As part of the MOMS Club, I've signed up to help with our club's weekly Meals on Wheels route. We pick up the food from a local retirement community where the food is processed and bagged, then we take the dinners to various elderly citizens' homes.
Last night was my first run. The experience was trying, but we managed. I partnered with our club president, Nicole, because she is due to deliver at the end of this month and wanted to help out with an extra run before she takes a few months off with the new baby. Because there were two of us listed, the Meals on Wheels people must have decided that we could handle extra residences. Until now, our route has been five to six houses, at most, in an evening. Our route contained ten separate residences, most of which were in apartment complexes. This would have been easy for two (non-pregnant) solo women, but what they didn't count on, perhaps, was the fact that we each drove vehicles with two pre-schoolers in the back seats.
Before arriving to pick up the meals, I stopped at McDonald's to get the girls a small order of fries to share while we drove around. They have not been to a fast food place since our return trip from my parents' farm, primarily because of my diet. So the fries were gone before the completion of our first stop. I took the meals into the apartments while Nicole stood between our two vehicles, keeping an eye on the car-seated children.
After an hour of this, with all of our stops completed, the girls were fed up with their inexplicable part in my plans. So, still hungry after the fries, I promised them cheeseburgers on the way home. That worked out just fine. I only had $2 on me, so I was economically incapable of buying junk food for myself (I refuse to use debit or credit cards at McDonald's!). When we got home, the girls each left half a cheeseburger unfinished, so I got a little cheating taste of it after all. Better than splurging on a full Big Mac attack!
Luckily, this Meals on Wheels thing only comes around about once every two months. The club has eight volunteers, and the route is once a week. Thus I can feel good about helping without resenting the time and hassle of my volunteer work. When the girls get older, activities like this will be much more important, so I feel good starting now and getting myself in a habit of helping when I can.
Last night was my first run. The experience was trying, but we managed. I partnered with our club president, Nicole, because she is due to deliver at the end of this month and wanted to help out with an extra run before she takes a few months off with the new baby. Because there were two of us listed, the Meals on Wheels people must have decided that we could handle extra residences. Until now, our route has been five to six houses, at most, in an evening. Our route contained ten separate residences, most of which were in apartment complexes. This would have been easy for two (non-pregnant) solo women, but what they didn't count on, perhaps, was the fact that we each drove vehicles with two pre-schoolers in the back seats.
Before arriving to pick up the meals, I stopped at McDonald's to get the girls a small order of fries to share while we drove around. They have not been to a fast food place since our return trip from my parents' farm, primarily because of my diet. So the fries were gone before the completion of our first stop. I took the meals into the apartments while Nicole stood between our two vehicles, keeping an eye on the car-seated children.
After an hour of this, with all of our stops completed, the girls were fed up with their inexplicable part in my plans. So, still hungry after the fries, I promised them cheeseburgers on the way home. That worked out just fine. I only had $2 on me, so I was economically incapable of buying junk food for myself (I refuse to use debit or credit cards at McDonald's!). When we got home, the girls each left half a cheeseburger unfinished, so I got a little cheating taste of it after all. Better than splurging on a full Big Mac attack!
Luckily, this Meals on Wheels thing only comes around about once every two months. The club has eight volunteers, and the route is once a week. Thus I can feel good about helping without resenting the time and hassle of my volunteer work. When the girls get older, activities like this will be much more important, so I feel good starting now and getting myself in a habit of helping when I can.
3 comments:
Did you speak to the old people? How were they?
I love old people as much as I love children! :o )
But, please Mc Donald's no! No matter if only once a month!
What a great idea for a moms club activity.
I have a secret love of McDonald's. I've seen Supersize Me and read Fast Food Nation, so I should know better--but I don't.
Do you think the love you have for McD. can be linked to the addictive odours they intentionally produce? That distinctive smell that you can taste from the other side of the road?
Also my little grand dad, although he lives metres away from my mum who spends loads of time with him, gets food delivered every day from the local social centre. : )
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