candy

Back when my kids were small I would occasionally let them buy their favorite candy in the grocery store while I shopped. I'd hand over the money and they would go get their treat. When I asked what they bought, Rob or Rebecca would answer with a mouth full of "something"---Annihilators!!!! That name seemed to be a little grusome for candy, but it must be good, or the kids wouldn't want to get it all the time. One day, years later, I mentioned that I thought that was a really odd name for their favorite candy and the kids burst out laughing. "Annihilators!!!!!- Not Annihilators- NOW AND LATERS! Ever heard of them?

Once when Rob was about three or four years old he went to the bank with me, and they gave him a sour ball type candy. In the car I heard a horrible sound, and looked back to see Rob choking. The sour ball had lodged in his throat. Somehow I got it out- I don't know how. It was in the days before the Heimlich, so I think that I did what you aren't supposed to do and stuck my hand in his throat and flipped it out. It is all a blur though. From then on, I lived in fear of "hard candy". None allowed in my house! If the kids ever got some sour ball or fire ball type candy they had to bite it in half immediately! - In my presence! My warning for years, even after they were grown, was, "wear your seat belt, park in a safe place, and don't eat any hard candy."

Rob's favorite candy for a while was Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I'd pack them in his lunch box every day. One day he came back home totally panicked, and showed me his uneaten (but with a bite out) Reeses. There were little meal worms in the filling. They are harmless of course, but icky. That was his last Reese's P.B. Cup- as far as I know.

Rebecca loved candy so much that I felt I must have failed as a mother somehow. She loved candy so much we called her "candy head". Once after Easter she ate so much candy that she developed an allergy to Yellow Number 5- a common coloring agent in candies. She would sneak candy from Nanny's house and eat it under her bed. Rebecca was found out by the ring of stickiness around her mouth. We also called her "glue mouth" or sometimes that was shortened to "glumuth". Rebecca still likes candy, but now cares a lot about her figure and health too. I guess it wasn't really a failure on my part that ol' "Candy Head" loved her sweets.