…. in which we have been reduced to simple whining and begging. But compliance is on the horizon.

Breakfast … cereal all around.

Lunch … the LightChildren practiced their own version of Marie Antoinette this afternoon. They found their father’s carefully hoarded frozen tamales. Cooked them according the to microwave directions. Decided they were gross beyond measure and threw them away. Then they made a frozen stromboli. LightBoy reserved half of his for “later.” LightHusband had yet another lunch meeting (I’m becoming suspicious). I had a cheese sandwich.

Dinner … frozen pizza.

LightHusband came home and found the remains of the tamales (the empty box). He was most unhappy (remember the dearest treasure incident?). We are becoming very territorial over certain food items. Don’t anyone else eat my “Life” cereal!! So if any of you visit and find us hunched over piles of food in corners, please just gently lead us out and remind us that it’s just a $20 Amazon.com certificate.

This is giving LightHusband and I flashbacks to our earlier days. Especially back to when LightGirl was very small and we had just knocked my salary out of the equation. We had $300 a month to cover everything except the mortgage, car payments and utilities. So … clothes, food, everything came out of that. $10 a day … and still … in comparison to most of the world we were rich. I remember that I found a website at the time that compared incomes around the world and we were in the 98th percentile on his Staff Sergeant’s salary. By the end of each month, we usually found many creative ways to eat potatoes and eggs. I began freezer cooking in those days in an attempt to stretch things out through the month. It’s amazing how much further a $3 chicken will go when you make soup out of it. You can get at least 6 meals from it.

I’m finding, too, that we’re eating less. Go figure. This could be the next diet rage. We could all write a book and make millions ;-). How to eat less and lose weight. AND become spiritual all at the same time.

LightMom (who is great for keeping me on an even keel) writes:

“If you lived 10 miles (or more) from a store you would face regular challenges!”

I wonder if this plethora of plenty is unique to those of us in a suburban environment? I don’t remember having all this “stuff” when I was growing up in the country. Which I then feel guilty about. Is this the root of my hoarding? My poverty in youth. We were never, ever hungry. But the times when we had to stretch make me worry. I have to admit to feeling a certain sense of ease with having a lot in the house. It eases my mind. I know that we are provided for. But when is that enough? And how is that any kind of reliance on Jehovah Jireh? That seems to be more of a reliance on me, myself and I … hmmmmm … I think I’ll just go hoard some “Life” from my children.

…. In which the wailing and gnashing of teeth continues …

LightGirl, “We are going to suffer from malnutrition and STARVE.”

LightHusband, “No … we have a house full of food and we need to eat it.”

LightBoy, “No. we. don’t.” (impeccable logic there)

LightBoy, “I don’t understand why we have to do the inventory and this pantry thing. Nobody ever tells me anything.”

LightHusband, “Mom read about this on her computer and we thought it would be a good idea.”

LightGirl, “Mom spends waayyy too much time on her computer. She’s going to kill us.”

There was more … but those are the salient points. 😉

We’ve made this into a homeschooling project. Once the inventory is complete, the LightChildren are going to learn about the wonders of spreadsheets and inventory control. How many calories do we need for a day? For a meal? Do we have them available? Little do they know the fun that awaits them … thus cackleth the evil mommy who spreadeth the household labor far and wide so that she mayeth sit like a queen (at least according to LightGirl).

We’ve apparently been keeping our friend, the Schwan’s man, in business. No wonder he likes us so much. There are far too many unopened Schwans boxes in our freezer. Lots and lots of salt marinated convenience food. Three bags, I’m told, of apple-something orzo. Nice.

I’ve been noticing some funny thoughts that wander through my head when I least expect it. Things such as “Well … we can live off of pancakes for quite a while.” or “No one’s holding a gun to my head, I can drop out at any time.” or “Why am I suddenly so focused on food anyway? We have plenty right now. Except onions … we don’t have enough onions.” But last night we wanted to make a favorite chicken dish. Only we were missing a key ingredient (cream of mushroom soup) that we thought we had. So we had to can that idea. It’s a wholesale, abrupt change in the way we usually think about meals. Instead of thinking, “Hmmm what do I feel like having for dinner?” It’s, “What do we have and what will that make that I can live with?”

Interesting … very interesting.