Fast Food
Is there a name for the phenomenon that occurs when you make a serious trip to the grocery to stock up so that you have food for quite a while, and, the entire family steps up their food usage to match what you have bought?
It's like they see all this food, and, stand around thinking of things they can do with it because, obviously, I must have inadvertently bought too much.
Let's use bananas and cereal as an example.
I bought goodly amounts of both so that they would last a while, and, Dear Father-in-Law promptly used nearly all the bananas in two days to make peanut butter, banana and mayonaise (no need to have your eyes checked, yes I said mayonaise) sandwiches and Wesley decides that he must eat an entire box of cereal in one day by himself (no wonder the kid has irritable bowel syndrome).
We won’t even discuss the milk consumption!
Arrrrrggggghhhhh!
Also what do you do when your children exhibit signs of what I like to call “Full-Onset Teenage Dimentia.” Let me explain, Saturday I had to take Brien to the school at 5:30 a.m. Bleary eyed and sleep deprived, I get him up, make sure that he has his uniform, instrument, sweatshirt and money. Drive him to the school for the before competition practice.
After practice the band has to change into their uniforms and load the buses with their instruments and change of clothes. Brien gets on the bus in uniform, but neglects to load his duffle bag of personal stuff, like his PANTS!!! He calls at 1:30 p.m. in a panic to let me know that he forgot his money. The boy is only concerned about the fact that he will have to forego a meal. It doesn’t phase him that when he has to take off his uniform that he will be in danger of being arrested for indecent exposure. All he could think about was FOOD! Staying in uniform to avoid being arrested was not an option because the band has a strict rule that you may not eat in uniform. This rule is especially necessary for Brien as he feels the need to intimately bond with any food that he is eating. Doesn’t matter what the food is he will find a way to smear it on his shirt and pants.
So I spent my Saturday afternoon in the car (5 hour round trip) so that Brien could EAT and stay out of jail. That's ok, it's not like I had to pack our home for moving this week. Why would I think that I had the right to do something other than provide transportation and money, I almost violated Teen Commandement #2!
I better be getting a really good Birthday present from that kid. He has a job now he can afford it!
Holley & Dane
3 comments:
Holley, you are a way nicer mom than me. A five hour round trip would have killed all attempts at nicety between me and my child. Sorry Charlie. I don't do road trips to transport money and/or pants. Deal! Brien better realize not all parents would do that because there is NO WAY I would.
I intend to enjoy having small children just a little more after reading that. You really are a way nice mom, but you do come by it honestly. I am still amazed at the drives mom will make to help out any child in distress, especially the younger ones who by all counts were completely spoiled by mom and I think they'd admit it. Somehow there is a gene in the pool that says take advantage of me, I'm a McGiven or White or wherever it came from. I of course wouldn't trade it for anything, because I too have been the recipient of the overboard niceness that does encompass our mother.
Sweetie, you might as well stop trying to act tough...ever. Because as hard as you try, those who live with you know that you are...well...a Sweetie. It's tatooed on your forehead. So until you get that removed somehow...forget about it. Of course when you're ready to actually be tough, not just act it, it might be a good thing for you that you deserve.
Actually, I'd never want you to change, essentially, Sweetie. Just don't deny it any more that you're a Sweetie.
Of course, you know I told you shouldn't have gone and that Brien would have lived, just like Jeanna said. You do so much without having to do that. You really are a supermom and such a great example to all of us--which is why I wish certain teenagers would try harder to get it together and not take advantage, even if they don't mean to.
God bless my Sweetie.
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