Oh, How They Whine!
Whine, whine, whine! That's what I listened to as my boys and I drove the hour-long trip to Grandma's house. Alex, who just turned 14, is practicing his best imitation of a big-suited, big-mouth, high-dollar, gonna win no matter what, smarmy attorney.
"I don't see," said he, "why oh why we can't have soda! All my friends have soda whenever they want!"
I see where this is headed...we are en route to that heavenly haven--Grandma Horton's house!! He knows there will be candy(count on it), cookies (three kinds), soda and ice cream--not to mention a home-made three-tier-died-and- gone-to-Heaven birthday cake. Today is Grandma's birthday, and she likes to sugar up the kids in spades.
This boy knows that he must extract a promise of soda from me before I am at Grandma's door, because once I see her Gingerbread House-like display of goodies galore, I will surely veto any requests for sugary beverages.
"Yeah, " chimes in Ryan. 'You know Christina and Stephanie and Russell will be there! You know their moms all let them have soda whenever they want! I don't want to drink water! I don't want to drink Milk! I don't even want Ovaltine! I want Coke!"
Gee, this seems to be going swell! No wonder Daddy stayed home with a raging case of Strep Throat. I bet he is having more fun than I, as I crawl through lanes of traffic that seem to stretch into forever.
This little outing is going nowhere fast! The kids continue to whine about what a mean old mom they have; I turn up the radio a notch and escape to the chatter of Click & Clack, the Car Talk guys on National Public Radio. The pair are real-life brothers who are auto mechanics and entrepreneurs; they take caller's questions and comments regarding automobiles and, it seems, a host of other things. Their quick banter and giggly nonsense is hilarious; I point out to my boys that it is nice to hear two brothers getting along so well, actually having fun together! Aha! I smell a challenge!
"You know" I say, in my most convincing Mama voice, "if you guys can quit whining and bickering until we get to Grandma's...(I pause here for dramatic effect)...I just might let you have some Coke."
"Awesome, Mom! You are an awesome mom," I hear, as we zip on down the highway. Another 20 minutes and we will be over the river and through the woods and at the house of the favored Grandma.
I pull onto the long, tree-lined lane that goes to Grandma's house. The boys are eager to escape the car...after all, their is a time limit on how long the under 30 crowd will tolerate N-P-R...and run to greet the Grandma who has good stuff...choclate coins hidden in little candy dishes all over the house (and in spots known only to she, who must be adored, and the boys), candy canes left over from Christmas, cookies piled high on a lacy doily, as if they'll ever notice that as they grab for the goodies. They are giddy at the thought of all those goodies and the promise of soda they have extracted from their mother.
A little while later, as we are about to sit down to a beautiful birthday bounty, Grandma approaches the little dears. "Now, boys," she says, "what would you like to drink with lunch?"
"Milk, " says Alex.
"Water, " says Ryan.
"Wine, " says I! "Whine, whine whine!"
"I don't see," said he, "why oh why we can't have soda! All my friends have soda whenever they want!"
I see where this is headed...we are en route to that heavenly haven--Grandma Horton's house!! He knows there will be candy(count on it), cookies (three kinds), soda and ice cream--not to mention a home-made three-tier-died-and- gone-to-Heaven birthday cake. Today is Grandma's birthday, and she likes to sugar up the kids in spades.
This boy knows that he must extract a promise of soda from me before I am at Grandma's door, because once I see her Gingerbread House-like display of goodies galore, I will surely veto any requests for sugary beverages.
"Yeah, " chimes in Ryan. 'You know Christina and Stephanie and Russell will be there! You know their moms all let them have soda whenever they want! I don't want to drink water! I don't want to drink Milk! I don't even want Ovaltine! I want Coke!"
Gee, this seems to be going swell! No wonder Daddy stayed home with a raging case of Strep Throat. I bet he is having more fun than I, as I crawl through lanes of traffic that seem to stretch into forever.
This little outing is going nowhere fast! The kids continue to whine about what a mean old mom they have; I turn up the radio a notch and escape to the chatter of Click & Clack, the Car Talk guys on National Public Radio. The pair are real-life brothers who are auto mechanics and entrepreneurs; they take caller's questions and comments regarding automobiles and, it seems, a host of other things. Their quick banter and giggly nonsense is hilarious; I point out to my boys that it is nice to hear two brothers getting along so well, actually having fun together! Aha! I smell a challenge!
"You know" I say, in my most convincing Mama voice, "if you guys can quit whining and bickering until we get to Grandma's...(I pause here for dramatic effect)...I just might let you have some Coke."
"Awesome, Mom! You are an awesome mom," I hear, as we zip on down the highway. Another 20 minutes and we will be over the river and through the woods and at the house of the favored Grandma.
I pull onto the long, tree-lined lane that goes to Grandma's house. The boys are eager to escape the car...after all, their is a time limit on how long the under 30 crowd will tolerate N-P-R...and run to greet the Grandma who has good stuff...choclate coins hidden in little candy dishes all over the house (and in spots known only to she, who must be adored, and the boys), candy canes left over from Christmas, cookies piled high on a lacy doily, as if they'll ever notice that as they grab for the goodies. They are giddy at the thought of all those goodies and the promise of soda they have extracted from their mother.
A little while later, as we are about to sit down to a beautiful birthday bounty, Grandma approaches the little dears. "Now, boys," she says, "what would you like to drink with lunch?"
"Milk, " says Alex.
"Water, " says Ryan.
"Wine, " says I! "Whine, whine whine!"
posted by NewsGal @ 5:17 PM
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