Apparently, I need to get a job!

Last night during dinner my husband informed me that I needed to get a job. "Oh yeah, why is that," I said. "So we can afford to feed this boy," he said. I just smiled.

Over the past few months, Sam and I have been amazed by the increase in our oldest son's appetite. Let me give you an example. Almost every morning Caden wants eggs, either scrambled with cheese or fried which he has with 2 slices of toast and occasionally he will ask for french toast. Then he is off to school with his snack tucked away in his backpack and lunch is served there later on. When he returns home, he heads straight for the pantry for a snack. I can recall doing just that as a kid. Everything pretty normal, I guess. Then dinner last night. He ate 4 rolls with butter and jam, 3 small baked potatoes with butter, two slices of cheese, and a couple helpings of cottage cheese, and that is just what I can remember. The boy is seven! I can't imagine what he will be like as a teenager. And....I have 3 boys!

When I was a kid, my family spent a lot of time with another family who, well, they are just like my brothers and sister, and another set of parents, I guess. Hard to explain, but they were very close to us and I love them. Well, there was a total of 7 kids between our families and we went on many, many camping trips. I can't imagine trying to feed 7 hungry kids, but 'our' parents did it. When it was time to eat, I just remember it being like a big stampede for the food. You had to get there quick or nothing would be left. I still have this innate desire when I'm in a big group of people waiting for food, to get there quick! Well, the oldest of us kids seemed to have a bottomless pit of a stomach. I can recall everyone talking about his appetite. I don't think I have ever seen anyone to this day that could eat like he could. Even my brother, a waif of a kid growing up, could eat so much as a teenager.

So when I see my seven year old eating like he did last night, my thoughts go back to these moments. I wonder what his appetite will be like as a teen and if  I will ever be able to keep our pantry stocked with 3 teenage boys and their friends. Sam is right, I will need to get a job!