Katy and the Tale Of Candied Apples
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Hey friends! I accidentally sent you the wrong link in my email today. This post is a story about the apples but doesn’t contain the actual recipe. To get to the recipe, please click here. Sorry about that and thanks for understanding!
You know, my life has changed a great deal over the past couple of years but in many ways, it hasn’t changed one little bit. The best part is that no matter what goes on outside of these four walls, inside them I’m just Mama to my kids.
While Brady (who is eleven) understands a great deal of what has gone on with Southern Plate, Katy Rose is another story. I remember when the Southern Living feature came out. I was so thrilled to see my kids inside and especially to see Brady and Katy Rose on the table of contents.
I showed it to Katy and said “Look Baby, you’re in this magazine! See how pretty that picture is? You’re here, too…”
I went on through the magazine, showing her photos of herself.
She begrudgingly sat still long enough to look and as soon as I was finished she was off again, clearly not impressed.
The next day she came home from Kindergarten and said “Mama, a teacher showed me one of those magazines at school today.” I lit up with pride and waited for Katy to go into a story of how it felt that others were seeing her in a magazine and such. But instead she looked at me with a shocked expression and said “Did you know there were TWO of those magazines?”
For a brief moment I contemplated explaining to her how important Southern Living was (I often say every Southern household is required to have a Holy Bible and subscription to Southern Living), but then I just nodded looked at her sweet little face and smiled and said “Really? How cool is that Katy Rose!”
~chuckles~
That is when I realized that to my kids, none of this is a big deal and none of it should be. The important thing to them is whether or not I’m going to be able to chaperone on their field trips, be there for school events, or be here to tuck them in at night. To them, that is the important stuff and I’m so thankful that I have the good sense to see my worth and value in their lives through the eyes and wisdom of my kids.
Today I have another cute story to share with you about my daughter’s lack of understanding of all things Southern Plate. I was sitting at the computer a few weeks back and Katy walked into the room holding my book with the back side up. She handed it to me and pointed to the photo of candied apples on the back cover.
“Mama?”
“Yes Baby?”
“Do you think you could read this book and figure out how to make these for us sometime?”
I turned to see what book she was holding and my heart melted as I smiled at her sweet little face. Taking the book from her I turned it over and pointed to the photo of me on the cover.
“Katy, baby, look. Who is this?”
She looked and shrugged “You.”
“Katy baby, this is my book. I wrote it. These are my recipes in this book.”
She didn’t even pause as she took the book from me, turned it back over to the back and pointed again to the candied apples.
“Okay but do you think you could read this book and figure out how to make these for us sometime?”
I just smiled and pulled her into my arms.
“Yes baby, I think I could do that.”
Of course, I’ve made candied apples for Katy Rose before but as it turned out, she was just too young to remember. So this past Monday I worked as fast as I could and then set my work aside a little over an hour before time for the kids to get home from school. I still had deadlines to meet and projects to get done but all of that was just going to have to wait because I had work to do in my kitchen.
When they got off the bus I was waiting at the front door.
“Close your eyes, I have a surprise for you.”
I led them to the kitchen and had them stand around the table while I got my camera ready for their reactions…
“Okay, open them!”
This was a good Mama moment for me!
Katy said they tasted even better than the picture in “that book” looked!
and Brady said they tasted even better than they did last time I made them.
Thank goodness for “that book”.
~winks~
The moral of this story is:
Your kids don’t really care whether or not you are a great engineer, a published author, or an award winning ______. All the accolades on your resume mean nothing to them. While it is important to enjoy your career (whether chosen or happened upon as in my case), It is much more important to let your children see that you enjoy being their parent.
Special thanks to all of the members of my Southern Plate Family. Without you my book would have never happened and I would have never had this wonderful moment with my kids. **This recipe is now on SouthernPlate.com! Get it by clicking here**
Gratefully,
Christy
That is just such a sweet story . It amazes me sometimes how simple they can keep life. I was a stay at home mom too. You’ll look back some day and cherish these moments.( Store bought things come an go, but memories last a lifetime.) I personally think the world and our youth would be much better off if all children could have mom at home everyday when they got home from school. Unfortunately, I know not everyone can. Your kids are very lucky to have you for a mom. Keep up the good work !
Christy,
I loved your story about your precious kids and the candied apples. Nothing in life is more important than rearing our children. I was lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom for my kids. My husband is retired from the Marine Corps, and 9 of those years we lived in Japan, and just had the 4 of us with no family around. My daughter is now 28 and my son is 32 and is the father of my precious little grandson, Lucas (2-1/2). They both recently told me how much it meant to them to come home from school everyday to find me there with snacks and hugs waiting, and wanting to hear about their day. Our house on base was always the house that the kids, whose mother’s worked and were not home when they got home from school, would come to play and get snacks. I felt like the neighborhood babysitter, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Now, my daughter-in-law is a stay-at-home mom, too, because my son said he wants his son to have what he had, as a child-a mommy always there.
Now that they are grown, I have obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and I will receive my Master’s degree in Gerontology (study of the science of the aging process) on Aug 19th. I am an Alzheimer’s/dementia specialist and dementia trainer.
I put my aspirations on hold to be there for my kids, and now it is my turn. I admire what you do Christy-you are following your dreams while still being there for your children.
God bless you,
Pam
Be sure and put these pictures and the write up in a scrapbook for later years. I loved their expressions! What a mama you are!!!!
That KatyRose is something else! Funny how she had her little attitude, like “can you make it or not?” Your kids are adorable.
I know exactly what you mean. I love the fact no matter what I do in my life I am their mom first. Its the small things that make a difference.
That’s such an enormously sweet story. Someday I hope to become a great mom – just like you!!
You are building memories in these actions, Christy!! Just think: one day Katy Rose will relay this story to her little girl or boy and will be reminded how unpretentious you were, remaining “just Mama” to her at this age, while you were growing more and more successful and becoming a household name! Kudos to you for holding strong to your roots and keeping your priorities straight!