So, Chris and I have had an ongoing discussion for years about our memories as kids wanting certain things but NEVER getting them, like the GI-NORMOUS box of crayola crayons with the crayon sharpener on the back of the box, or the big, giant bubble blowers. We often laugh about how when we grew up and realized how little the cost of these items, we couldn’t understand why our parents couldn’t pony up the dough to cheaply make our dreams come true, saying something like,” Really? Mom and Dad? You couldn’t put out the $3.99 to give me all the colors and happiness that crayola can give?” Well, another of these elusive items was Smuckers Goober Peanut Butter and Jelly combos
Last week I had to take Michael and Audrey grocery shopping with me and we were out of peanut butter so I asked the kids if they wanted creamy or crunchy. To my dismay and punishment, Michael grabbed a container of the grape/peanut butter combo and said,”Oh MOM, I have ALWAYS wanted to TRY this! Can I PLEASE get it???” My first instinct was to say “NO”, but the memories of crayola crayons, giant bubble makers, and strawberry goobers came rushing back to me and I succeeded thinking… at least when they grow up and say I never gave them anything I can say, “That’s not true, I got you the cheapest of your heart’s desires! Vive la GRAPE GOOBER!”
So, I purchased the Grape Goober and of course, as soon as we got home the kid’s were just dying to try it… so we cracked it open and looked inside As I stuck in the knife to pull some out, I thought I had never seen anything so repulsive in all of my life, and it only got worse when I spread the globular material onto the piece of bread. I closed the sandwich and handed it over to Michael
At first, I thought that he was going to spit it out… then he smiled and declared,”I LOVE IT!” What about Audrey? She made a face and decided she wasn’t hungry enough to try the goober!
Kate! That was so sweet! I cried! How touching!
Now, for a little PB&J story of my own. My father used to make PB&J pudding where he would put peanut butter and jelly in the food processer and make this maroon colored concotion that looked disgusting but tasted scrumdiddleyumptious.
Sometimes we would spread it on bread, sometimes we would just eat it out of a small bowl…so I have to admit when I saw that grape goober stuff, I was sent sailing back to my mother looking on–horrified–as we stuffed our sticky little faces with our own grape gobbledegoo.
I, too, had always wanted the Goober Grape. (I don’t recall them having strawberry back then…am I wrong?) I remember when I was old enough to drive and had some money of my own, going out to the grocery store and picking up a jar and a loaf of WHITE SANDWICH BREAD! (Among other things most likely, I always had a fondness for foods that my mom refused to bring home.) I was just as excited about the bread as the Goober, and I ate heartily at first, but then I recall that the half-empty jar sat in mom’s cupboard for literally years!
Logan wanted me to get that for him the other day. I said no. Thanks for making me feel like a bad mom. Actually, I had just had it before and knew it was nasty. Glad Michael likes it, though! See you Saturday!
In defence, I can’t imagine not buying you the best crayons in the world, as I am a BIG supporter of crayons being the best present in the world! So, when I am drooling in the nursing home, you can justify my bad parenting, and not get me crayons. I would probably just eat them.
Hope you have a great weekend. Dad is helping Keith tomorrow move Rhonda into her new office. (Of course the nicest day of the long weekend!). So I will stay home and work, while he gets to have fun, HA.
Have fun at the shower.