Eleven-year-old Ted Ews has narrowly avoided having to go on a Sunday outing with his family to Big Bend National Park, in Texas.
“No,” he shouted, stomping his foot, when his father, Barry, first voiced the idea during dinner the night before. “No. No. No. No. No. No. No.”
Fortunately, a government shutdown closed the park the next day, making the trip impossible.
“It’s so sad,” said his mother, Elizabeth, while the family sat down for breakfast.
“I thought it would be fun to go bouldering,” said Barry. “We’d climb around for awhile, and then get out the fishing poles.”
“Vettie Ann doesn’t want to,” screamed Ted, pointing to his eighteen-month-old little sister. “Mom and Dad don’t care what Vettie Ann wants. They won’t listen to her.”
“I think she wants the bottle,” said Elizabeth. She went to get it out of the refrigerator, but when she brought it back to Vettie Ann, who was starting to cry, Ted knocked if from her hand.
“No,” he yelled. “That’s bad for her. She’s gonna get spoiled.” He then finished his cereal and went to his bedroom to play video games on his computer.
“We want to do something worthwhile,” sighed Elizabeth, “but all he wants to do is play his stupid games.”