One I Didn't Make Earlier! (From Bucks Free Press)

One I Didn't Make Earlier!

8:38pm Monday 25th October 2010

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When our two were younger, occasionally I would delight them with a McGreenwoods. You probably won’t be surprised to find out that this meal consisted of a hamburger and chips – not a healthy option I know, which is why I always try to alleviate my guilt a little by serving it with a generous helping of baked beans!

A few weeks back, in my continuing quest not to always cook the same menu week after week as my mother did, I decided to revisit this old favourite. Initially pleased with their plate of food, Beckie, our 17-year-old daughter suddenly declared,

‘You used to give us a toy with this meal.’

Of course I did - a fact that I had completely forgotten! Without further ado, I dashed to the kitchen, and using a couple of sheets from my block of fluorescent coloured post it notes, I quickly and skilfully constructed a couple of miniature aeroplanes, and handed them over to the two delighted teenagers. (I figured my husband could make his own, after all, my tea was getting cold).

With his meal consumed in minutes, our 15-year-old son Chris, started to carefully unfold his paper plane, so I asked,

‘Is there a problem with it?’

‘No,’ he replied, ‘I’m just trying to work out how you make them.’

Somewhat surprised I commented,

‘Surely you know how to make a paper plane?’

‘Nope.’

I studied his face for a moment, trying to ascertain whether he was serious or not.

‘Are you sure dad or I have never taught you that?’

‘Sure.’ he affirmed.

‘Oh.’

In the broad scope of things, I know that this omission doesn’t make me a bad parent, but I really did feel pretty useless as a mum at that particular moment. After all, I’ve always believed that spending time with your children, reading together, doing things like teaching them to iron a handkerchief or mixing the ingredients together to make chocolate cornflake cakes, make some of the most special moments that you share with your children!

However, on this occasion, not all was lost - an instantaneous plane-making lesson took place, followed by a frantic session of lobbing our completed aerodynamic models up and down the lounge. Some of them even ended up landing on the dirty plates – after all, I had something much more important to do than the washing up!

Bye for now.

Tania

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