Maybe next time

It was Sonic burger night.

Caroline's suggestion hit the mark so Mike stopped at the Commissary on the way home and bought tator tots.

I put the frozen potatoes in the oven and we loaded in to the van. (Yes, It takes all five of us to pick up burgers.)

Ty had mentioned twice before we left that he didn't like burgers and, as he does, assumed we would throw out all our plans and start over with a plan he approved of.

I briefed Mike on the imminent conflict. We discussed it and decided tonight would not be the night that we started special ordering food for our picky children. Ty was getting a burger.

In the drive-through line Ty overheard us order burgers and told his dad that he did not like burgers. Mike pretended to hear him wrong, "Oh you like burgers?" "No. I DON'T like burgers." "You like burgers?" "No..." After a minute Ty was laughing and seemed ok with the idea of ketchup and cheese on his.

Nice. Mike played him like a fiddle. Good job Captain.

We get home with our five burgers and five people. Tator tots were slightly overdone --but at least they weren't mealy.

We spread the table. I placed Ty's burger in front of him. He looks down and says: "Mom! They put meat on mine!"

Aww man... I thought we'd solved this problem. I begin a little speech about how we needed to eat what was served us and the starving children and all that.

Then I open my bag, pull out the "All the way with mayo," and exclaim to Mike: "Mine doesn't have any meat!"

"What?!" Mike asks.

Jack's head whips around in shock,

Austin's eyes get really big,

and Ty yells in relief, "YOU CAN HAVE MINE!!!"


So much for the life lesson Ty was going to be taught... I needed protein.