Wendy Livingston asked her twins Becca and Jakob for their input on chewing gum as part of a team project. The twins shared ideas like using gum to hold Legos together or make gum Barbie can chew. Others then shared chewing gum stories, like using gum to fix a broken antenna in Afghanistan or getting gum stuck in hair. Becca and Jakob said their favorite flavors are tropical fruit and watermelon but they don't like cinnamon gum. Wendy concluded the value was in the time spent laughing and talking together with family and friends about gum stories.

1. Tales of Chewing Gum
Team Intrigued …
Leader – Wendy Livingston
Unofficial – Becca / Jake Livingston

2. In the beginning …
As the mother of 6-year old twins, I routinely
argue with them about NOT chewing gum. They
routinely don’t listen.
As “unofficial” members of my team, I asked for
their input on this assignment. This led to an
interesting conversation and the start of
chewing gum tales. Hmmm …

3. Minds of 6 year olds
• Can’t I make gum that Barbie can chew?
~ Becca
• I can use gum to hold my Legos together.
~ Jakob
• My dance teacher won’t let me chew gum in class.
~ Becca
• Does MacGyver use gum?
~ Jakob

4. Hey, Becca & Jake …
I remember grandma telling me:
• Gum chewing girls and gum chewing cows are
somewhat alike yet different somehow.
• Oh, yes, I see it now. The intelligent look on
the face of the cow.
~ Mom (aka Wendy Livingston)

5. • One time while we were deployed in Afghanistan, our antenna
broke and we had nothing to fix it.
• We received a lot of gum in care packages. We began to chew.
• We wrapped the chewed gum around the breaks to hold the
antenna together.
• Looked very weird – white spots against the green antenna - but
it did the trick until we could get a new one!
~ Uncle Jeremy
(aka Jeremy Wagoner, U.S. Navy)

7. • Don’t fall asleep while chewing gum. Unless
you want to wake up with gum stuck in your
hair!
~ our Danish au pair
(aka Malene Loevlund Bloch)

8. • I hear peanut butter gets gum out of hair.
~ Rob Purdy
(a friend of mom’s)

9. • Olive oil gets chewing gum out of hair.
~ Aunt Jo
(aka Jo Shapiro)

11. • My friend's father came over to the United
States after World War II. He saw people just
moving their jaws around in circles constantly
and had no idea what was going on. It was the
first time he saw people chewing gum.
~ David Dannenbaum
(childhood friend of mom’s)

13. • As a kid I remember being soooo in love with
gum and ALWAYS having to have a piece, okay
it gets gross....I would take my gum out at
night, stick to headboard and when I woke in
the morning, pop it back in my mouth.
~ Kim Engelmann Bareuther
(Mom’s mom friend)

14. • Does chewing gum lose it’s flavor on the bed
post overnight?
~ Aunt Niki
(aka Niki Holmes, High School English Teacher)

16. • Our 8th grade teacher, Mr. Thompson, would
make us put the gum on the tip of our nose if
he caught us chewing in his class. I had to
wear Hubba Bubba.
~ Colleen McCaffrey Grist
(childhood friend of mom’s)

17. • Having to spend an hour in the orthodontist’s
chair because I showed up for a braces check
with gum in my mouth. It took him that long
to pick it out. Did that hurt!!
~ Mom

19. • My favorite flavor is tropical fruit.
~ Becca
• My favorite flavor is watermelon.
~ Jakob
• We don’t like cinnamon gum.
~ Becca & Jakob

21. In the end …
• The value of this chewing gum project was not
in the creation of a physical use for the gum
the kids are chewing …
• But rather the time we spent together
laughing and talking about the gum …
• And including family and friends …
Priceless!