Maple Sugaring

When Sarabeth was four years old, I took her to Van Raalte Farm in Holland to see how they tap the maple trees to get their sap in the early spring, and then boil the sap down to make maple syrup. Fascinating process. Lots of fun to watch. Early on in the afternoon, Sarabeth found herself a stick she liked, and she insisted on carrying that stick with her throughout the rest of the day. Finally, Mommy was tired of the hassle, so I asked her why she just had to have this stick. "Well, I need it to tap the sugar maple trees!" she explained. Oh.... Well, then we had a long talk about the meaning of the word "tap."