Why Jell-O is NOT a Mother's Best Friend

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, in a place too close to home, there were two lonely cups of orange JELL-O ®. These two orange JELL-O cups aspired to greatness and would discuss daily how they could achieve such a lofty goal. One beautiful summer day at noon they were granted the opportunity when two willing participants, Katie and Jacob, came into their lives. Katie and Jacob were the perfect subjects to help them. For you see, Katie and Jacob rarely came in contact with orange JELL-O -for that matter, JELL-O of any flavor. This beautiful summer day started with a very nice combined neighborhood yard sale with Katie and Jacob's mommy and Brian's mommy. Jacob and Katie had lots of fun playing with the neighbor children, Alex and Brian during the yard sale.

As lunchtime approached, Alex's mommy brought out a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for Alex. Suddenly Jacob, Katie, and even toddler Brian, jumped poor Alex like a pack of wolves trying to devour his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Alex's mommy decided to make one for each of them. Jacob, Katie, Brian and Alex happily and somewhat messily enjoyed their own peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. As Jacob and Katie were finishing up their sandwiches, their mommy told them it was time to go home for naps. Alex's mommy told them they could each take a cup of orange JELL-O with them if it was okay with their mommy. Jacob and Katie's mommy agreed.

Jacob and Katie were elated to have such a yummy treat after such a fun morning. They happily skipped across the lawn back to their house. As Jacob and Katie got inside, their mommy opened their orange JELL-O cups for them and had a teeny-tiny spoonful out of each one (to check for doneness of course) and sat them (Jacob and Katie) down at the dining table to eat. Their mommy said, "Jacob and Katie, I'll be right back. I'm going to go get baby-Zachy from Alex's mommy and bring him home. Stay right here with your orange JELL-O."

Foolish Mommy should've said, "Eat your orange JELL-O. And do not get out of your chairs. Please don't decide it's a good idea to lock the screen door as soon as Mommy leaves the house and then shut the front door and not know how to open it again. And if you can sense that Mommy and Alex's mommy are concerned when they are talking to you through the door and then later through the window and air conditioner and you then realize you're home alone and locked inside with four men from the neighborhood trying to take off the screen storm door, do not decide it would be a grand idea to smear orange JELL-O all over the dining chairs, the entryway, the kitchen, and the stairs, Mommy's special memory quilt, and Mae. You see, kitties don't like to be covered in super sticky orange JELL-O."

Jacob and Katie sadly have been forbidden to partake of orange JELL-O for a very, very, very, very, very long time. But there is a happy ending . . .

Mommy's floors have now been mopped for the third time in 24-hours and they are super-clean. And they all lived happily ever after . . . well, until naptime was over.