So, today was Day 2 of our 30 Days of No Fast Food challenge. I must confess here, however, that it was Day 1 for the kids, only because they didn't know about our implementation of the moratorium. (This means Superman and I received one day free of tears or pouting to begin with.) They didn't take the news too well. In fact, if any of you happened to hear a despairing shriek of unidentified origin at around 11:00 AM PDT, that would have been Buttercup expressing her dismay at our decision. To say she was not happy would be an understatement. Seriously.
It turns out, however, that Buttercup had the epiphany we'd all been looking for. Out of the mouths' of babes: "Then every day will be the same!" Wow! She was right...after thinking about it all day and then discussing it with Superman, we realized that the $200 we spend on fast food every month is really our "entertainment fund". Obviously, this is not a good thing on many levels. Realizing what we were doing, however, will allow us to change this habit for good. Valiant was quickly able to quantify our alternative possibilities for $200, while Buttercup has been holding tightly to her fast food outings...we'll see how it goes as the month progresses...
P.S. Buttercup's 10th birthday is March 25, so we've agreed that we can go out for a fast food breakfast or lunch on her birthday and tack on another day to the challenge...do you all agree that this is in keeping with the spirit of the challenge? Let me know...
9 comments:
She woke me up!! I was trying to sleep!! DX Bad Buttercup! lol
Yes, I figured you definitely heard it...oh, the sorrow!
Absolutely especially since you always allow your kids to choose their Birthday meals. Plus by the 25th it will be a real treat for her.
That's what that was, tell her I will contact our local news. The story around here was meteorite.
After this month, (with a birthday exclusion) I would consider an amount of your entertainment fund to go to fast food. WHen you have a party at home, do you not budget for special foods? Then allow the kids to pick when and where that money is spent. "We can go horseback riding and take a picnic lunch, or we can go watch horseback riding and eat at McDonald's."
I think the spirit of any challenge that we are using to redefine ourselves as a person or a family needs to have loopholes for special occasions, like birthdays.
Let's say Great Aunt Ethel dies in KY. You are driving for two days there, and staying one day and then driving home. The funeral is next Thursday. You'd definitely decide to put the challenge off for the funeral over not going.
Buttercup's birthday is a special one time a year occasion. I say just wave that day in the challenge and move on. It's like dieting. Some days we eat right, others we eat cake. We know it's about the big picture.
P.S. She gets cake and some ice cream too.
Day two....the smell of a Filet O Fish is floating in to my office. Coupled with the smell of a free Arby's burger!
Hey, Gens, if I head to KY, are we going to be closer to you? Kate and I have a ton of family in KY...we might have to do a joint road trip! Buttercup would like: Dominoes - delivered! then a trip to Cold Stone and a two girl sleepover. This I can do!
P.S. Thanks, everyone...just needed to be sure...
Yes, you can do anything you want, especially on a birthday! What my kids missed was the fun at Mcdonald's, not so much the food.
So we would go and just buy a pop and the kids would play with their friends and I'd visit with my friends. We still do this (although the kids usually stay home now, unless they bring a game to play) and I still just buy a pop.
I was just going to ask Gens How she knew we had a Great Aunt in KY?
I know...funny, isn't it?
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