Dinner is cooking. It will be ready in 20 minutes.
I walk into the kitchen, and startle Craig. He's standing at the toaster, and I've caught him putting Pop-Tarts in it.
"Craig! What are you doing?!!!"
"I'm, uh, making Pop-Tarts."
"I can see that. Dinner is in 20 minutes. Why are you making a snack?"
"Because..."
"Craig, you know better then to have a snack this close to dinner."
"I'm not! It's, um, for my breakfast tomorrow. I'm toasting them now, so they'll be warm when I get out of bed in the morning."
Maybe Craig likes the dark burned edges, but doesn't have time to achieve that desired effect on a Friday morning?
ReplyDeleteIn the depths of winter in the far north (-40 and lower for several days in a row) as a kid I was told that someday there would be a city boiler system to pump hot water under the streets to keep them frost-free... on the other hand my husband worked on geothermal bridge designs. I don't know. Physics never seemed commonsense to me... each concept seemed a mysterious package of wonders to behold.
He doesn't like tomatoes, does he? ;-)
ReplyDeleteexcuse ... FAIL ...
ReplyDeleteAh, the little darlings are all lying scoundrels, all of them. (Just like we were). It's harder to stay mad at them when the lie shows chutzpah, though, innit?
ReplyDeleteMy boychik (age 6) started lying fluently at age 5. His skills have only increased since; he's got real talent. He's a good kid, though, even though he lies. A lot. And he's smart. There was the time he stole the $100 bill, and he came very close to totally getting away with it. But no, really, he's a good kid. See, what it is, it's all about dreams: He was dreaming of buying something. We, for our part, had been dreaming of MIT for him, but now we realize we may have to change that plan to whereever you go to prepare for a career in investment banking. An acting career would be good too, but doesn't pay nearly as well.
That's the thing, innit: They fill our lives with joy, love and laughter: and then they steal our dreams.
*giggle*
ReplyDeleteI eat pop-tarts every. single. morning.
I have for the last...hmmm, at least 18 years. I have never pre-cooked them though.
Do the laws of physics cease to exist in your toaster? Are these magic poptarts? Did you get these poptarts from the guy who sold Jack his beans?
ReplyDelete-Flavius
If you can slow-cook oatmeal overnight in a crock pot...
ReplyDeleteYou have to admit, he's creative!
ReplyDeleteHahaha, you have to at least give him some points for coming up with that on the spot. I could never think that fast when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteSo disappointing. His previous excuses were so much more creative/convincing.
ReplyDeleteHe just had to toast them...He would've been in the clear if he had just snuck off to his room and ate them cold. Kid got greedy.
ReplyDeleteI was going to try out a recipe for meringues this weekend. Baking directions are to turn oven to low heat, place meringues in oven then turn off oven and leave overnight.
ReplyDeleteCould be an excellent project - loads of Grumpy family fun (or not...).
This sounds just like my son Corwyn (about to turn 14 on the 24th! eeeeep!). And what is it about 20 minutes before dinner?? It seems to be almost inevitable that they hit this timing almost exactly every time. Hmmmmmmm. Although circumstantial data seems to show that this phenomenon occurs particularly before growth spurts. You might start measuring his toe to shoe ratio before it's too late.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have learned from all my years of kid/science experience--
ReplyDeletethey live in a quantum universe, where anything can happen. And they can justify it.
Having a teenager in the house is like having a 4 year old walking around your house in a grown up body, but still acting like a 4 year old.
ReplyDeleteYou might have to change to reverse psychology instead of making him following orders.
ReplyDeleteFor example "Yes , do eat that PopTart, then I get to eat your supper!"
As he will likely not be full later in the evening from just the Poptart, and be upset YOU at his food, maybe he will learn to self control the hunger impulse.
Good Dr. Laura--I thought my 5 year old was in an early pubescence, but I see it's been the other way around these past 13 yrs. Not to mention his older 11 yr older sibling hit puberty at around age 11 (18 yrs ago) --we've been in adolescence the past 18 yrs, I guess that's our excuse.
ReplyDelete