Candy...

I missed work yesterday because I was sick. I probably should have stayed home today...but I need the money and I felt bad leaving my coworkers short handed. I trucked through work - hiding how horrible I felt - I lost my voice - I got a horrible headache. But I finally got done. This evening while the girls were eating dinner I tried to make some candies to take by the school tomorrow and give to the coaches and teachers aids...people the girls picked to give a gift to. I don't have a lot of money so if I can make something for someone I jump at the chance! I also didn't have a gift for Zelda's teacher so I was going to put the goodies in a cute vintage Christmas tin. I knew what I was making would be slightly time consuming and tedious...so I made the girls supper into a special picnic and let them hangout and watch cartoons while they ate. I was hoping this would buy me some time and give me a chance to get some stuff made. Nope. They started arguing over who was sitting on more of Hello Kitty's head (on the blanket on the floor) and about Ava eating her fries "wrong" according to Zelda...and I really don't know what else. I kept with the "please be nice" blah blah that escalated to the mom threats "if you don't sit down and be quiet - you're going straight to bed!" Blah blah...I got so distracted by having to get on to then for stupid reasons, I scorched my caramel. The hard caramel that was the "glue" to the whole damn candy! Scorched is really the wrong word...burnt the shut out of it! It was Bubbling and still burning when I tried to work quickly and at least get a few pieces done. I had a horrible mess to clean up, kids that still hadn't finished dinner, no gifts and worst if all...I feel more sick than I have all day. I finally get everything cleaned up, the girls showered and in bed and I decide to have a talk with them about why I was upset and about not wasting things. They waste a lot of food! I started talking about things we all like to go do or buy. Then about how much food costs and how much I have to work to make enough to buy that food and why we shouldn't waste things because wasting things is just like throwing away money. Zelda's eyes got huge when I said that! I used episodes of tv shows as an example to show length of time. Example: I have to work for 2 episodes of Sofia The First in order to buy a bag of Chicken Fries and BBQ sauce to dip them in. I also explained that the candy I was making was what we were going to give as gifts. Zelda looked at me and said..."give them candy from the candy bowl" I told her that was left over Halloween candy...she cut me off and said "So, it's the thought that counts" my heart melted! She is so right! I put so much importance on making pretty candy and making it perfect that I forgot why we give gifts in the first place.