Last night was a really sad event for all the kids and MOM!!! We opened the last bag of starburst jelly beans till next Easter. (One would have thought that 65 bags would have been enough to get to March…BUT NO!!!...) I have rationed and counted them and hid them …but they just love to eat them and they are just so good.
In reality it is just a jelly beans, but you have to realize what these little pieces of sugar and food coloring have brought us. Besides the pure delight of eating them they have brought us lots of learning activities…we count them, we separate them by color, we increase our fine motor skills with pincer grasps, (we smush them for them for Miranda & Eliza so no choking!); Physical science: the power of gravity, and great sharing and trading skills (Adrian doesn’t like red).
It would seem like this would not be that big of a problem. But there really aren’t any great jelly beans this time of year! There are the generic candy bags
In reality it is just a jelly beans, but you have to realize what these little pieces of sugar and food coloring have brought us. Besides the pure delight of eating them they have brought us lots of learning activities…we count them, we separate them by color, we increase our fine motor skills with pincer grasps, (we smush them for them for Miranda & Eliza so no choking!); Physical science: the power of gravity, and great sharing and trading skills (Adrian doesn’t like red).
It would seem like this would not be that big of a problem. But there really aren’t any great jelly beans this time of year! There are the generic candy bags
at Wal-Mart or Schnucks…we have tried them….they are just not the same. Basically the kids just spit them out and I will tell you that jelly bean spit & candy is as hard to clean out of white carpet as kool aide!
I tried sticking a few in at a time with the others; I just got back a cup full of partially chewed muck! They do not like any but these. We tried the smuckers, and the lifesavers ones at Easter…but they really love the starburst ones.
We have been eating about a bag or two a week. … They would eat a bag or two a day if I let them. And Jelly Belly’s are just too expensive to feed five kids, a mom and occasionally dad.
With all the things we have learned or do with the jelly beans…. these little drops of heaven have made Colin put two real words together …he actually says “jellllllla beeen”. Those two beautiful words make me smile every night! Colin and Melea have made complex plans on how to steal them…getting magnets, moving stools, opening locked doors, getting bags open, cups to put them in and all the time spent picking them up off the floor. I will miss this….and the beans too.
So last night we had a little ceremony to open the last bag, and as I reminded Melea that Jordan does not eat “jelly beans”. Colin turned to the high chair and pointed “Jellllllie beeeeean”. He was pointing at Jordan. He was so excited and smiling and then giggled and said it again!
So last night we nick named our littlest one Jelly Bean!!!!! Because I know he can teach so many of the same skills to the kids. I just hope Eliza doesn’t bite him and skittles, runts, & the fruit chews are huge choking issues for us.
I tried sticking a few in at a time with the others; I just got back a cup full of partially chewed muck! They do not like any but these. We tried the smuckers, and the lifesavers ones at Easter…but they really love the starburst ones.
We have been eating about a bag or two a week. … They would eat a bag or two a day if I let them. And Jelly Belly’s are just too expensive to feed five kids, a mom and occasionally dad.
With all the things we have learned or do with the jelly beans…. these little drops of heaven have made Colin put two real words together …he actually says “jellllllla beeen”. Those two beautiful words make me smile every night! Colin and Melea have made complex plans on how to steal them…getting magnets, moving stools, opening locked doors, getting bags open, cups to put them in and all the time spent picking them up off the floor. I will miss this….and the beans too.
So last night we had a little ceremony to open the last bag, and as I reminded Melea that Jordan does not eat “jelly beans”. Colin turned to the high chair and pointed “Jellllllie beeeeean”. He was pointing at Jordan. He was so excited and smiling and then giggled and said it again!
So last night we nick named our littlest one Jelly Bean!!!!! Because I know he can teach so many of the same skills to the kids. I just hope Eliza doesn’t bite him and skittles, runts, & the fruit chews are huge choking issues for us.
1 comment:
Note to self: At Easter time go find starbust jelly beans. (hey, I wonder if you email the company and explain your family and what you do with the beans you'll get a bunch sent to you! LOL)
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