Spoiled rotten?

I hate that expression. People are always asking me if Ivan is spoiled or if his grandparents spoil him. To me this is such a bad imagery. I've got a compost and we are always filling it with spoiled or rotten kitchen stuff. It's disgusting. Nor do I want our son to have so much that he can't function without the myriad props of middle class, or without the latest, greatest whatever. At the same time I understand that we want to pour our love into him and one of the ways we show that is with gifts, so as grandparents or parents, we lavish gifts on our children, and love and attention and, and, and.

While shopping for groceries, a man loudly exclaimed by the lunch meat "no one can say we don't have lots of choices!" I looked to the wall he was refering to and he was so right! It would have taken us a long time just to count all the different lunch meats. It actually took me by surprise when I really looked at it. Then he shared a comment from his heart, the kind of heart that I hope I have and that I hope Ivan and our daughter will have. He said "I wish everyone in the world could have these choices like we have." and "I wish everyone could afford what they want". It humbled me and made me truly thankful for what was in my cart and for what I could afford.

Big Buddy is presently my worst spoiling source. All three sets of grandparents give lavishly, of course, but they don't see us everyday. But we have adopted grandparents and one has suddenly become the sugar king accross the street. I remember going to my grandfather's and having ice cream. He also had a candy dish set out for us grandkids to indulge in. It did make me feel loved and special. Big Buddy must have gone to the same grandparenting 101 class. He had bought two tubs of ice cream a few weeks ago, then a week later got us a tub. One day as I was visiting, he wanted to give Ivan some ice cream of his. I told him he had already gotten us ice cream and that it was at our house. He looked at me and in all seriousness said: "that boy needs a little ice cream EVERY day. He's a growing boy"!!! What parenting book did he read? (The abridged grandparent section, I'm sure). Another time, when Ivan was wanting to play in the yard instead of come in, Big Buddy offered him some orange juice, 'cause "I have to give him stuff so that he'll want to come over". Yikes!

And this takes the cake! (ha, ha) Last week, Brian took Big Buddy to his favorite store, which had a sale on Blue Bell ice cream (very expensive and good ice cream). It was 3/$10. You can buy one for $3.30, but instead, he buys 6 tubs and sent Brian home with 3! I've never had 3 tubs of ice cream in my freezer. In fact I don't right now, Big Buddy is holding one for us since our freezer was too small! So, is Ivan spoiled? I hope he'll always be compassionate, that he'll always share and be giving. I hope I will too. In the meantime, they got my favorite kind! Mint chocolate chip ;) umm umm. We never get it, 'cause the knock off cheap brand sucks and Brian thinks even the expensive one tastes like toothpaste, so we always compromise on our one tub with something we both like, (when we splurge). Now we're high on the hog, eating ice cream everyday (if we want- which we usually do) and knowing with every lick that a friend a stone's throw away wants us to know how deeply he loves us.

I saw this quote and it made me laugh. I added my own version.
The greatest sweetener of human life is friendship. Joseph Addison

And friends with ice cream are even sweeter-- Angela Baggett, 2006

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?