Yummy Malts

David made us laugh a lot today! Since my mom's so short, she has a lot of random stepstools around the house. David figured out that he can walk behind the kitchen stepstool easily, since it doesn't have wheels, so it doesn't get away from him. He entertained himself for a quite a while pushing this thing all around the house, even getting himself out from corners. Seems he's learned to steer it!

Getting going...


The corner he'd back himself into. But, he was smart enough to get on the other side of it and push it back to me.


He'd only last a second, though, and then he was off and running again!


Showing off the two teeth he has, both on the bottom.


My Swanson grandparents used to own a corner "Mom and Pop" store. We always heard it called "the dairy store" but it was a local corner shop that sold milk, all sorts of other groceries, and had a soda fountain. They lived above the store when my dad was born, and he tells stories of the rows and rows of candy bars, jars of candy on the counter, and the little boy's dream of living so close to all of that. Well, my dad has long been a great malt-maker, but when we were kids, the malts were made with a regular blender. Ever since we sold my Grandma's house, though, one of my dad's dreams came true... He got the old stand mixer! Since my Aunt Barb is pretty easy-going, I don't think she fought him too hard for it (hee, hee!). Even though the temperature hovered around zero today, it seemed like a good day for a malt! Remember, it's never too cold for ice cream!

The old stand with a new mixing container (there's probably a word for it, but I don't know what it is...) and the sundae dishes my mom picked up.


The malt-making professional.


The yummy finished product! Mmmm....


David getting his first taste of one of Grandpa's malts.


Even though he's not really smiling in this picture, he really liked it! He kept going for more and more, and you can see the drip on his shirt and the ice cream around his lips! We've got another one hooked!


Thanks, Dad, for the treat!