I smell Oranges!

It was almost noon and my husband was coming home for lunch. I look forward to the quiet time we get during the day without kids. I eyed the oranges on the counter (a gift from Brian's dad when we visited last weekend) and felt guilty as I peeled a couple to eat with our lunch. We haven't eaten oranges at our house for years. Not that Brian and I don't like oranges---we actually enjoy them. Our daughter Anna, however, has issues with how they smell.

It started out mild: she would leave the room when we ate them, then refuse to be at the kitchen table. Then occasionally she would come home in tears from school. Thinking something was horribly wrong I rushed to ask her what had happened. "The girl next to me ate oranges with her lunch." It spiraled downward after that.

We ate our oranges at lunch feeling giddy in our deceit---thinking we'd really gotten away with something big. When Anna came home from school that day, she crinkled up her nose and asked disgustedly, "Who's been eating oranges?" and stomped outside until things aired out a bit more.

It made me seriously wonder. When did I lose control, or did I ever have it... I always swore I would never let my kids make me rearrange my life for their whims and quirky behaviors. Yet I am fairly certain at one point we used to even drink orange juice---but it is becoming just a fading memory. I guess I decided it was just easier to do without than deal with the drama, but I have to draw the line somewhere. Oranges are one thing and seem innocent enough, but where will it end?

2 comments:

Julie Ramsay said...

what we won't do for our children (and husbands)! Have you tramatized her with oranges in the past??? How's grapefruit or mandarines?

mindy said...

Anything citrus is banned from the house (artifical or natural). I don't remember tramatizing her with oranges---but apparently I missed a good opportunity, ha.