Why can’t you bring cookies instead?
Last night, Sam announced that she would have to bring a tray of baked macaroni to school. My eyes wide and an eyebrow raised — I am the one expected to cook the pasta — I asked why. She said it was for a culminating activity. All the kids would bring food for a picnic on Friday afternoon.
“Why does it have to be macaroni? Why can’t it be Hi-ro or some other cookies, instead?” I asked.
“Because I already told everyone I would bring baked macaroni.”
Okay, it’s flattering. Her classmates love my baked macaroni and every time there is a potluck affair, Sam gets the baked macaroni assignment. Flattering. More than flattering, really. I can almost preen.
But Friday is the day I teach in their school. Two classes in the afternoon. That means I’ll have to cook the baked macaroni after cooking the girls’ packed lunch on Friday morning. And because there is very little time between class dismissal and dinner time, it also means I have to cook Friday night’s dinner on Friday morning.
But this kind of thing does not happen every Friday. School picnics don’t happen every Friday. It’s just a once in a blue moon kind of thing. I said nothing more, resigned to the fact that I will cook the baked macaroni. But that’s not the end of the story.
After classes today, Speedy picked up Alex from school to bring her to the dentist. She’s going to get braces and there are never ending tests and trips to the dentist. The arrangement was that they would pick me up from the supermarket after the dental appointment. We synchronized the time to make sure that no one would have to wait too long.
I was happily doing my grocery shopping and, after about 20 minutes, Speedy and Alex arrived. Alex took the cart from me and said she’d be the one to push. We went from aisle to aisle, choosing food stuff, ignoring some… When we reached the canned fruit section, Alex became animated as though fortunate enough to remember something important that she almost forgot.
“Mommy, I have to bring food to the picnic tomorrow…”
Oh, my gosh…
“What? Are you bringing baked macaroni too?”
“Nooo… I’m bringing fruit salad… Mommy, that’s easy… What do we need?”
Since I had already relented about the baked macaroni, I could hardly tell Alex to bring Hi-ro cookies, right? So… a can of peaches, a can of fruit cocktail, cream…
My real complaint was the timing. I have nothing against the cooking. At last year’s cookie fest, we brought home-baked cookies while most brought store-bought stuff. If I spoil my kids, it’s in that way. I want them to know that, as much as I can, I will always make an extra effort.
I only wish they’d learn to warn me well ahead of time. If they don’t, I’ll make them learn the hard way by making them bring Hi-ro cookies next time.
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[...] last time I was at the supermarket, I bought enough stuff for two large trays of baked macaroni. That’s what they always ask me to make anyway. You know, the one with the cheesy [...]
We feast everyday!
Hahaha nakupo… hirap talaga kapag sa sarili mong anak ka napasubo (images of that stupid Barney show in SM MOA comes to mind…)
But yeah they do have to learn the value of telling you things in advance. Especially since you already have a teaching load.
I guess it won’t be called Mommy Connie’s baked mac now but Teacher Connie’s baked mac. Ahehehe! I don’t have classes today but I’m almost tempted to drop by just to get myself some…
Btw, care to teach TLE? Hehe!
Nanood ka ng Barney sa sine, Jon? HAHAHAHAHAHA
When the kids were younger and Alex wanted to see Power Puff Girls in the movie house, Speedy went with her. Nag-shopping kami ni Sam. hahahahahaha
Teacher Andrea, drop by! Kakanta daw si Alex sa program hehehehe I’m bringing a tripod and zoom lens.
Re TLE, ayoko mainit sa kitchen sa school. Classes ko sa airconditioned computer lab hahahahahaha
Ayyyy…. ayan pupunta na talaga kami. Baka ngayon lang mapakanta si Alex in public
Aba oo nga, magaling na teacher! ahehehe
Connie,
No… it’s a live show! Problema kamo to be able to enter the show you have to show 1000 peso-worth receipts of Barney videos from Odyssey(?). Pinagbigyan ng nanay (siya yung kasama) kaso ako naman nagreimburse.
Santambak ngayon yung Barney CDs sa bahay na kinabubuwisitan ko in the first place, bukod sa gastos!
Oops, I didn’t mention: it wasn’t a movie, it was a live Barney show.
Con – you must be having a yummy and love-filled day. Enjoy! Maybe down the road you can consider giving cooking lessons too….
Yes, they should warn you earlier. I also had same experience when my daughter was in high school. E, ang hilig pa namang mag-volunteer! She would come home in the afternoon announcing: “Ma, I need to bring ingredients for fruit salad tomorrow! It’s cooking time for us in THE.” Gosh, buti na lang at least – ingredients lang, which I could buy in the morning before her THE class.
sassy its good that kids learn early on…. super mom ka kasi!!!
out of topic…
2 more days to venice dear. we just passed the strait of messina how dry the landscape here…
Buti na lang I can’t cook, and will never have this problem! Yeah!
