Parents of the Year

As I venture down this new path in my life: adulthood, I find I am daily pondering things that would have never previously crossed my mind.
Things like. . .
"What should I make for dinner? . . .Can't be anything that requires measuring, a mixer, baking, a sharp knife, or peeling. At least not for another couple paychecks. . ."
or
"I sure hope this toilet doesn't clog. . .I don't really want to go buy a plunger right now."
and the occasional
"I made these front door keys, darn it! I'm going to use them, even if I like parking in the garage."

But lately, the dream in my little grown-up head is to become a member of the club. The most exclusive club out there. . .the club that requires a small fee for you to enter the clubhouse and revel in the glory that is Sam. Yes, that's right. I'm talking about Sam's Club.
As I think of all of the glorious and unnecessary frozen pizza treats, containers of pretzels and animal crackers that would satisfy Paul Bunyan, and of course the CARTONS of gum I get more and more excited for the time (around July) when I will actually start making more than I am spending (ie. braces are paid for!) so I, too, can join the club!

I have wonderful memories of shopping at Sam's Club with my parents.
And this brings me to my story:

As long as I can remember, my dad's work has hosted a golf outing every year. At this outing, his work provides goodie bags with tees, hats, towels, balls, and best of all: goodie bags of CANDY!
Well, it was always my dad's job to assemble the goodie bags--which thinking back on it now I am pretty sure that was because he had 4 sets of little hands working diligently to bag all of the candy (knowing very well that leftovers were the paycheck).
In order to get these bags ready to be assembled, the Herron family would pile into the van and drive to Sam's club and pick out no less than ten different types of candy to fill the baggies. And I'm talking enough for anywhere from 70 to 150 baggies.

So picture this:
You're standing in the check-out line at Sams, and a family of 6 (a mom, dad, and 3 little porkers, and then skinny Niki) pulls into line with a shopping cart filled with nothing but candy. Hundreds and hundreds of pieces of candy. All shapes, all flavors, and the smiling faces of 4 kids.

That, my friends, is the picture of the Parents of the Year.
:)