Variations on a Theme

Sunday. Again. Since everyone here doesn’t like Sundays (except the Dad) I try to make it a little better by making treats in the afternoon. It is our once a week sugar experience. A little while ago, we got a recipe that the kids were all excited to try. It involved Ritz crackers, peanut butter and marshmallows. When we went to make the treats today, we didn’t have any marshmallows, but DP reminded us that we had a jar of that marshmallow fluff stuff. It had come with us in the move from Kenai I think. We also discovered we were out of Ritz crackers, but we had some of the butter flavored big circle crackers that we buy at Costco. Everyone agreed that it would do. (They were pretty desperate.) Then Maddo decided she wanted to play with the chocolate candy quick stuff and melted a few squares of it in the microwave, in a plastic baggie. She was going to cut off the tip and drizzle designs on waxed paper, let it harden, and serve it to everyone. (That is one of her specials when she is on treats for FHE.) So, instead of the peanut butter, we spread the fluff and then Maddo drizzled the chocolate on top. It turned out pretty good. So, there is a recipe for you to try! A lovely adaptation from the original.

Here is another Maddo story. Yesterday we were outside enjoying the sunshine. Suddenly I remembered that I was supposed to sunblock the kids. I called for Maddo to come get gooped. “No way!” She replied. “Sunblock is bad for your skin. Are you trying to kill me? In 10 years you’ll be sorry you made us use sunblock!” She continued her tirade: “Besides, it’s probably just as bad as white bread. If you won’t feed us white bread, why are you trying to put sunblock on us!” (All the kids prefer white bread and are in constant consternation that I won't buy it for them.) She ranted for a bit longer. By then I was laughing (inside) so much that I didn’t have the heart to force her to sunblock. She did have a valid argument, as she had heard me spout off something along both those lines in the past. (Although I don’t know why she chose to link the two together.) Why do kids not listen when you are intentionally talking to them, and listen attentively and regurgitate the things you wish they hadn’t heard?

Ok. That's good for today.