When Chocolate Milk Mustaches Won't Wash Off...

In ev'ry job that must be done
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap!
The job's a game....

Ev'ry task you undertake
Becomes a piece of cake
A lark!
A spree!
It's very clear to see...that a

Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way!

"A Spoonful of Sugar" - from Disney's "Mary Poppins"


Do you know what the biggest difference is in waking up to your adorable, chubby-faced four year old son on a Saturday morning vs. waking up to your grouchy, stubbly twenty year old son on a Saturday morning? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Why, with the world evolving faster than you can say "everyone and their dog wants to be a vampire" isn't it refreshing to see that some things never change? Don't believe me? C'mon, would I lie to you? Exactly! Read on......

Act 1, Scene 1...and....ACTION! The year is 1993. Little, tiny Daniel enters the kitchen where his beloved and adored mother is washing dishes, darning socks, churning butter, or some other random, altruistic deed. He approaches. "Momma....Momma....Moooooooooooooooma! Diwwan, Momma! Diwwan! I at da wadda and da PeeGee man in da wadda. Momma, PEEGEE MAN IN DA WADDA TOOOOOOO! WAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAH! EH WUH DIWWWWWWAAAAAAAAN!" (Subtitles translate: "Mother, I know that Dillan and I are NOT supposed to be down at the pond alone at our young ages, but....ok we did go down to the pond unsupervised after all and somehow, my evil older brother DARED me to throw my beloved Penguin Batman action figure into the water.....and he sunk to the bottom to a depth of approximately 15 feet. Mother, I desperately need you to intervene, rescue my action figure that you just bought me yesterday at Wal-Mart, and punish the evil Dillan for talking me into this tomfoolery in the first place. Please?")


Act 1, Scene 2....and.....ACTION! The year is 2009. A distraught, much larger Daniel enters the kitchen where his beloved and adored mother is washing dishes, still darning socks, stomping grapes, or some other random, altruistic deed. He approaches. "Momma, what are you doin' tonight? Is it ok if I just sort of hang around here all night and eat and play video games? It is? Great.....what's for dinner? Oh..Momma, can I use your phone? I can? Thanks. Can I, like, ya know, carry it around the house with me, maybe in my pocket or something? Cool? Great....alrighty then." (Subtitles translate: "Mom, I know it's not considered responsible to be going to wild parties on the weekends, but...ok, I did go to one of those evil parties last night and - Momma, you're not going to believe this - I lost my new LG Vu touch screen that I just bought - or, someone COULD have even STOLEN it - and now I don't have a phone. Will you please help me figure out who I'm supposed to call about this and sit next to me so you can force me to take care of this, guide me through three phone calls from three distictly different call centers in three distinctly different countries, and make me stay calm and patient? Please?")

So many parrallels, so little time! Here is what I think. #1 - Moms are exactly like Mary Poppins - practically perfect in every way. #2 - Men are helpless at any age.
#3 - No matter how viciously life beats you up, Mom's homemade baked potato salad helps the bitter pills go down much easier.