The Ozmerican Life

My dear friend Deb got me this great kids kitchen gadget. We've all seen them. The molds that allow you to make your own Popsicles...and as everyone knows, parent or not...what a mess they are to eat. So last year when I received this great gift I became a little smarter than the gift giver.

I thought if I filled it up with just water it could melt all over and no big deal...it was just water. We enjoyed these many times last summer sitting on the deck in the hot summer...refreshing cold water dripping all over them. And no mess for mom!!!

So on Tuesday Quaid saw this gadget in the cupboard and begged me to make them again...so I did. They were told that tomorrow night when daddy was at youth group we would sit down have our "icey pops." (A clever and exciting name for an ice cube on a stick)

So Wednesday night came, dinner was eaten, toys were cleaned up, jammies were on, movie was in and they were all cuddled up in a pile of pillows...and it was finally time...what they've been waiting for all day......ICEY POP TIME!!!

I brought them out and gave one to each of them...The pic above was how it started out...see how happy everyone is??

Well, I was in the kitchen cleaning up dinner when Quaid comes walking in with a very sad face.

Quaid: "It doesn't taste like anything!" (While fighting off his tears)

Me: "I know Quaid it's just water, you know, ICEY pop, as in just a really cool ice cube."

Quaid: "It doesn't taste like anything." (As a tear streams down his face in disappointment)

Me: "Well Quaid, that's just the way it is, if you don't like it then go put it in the sink."

He walks off into the tv room. Just then, Jentzen comes running in screaming looking at his hand which was beat red from holding the ice part in his hand. (While crying about his one hand he was holding it in the other hand.) Then he switched it back into his first hand and started crying about the 2nd hand. Meanwhile, Ava is chasing him, telling him to hold it from the bottom..."Look Look Look Jentzen!! You need to hold it like this."

I showed him what to do and he finally caught on that holding the ice cube part wasn't a good idea. Ava was quite proud thinking that Jentzen had actually listened to her and kept a watchful eye on him.

A few moments later Quaid comes running through the kitchen straight to the sink and throws his icey pop in the sink. Turns back around, "I don't like it mom!! I want something else!!

"That's all we're having Quaid, if you didn't like it then that's you're choice. And throwing a fit and crying about it surely isn't going to get you any other kind of treat either. We are to be thankful for what we get whether we like it or not."

Bummer for those great teaching moments huh...the kids always come out on the bottom!!

Ava and Jentzen loved them by the way, just as Quaid did last year...I guess he's a little too wise for my trickery. Ava just today asked if she could have another!!

So here is the perfect picture displaying the end of the night with the icey pops. Quaid disgusted that I would consider such a thing as a "treat", Ava trying to help Jentzen...and Jentzen very confused by the top heavy contraption that's supposed to be enjoyable.