Wednesday, January 28, 2009

The good stuff


When I was about 9 or 10, our Primary (the children's organization at church) had a weekly spotlight on an individual child. I don't remember when I was spotlighted, but I remember a spotlight on a particular child, Charlotte, age 4. I babysat her and her siblings for a short time while her mother taught piano lessons in the front room, but that's not why I remember her.

Charlotte was what I have now learned to call a "spirited child." She spent a good portion of her time pretending to a canine identity, so that she became known as "Charlotte the sheepdog." Once, when her mother was busy trying to shepherd her three other children out of our elementary school after Campfire Girls (too bad the sheepdog was out of character at the moment) Charlotte was running so fast down the hallway that her pants fell down - a moment I was privileged to view from behind and still rank as the funniest of my fifth-grade year.

When Charlotte was the child of the week in Primary, one of the spotlight questions was, "What is your favorite food?" Charlotte's answer: "White bread."

Frankly, I wished I had thought of it. Hey, we were Mormon kids in the 1980s. Our moms were grinding wheat in loud electric grinders in the garage and making their own bread because they knew they were supposed to. And we were eating it. Wonder Bread was like birthday cake to us.

Fast forward to today. I got some white bread by accident (it's a long story) and used some to make K's lunchtime PB&J (with safe, non-salmonellaed peanut butter, I promise).

His response: "Why did you give me toilet paper on my sandwich?"

My, how times have changed. Do I feel a little proud that my kid doesn't recognize white bread? OK, yes. That is kind of cool. But I am shocked, I tell you, that it was not a big treat. I guess I am going to have to step it up.

13 comments:

Jennie said...

Funny story, Ana! I have to confess my kids eat white bread (gasp!), mainly because Madison has a mild allergy to wheat so we avoid it. I prefer wheat and was so glad today to see Costco's new "mix and match" in their bread section---now you bag your own two loaves, so I came home with 1 white & 1 wheat. Yeah!

SalGal said...

Oh I am laughing my butt off!!! Toilet paper...

annie said...

Laughing so hard!!! And I remember those days- all I wanted was wonder bread... now I think the homemade stuff I spit out with my wheat grinder is better than anything on the shelf at the store!! This is the funniest story! I love it.

Katie said...

Hilarious! Can't stop laughing. How old is K? Toilet paper?...ha ha ha ah. There is now a new name for wonder bread.

Unknown said...

He is four. I am glad you guys laughed! Kids are an expensive form of entertainment but when they are good, they are really, really good!

Tamara said...

ROTFL! My kids think white bread is a real treat, too. I grew up on white bread and now I think it's tasteless. Blech!

Braden Bell said...

LOLOLOLOL as another survivor of the 80s wheat bread I heartily concur. We shamelessly let our kids eat refined white flour and will probably send them to early graves.

Unknown said...

That kid is a treasure Ana. Oh my gosh. I am laughing so hard. :P

Denise said...

ROFL! Toilet paper! ROFL!

I grew up on white bread, but it was my mom's homemade bread, so I was kind of right in the middle. Everyone loved her bread. I actually liked store-bought because you could pull of the crust and squish the bread into a tiny square, lol!

Syndee said...

That kid kills me! OMGosh!!!! LMBO!

happy mom said...

that is a great story, and I too was a kid who thought white bread was heaven! How funny. anyway I happened upon your blog, and I love finding great adoption stories and blogs, and I have nominated you for a kreativ blogger

http://heidithehappymom.blogspot.com/2009/01/id-like-to-thank-academy.html

Lucy said...

My mom always made homemade bread and I felt deprived. As soon as I left for college and could buy my own stuff, I went for the sliced white stuff. Grandma Sycamores. Now, I wonder what I was thinking. I only buy wheat bread and it tastes so good.

My sister was telling me there is a new breed of wheat (is that right? Breed?) Anyway, the kernal is white so the wheat is white. Same nutrition, just different colored bread. It's going to blow your mind!:)

Rebekah said...

no way! Costco has mix and match. That is exactly what we need. Thanks!