The following is by today’s guest blogger, Linda Vujnov, author of Spilt Milk
No Sharing!
My mother is the queen of sharing. When dining together, if your meal does not appear as appetizing as hers, she will not only offer you tastes, but will trade entrees on request, unless you happened to order fish. She doesn’t eat fish.
There must have been some sort of genetic glitch since I am not a big fan of sharing food. My hoarding teeters on that of a beaver who is anticipating a long winter.
Since there are such rare moments when I can sit and enjoy a salad or plate of nachos that I have thrown together for myself, my greediness accelerates when the little kids saunter over and begin to stare at my delicacies. The bigger children give an, “Oooh, that looks good. Can I have some?” and pretty soon I’m up on my feet, with half of my meal pecked at by vultures, concocting nachos for four. I’m often surprised at their willingness to eat again after they consumed lunch twenty minutes prior to my sitting down. Oh, for the metabolism of youth!
I’m even worse about sharing dessert. After the children are kissed, hugged, prayed over, and covered, lights turned off, nightlights turned on, fans arranged and powered up, blankies located, “I love you’s” exchanged, backs tickled, and drinks of water administered (insert a sigh, whew, and deep breath, here), I love to scoop out extreme amounts of chocolate chip ice cream into a bowl, slather the top with whipped cream, and then plop my body on the couch for some down time.
Although my husband is well aware of my stinginess, on occasion, in the middle of my ice cream intake, he will ask for a bite of my dessert. Begrudgingly I serve him. Good thing we typically have opposite tastes in dessert. While he is a Popsicle, I am a frosted brownie covered with heaps of ice cream and whipped cream. Popsicles are a beverage, not a dessert.
After coming clean with my selfish disease, I have mustered up the strength to share every now and again with less bitterness. However, I now know better than to make nachos or a bowl of ice cream for myself when the children are present. At those moments I stick with something they will avoid—a feta cheese and spinach omelet.
Linda Vujnov is a writer and speaker and the mother of four kids, a girl and three boys. She blogs at Spilt Milk.
Leave a comment for a chance to win one of 3 (three) copies of Linda’s book, Spilt Milk. Contest ends Friday, July 10, 2009. Get a bonus chance by signing up to receive my blog either by RSS or email, then leave me a comment letting me know.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who feels this way! I love my kids and will do anything for them — except share my food, if it’s food I really, really want. (I mean, it’s not like they’re starving or anything, right?) Just yesterday, I pulled some cheesecake out of the fridge to share (generously, I thought) with my sons and a neighbor kid. “Here you go,” I said. “You can have any piece you want — except that one.”
In my defense, it WAS my birthday cheesecake.
Jen, that’s too funny!
I’m the same way. I’m a total miser with my food, so much so, I actually have some stashed in places because I know otherwise I’ll be begged for a taste.
must be related to your mom- will change plates and change again with another except seafood
So great! I don’t enjoy sharing my food with anyone–that is, unless I don’t like it
Would love to read this book!
I am totally the same way about my desserts. I will get the most chocolaty chocolate dessert knowing that my husband is not a big fan of chocolate!
My family is the same way! My mother is a true re-user.. it all has to be used again! I try not be like her too much…
I happily share anything on my plate…But I have been known to have a second dessert after my son goes to sleep.
I subscribe to you in bloglines.
Looks like a great book. Thanks for the chance
jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com
I think I got not wanting to share food from my Mom. Her motto is “If you wanted to taste it, you should have ordered it!”
I subscribe in google.
Now I don’t feel so bad about not wanting to share my dessert!
I subscribed!
Please count me in. Thanks!
Thanks for the giveaway!
I will share most everything but I’ve been known to hide chocolate so I don’t have to share it with the kids
I’m actually that way about fresh peaches. I absolutely love them — and everyone else in my family will eat them, but isn’t especially crazy about them. I tell myself that if they liked them even half as much as I do, I would share… maybe.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo.com
I am like your mom–always happy to trade. I have no problem with fish either. Food is always best shared among friends. As long as no one is contagious!
I can’t remember the last time I ate something that my daughter also liked where she didnt wind up getting most of it from my plate. I totally understand what you are saying!
madamerkf at aol dot com
Great read, great contest!
Looks like a very great book. Thanks for the great giveaway.
Looks like a good book.
This sounds like a great book!
I subscribed by e-mail.
Seems they have radar. Just when you get a treat for yourself they either steal it from your plate or pitch a fit until you give them some. Guess these are just there subtle reminders about who is REALLY in charge.
i order for two because i know someone is going to eat it mverno@roadrunner.com
Happy Summer!
Thank goodness that I am not the only one !! I told my husband before we married that I don’t share and I don’t compromise. I just don’t get it. Why should I be happy to have half of a cookie? If I wanted just half to begin with, I would have broken the darn thing in the middle and left the other half in the bag. And to compromise is to lose. So I’d rather just hand the whole darn cookie over and be done with the whole mess, than to have half and suffer the loss. Of course, my husband thinks that I am nuts, but he loves me anyway.
So please enter me for this book!
It sounds like a good book. I would love a chance to win. Thank you.
I, too hate sharing my food with anyone. I love my food! But all my daughter has to do is say pease (her own way of saying please)and I am a goner!
I subscribed!
Sounds like a good book to read in the shade under a big tree! Thanks!!
sounds like a fun read
This sounds like a good book to read.
Oh, this sounds like my house! Sometimes I feel as if I might need an intervention…. you know, hiding beside the pantry scarfing a Little Debbie snack because I need a chocolate fix but don’t want to deal with sticky, sugar-wired kids!
I would love to read this and I love my food too!
funny how that works – I am a sharer and my dad was NOT!
I’d like to be in this giveaway thanks!
Thanks for the chance, I would love to read this!
Sounds like good read.
Sounds like a great read.
I’m the same way with me and my mom.. I hate sharing but she can’t seem to get enough of it!
Email subscriber
I honestly have to announce to everyone in the house which food is mine when I come home from the grocery store! I don’t know if it is stinginess. I think of it more as survival of the fittest! LOL For example, I have to tell them which ice cream is mine. If I don’t, then you can be sure it will all be eaten before I get a bite!!! That is what happens when you have 2 teenage boys in the house!
sherri419 at gmail dot com
sounds like a great book
Thanks for the GREAT giveaway
please count me in
I have been known to sneak into my home office, shut the door, and raid my private candy stash in the middle of the day – because i want and need chocolate, but I’m not about to share with my kids. Pathetic, no? Once my 5-year-old barged in and said accusingly, “I smell chocolate, Mommy!” Busted. Sigh.
Karen, this is hilarious! I’ve done the same thing. I think my 5-year-old has candy radar because he can always smell/find/sense when there’s candy or sweets in the vicinity! It’s incredible.