Oldest, the keeper of tradition, the enforcer of the old order, has returned from college for the summer. He stands stands in front of the pantry, staring at our cereal choices. He is displeased with the state of the offerings.
"Why do we have Wheaties?" he asks, his question tinged with outrage. "We never have Wheaties."
My silence was clearly not the response he was looking for so he took his outrage up a notch.
"Whose cracked-out idea was it to buy Wheaties?"
He grabs the box and heads to the fridge for the milk. As he opens the door, he adds bitterly, "those Organic Grape Nuts are no good either."
You can never go home again.
Posted by: Alesia | June 26, 2008 at 08:38 AM
I'm with him on the Grapenuts though!
Posted by: Nutmeg | June 26, 2008 at 10:01 AM
I have to second the notion.
Posted by: David Markland | June 26, 2008 at 10:05 AM
We totally had a cereal crisis at our house yesterday. My O said he'd like Life and when I poured the bowl, added the milk and delivered it, he said, "Hey, I wanted Frosted Mini-Wheats." And I said, "Hey, and I want a fourth grader who gets his own damn cereal." I'm not proud of my response but I do look forward to a day when they are responsible for their own sustenance and I'm not being bitched at so early in the morning.
Organic grape nuts do sound gross.
Posted by: cce | June 26, 2008 at 02:58 PM
wow. what's that line about the serpent and child? "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!"
Posted by: magpie | June 26, 2008 at 05:57 PM
cce, I think you should be very proud of that response - especially early in the morning.
magpie, he's not really ungrateful, just a traditionalist at heart.
He'll be glad to know he has support in the Organic-Grape-Nuts-are-an-abomination department...
Posted by: TEOM | June 26, 2008 at 06:26 PM
#1 daughter is home from college, too. #2 asks when does she go back. I know that we have to wait for the latest adjustment.....
Posted by: debra | June 26, 2008 at 06:59 PM
My kids have been known to WAIL at the site of unfamiliar cereals at breakfast.
Freaking babies.
Posted by: Beck | June 27, 2008 at 03:59 AM
What's wrong with organic Grape Nuts?
Posted by: KathyR | June 27, 2008 at 12:20 PM
Wonder how long it will take him to figure out he can purchase something more suitable?
Empower him.
Posted by: mizmell | June 28, 2008 at 07:02 AM