Brownies with a Side of Laughs

Last year around this time last year, I caved in and bought a membership to Costco. For the most part I've been *relatively* good at only buying what we actually need. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't bought a new pair of yoga pants or several books...

I usually end up at Costco about once per week to bring home a collection of items varying between fruits and veggies along with the usual milk and eggs. I caved last week and brought home a box of brownie mix. With our oldest being on a high protein and veggie diet, we've virtually cut out all extra sugars and a bunch of processed foods. Bringing home a box of brownie mix is a huge deal in this house. Just having the kids look at the box is enough to get them a sugar high. Seriously.

Now since the giant box of brownie mix has no home in our pantry, it has been taking up space on our counter. It's been sitting there just asking me to make some. I gave in on Saturday evening. I made a super think batch too. Go big or go home, I suppose. It baked in the oven long enough for several of us to lay and "rest" by the fire burning in the living room. Unfortunately for the kids, they had to go to bed before the brownies were *completely* cool. (Also known as mom and dad not wanting to share.)

After all three kiddos were tucked into their beds, I cut out two brownies to share. As I was leaving the kitchen, I spotted a creeper on the stairs watching and glaring at me. He was promptly sent back to bed with plenty of hugs and brownie-breathed kisses. (HD later tattled on me to his brother the next morning. JP walked up and attempted to give me a mean glare but since he can't seem to keep his glasses pushed up, his glare didn't have the same effect.)

Upon our arrival home Sunday morning from church, the boys headed to the basement to play Legos while the rest of had breakfast. To reward ourselves for doing so, we treated ourselves to a brownie. A three-year old trying to hide a brownie from her brother is probably one of the best things to watch. Ever. As the three of us sat down to start eating, HD came sprinting up the stairs, as if he knew what we were about to do, and he was missing out. I whisper-yelled, "Hide it!" I've never seen her grab a brownie so quickly! She hastily put it on her lap, leaving a trail of crumbs behind while the hubby and I simply used our hands to shield it from his view. He proceeded to ignore us and walk down the hall to the bathroom so we relaxed and began to chow down. When his footsteps were heard in the hall again, the three of us simultaneously covered our treats again and sat with a deer-in-the-headlights look about us. He wandered over to us, standing close enough to very easily see at least one of the three brownies at the table. He stood there yammering on about something for what seemed like an hour but was only a minute before he headed back to the basement, leaving us without having to talk through our brownie filled mouths. Just before we thought we were in the clear, he turned around to ask me a question. He was satisfied with several grunts before returning to the basement and he was none the wiser as to what he missed out on.

I never should have even made those darn things because for the rest of the afternoon, I was being asked when they could have their special treat... We gave in after dinner. I supervised the dinner table while the hubs cut up dessert. In the meantime I sent our squirmy little girl to get her jammies on. She detoured to the bathroom and danced about in her room before actually getting them on. This gave dad ample time to warm up and pass out brownies to JP and I, and devour his own. To urge her along, he called out to her to hurry up before he ate her brownie too and then switched her plate with his empty one as she scurried down the hall to the table. Upon seeing an empty plate, the meanest look over came her face so she was sent back down the hall to shut off the light in the bathroom and the one in her room. She stormed down and took care of her room while dad switched the plates back. She lit up when she came back but was sent back to shut the bathroom light off. This time my plate with a little brownie was switched with hers. We giggled as she came back mad again, and promptly switched them back.

Sometime I feel like my kids, particularly my oldest and youngest, are living DVR's. Immediately after something happens, they either re-enact it, re-tell it, or begin a story with "Remember when..." literally seconds after it happened. This incident was no exception. While our sweet girl began chowing down on her brownie, our oldest began re-telling the story. Just as he finished it up, JP looks up, chocolate all over his face, his white little fingers turned brown, and responds, "So that was yesterday?" He was so enthralled with his brownie, he failed to take in his surrounding and completely missed out on the "joke" but also solid half of the story. Confusion overcame him as he finished the last pieces of his brownie, not understanding why we were all dying of laughter as his listened to the story being re-told yet again.

And that my dear friends, is how we treat ourselves to desserts and a nice little laugh. Brownies are good for the soul!