One of our favorite shows was recently the result of reminding Sidney of past trauma…

The date was July 11, 2025. My wife kindly picked up on a tradition my parents started with the kids and took them to 7/11 for Free Slurpee Day. Her good intentions transformed into chaos…

This was a screenshot I took from a video that Sid took of the kids post-chaos at a local Spokane 7/11 on July 11, 2025.

In an act that can only be described as direct insubordination of my wife’s direction, Beau decided he wanted to pour his own Slurpee. He didn’t give a damn that many other Slurpee-loving customers were behind him nor that a 5-year-old had no business operating a Slurpee machine in the first place.

Deciding not to induce a major meltdown from her son, Sidney allowed Beau to pour his own Slurpee—CORRECTION—attempt to pour his own Slurpee. Ask him how that turned out. 😂

What resulted was a colorful, overflowing mess. Sidney was mortified at the snafu and the resulting humiliation at the register. If I remember hearing the story correctly, both Sid and Beau were so sticky it was a godsend that the Slurpees were free because any cash exchanged would have stuck to my wife’s hand.

Beau and Sloan hold their free Slurpees right outside of my parents’ local 7-Eleven earlier today. This was the year before Beau tried to take Slurpee pouring into his own hands.

Oh yes, you are probably wondering what television show beckoned this messy memory. It was our beloved “The Food That Built America” program that we catch on Hulu. As you probably surmised, the episode was completely devoted to 7/11. The show did a great job talking about how the invention of the Slurpee was revolutionary but they failed to analyze how it can be really tough on moms. Just two other cool things about 7/11…

– Believe it or not, 7/11 invented the concept of to-go coffee and the to-go coffee cup itself. It was unheard of at the time for motorists to have a disposable cup conducive to sipping a piping hot beverage like coffee. It makes me wonder that if not for 7/11 would we have the million coffee stands that line our streets here in Spokane?

– It didn’t take Jim Carrey in “Dumb and Dumber” to make the Big Gulp a significant player in American culture. When the soda fountain container was introduced, the average fountain beverage cup was just SIX OUNCES. Not only did the Big Gulp make soda enthusiasts happy, but it also set off the distinctively American trait of “the bigger the better.” After 7/11’s roll out, chains like McDonald’s and Burger Kings started offering “super size” options to their customers.

Guess what? We are exactly four months away from Free Slurpee Day. Make sure to mark your calendars but I am pretty sure Sidney is giving this tradition back to my parents. Don’t Blink.