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Flakey, Indeed

The school provides a free breakfast to every student, every morning in their classrooms. Tuesday they served Frosted Flakes, milk, cheese sticks and fruit cocktail. I said, “Frosted Flakes! I don’t think I’ve had those since I was a fifth grader. How do they taste?”

The whole class looked at me blankly.

We have been practicing using descriptive words in our writing. I thought my question would make a great reinforcing mini-lesson. I looked down at Mo, who was raising a spoonful of cereal to his mouth. “Describe your cereal. What’s it like? How does it taste?”

He shrugged his shoulders and said, “Uh, I don’t know.” Then his face lit up and his voice rose hopefully, “Frosted Flakey?”

Quilly is the pseudonym of Charlene L. Amsden, who lives on The Big Island in Hawaii. When she is not hanging out with Amoeba, she is likely teaching or sewing. Or she could be cooking, taking photographs, or even writing. But if she's not doing any of that, she's probably on Facebook or tinkering with her blog.

24 Comments

  2. Aw, give him an A, teacher! I can’t even figure out how to describe Frosted Flakes. I have tasted them recently and the best description I can come up with is Aspartame laden cardboard. :S

  3. Melli — that boy is a laugh a minute — but he seldom gets why we’re laughing!

    Brig — except for the sugar coating there is little difference between the cereal and the box. I was looking for words like crispy, crunchy, sweet, soggy … However, they wouldn’t have made blog fodder.

  4. I can’t think of breakfast cereals any more without either tossing my cookies or (quickly, before the gag reflex starts) calling up old Calvin and Hobbes cartoons – the ones featuring Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs.

    The things should be banned. Instead they take up whole acres of space in your friendly neighborhood convenience store. In your superdupermarket … ! Damn. Maybe I should start writing breakfast cereal reviews. My blog might get some hits then. Whinge whinge moan moan. ;P

  6. OC — first, to review the breakfast cereal you’d have to taste it! Second, even your reviews of breakfast cereal would likely intimidate. Folks read your rhetoric and decide you’re much too smart to talk, too. I remember I felt that way at first. You had to convince me you were just a regular guy. Do something to convince them.

    Maybe you could do your next scathing review in Dr. Suess rhyme? 😉

    Bazza — not quick. Desperate. But 10 out of 10 for a great save.

  7. I can’t believe people are feeding growing young minds frosted flakes and cheese sticks for breakfast. How do you get them down from the sugar high?

  8. Kat — these days most kids are on a perpetual sugar high. Besides, the Monday Frosted Flake breakfast is much healthier than donut and fruit juice day.

  9. Ah. A sinlge word as a description, eh? Sorry, but the only thing I can come up with is “crappy”. lol I have to go to the corner now, don’t I?

  10. Frosted Flakes are still my all-time favorite. On the rare occasion I eat cereal, it’s Frosted Flakes. And I’m old enough to remember when they were “Sugar Frosted Flakes.” They have breakfast in classrooms? Seems like they would do that in the cafeteria.

  12. Brig — it’s a description. That’s an A.

    John — I loved Sugar Frosted Flakes as a kid. Somehow they didn’t make the transition to adulthood with me. As to eating in the classroom — the whole school has breakfast at the same time and 700 kids won’t fit in the cafeteria at once.

    Doug — if funny is right, then he certainly nailed it.

  13. Quilly-the cereal served here at school is not the same as bought at the supermarket. They have less sugar, hence they are healthier. I tried some with the kids one day and they tasted like Blah, and I like frosted flakes. The ones they give out here I think are 1/3 the sugar, I did not taste any sugar. I could have just eaten the box as someone stated earlier. Psst, do not tell the kids its not the same sugar laden ones they get at home….

  15. Quilly, doesn’t your school have a rule against “parties” and such with junk food? Thought you touched on that before Christmas…just seems weird if they won’t allow that…but will allow frosted flakes and doughnuts. When I was growing up, my mother was very strict about breakfast cereal, she allowed some sugary ones (frosted flakes and frosted shreadded wheat mostly), but if I had them I HAD to mix it with a non sugary cereal. It was a pretty good rule actually.

  16. Silver — the teachers aren’t allowed to give the kids sugars or fats by order of theschool district. They want to keep that privilege for themselves.

  17. … just a regular guy. Do something to convince them.

    Quilly? I’m very regular. Trust me. And put the bottle of Metamucil back on the shelf.

  22. Dr. John — I’d describe them as gross.

    Polona — a supposedly corn-based breakfast cereal. It comes sugar coated and recommended by a tiger named, Tony.

    Silver — I have long since passed amazed with our school district and progressed all the way to fed up.

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