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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">What's Up?</SPAN><SPAN
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"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Something unusual is
happening around my home. Food is lasting longer. Food is spoiling
before we have a chance to eat it.</SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I have been a mom for
twenty-seven years with many little hungry mouths to feed. Now that two of
my adult children are out in the world, of course, the food consumption would
decrease. But truthfully it was still a heavy load on the grocery budget
till recently. We have a fifteen year old boy and a soon to be eighteen
year old daughter still at home.</SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Not to mention that my
husband and I both have healthy appetites. What then, could cause this
anomaly of our eating patterns?</SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I think teens are
every bit as picky as toddlers! Why I do not know and cannot reason out in
my mind. They love one food and suddenly without warning will no longer
eat the same things any more. And, with all sincerity and seriousness
proclaim, "You know I don't like that!"</SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Or "Yuk! I don't eat
that!"</SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">How's a mother to
cope? How can you determine what they eat and don't eat when the likes and
dislikes change so frequently, if not, hourly?</SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">About the only item of
which we never grow tired is ice cream. Recently my daughter entered the
room where I was sitting and asked, "Can we get ice cream?" I said,
"Sure." Choking back surprise that mom had responded in a positive way in
such a prompt manner she asked, "Now?"</SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"Sure," I
replied.</SPAN><SPAN
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style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">So I enjoyed a drive
to the local Dairy Queen with my daughter at the wheel.</SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Gone are the days when
we scrounged to get enough food to feed our young ones. No more cooking
big pots of soup (Yuk, you know I don't eat that!) or large casseroles. I
don't have a visual of myself as the mama bird carrying the worm in my mouth to
the awaiting little birdies that so patiently sit for waiting for
mommy.</SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">While I still cook
full meals, we also tend to eat a lot of Frito chili pies, pizza, macaroni
and cheese, sub sandwiches, French fries and whatever else trips their
triggers. The battle with a toddler is to eat nutritionally and obey
mom in the process. The battle with a teen is to get them to eat
and not grouse.</SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">My how the years have
changed but mother’s prayer is the same.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Thank you Lord for their presence and blessing in my
life. </SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">© LaRose
Karr</SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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