Sucker Stamped On My Forehead. Probably Even Across My Eyelids.

This has been a crazy-busy summer. We had two weeks of complete and utter freedom when school let out, and then things started happening. Between camps, missions trips, amusement park passes to use and the various day-to-day schedule, we have been running nearly non-stop. I didn't know whether I was genius for scheduling the kids to be so busy (less time for boredom and fighting!) or idiotic for taking up so much of their summer. I was thinking of this today as I ran in to drop the boys off at day camp and realized that if I haven't regretted it yet then it wasn't the worst thing in the world. Even Micah has adjusted. We get up in the morning, jump in the car, and the day begins.

Of course, while I'm in town, it only makes sense to stop at Starbucks, right? The road to Starbucks passes right by a Subway. It's also just around the corner from McDonald's. So every time I drive right by Subway on the way to Starbucks, he points and taps me on the shoulder from the back seat. Mind you, that boy would eat 24/7 and Subway is a favorite of his. I know without him telling me that he's game for a sub, but he feels the need to tell me anyway. Most times I say, "No, we're not eating at Subway." Sometimes I play stupid and say, "Yep! That's Subway!" He is never amused by that one.

The last two days, as we ran out the door for the day camp drop, Micah grabbed his Voice. Weird, since mostly we have to be in charge of carrying that for him and remembering it wherever we go. Yesterday I thought it odd, especially as he never used it the entire trip in and back. Today, however, I felt the need for a cuppa joe to get me going and headed to Starbucks.

OOooh, the excitement. And the babble from the back seat. And the Voice saying PIZZA.

Except there are no pizza joints open at 8:30 in the AM. I said, "We're not getting pizza."

So he tried again. SUBWAY. Well, that's clearly because there was no Starbucks button on the Voice. We programmed in McD, Wendy's, Burger King and Subway but did not add a 'Bucks logo. I pulled off the road, did a little reprogramming, and showed him his marvy new button so that he could order himself a Strawberries and Cream Frap. (I have introduced the boy to the wonders of frappuccino. Oye.) Except he wasn't feeling like a frap today and clearly wanted SUBWAY.

This is where things start to go South. When the boy actually uses his Voice to ask for something specific like that, it's hard for me not to reward his effort with whatever it is that he wants. Still, no Subway. I drove past it into Starbucks and ordered myself a Chai Tea Latte. (The Yum) I heard grumbling and grousing from the back seat. He was so peeved that he wouldn't even say hi to the baristas, who love him dearly. On our way back out of Starbucks, we had to pass Subway. He reiterated that he wanted SUBWAY for breakfast.

I complied. I'm a sucker.

So we're eating Subway's breakfast when he says MCDONALDS. Dude, you're eating! We're not going to yet another restaurant. MCDONALDS ICED TEA. Well, he got me there. There is no value in town like the $1 sweet tea they have going at the Greasy Arches. Plus, he asked again after he stepped off the sidewalk and scraped his leg all up.

What? You would have taken him to McD, too.