Cole has been feeling under the weather this week, so he has stayed close to home and had tea and lots of sympathy.
The other day as the dinner hour approached, I asked my ailing son what he would like for dinner. I was open to all suggestions that would taste good to him. I’m a good mother that way—ok, I hadn’t planned a thing for dinner, but I was willing to fix dinner and that has to count for something. Cole was undecided. I suggested our usual comfort foods that include soup, a baked potato, a grilled cheese sandwich, or eggs, but my suggestions were not met with any enthusiasm. I asked him if he wanted Mexican food, Chinese food or pasta. Still no enthusiasm. So I gave it some thought and said, “What about ice cream?”
A flicker of sparkle entered the boy’s eyes and he immediately agreed to ice cream. We made a quick ice cream run to our favorite ice cream parlor, where he chose a strawberry shake to drink and some strawberry ice cream to bring home.
I know that ice cream is not a proper dinner…but when you feel icky, who cares about proper, right? I patted myself on the back for being flexible and coming up with an idea that gave Cole a reasonably healthy dinner and was soothing to his throat. Ice cream is a reasonably healthy dinner. Ask anyone. Ok. Don’t ask my sweet mother, but ask anyone else. Ok. Don’t ask anyone else; just believe me. My dinner problem was solved.
Or not.
About two hours later, Cole came in and asked me what we were having for dinner. DINNER?? I told him he had already eaten dinner. He seemed confused, and I reminded him about the shake and ice cream he had devoured. “But Mom,” my teen wailed, “I didn’t think that was dinner. What kind of mom thinks ice cream is dinner?” Trying to remain reasonable and not reach out and shake him to death (remember those “don’t shake the baby commercials” back in the ‘90s? They really must have made an impression on me), I reminded him that I had offered to make him dinner but nothing had sounded good to him except ice cream. It was now 8 p.m. and I was out of dinner ideas. “Mom,” Cole whined, “I can’t believe we are having this conversation. Moms don’t feed their kids ice cream for dinner.” Losing patience, I snapped, “Ice cream is a dairy product, and dairy is one of the food groups. Your shake had a cookie, which falls in the grain food group.” Then my kid started to cough, and his nose looked raw and miserable…and was it my imagination, or did he look weaker than he had two hours before? Damn. Joe would have made him homemade soup, buttered bread and sweet tea for dinner. Bastard.
FINE. I told him I would order a sandwich from Jimmy John’s for him and make sweet tea. He smiled weakly and said that sounded good.
The next night, while we were eating a meal that included a vegetable for dinner, Cole looked at me and said, “When I have kids I’m going to tell them, ‘Hey, eat your broccoli and be glad for it, ‘cause when I was kid I had to eat ice cream for dinner.’”
Mom, please remove the curse. God please give me strength.
♥~
Kb your a trip and a half. I never know what to expect when I drop by Odd but I always leave smiling. I am completely on your side–ice cream counts and hey strawberries are a FRUIT so you hit three food groups. You go Mom! Hope Cole feels better.
Geri–I completely overlooked the FRUIT angle!! You are brillent. Thank you!
Hopefully he will be “all better” tomorrow.
LOL! Very funny and in the end he appreciates vegetables even more now…. because of ice cream!?? Who knew? ha ha! 😀
😀 Yes, he does have more of an appreciation for “real food” than most kids do. I guess that is a good thing…sometimes. Thanks for stopping by…
Wonder if this would work with with my kids. Somehow I don’t think so but it’s a quick dinner in a pinch that no one would grumble about and you make an excellent case for the food groups. I may have to give it a try!
I pray for strength every night and since I never saw those commercials,which is a shame since somedays I’m just an arms length away from giving a good shake.
Hope Cole is feeling 100% soon and before he drives you crazy.
But you are going to be the favorite grandmother of all your grandkids! That’s for sure…ice cream for dinner would have worked for me!
Grandkids?? I will be worn down to nothing by then. On the other hand they say Grandkids make up for everything! ♥
no harm done. as long as cole eats healthy more days than not.
Thanks Irene. We do our best and sometimes our best is better than others.
My kids think ice cream for dinner is a capital idea! Cole is a lucky kid!
Go for it. It will really confuse them–and act like it’s the most normal thing in the world. Ask your dh to play along. Make sure you push the toppings. You know what I say, and my mother always said, and her mother before her…Why in the world would you have kids if you couldn’t torture them once in awhile!!
Hmm, as someone never allowed to eat ice cream for dinner, someone whose own son was never allowed to eat ice cream for dinner, I tend to be on Cole’s side here. While ice cream is dairy (and probably had fruit from the strawberries), it’s not dinner. Nor is a potato chip a veggie. Nor is a pickle a veggie. Still, you did ask — so maybe this is one of those failure-to-communicate things? Hope he’s well soon — and you avoid the germs!
I bet you always eat dessert last too….how does that quote go…Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first. I just took it a little farther.
Now wait fermented foods are excellent for you and pickles are fermented…and what about sweet potato chips?
Does Domer drink milk? If he does the next time he comes home drop in a few drops of blue food coloring into the carton making sure to wipe off the spout–when he pours it and expresses wonder and concern…casually say, “Oh blue milk, that happens sometimes….it’s stil good.” Torture thy child it’s so much fun. So much fun!