Missing the Good Old-Fashioned Days

Z is up early this morning. Before that magical time of 8:00 when I have told them they can leave their rooms this summer. The girls know me. They know that trying to interact with Mommy before she has had at least 10 minutes of quiet time downstairs and a gallon or two of coffee isn't a good idea. Z is still learning that. But he has learned quickly that telling us he had a bad dream usually passes as an excuse for that early departure from his room. And so I forgave the 7:58 foray into my domain. Never mind the fact that I had heard him moving around for at least 15 minutes so am pretty sure that there was indeed no bad dream unless it was the fear of me without coffee.

I'm out the door soon for a doctor appointment, so I asked him what he wanted to eat instead of putting it off in hopes that my own personal chef will appear at the front door. Waffles, mommy? No but we have french toast. The kind of oatmeal that comes in packets? No but we have the packets Mommy made. Dejectedly, he settled on an English muffin with both honey and cinnamon sugar. A recipe invented by my husband. Because who doesn't need both sugar and honey first thing in the morning?

You see, the kids are still adjusting to a few changes here. A few months ago I decided to take more control over what we are eating. And that includes trying to make more food here instead of buying the convenience food at the grocery store. So frozen waffles that come in a box are gone. So are pre-flavored oatmeal packages. I spend a good part of my life now making pancakes, waffles, or french toast sticks in the middle of the afternoon so I can freeze them. The oatmeal packets? Actually not so bad since I get to use my food processor. Kevin fears the food processor. Something about it being a trip to the ER waiting to happen. So I'm not the safest cook around.

But the kids still aren't on board. They ask when I'm going to stop feeding them healthy breakfasts. They want to go back to all of the foods that boast that they are fortified with vitamins and minerals. They want the advertising. They want the simpler time back when you opened the freezer and there were two or three boxes of waffles to choose from. And when I'm elbow deep in flour this afternoon making waffles, I probably will too. And I'm trying to stay away from that recipe for English Muffin bread I found.