Eleven-year-old Ted Ews has narrowly avoided having to go on a Sunday trip 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 following day, making the trip impossible.
"It's so sad," said his mother, Elizabeth, while the family sat down to breakfast.
"I thought it would be fun to go bouldering," said Barry. "We'd climb around for awhile, and then get out our 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 it from her hand.
"No," he yelled. "That's bad for her. She's gonna get spoiled." He pounded his fist on his plate, getting egg on his face, and said, "I don't like eggs and ham." Then he went to his bedroom to play games on his computer.
"We want to do something worthwhile," sighed Barry, "but all he wants to do is play his stupid games."
