Pie

My first batch of kids were raised in the city. From the looks of things, it looks like the twins will be country kids. I have often pondered what the difference in the two batches will be.

By the time our son was nine he was playing competitive baseball. He played in tournaments in the U.S. as far away as Nevada, as well playing baseball in the Netherlands and Belgium, all before he was a teenager. Ivy played soccer, baseball and joined the swim team.

The twins aren’t really interested in competitive sports. I feel the reason for that is, they don’t have enough kids at their school to field a team. But they really don’t care. Recently, I had a conversation with Boy Twin about recess.

Me: Did you and your friends play soccer today at recess?

Boy Twin: Nah, we were digging holes

Me: Digging holes? Do you guys have shovels?

Boy Twin: No, we just use sticks. Sometimes we play soccer, but we really like digging.

I couldn’t get my first batch of kids to dig a hole if I told them we were looking for buried treasure. In fairness, Ivy might dig a hole today, but I would need to tell her there is gold at the bottom. (just kidding)

This month I might have found the biggest difference of all. School fundraisers! For reasons unknown to me, schools have several fundraisers every year. We didn’t have fundraisers when I was in school. That was before schools figured out they needed more money. Of course the schools I went to were not architectural works of art; they were just rectangles, but no fund raisers.

Both batches of our kids have attended schools that have had fundraisers. Schools are always in need of something they don’t have money for and can’t exist without.

The first batch of kids sold restaurants coupons, books, candy bars and held carwashes. This second batch has it figured out. They hold a pie auction. You’ve never been to a pie auction?

A pie auction is when the kids get their mothers to bake a pie(s). The pies are brought to the community center on a special Friday night and sold at auction. They get a real auctioneer to donate his time and it is a festive night. The kids don’t do anything but play outside. Smart kids!

Parents do everything, including competing for pies. Someone holds up a pie, the auctioneer starts talking. The faster he talks the hungrier people get for pie. Before the auctioneer takes a breath someone has bought a strawberry-rhubarb pie for $140. The apple pie is next; it has a lattice upper crust. It looks really good. $155.

When the auctioneer needs a break, he sells something that is not a pie. Someone donated season tickets for this years professional indoor football season. (valued at $400-500) The winning bid was $25, yep, $25! The donator was a little disappointed and asked the auctioneer to auction the tickets again. This time they sold for……..$25. I think he should have baked the tickets in a pie.

Boston Crème, $165. Pumpkin, $110. (not a big seller) The auctioneer is ready for a break. Elaine donated a hand knit scarf. The scarf was silk and mohair. It sold for $15. (I brought this up because this is a yarn blog) Next year, I'm betting she will knit something that will fit in a pie pan.

The biggest seller of the night was not pie. If you guessed a bucket of chicken, you would be right. I guess it was a basket of chicken. It sold for $200!

I am trying to convince the family to add another product line to the store. YOUR DAILY FIBER’S CHICKEN POT PIE. (I’m combining chicken with pie for increased revenue) I think I will retire early on that one.

The best part of the night…. No parent got wet washing a car!

Our crazy lives!

Monner