Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Peanut Butter Jelly

Our daughter has always been very, very specific about her Peanut Butter Jelly. Traditionally, I am the one to have always made the sandwich and I like triangles versus squares. But...since she was old enough to say what she wanted for lunch, she has been very demanding about her Peanut Butter Jelly being cut into squares. If you've ever raised a toddler, then you know, squares it is! 

I cut sandwiches in a diagonal, even if it's only half a sandwich, the one piece of bread gets cuts diagonally and then placed on top of the other. Morgan, is fine with this as long as it's turkey, salami, or a grilled cheese but not a Peanut Butter Jelly. And there isn't an 'and' involved in that sandwich, not a PB&J, not a Peanut Butter AND Jelly, it's just Peanut Butter Jelly. All the time, every time she says it.

When she was about 3 years old, her dad decided to make her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. He made it with two full slices and didn't cut off the crust. Can you imagine?! She absolutely refused to eat it because it was not Peanut Butter Jelly. My husband was then locked into an argument with a toddler convinced it wasn't the right thing. After numerous times of trying to convince her that he made her what she wanted, he then asked how mommy makes it. She promptly got up and took half of the sandwich off the plate. Bonus points for the husband that cut straight down the middle. Then she pointed to the crust and made a face, he assumed correctly that mommy cuts off the crust. He placed the plate in front of her and she said, "still not like mommy's." He asked her why and she said it wasn't two pieces. He said you took the other off the plate she said no it's only this, but two pieces. He asked her if he could cut it. Toddlers are something! When he successfully cut it into two pieces, she happily squealed, "NOW, that's Peanut Butter Jelly!"

Skip ahead 4 years...

Yesterday, my mom was at the house and made her lunch. When I got home and my mom left, I asked both her and Kyle what they had for lunch.

Morgan mentioned that Nana made her a sandwich but did it wrong. I knew...I knew right then what kind of sandwich she asked for. I said well how did Nana make your Peanut Butter Jelly. 

Morgan: "Well first she cut the bread wrong, I told her you only use one piece, but she cut it wrong." (My mom cut into a diagonal) "Then she put too much peanut butter on and I kept looking at her, and I tried to look at her nice but I didn't know why she was doing it wrong. I figured I'd have to eat it because I didn't want to waste the bread but it was gross. Mom, she put the jelly on the same side she put the peanut butter, then just put the bread on top. She didn't even put enough jelly on it!" A breath and then, "I mean who puts the jelly on top of the peanut butter on one side?"

Okay, so because I know how ridiculous this all is, I did egg it on...with comments like "who does that?" and "why would she think that's right?" and finally ended with "I just don't know why people can't make a Peanut Butter Jelly right!"

Morgan then responded that even her dad can't do it right. She was so disgusted that it was just hilarious. 

Last night after she went to sleep, I couldn't wait to tell Matt all about this...because he very clearly remembers the toddler, "NOW that's Peanut Butter Jelly!" 

As I'm holding my stomach from laughing so hard, I mentioned to Matt, oh my can you imagine her poor husband?! 

Matt turned dead around and said, "That's me...I'm the husband. She's you, and I'm the poor husband! I don't know what you are talking about...her poor husband. You two are the same, she's you and this is the stuff you do. I am that guy."

He's just upset that I'm the only one that can make her sandwich the 'right' way!