Poolside Encounters with a Four Year Old

(if you see this kid to the left-Mommies hide your snack bags!)

My sister and I decide to have some summer fun and head out to the pool with my nephew to enjoy the beautiful, but windy weather we are having. Being the wonderful mother that she is my sister is armed with ziplock baggies full of snacks, juice boxes, etc to tend to every need that James may have while we are at the pool.

Enter Eli. A four year old who is at the pool with his step-dad and step-dad's friend while they are "sneaking" beer in their Whataburger cups. Eli

has this amazing talent of fitting three questions in just one breath. "What's your name? My name is Eli. What's his name? How old is he?" (finally a breath). Continued by, "Is that what you're going to wear? Where did you get it? Is that your thingy, what is it called? Can I use it? (another breath). I feel awkward telling a four year old I got my swimsuit at Victoria Secret. I laugh when I tell him I got my "floaty" at Target and he asks, "Which Target?"

Anyways, so we are enjoying our snacks after swimming for a while and over walks Eli.

"Oooh grapes!! Can I have some? Can I have some Goldfish? Can I have some Apple juice?"

We let him have some, but to our surprise this isn't just any four year old. This is a STARVING four year old. He is stuffing grapes into his mouth four at a time. He knows how to take them off the vine two at a time! We laughed, but when another parent doesn't step in and take control of their kids, how do you politely tell someone else's kid, "No," without being too offensive. BTW we did try, "No, no honey. These are for James."