Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Monticello Sandwich...and poor parenting skills

Ah, Monticello - if you are reading this and live in Charlottesville you already know that Monticello is the prized home atop a hill (moutain?) that Jefferson called home.  So...the good parenting skill part of this story is that we have already taken our children to visit this historic monument, and that we will take them again.  By the time they go to college, they should be able to write a very convincing admissions essay about Mr. Jefferson.

But ever since we mentioned Monticello, Abi got it confused with Nutella, the creamy to-die-for chocolate spread with a touch of hazelnut.  So here is the first installation of the poor parenting skills portion of this post.  On occassion, I feed my kids peanut butter and nutella sandwiches.  Most of the time it is a snack, though I did send one in the lunchbox one desperate day.  I used to eat "peanut butter and fluff sandwiches" - mmmmm, my mouth waters just thinking about the peanut butter and marshmallow magic...those are so good. 

Anyway, Abi calls the Nutella "Monticello" - as in she opens the pantry and goes - "Mom!  Did you buy some Monticello?"  The best part is when she says, "Can you make me a Monticello Sandwich?" - So the other bad parenting part of this story is that, as of this posting, I haven't told her that her delicious chocolately treat is actually called "Nutella".  I can't bring myself to do it - I've let it go on too long, and now I am trapped.  I just enjoy this little mix up so much - especially because in someways a peanut butter and nutella sandwich does seem to merit the name "Monticello" - I mean think about it with me.  Imagine this:

Peanut butter and chocolate spread sandwiches sold at the cafe at Monticello for $6 a piece - The tourist walks to the counter and says, "Oh yes, I'll have the Monticello and a Limonata please."  Or the tour guide at Monticello, incorporates the sandwich facts into the tour - "A little known fact is that there is a delightful sandwich named after this property - the Monticello incorporates both peanuts and hazelnuts, known as filberts in this area.  Filberts are native to this part of the country, and peanuts are an important cash crop in the region - as a matter of fact, Jefferson himself was a peanut farmer."  Are you with me?  If any sandwich should be named "The Monticello", it's this one.

So Mr. Jefferson, my daughter just ran in and asked me for a "Monticello" after school.  As I twist on the lid to the peanut butter jar and fold the sandwich pieces together to meld the chocolatey peanuty goodness as one, I say "This Monticello is for you, sir."  Maybe I will tell her about the nutella tommorrow...

That is my thought for today. 

No comments: