Pulling the Wool Over...

Mother-in-law has turned me into a willing accomplice of sorts; snatching white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, chocolate muffins, cinnamon raisin bread and today tuna fish salad and a ceramic coffee cup on the sly.

This all started when she complained about people pilfering food from the residence dining room. She was aghast with their blatant display of larceny. In all fairness, I have witnessed, on occasion, one or two of her fellow residents swiping cookies off the brunch table and throwing them willy nilly into their pocketbooks.

The truth of it is (and I know after many conversations with the dining room manager) if they wrapped up a sweet or two, or even three and walked out in broad daylight the manager would be more than happy to look the other way. And so one Sunday during brunch I explained this to Mother-in-law and asked if she would like me to wrap up a few of her favorite cookies for later. She was thrilled beyond belief; sugar her main food group.

This song and dance went on for a number of months and slowly progressed from cookies, to muffins, breads and assorted scones and danish. There was no stopping her. She began asking me to smuggle out more and more in in her walker basket. She was addicted.

Today, after we finished brunch she requested I wrap up some tuna fish salad. I explained that would be difficult in a napkin. Mother-in-law, without skipping a beat said, "Put it in a Ziploc bag, they're under the seat of my walker." That would not do, but the enabler in me suggested we scoop some tuna salad in a coffee mug and put it one of her plastic bags, as long as she promises to return the mug. She was giddy with delight.

I do believe she is enjoying our shenanigans. After all she is on the meal plan and can walk herself down to breakfast or dinner and eat all she wants in plain sight!  But, there is no thrill in that!