When I Grow Up, I Want to Be a Dad

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He didn't tell me how to live;
he lived, and let me watch him do it. 

~ Clarence Budington Kelland

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Daughter of the year #1 is an incredibly picky eater.  It drives me nuts!  I know this is really some sort of sick revenge from my mother as I, too, was a horribly picky eater.  I also accept full responsibility for her picky eating by not always forcing her to eat what we eat.  Most nights, I end up feeling like a short order cook.  I make our dinner and then determine if daughters of the year will eat that and sometimes, mostly when I'm really tired and not up for a fight, I will make something else for the girls.  Hey, I said I accept full responsibility, so don't bust my chops, OK?

You would think with the way I dread dinnertime, I'd be much thinner than I am.  However, night after night I give in more than I should and make more than one meal.  Frankly, it's exhausting.  I also see how I am not helping daughter of the year #2 who is not as picky but often wants what her big sister is having.  Again, remember you are reading about my ENDLESS pursuit for mom of the year here.

Tonight was one of those nights I just didn't want to make another meal but I'd made tuna casserole.  I knew this would bring with it wrinkled noses, the tiniest of bites you wonder how anyone could taste anything, gagging and a statement of, "I like it, I just don't want it right now."  By the way, that happens to be the same thing her mommy would say when she was little.  I will give her credit, it is a much more polite way to say, "I'm not eating that crap."  I just wasn't up for the fight.  I caved and made jelly sandwiches for the girls.  

As we were eating, the topic of us all needing to eat the same thing came up.  Daughter of the year #1 starting whining almost immediately!  I turned to her and stated, "The only thing that makes mommy happy about all of this is that when you grow up and have a daughter, she'll be a picky eater just like you.  And that will be my ultimate revenge."  

Daughter of the year #1 responded, "When I grown up, mom, I want to be a daddy."  

What the what?  This was not the conversation I had anticipated when I slung around my oh-so-smug statement boasting about my mommy revenge.  

"Daddies don't do anything but sit around and watch TV," she said.  "So, when I grow up, I want to be a daddy."

Now, for the record, I'd like to say this perception of dad of the year is slightly incorrect.  But, it was helpful to know that while raising a picky eater, I'm also apparently raising a girl looking for an easy life with endless television at her reach and a never-ending DVR.  I'm fairly sure if that day comes, she'll be doing all of that while eating jelly sandwiches.  

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