So I was in charge of dinner Saturday evening. I picked Taco Bell, with a Hot-n_Now (regional fastfood burger franchise) for the non-Mexican eaters. Final damage: 8 hamburgers, 5 small fries, 10 regular tacos, 1 Mexican pizza, 1/2 gallon of milk, 1 liter of Mountain Dew, ten desserts (small candy bars and cookies).
Fairly normal intake for my growing family.
And I wonder why I have a hard time saving money.
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Helpful list from the Legionaries:
Seven necessities for parents of adolescent boys:
1. Clear guidelines with reasonable consequences from a unified front; cutting slack but also holding boys accountable for their actions.
2. Reasonable explanations for the criteria, guidelines and decisions made by parents.
3. Avoiding hyper-analysis of boys' emotions and states of mind: avoiding "taking their temperature" too often.
4. Unconditional love with an emphasis on character and effort more than outcome: Encourage boys to live up to their potential while having reasonable expectations. To love them regardless of whether they make it into Harvard or become a star quarterback.
5. Authenticity, faith and fidelity should be reflected in parent's lifestyles.
6. Qualities of a dad: Manliness, temperance, making significant time for family, putting aside work, and being a reliable source of guidance.
7. Qualities of a mom: Emotional stability, selflessness, loving service and extreme patience.
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A bit unkind, but it cracked me up:
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From the Notebooks:
"Moral indignation is a technique used to endow the idiot with dignity." Marshall McLuhan
I've made a similar point when it comes to allegations of racism. The most immoral people are often the first to scream "racist." I've spectulated that, to the vice-filled person, scouring for racism even when it doesn't exist gives him/her a feeling of moral worth. "I might do drugs and be a poor parent, but I'm above the greatest evil of all, so I must be alright." I've seen the phenomenon too many times--from Hollywood to my hometown--for it to be a mere coincidence.
