Just Around the Corner

The kids were getting restless.  They had been stuck in the house for a few days because Blaise had been sick.  But, he was finally getting back to his normal self and causing shenanigans with his compatriot, Calvin.  Before the official scaling of the walls kicked into high gear, we headed out to the mall for a short outing.  A little mall walking and puppy oogling seemed the perfect remedy for caged up kidlets.

Halfway down the mall, near the food court, there is a giant candy dispenser.  A dozen or so different hard candies, held behind glass, only requiring a quarter to release them through a spout into an eager hand.  Blaise and Calvin spotted the sugar beacon and made a mad dash toward it, pressing their faces to the glass and thoroughly inspecting the candy release spouts to ensure no treats had been unintentionally left behind by prior visitors.

What they didn’t know is that on the other end of the food court is a candy store.  The store is full of not just a dozen different hard candies, but every confection and sweet treasure from this country and beyond.  Chocolate covered grahams, haystacks, jelly beans, twenty different varieties of gummy bears, and my personal favorite, sours of all flavors and sizes.  What they also didn’t know is that Daddy was feeling especially generous that day and was up for letting them fill their own bags in the candy store, something only reserved for once in a while.

Of course, Thing 1 and Thing 2 were glued to the kiosk, not understanding that something far bigger and better was just around the corner.

Ryan and I tried to coax them away, but ultimately had to physically intervene and redirect them onto the path toward the candy store.  Calvin was the real hold-out for the kiosk.  When Ryan pried his sticky little fingers from the jawbreakers spout, explaining that we weren’t getting that candy, Calvin jutted out his lower lip and produced his signature, crocodile tears.

Those tears quickly vanished when the bright rainbow glow of the candy store came into view.  Two kids in a candy store.  Blaise, judiciously perusing the rows of bins for the perfect selections to go in his bag.  Calvin, pawing at every plexiglass lid in an effort to grab a handful of anything.

Yesterday I got turned down for an opportunity to be on Hallmark’s Home & Family show.  HUGE thanks to all of you for for leaving kind comments on my online application and for believing in me!  Your support and love is truly overwhelming. I was a part of a group of sixteen semi-finalists, but was eliminated in a vote on the show against two other semi-finalists.  To see how the voting went down, you can catch the video HERE.

Of course, I’m disappointed that I won’t have the chance to cook on the set of Home & Family, but I do have to wonder if perhaps the real candy store lies ahead.  Here’s to moving forward, one foot in front of the other, another day in the kitchen and looking forward to more opportunities to come.