Us + Quaker = Magic Makers

T is ordinarily a fabulous eater, but lately the Joy & Wonder of A Toddler Displaying Independence Fairy has paid a visit to our home, sprinkling "No!" dust and "I'M GONNA DO IT!" sparkles everywhere it alighted. Said Fairy touches upon all areas of our lives: food selection, potty training, in-depth discussions about why it's not acceptable to attempt climbing on the dining room table lugging a cut-crystal bud vase jacked from the breakfront...the usual, you know? But the food, man. It's the worst. I may or may not have walked out of the living room for approximately 12 seconds, only to return to this:

(WHERE DID HE EVEN GET THAT FROM? And perhaps more importantly, why did I compound the problem by photographing him with the lollipop?)

I've been mulling over how to handle things without making a Big Huge Deal out of it (which would totally just make him realize that he's holding all the cards), and then Fate brought the solution right to me. Perhaps T won't listen to me when it comes to food-related guidance...

But maybe he'll listen to this guy? Let's give it a shot with some oatmeal and blueberries...



SUCCESS!

Now all I need to do whenever I want him to eat a particular food is...don a felt cap, a paper Quaker Man mask and order him to do my bidding in a booming, jovial, vaguely Santa-like voice.

Perfect.

You're probably wondering how all this happened, right?

Well, I was recently contacted by Quaker to be a part of their "25 Bloggers, 25 Days" Program for a new anti-hunger initiative called Start with Substance. Their goal is simple, but inspiring: To donate 1 million bowls of oatmeal to people in need. There are 25 bloggers hosting this event over 25 days, and each of us is receiving a case of oatmeal to be donated to our local food banks (as well as discount coupons for Quaker Oats’ products to award to two commenters...I'll choose at random, and Quaker will send them directly to the winners). So, where do I (and the Quaker Man? And YOU) come in? Well, the one blogger with the most comments on their Quaker post will get to choose the hunger charity of their choice to receive $5000 from The Quaker Oats Company. If I win, I'd be donating the money to The Food Bank for New York City (which, by the way, has a four-star rating from Charity Navigator).

All you need to do is this: Go to Quaker's Facebook page and print the image of the Quaker Man. Take a photo/video of yourself/your family with him (do not do anything...unwholesome with his image, guys. RESPECT THE QUAKER MAN.), upload it to the Facebook page, and submit the link in the comments section here.

I know, I know--It does require effort. But this is an incredibly worthy cause, and people. If the sheer number of times I've been tagged for assorted memes lately is any indication, we are all spending a LOT of time on Facebook anyway. A LOT. So why not put just a few minutes of our time on there to good use?

I'm not normally hyper-competitive (except when I'm playing Taboo, that is), but I would really, really love to win this for The Food Bank for New York City, a charity I wholeheartedly--and regularly-- support.

We have 24 hours to get this done--photos must be uploaded and linked in the comments here before 9:00am CST on Saturday, February 14. Full rules are available here.

A huge thank you from me (and Quaker!) in advance if you choose to participate.

Come on, guys! Let's do this thing! *cue Rocky theme*