The Search for Miss Direction: Wigglin' Along

It is no secret that I like creating 'cute' food. I like it even more when I can create it with my very favorite twosome. So late last week when my MIL, Caren, tagged me in a post on Facebook for a recipe to make 'worms' I knew it was something we were going to have to give a try. Let it be noted that I was completely disgusted by the very idea and more than a little skeptical given how 'easy' the directions claimed it to be.

Today seemed the perfect chance to give our little wiggly creations a go as we knew we wanted to go and play at the park for awhile but had nothing else overly pressing to fill our day. The kids were most helpful, especially when it came to stretching out all the straws we had to use. I wanted the worms to have that ring area to give them some texture for added authenticity. I will admit to struggling a bit with finding a good container for our straw pack to fit in and when I tossed it in the fridge to set I was pretty sure we were going to have an epic kitchen failure on our hands. But I figured worse case scenario I'd scrape it out of the glass and we'd still have jello for with dinner ;-)

Knowing extracting the creatures was going to be a bit of a task I waited 'til the kids were having some quiet time and I was able to tackle that part solo. Much to my surprise (and eventual delight because of how taken the kids were with the end results) the little buggers actually did squirm out of the straws fairly easily. Huge mess, yes. Red hands for Kristi for probably the next week, yeppers. But it worked! And they did really look like worms. Definitely going to bookmark this recipe and use it again. They'd be a great addition to when I make dirt pudding or for a creepy side dish to our Halloween menu. And now that I've done it I learned a couple of tricks and I'd bet they'd be even more successful next time. Thanks Caren for thinking of us, you totally made the kids day today! (And grossed me out more than I can say in the process. I honestly couldn't stand to even watch them eat them at dinner time. I'm not sure who laughed at me harder, Grant or the kids)

And we did manage to make it to the park since it was so beautiful out. Mikayla has a new favorite thing to do at the park; jump off of whatever she has climbed up on. Scaring her Mama to death in the process, of course. I had to text Grant from the park today to make sure the health insurance premiums were paid up because I was sure her dare devil antics were going to earn us a trip to the ER. I find myself walking this really fine line with both of them at the park now between standing "right there" at every move or just letting them go for it. The other day Mikayla actually told me to 'go away' and I have no desire to be a helicopter parent, but still... My new strategy is to park myself in a central location and tell them as long as the can see me they can go anywhere/climb on anything. I figure if they're going to fall, they're going to fall. And when that does eventually happen, not sure who'll take it the hardest; me or them. While I enjoy watching them discover new things and stretch their boundaries part of me misses them needing me there at every turn.

And of course, I didn't forget, it's National Raspberry Cream Pie today and we of course had to celebrate. I'd never heard of a raspberry cream pie before so it was new experience for all of us. The finished product (made totally from scratch, including my yummy homemade graham cracker crust) not only looked beautiful but tasted pretty darn good too. I'm not sure if I could distinguish what makes this a 'pie' over say, a cheesecake, because it tasted very similarly. Noah enjoyed it the most, asking me not to send the extras to work with Grant to share with his co-workers tomorrow, that he (Noah) would much rather have it for breakfast. I vetoed that but agreed to perhaps a piece after lunch.

Ice Cream Sandwiches tomorrow and not sure what else. Looking forward to the weekend as it's Home Depot weekend, Noah is going to a Ninja Turtle birthday party with Grant, Kayla and I are going to spend some 'girl time' together and hoping the weather cooperates this weekend to let us make it to the zoo on Sunday. Until then...