Candied Apples and Conversations with the Peanut Gallery

I made candied apples for the first time today! It wasn't as difficult as I had envisioned although my first batch was definitely the learning batch. When the instructions say to let the excess caramel drip off, they really mean you should take the time to do that. My first four apples, after chilling for 15 minutes, looked like apples with sticks stuck in them standing on top of a plate of caramel and pecan chips. The majority of the caramel (and the pecans along with it) just ran right off onto the wax paper. After I got things figured out, the second batch looked much nicer. I'm happy about that as I want to use them for a little photo session I have planned with the girls at the pumpkin patch. We had planned to go this evening but it's 98 degrees here today. The girls and the apples both would have melted by the time we got into the pumpkin field. We're planning to try it first thing in the morning. If the shots turn out, I'll stick some up on the blog.

Random Conversations with the Girls

At my doctor's appointment the other day, Lauren was telling the physical therapist that she could sing several songs. She started by humming the wedding march and then proceeded to sing the "Ring Around the Rosey" song. It went like this:

Ring around the rosey, a pocket full of posies,

Asses, asses, we all fall down!

Anna mentioned in passing the other day that she was starting to like boys for the first time. This caught my attention and so I asked her to tell me more. She said she thought she did like boys but they still made her nervous because as she put it, "Boys like to say "Dude" and they try to get you to say "dude" too. I don't like that word." I guess this is a sign of things to come. Wouldn't it be nice if the worst thing that boys ever asked her to do was just say "Dude" with them??

Did you know that apparently mustard is made of shredded corn? Anna told me so. I always thought turmeric was the reason for the yellow color. You learn something new everyday.

Lauren has started saying, "Only 3 girls can do this." I guess it's necessary to be at least three years old before you can perform some of her radical moves, i.e. jumping from the second step of the stairs, doing a somersault or breakdancing. Interesting. I wonder just what 37 girls can do that others can't.

How is it that something that seems so harmless can cause a problem? The "Chicken Little" cartoon was on Disney the other day. We recorded it for the girls. I walked into the kitchen yesterday to hear Anna singing the Spice Girls' song, "If you wanna be my lover...". I nearly choked and asked her where she'd heard that song. Apparently on "Chicken Little" a duck and a pig have a karaoke duet and of all songs they sing that happens to be the one. I tried to explain to Anna why I didn't want her to sing that song and gave her alternate word suggestions. Now she's singing, "If you wanna be my mother or butterfly or sunflower." Mothers need to have their own motto like the Marines...ours could be "Semper Vigil" (Ever Vigilant) or even better "Nothing's Safe" although I don't know the Latin for that one.