Little Debbie Snacks

The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.

Helen Keller

Cleaning out Eva’s lunch box, I came across an empty wrapper of something I did not pack her. Inquiring about it, she told me, “Mom. It was the best snack! It was chocolate rolled up with cream in the middle!” “You mean a Swiss Cake Roll?” I asked. “Yes! That’s it! She exclaimed. I laughed, realizing how much I had deprived my children.

My eyes widened as a good friend allowed my child to enjoy all the cotton candy and sweets at the circus. I hand them a handful of dried cranberries and kale and expect them to love it (teasing). Allison looked at me and said, “Sometimes all the sugar is best!” I laughed in agreement.

We had some appointments in a nearby town that morning. The girls and I enjoyed some lunch and shopping while we were out. I knew we would pass a small-town square with a cozy ice cream shop on the way home. It was a day full of sunshine that needed a cherry on top. The girls were more than happy to wake from their slumbering positions in the back seat for an ice cream cone.

Sitting outside on the bench enjoying our tasty treat, I took notice of the girls. They were an added ornament to the outside of the shop for all the passersby to gaze upon. Both had chocolate and mint covering their faces with a dollop of sticky candy added from the candy shop next door. It was a highlight I would tuck away, thinking to myself, – perhaps I will write about this moment one day.

Adding a new little one to the mix has made for some exciting stories. Anytime we leave the house, I now take a headcount.

Tyson has showered me with surprises (literally) and shot out of a cannon onto my clothes several times. One in particular comes to mind. Chuck was standing nearby, yelling, “Whoa! Whoa! Where should I start, you or him?!”

Pouring down raining outside, I had one last checkup with my doctor. Hauling three kids a quarter of a mile across a crowded parking lot and up two stories is not for the faint of heart. I sat down and took a deep breath. We all made it in one piece. Charlotte had sticky fingers from a sucker she was delivered upon arrival. Reaching inside the diaper bag to grab the wipes, my hand came up empty. I asked Eva, “Where are the wipes?” She responded casually, “Oh, I took them out to wipe my hands in the car.” I flattened my lips and nodded my head.

“Well, let’s just hope he doesn’t need any while we are here.” At that moment, Tyson began to have an entire release. Not once, not twice, but four times. Repeatedly, it reverberated through the waiting room walls, filling his diaper. Eva and Charlotte could not contain their laughter. Nor could I. Whenever I thought he was finished, he would blow the trumpet again. I looked around at the patients, trying to keep to themselves and not laugh, but with each explosion, it was harder to control the laughter in the waiting room. One lady could no longer contain the giggles. I looked across the room at her and added some comic relief, “Guess where the wipes are?!!” She laughed out loud, saying, “IN THE CAR!” The room erupted! Through gasps of air, I stated, “Paper towels will do just fine on his porcelain behind!”  The laughter outweighed the rain that day and left us lighthearted.

One evening at Eva’s riding lesson, the sun lit the sky in a sea of colors. The gray clouds were wrapped in a beautiful pink blanket. The temperature had dropped, and so did Eva’s reins. She stopped and quietly said, “Look at the sunset.” We all stopped and looked. It was inviting. Charlotte piped up, “It’s a rainbow!” Knowing she meant a sunset, we all watched. The rich pink and orange took over the impending gray clouds.

Sometimes, the sweetest things come packaged in a Little Debbie box or enjoyed on a sidewalk bench with ice cream cones in hand. Other times, it comes from things we can’t touch, like a sunset.

He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. Job 8:21