Old Mother Hubbard

As the kids get older, I sometimes feel like Old Mother Hubbard.  You know...she went to the cupboard and it was bare.  I get that feeling sometimes around here.  The kids are getting bigger, so logically they eat more.  Now, all of them are competitive swimmers.  Therefore, they eat more.

Back in the good old days, I used to be so proud of myself when I could fix lunch for a dollar.  A 25 cent box of macaroni and cheese and an apple could feed my two younger.  Sometimes, I would add chicken nuggets.  Or 1 can of soup and some cheese toast. Maybe a Tostino's party pizza and some fruit.  Cheap lunches, people.   Gone are those days.  Prices have gone up dramatically, but they obviously eat more than that.  Jake can eat an entire large frozen pizza himself.  The girls eat a whole box of pasta salad.  Then throw in two apples or cucumbers.  That's alot of food.  I just eat the leftovers. :)

Back in the good old days, I also used to be so proud that I could only go the grocery store once a month, then make quick trips for more perishables.  It would take two carts and about two hours, but it was lovely.  I hate going to the store, so this was just heavenly.  Especially, if I could hit it early on a Saturday morning.  I would have the whole store to myself.  Now, they eat  more, so what would last me two meals, gets me one and only if I'm lucky there are leftovers.  So, I'm getting twice as much food. Therefore, one big trip like that a month would kill me.

Back in the good old days, I used to be able to think better.  That's what age and three kids and a dog will do to you.  It seems that no matter how much I plan my menus, I am always out of one certain thing too soon.  Like, sometimes my trip to the store will constitute mostly breakfast things - orange juice, chocolate milk, biscuits, eggs, etc.  Then, a few days after that I will be low on quick lunch things.  You'd think I could get that together.  But, nope.  I can't.  Alot of that, (okay most of that) is mental, but some of that is the fact I am buying more food, so therefore I don't have enough space for a month's worth of food anymore. 

So, now, I am (old) mother Pritchard.  Whose cupboards get bare, of some thing or another, quite frequently.  But that means I have a full house of growing kids.  And that is a good thing.