "Um, I don't know if I'm really comfortable with this...."

Shea: "I'll totally do it."

And he did. And we all laughed at the expressions of pain that contorted his face. But he didn't spit it out. He did, however, spit out a large mouthful of milk because we were all laughing so hard during the aftermath.