Uh Oh, Spaghettio's

I posted a recent 'tweet' on Twitter the other day that said this,

"Is there a named phobia for the fear of Spaghettios? Because I have it."

I thought that was a pretty harmless tweet...just an expression of how I was feeling at the time.  But I had several people question how could anyone have a fear of Spaghettios.  So I thought I should explain. (and if you want to follow me on Twitter there's a little thing you click on over there on the right side, where it says "Tweet Like Me").

It all started one night back in 1967...back in the days when my sister who is 1 year older than I were sharing a bedroom because my parents had the nerve to give us a baby brother (and our new house wasn't done yet).  He booted my sister out of her room...into mine.  (Ok--it wasn't 1967, it was probably more like 1975, let's just say this phobia started a long time ago).

So...my sister and I were sharing my room, and bed.  It normally wasn't too much of a problem.  But this one particular night it became one.  I can honestly say I never really remember my mom fixing us Spaghettios, but apparently she did this night.  Anyway, we were in bed when my sister sat up and threw up Spaghettios...everywhere...all over the bed, all over the floor, all over herself...all over ME!  (If there's one phobia that I have more than the fear of Spaghettios, it's the fear of vomit.  Oh Lordy...don't get me started on that).  So wigged out, running around, jumping up and down, screaming "GET IT OFF OF ME!!!!"  

To keep things from getting too graphic...let's just say that night left a very big impression on me and my dislike of Spaghettios.  The sights...the smells...ugh.  I'm pretty sure I didn't eat them again for a very, very long time.  Not when I was in college, not when I had graduated from college and was living on my own, not as a newly wed.

Then I had children.  Spaghettios is apparently the staple of all toddlers diet--all toddlers except mine.  I didn't do it for a long time, but finally I convinced myself that that dreadful night back in 1975 was just a fluke and that it would be okay to feed my child Spaghettios.

Katie was probably 18 months old when I gave them to her for the first time.  She loved them!  She ate two bowlfuls.  We had our normal nightly bath, story, bedtime.  And as I was putting her to bed, it happened...she threw up the Spaghettios...everywhere.  All over her bed, all over the floor, all over herself...all over ME!  I just remember I sat her down on a towel...yelled for WM and began to wig out.  Again, jumping around, screaming "get it off of me."  The sight and smell took me back to that bedroom my sister and I shared so many years ago.  I eventually calmed myself enough to get in the shower. Vowing to never again buy or open another can of Spaghettios.

But I have.  But I will say it's not very often.  And everytime I feed my children Spaghettios I fully expect there to be throwing up involved.  Sometimes just opening a can of Spaghettios can make me gag.

Also, Spaghettios stain clothing something terrible.

"Hi, I'm Alyssa and I'm a Spaghettio-phob."

And I'm weird.