What Levi Learned:

(Fornote from Mom: Please keep in mind that I buy the "micro-petite" carrots which are harvested no more than 23 hours after they germinate, and there are only 4 on his plate... )

"Eat your carrots" does not mean:

*Give my carrots to the dog, tell Mom, "All done!" and ask for dessert.
(Mom will give me more)

*Give my carrots to the baby, tell Mom, "All done!" and ask for dessert.
(Ugh. Mom will actually take the carrots away from the baby, wash them and give them back)

*Bite my carrots in tiny little pieces and spread them strategically around my plate. Tell Mom, "All done!" and ask for dessert.
(Mom will spoon them into a neat little pile and fold her arms)

*Shove my carrots down my shirt, tell Mom, "All done!" and ask for dessert.
(Mom will give me the turny-head/squinty-eye, dig out the carrots and put them back on my plate)

*Chew my carrots until they're Gerber consistency, spit them onto my plate, tell Mom, "All done!" and ask for dessert.
(Mom will still insist I eat them - gross!)

*Hide my decimated carrot mush under my plate, tell Mom, "All done!" and ask for dessert.
(Mom will lift the plate and find them. By this time, my older brothers have cleaned their plates and Mom will make a production of slowly scooping some ice cream into bowls for them.)

Alas, "Eat your carrots" sadly means I have to chew and swallow the blasted things.

Now I know.

(End note from Mom: Envy finally superseded stubbornness and the boy did get his ice cream.)