What Adrienne Thinks About That

Oh heavens. How funny!

For a moment, I read "The book said kids shouldn't drink coffee" as "The book said PEOPLE shouldn't drink coffee," and I nearly had a heart attack. I've been known to break into tears before in the morning if I haven't had my coffee. And that's not just because I'm the very antithesis of a Morning Person. Sad, I know. That addiction is.

(See how I'm typing like Yoda? 'Cause I HAVEN'T HAD MY MORNING CUP.)

I have to say that the notion of you all putting cocaine in your peach jam and selling it all back-alley, black-market is HUHsterical. Not that I'm making fun of Lucas either. Far from it. This stuff must be very confusing for kids.

I'm definitely from the generation in which "JUST SAY NO" was pounded into our heads almost every day at school. Wasn't it Nancy Reagan who was behind so much of that? Or do I have that all wrong?

Bwa-hahahahah! Lucas! He'll probably find something else with which to stunt his growth. This reminds me so painfully of the D.A.R.E. visits at my little brother's school. Do you know it was two years before he would drink root beer? And he gave my older sister a deeply nervous and tentative lecture when he saw her with iced coffee. He was just so sad about that.

Oh, Lord. That poor kid. He probably believes he's taller than all of us simply because he Just Said No to coffee. (Little does he know that I used to give him real coffee when he was nine, because he's hyperactive, and it helped him crash. Shhhh! What he doesn't know about his gateway drugs will never hurt him...)

...incidentally? I really think I need to taste test some of your peach jam. Just to see if there's little white flakes floating in it...

Jules, One of the things that struck me about this conversation is that while they've clearly been teaching the kids about drugs, they've been teaching them like they're all the same thing, which they're totally not. While I appreciate where the sentiment is coming from, I'm not sure this is the best approach. You're right that it *was* Nancy Regan with the whole "Just Say No" thing, and part of the reason it was basically ineffective was that it was simplistic. It seems to me that if you teach kids a simplified version of something like this and then later they learn the truth is a lot more complex than they've been led to believe, what you've really taught them, in the end, is that you don't tell the truth, which throws other things you've taught them into question. I dunno. I have to think about it more.

Also, I totally get to the point of crying if I go too long without my coffee in the morning. This usually happens when I'm traveling, since sometimes it's hard to find decent coffee.

Tanita, I had to explain about root beer to Lucas maybe last year. Of course, that hypocrite will beg for Mountain Dew whenever his father is drinking it. Must point that out. Or maybe, like with your brother, it's best to let them live with their illusions. ;)

My peach jam is, needless to say, awesome, but it's really just because of the peaches. And the sugar. LOTS of sugar.

Incidentally, this whole thing reminded me of how annoyed my parents would get when I was a kid and would tell them to stop smoking. I kind of got that today, because my internal reaction to the suggestion that my coffee was bad was something like, "DO NOT MAKE ME GIVE UP THE ONE THING THAT MAKES MY LIFE WORTHWHILE!"

Oh, Adrienne. Can you hear me laughing from down in Tennessee at that final statement of yours there? Yes, this is me, too. A good cup of coffee can, indeed, make life worthwhile.

Plus, we all need our vices.

You are SPOT ON about simplifying the issue and kids believing us and such, which is why the world is a better place for you working in it with children.

You were right about the cigs!But they really are addictive.And you were very persistent.

The peach jam is somewhat of an inhalent, at least it lasts as long as an equal amount of an inhalent substence. Snorting it would be a bitch, though.

Jules, Seriously.

Momster, Lucky for me, you're a good sport.

Chuck, Well, it would make a mess.

Oh lord, I nearly snorted coffee (perfectly good coffee!!!) out my nose reading that. Hilarious conversation, I don't know if I could have stopped myself with some completely uncalled-for responses, though (crack in the jam? Oh shoot, we did too!)

If that is not an argument for homeschooling I don't know what is. I can just see going to pick up Lucas at school and suddenly the social worker will want to talk to me for "a moment..." then all the questions about crack in the chocolate milk and cocaine and peaches on the morning toast. At least his teacher still likes me.
My students could give a much more effective presentation about not using drugs, of course they don't think marijuana counts.

Miriam, I do like to make people laugh, but I do hate to think of that coffee that might have gone to waste.

Remember, just say NO to peach jam.

Tam, Maybe you should have Lucas teach your students about gateway drugs.

I am willing to test the jam.

Something sad: I am going to give up coffee for a few days and see if it helps cure the heartburn I've suddenly become afflicted with.

Wah!

I love this conversation you posted.

Stunted growth at 11 yrs,
Farida

If you need any books about drugs to teach Lucas some more helpful facts, I have about 60 of them he can have *for free*. ;)

Farida, Well, it would be good to get rid of the heartburn.

Olivia, Maybe you should do a guest blog on those books you're weeding. You've got some doozies.

Cows don't produce caffeine. Drink milk.

Adrienne, I'm happy to do a guest blog...though I'd better rescue some of the books from the discard pile for examples.

Elsie, I am fond of cream in my coffee.

Olivia, YES, DO IT!

This is both hilarious and good - Good that he's retaining what he's learned, and asking about it.

Little Willow, I agree--conversations with Lucas are one of the joys of my life. I'm grateful he still wants to talk to me and hear what I have to say.