Whenever I run into someone I haven’t seen in some time, the conversation turns to the twin’s. Recently an old friend asked about them and was shocked that they each stand six foot two and weigh in the 185 pound range. I laughed and explained that last night they were hungry. They were Hungry, with a capital “H”. I cooked four pounds of chicken breasts.

Originally I asked for six individual chicken parts, but Paige, at Family Market, knowing full well how much food I usually buy, stopped before wrapping it up and pointed out the scrawny amount of protein I was purchasing. “Double it,” was all I could reply, rolling my eyes.

Feeding teenage boys is a very good activity when you need to boost your self-esteem. They are never ambiguous about food. I hear more “I love you mom” comments at dinner then at any other time. And, I foolishly thought that once football season ended their constantly growling bellies might grow silent.

I often compare the twins to Fez the wonder Beagle. They’ve grown up together and many times I felt like I had three boys, followed by three teenagers is the house. Fez has a great personality and throughout his young lifetime has retained a couple of curious eating patterns.

First, he will wait at the back door and bark incessantly until fed. He is very punctual. Breakfast is at 5am, with dinner served at 5pm. Regardless of the weather or the hour, the minute you step outside to feed him, he runs to the deck or the edge of the patio and strikes this pose of hyper-vigilance. It’s as if he feels he has to work for his food, guarding our backyard from cats and squirrels. Secondly, he will not eat if you’re watching him. He prefers to dine outdoors and will stare at you impatiently until you back slowly inside the house before he begins his meal.

I joke often about the volume of food my kids, and dog, consume. The reality is they’ve never gone without a meal. Unfortunately too many kids in our community and throughout the country face hunger on a daily basis. I heard a bit of trivia the other day that there was a record one billion dollars per candidate spent this year on the presidential election. That’s a waste and a shame. I’m assuming many of you, like me, knew for some time who you would vote for in the election. Wouldn’t it have been wonderful to see a few of those campaign dollars go to programs that actually assist families at their most basic level. That’s a concept many of us would have voted to support.