(But I think every mom wants to feel proud that a certain dish she makes is always high on her children’s friends’ wishlist… hmm must find a specialty dish)
Andrea, take note, pinauwi ako, ayaw daw kumanta pag nandun ako.
Jon, live????? HAHAHAHAHAHA Masakit nyan, iisang anak yan. Di ka makakatanggi hahahahahaha
Sam, in an airconditioned kitchen, am willing hehehehehe
Rhodora, I have a sister-in-law na talagang the pits yung experience when her firstborn was in grade school. Her kid volunteered to bring HOME-GRILLED barbecue. hahahahaha Classic!
Sha, pics of you in a gondola ha!!!
Christianne, sometimes I wish the classmates would request another dish. Every affair, it’s baked mac.
Re specialty: try fried chicken hehehehe with the right marinade, fried chicken never goes wrong.
I guess all mommies with school age kids could relate to your post Ms Connie. Ako din my boys would sometimes tell me at around oh…8 PM that they need to bring food for the next day. Sa kin naman, it’s always spaghetti…so x3 kase ive got 3 boys…instant headache hehehe. I really get mad when they do this but i always follow thru kase isip ko din sometimes lang naman. Hay naku but the next time they do that i’d follow your advice…im sending them to school with a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread!
The kids know I am super OC and that they have to inform me way ahead of their plans including food . Maybe next time, you can impose that rule.
Saken kasi, if the delay is not of their doing, like the class decided late, I feel I shouldn’t take it against them. Ang ayoko yung they knew days ahead but said nothing until the last minute.
It’s not just with food. My husband gets really irritated with having to go to the bookstore because the girls need supplies for the following day. It happens that the requirements are given on short notice talaga. Alangan naman send the kids to school without them, di ba? So wala ring hard and fast rules.
Truth is, I am not very fond of rules. I don’t like rules being imposed on me, so I don’t do the same to my own kids. There are bottom lines, naturally, but most times, things are decided based on current priorities.
Of course, if the baked mac thingy came on such short notice and on the same day I have a deadline, for instance, eh wala, Hi-ro sila.
I always tell my daughter Trixie not to volunteer to bring food to school activities that needs to be cooked. Told her just tell them you will bring drinks or cake or baked goodies we can buy. See, we don’t have a maid and doing that would mean extra effort for me. Not that I love her less…
Matigas naman ang Hi-ro Connie. Iba na lang, hehehe…
Julie, re Hi-Ro, eh cheap naman hahahahaha available pa sa sari-sari store
Hassle kasi pumunta grocery pag ganyan short notice. Talo sa transpo kahit mag-kotse o mag-commute.
On volunteering for food: Haay, I have had my share of this. They sometimes say late in the day (or night) that they need to bring food the next day. But unlike you, they know very well I do not cook. So, they know that I can only provide them with the food — habang bukas pa ang resto or grocery, hehehe.
On school supplies: Don’t you just want to wring the necks of teachers who ask for the darndest school supplies — to be brought next day? I already have 2 plastic stackables with all sorts of supplies — manila paper, oslo, graphing paper, long/short folders, clearbooks, popsicle sticks, cartolina, etc (my own little National Bookstore) and yet sometimes I am stumped by what teachers ask them to bring — like clearbook (cannot be yellow, has to be purple since this subject must have purple clearbooks — aaaargh) or styro balls of a certain size (hello, hindi pa Pasko!!!).
i guess ganun ata talaga since ang sarap mong gumawa ng baked mac! nakatatak na sa minds nila yun ang assigned!
your kids are very lucky to have you as a mom …pati na rin pala classmates and teachers nila since they also get to taste your baked mac! hehehe! (i’ve heard a lot about you from andrea and ramil, my bestfriends since high school!)
I can relate even now .. when they’re all grown up .. not just for this potluck thingie but for sudden announcements like they will play badminton or pingpong in our yard and there are like a dozen of them. Sakit sa ulo.
Well, I have taught trusty Ate Owet (my home sekretarya for 20+ years) most of my in-demand recipes including baked mac. And she often gives me a run for my bechamel sauce. hahaha Just about the only yummie she hasn’t done yet is cakes. And I have a half a mind to teach her the technology na din one of these days. Kaya lang I see her turn wary when I say … halika, may ituturo ako sa ‘yo. Sabi siguro talaga tamad na si Ate Anna.
I know how it feels when they ask for our baked mac. Sarap ng pakiramdam, almost like a blog award. LOL
And just like any blog award: PAGHIHIRAPAN MO SYA TALAGA. hahahahaha
Penge ng recipe pala hehe!
Masarap ang Hi-ro huh! Di ko pagpapalit sa Oreo, sa Chips-ahoy lang. :p
LOL aling recipe, baked mac?
Baked mac recipe — pangpa-amo ng batang makulit.
I know what it feels like to have children telling you at the last minute they need this, they need that. My son is in college and that habit still thrives and I still manage to be surprised by it and to react accordingly. Part of the mom package, I guess.
Oh my. I thought all that ends with high school. Ouch if they’re still going to do it when they’re in college.