Tough Little Boys.

Real life moment #345602
Alpharetta, GA

I have to admit, if there was one stage of life I loved more than any other it was the ages between 10-13. There is a wonderful innocence surrounding it, in my experience. Its right about the time kids get interesting, and demanding...


Enter "Auntie Anne's Make Your Own Pretzel Kit".

I've been lucky enough to watch my younger sister and brother over the last week. I'm here just long enough to actually spend time with them, drive them to school, secretly bring them Subway sandwiches for lunch, cheer them on in their respective sports, and be witness to these kinds of real life moments. My favorite kind.

Sydney came up with the brilliant idea of the pretzels. At the whisper of "Auntie Anne's Pretzels", four 13year old boys flocked into the kitchen, expecting the finished product. No such luck. And here is where things got interesting.

The back of the box clearly states 4 simple instructions. Mix. Twist. Bake. Enjoy. Nothing too terrible. My brother, Vito, will never pass up a chance for a pretzel. So there they all were, reading the directions at the kitchen counter. Obviously perplexed. If not for Syd, and her expert directing and Pretzel knowledge the pretzels would still be in the box.

2 hours later.

Dean Martin is singing "Mambo Italiano" through the iHome. Someone requested "Pretzel Music" this is what I came up with. It seemed to satisfy everyone, they were singing.

The four easy instructions proved to be a little more work than originally planned. The actual making of the pretzels was the most entertaining. I almost missed the moment. I was watching four teenage boys, directed by a 15year old girl, pour baking soda and flour, mix and roll dough into strips ( which turned into whipping it around in the air), and MAKE pretzels. I think the boys amazed themselves.

I just sat back and watched these tough little boys ( and took pictures). So often I remember just trying to act "cool" or sneak by with no one noticing my awkwardness at that age. And I have watched them all this week go from talking to me and laughing to answering their cell phones, " Yo bro, sup?"; trying to make their voices sound a little deeper. It denotes coolness.


The finished product was a hit. No surprise there. And 9 pretzels were wolfed down in a span of 10mintues. I saw the moment wax and wane and they gradually fell back into their little boy stage of being cool and wrestling in the kitchen and chasing each other around the house. But it was there. I saw it.