Cause I Eats Me Spin-ach

I'm Popeye the sailor man
I'm Popeye the sailor man
I'm strong to the fin-ich
Cause I eats me spin-ach
I'm Popeye the sailor man.

-POPEYE (singing)

One of my favorite memories of my brother John, was his 8-year-old self sitting at our farmhouse kitchen table, choking down spinach, straight from the can. Obsessed about Popeye he was, and was equally obsessed about squeezing that whole can straight into his mouth without hands--just like his hero. My brother, though, didn't need spinach to build muscles. He was just born that way. Honestly. One time, a few years down the road, we were on vacation and 13-year-old John was wearing a tank top. I still remember this 20-something body-builder type approaching John to ask him weight-lifting advice. It was more than disturbing for this guy who spent his life in the gym, I am sure, to find out that John just ate spinach.

Liv is into spinach. To get stronger. She's become quite the health nut lately. She cleverly uses her foot to flush the toilet in order to save on the germs she accumulates. She also refuses to eat food if she has just touched our dog. She over accentuates her need to refrain from second-hand smoke. One day, on the way to her favorite chocolate shop, she announces: "Mom--I'm not going to eat junk food ANYMORE." I nonchalantly brought up our upcoming visit to Sees. She pauses. "After Sees, I'm not eating junk food NEVER, NOT EVER again".

Today, Liv asked for a bowl of spinach sans dressing. This isn't entirely uncommon, though she wasn't born loving spinach. Our little gal has willfully acquired a taste for the green superfood. Here she is ingesting the stuff.




Here she is being silly as Wieber girls always are.


And here is her empty bowl:


But wait! There's more.

Here is a picture of those muscles.


I think I will refrain from allowing her to watch Popeye. This girl doesn't need any more encouragement. Plus, doesn't he smoke? She might boycott the whole episode due to health restrictions.