I don't know how old this ad is

Teresa emailed it to me this evening with a bunch of others, but my first thought when I saw it was of my kids. And Little Debbie. You know how the chocolate "icing" on Little Debbie cakes sorta taste waxy and sticks to your teeth? That reminds me of lard. Not that I've ever tasted lard - although I used to have a friend who ate Crisco by the spoonful. Come to think of it, she was one happy gal, too.

However, I'm not so sure that's a good thing to relate with - lard. But it was my immediate thought and there's really no accounting for the way my brain works. Ask anyone who knows me - I'm sure they can cite a good example.

The great snack shack experiment is going off without a hitch. We had our first "trade you play money in for the real thing day" yesterday and Jacob was first in line. Smiling big and holding every bit of his play money - ready for me to lay the real stuff across his palm.

I can't really believe that he went an entire week without snacks - he's the biggest snack freak of all. But the lure of the big money was more than he could stand. He would just hold something in his hand and question himself out loud if it was really worth the money. Inevitably, he put it back into the cabinet.

The younger kids were able to turn in some money - but I credit their impromptu visit to Pappaw's for that. Otherwise, I'm sure they would be broke.

Jacob did have one snack this week for dessert at the house of his friend, Seth. He came home to tell me all about this delicious chocolate cake, covered in chocolate icing, with creme filling. I was just looking at him and he asked if I had ever heard of a Ding-dong. Had I ever tasted one?!?

EXCUSE ME? I am well aquainted with King Ding Dong from way back when. How could this child be 10 years old and never have had a Ding-Dong? Few things make me feel like a negligent mother, but this certainly did.

That feeling was reinforced when we went to Wal-Mart later that evening and he saw a box of Ding-Dongs on the shelf, close to the Little Debbie cupcakes we buy. His excitement was palatable as he was able to show me the Ding-Dongs, further proof that he didn't just dream up this delicacy. I almost broke down and bought the boy some. Almost.