Lucky Charms pancakes

Am I the worst parent in the world? I mean, who allows their children to eat pancakes filled and topped with the sugariest cereals known to kids? Well, I have built that reputation for myself—at least on an annual basis. Let me take you down memory lane with the cereal-based hot cakes I have fed them over the past couple of years and then I will reveal how I outdid myself last night.

So let’s go back to 2022 when I whipped up Cinnamon Toast Crunch pancakes for Sloan and Beau. The kit came with “cinnadust” to mix in with the batter and Cinnamon Toast Crunch pieces to sprinkle on top. These pancakes turned out okay, but Sloan was obsessed with what was advertised on the side of the box…

Beau and Sloan sitting at the kitchen table eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch pancakes in Feb. 2022.

What Sloan salivated over in February 2022 became a reality for her in May 2023. My daughter had not forgotten about the Lucky Charms pancakes promoted on the Cinnamon Toast Crunch pancakes box. This particular batter had Lucky Charms bits mixed in along with full Lucky Charms pieces to add on top. These pancakes were much better than the Cinnamon Toast Crunch version but I still wanted something just a little bit more…

Despite Beau’s scowl, these Lucky Chams pancakes weren’t that bad.

My quest (wait, I mean my kids’ quest) to find the best ridiculous cereal-themed flapjacks was fulfilled last night when Sidney made a box of Fruity Pebbles pancakes.

These are the Mrs. Butterworth Fruity Pebbles Pancakes we made last night.

The kit came with a batter mixed with Fruity Pebbles pieces along with a generously-sized bag of the signature cereal to top. But the “more” that I was looking for? That came in the form of frosting! Yes, frosting. So after the pancakes came off the griddle we spread the white frosting on them and then let the kids drop the colorful cereal on what looked like a delicious blanket of snow.

Beau and Sloan with their Fruity Pebbles pancakes.

When I take a bite of Fruity Pebbles, my attitude automatically improves…and I am not writing that just for the hell of it. The magical taste of artificial fruit flavoring makes me feel some type of way. That same pleasant sensation came over me when I ate the Fruity Pebbles pancakes. It might be because the Fruity Pebbles pancakes are made by Mrs. Butterworth instead of Betty Crocker (which produces the CTC and LC varieties) or it might simply be the fact that they were slathered in frosting, but the third time was the “non-lucky” charm in this cereal pancake battle.

Beau sprinkling on Fruity Pebbles atop the pancakes

Hopefully no one is calling CPS on me as I conclude this post. I promise Sloan and Beau eat nutritiously every now and then. But are you really a kid if you don’t eat ultra sweet pancakes? Don’t Blink.

I can’t help but feel optimistic. The weather is gorgeous, the days are longer, and the birds are chirping. Summer is on the horizon. But before we get to that point, I want to enjoy the rest of what has been a busy and fun month of May. Let’s go to the Thursday Rundown…

May At St. Mary – Speaking of May, it has been a blessed month for Sloan at St. Mary. She helped with the Mary crowning, participated in a special children’s rosary, and won a class raffle for a Happy Meal lunch. But what really made me proud was on Tuesday when she delivered a reading during the school mass. Proclaiming from the Acts of the Apostles, Sloan stood at the lectern and read flawlessly in front of the entire school and a crowd of parents. I admired the bravery of Sloan and her classmates who also read during the mass.

It has been a busy month at St. Mary School in Spokane Valley. Photos include Sloan and her friend holding Mary’s crown, the group of children who prayed the rosary, and Sloan delivering the reading at the school mass.

Lucky Charms Pancakes – On Mother’s Day, Sidney requested I make my famous pancakes. I happily obliged and in addition to the traditional buttermilk hot cakes I made for her, I whipped up something a little different for the kids. I had a package of Lucky Charms pancake mix that I threw on the griddle for Sloan and Beau. The mix itself had Lucky Charms bits inside it and the box was accompanied with a package of actual Lucky Charms pieces that I sprinkled on top. Overall, the Lucky Charm pancakes were better than the Cinnamon Toast Crunch pancakes I made 15 months ago.

Despite Beau’s scowl, these Lucky Chams pancakes weren’t that bad.

Last MLB Game – It is hard to believe that it has been four years since I last attended a Major League Baseball game. On this date in 2019, Sidney and I visited brand new SunTrust Park to watch the Atlanta Braves host the Milwaukee Brewers. Sid’s parents took care of Sloan as we had a fantastic weekend that also included TopGolf and Cheesecake Factory. Perhaps we will break our MLB drought this summer and go to a Seattle Mariners game.

A photo of Sidney and I from our seats at SunTrust Park on May 18, 2019.

Mother’s Day Photo – During our Mother’s Day celebration at my parents’ house, my siblings and I took a break from the good food, ladder golf, and the metal detector to snap this photo with my mom. We sure owe a lot of gratitude to her for all she has done for us over 3+ decades.

My sister, brother, and I stand with my mom.

7th Grade School Photo – Not much else to share tonight so I thought I would throw in this headshot of a pudgy seventh grader. Let’s hope Beau doesn’t go through this awkward phase 😂