'What'.....Is So Funny??

Earlier this evening, we were preparing for a walk around the neighborhood as it is 60 degrees out right now....heatwave! 

I was in the closet in the living room getting a hat and jacket for Katie. In the kitchen, I overheard my husband, Mike, talking to our son, Noah. 

Noah obviously did not hear Mike because he immediately asks, "What?"

We all have our pet peeves, but for Mike it is the reply, "What?" to something misunderstood. I next overhear him coaching Noah in the kitchen. 

"Noah," Mike says, frustrated. "You do not say "what" when you cannot hear someone. You say, "pardon me".....

Noah, obviously not hearing or understanding, again asks, "What?"

"Noah!" 

Mike tried again, bless his soul. "Do not say "what". You should only say "excuse me" or "pardon me" if you cannot understand."

"What?"

"Never mind!" (loud sigh from Mike) "Go get your shoes on."

By this time, I am laughing my head off in the closet. It is too funny!! Gwen comes into the living room at this time and sees me laughing.....

"What?" is Gwen's question to me, to which the irony of it all only makes me laugh all the harder.

So, I go to the kitchen to dress Katie in the coat and hat and Mike sees me giggling. 

"What?" he asks, confused.

At this point, I am totally laughing and leaning on the table till tears are falling. I replay to Mike what I overheard and what Gwen said and the humor finally sinks in to him and he and Gwen and I are all laughing our heads off over all the irony.

Like a perfectly choreographed scene, Matt comes back in the door right then. He sees us all laughing and asks:

"What?"

'Pamper the Momma' Lunch Wrap

Take some grilled (or just cooked somehow) chicken leftovers chopped up to equal about 1/2 to 2/3 a cup. Then add about a tablespoon or so of Miracle Whip or Mayo and a tablespoon of dried cranberries and a tablespoon of chopped walnuts. Mix well. Place mixture in the center of a flour tortilla, fold the sides in and roll up from one end. Enjoy. 

YUM! 

On the Battlefield at Aldi

Mike and I have been analyzing our grocery bill and have found that Walmart's increasing prices are not making that 'one-stop-shop-super-walmart-saved-my-life' as cost-effective as it once was. 

So, we have turned to our other friend: Aldi. 

In fact, it is twice as money-saving because it is 4 blocks from our house. It is great and the prices are low, but it has a few very odd 'quirks' that cause me to twitch. For instance, Aldi carries cranberry/peach chutney and dill infused marscapone cheese, but no baking powder........go figure.

Well, Mike and I went on our monthly 'big' grocery trip this evening. It was a 'hot night' at Aldi and the crowds were thick. I could see why with .69 cent eggs, $1.79 milk, and $1.49 butter. I was impressed. So, we filled almost 2 carts. Many who walk by us throw out the customary comments...

"Hey, you feeding an army?" .....Almost.

"What time do I show up for dinner?"....Har har...

I giggle at the usual comments and am fully impressed with a truly original line someone throws my way. Aldi is unique also in the fact that they have the most inexpensive and absolutely wonderful German chocolate I have ever tasted. Since they are based in Germany, so much of their food is from there and it is great. Another bonus. They have really come up with some competitive items like a brand of coffee that we got called "Donut Shop Coffee Blend". Well, it looked liked Dunkin donuts coffee, but the jury is still out as to whether it TASTES like it.

So we are armed with two full carts and are revving our engines for the actual sport which is Aldi. It's like a free workout. I am serious. You almost have to be doing some extra training for this part of an Aldi trip, but you'd better be ready because it's coming and there is no way around it.

That is the checkout.

These cashiers are tired, grumpy, and FAST. You'd better be getting those groceries up on that conveyer as fast as you can get them up there, because those groceries are going to fly....literally. There is a cart that is kept at the end of the line where this cashier is flipping them into the bottom as fast as they can cross the infra-red line. The beeps from scanned groceries sound like the EKG of a runner after a marathon while the customers are flinging groceries as fast as possible onto the line. Almost surreal. However, do not slow down, or the 'regulars' will be yelling their 'line rage' from the back.

"Come on!"...."This is taking forever".....

I dare not slow down.

So, the cashier, amazed even then at the amount of groceries we have is flinging and manages a comment.

"That's a lot of rice."....well, I guess a 10# bag is large....

I am, at this point..panting, however. I do manage a, "We....have a ....large family...(gasp!)."

"Lot a kids, eh? Let me see. I'll guess from the looks of things that you have 6."

Ooohhh.....an expert.

"Why, yes, we do." I am exhausted, but impressed. "How did you know?" 

I have to know.

"Well, there are a lot of families that shop here that have a lot of kids."

A moment passes while I crawl to the register to pay. Breathe slowly....

Mike is already starting to bag and box all he can as quickly as possible when she delivers the next question. 

I must have a sticker on my forehead. 

We had no kids with us.

"You homeschool too, don't you?"

Bingo!