Let Them Eat Cake

Oh the things I do to make myself feel good. Late last week, early this week an email circulated from our current class mother asking if anyone was willing to volunteer to make a cake, buy a cake, steal a cake, whatever, for Natalie's teacher who will be celebrating her birthday on Friday. I am pretty sure my response to the email was, "Of course, you know I will volunteer to make a cake." That's what I do. It makes me feel like I am flying with the supermoms.

Natalie and I talked about a cake, what we thought Mrs. Anderson would like, and we decided Natalie would ask her what her favorite cake is, and we would go from there. Well, in true Early Education fashion, Mrs. Anderson told Natalie that she would like to be surprised. I hit the cookbooks, because I wanted to make this cake 100% from scratch. The classic birthday cake recipe calls for two sticks of butter, TWO STICKS, that is 1/2 a pound of butter and that grossed me out. TWO STICKS! Like two sticks of KitKats are one thing, but butter - groda.

I found a sponge cake, that used only two tablespoons of butter, and it was titled "Foolproof Sponge Cake." Foolproof? Perhaps, but not time proof. The cake took two hours to make, and when I was done with this lemon filled foolproof sponge cake, a test cake at that to see if I could even make the thing, I decided that Mrs. Anderson would be receiving some very delicious cupcakes with a little help from Betty Crocker herself. Because while I am for flying with the supermoms, I just don't have another two hours to give to a cake.

Mother's Day

I slept until 9:00 this morning. 9:00. It was amazing. I honestly don't know the last time I slept that late other than being sick and not being able to really get out of bed. But this morning, when the bro woke up at 7:00am, Dan woke up with him, not me. And when I did finally roll out of bed, mostly because I could hear them all together, and I was jealous of their time together, I woke up to find a platter of delicious cheeses and a bowl of pre-balled melon. I mean really, what is better than cheese for breakfast?

When Dan asked what it was that I really wanted to do today, the truth was, I wanted to clean the house. I wanted him to take the kids and get out so I could move furniture and vacuum every little corner, and dust, and Windex, and Clorox wipe the bathroom floor. Literally, I was on my knees with Clorox wipes, because the steam mop just wasn't doing the job. I took the knobs off the front of the stove, which I had to remove a second time to prove to Dan that I actually did clean them. Then when I was done cleaning the house, vacuuming the air conditioning vents, and wiping the bathroom floors. I went to the gym and I exercised. For a full hour and ten minutes. And no one bothered me. Dan changed two poopy diapers all by himself and let me have my time. It was a great day. And it wasn't that I didn't want to spend the whole day with my family, but the truth is, I spend every day with them, and today I had the opportunity and the go ahead to do whatever I wanted, and I liked it. But tomorrow it's back to work, and with bosses like this -

I don't mind that I only get one day off.

Little Pieces of Papa Joe

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world"

xxoo

Picture People

I have been wanting a proper portrait of my babies for quite some time now. I thought my brother's wedding would be a great opportunity because they would both be dressed up and a professional photographer was at the ready, but the hour was not conducive to the bro being smiley for the camera.

Then I had a new vision. Literally. I saw the two of them sitting on a backdrop of pure white. Natalie in a cute little white with yellow polka dots sun dress, the bro in some plaid linen shorts and a bright green or yellow polo. They were smiling and happy and it was to forever be commemorated in photos.

What I didn't visualize was that a week before the photo session, Natalie would be bitten or stung by something and look like this:

Here's hoping that her face goes back to normal by Friday, both for the sake of the picture and my (Dan's) wallet. Because when you look this pathetic, Mommy says yes to just about anything.

Moving Mountains

For a long time, Natalie ate little more than chicken nuggets (which I swore I would never feed her) and pasta. She did this both because I indulged her and because for a while I was a working mom and it was a battle I had neither the time nor the energy to fight. There were some random things that she would eat, outliers if you will. ANY type of cheese, hummus, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, V8, eggs, and berries by the pint. I convinced myself that this made her diet well balanced.

When we were three, making two meals didn't seem like such a big issue, mostly because much of what Dan and I ate was prepared from the freezer section of Trader Joes. But now, my main job is to feed my family and making two meals is just too much. Not to mention the bro eats anything and everything.

At first I bribed Natalie with a Zhu Zhu pet, a little motorized hamster (which she saw an infomercial for). I told her that if she tried at least once bite of everything I made, I would buy her this silly little toy. Game on. For one week, she kept her end of the bargain and I kept mine and Fluffy the Zhu Zhu pet entered the home. Wouldn't you know that the bro is more interested in this hamster than Natalie is.

Once she got her prize, I began bribing her with money-- twenty-five cents for every bite. I think I lost, maybe two dollars because for the past four days she has eaten whatever it is that I made for dinner with no eye rolling, no tongue hanging out in disgust, and no throwing of the body onto the floor. Turkey Picadillo, Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs, Asian Turkey Meatballs, Salmon, Chicken Sloppy Joes, Linguine with Clam Sauce....

Rock Walls and Baby Crocs

Last weekend we went to REI to invest in some hikers for Natalie. We left with an emerging rock climber.

She liked it so much, we went back today...

And since the bro isn't big enough to climb a rock wall, I bought him these cute little blue shoes, and it makes him very happy to wear them.

If I Ran the Circus

A long, long time ago, in a lifetime far away, back when I was being questioned my identity as Kristen Dattoli, I was flipping through the pages of People's bachelor edition. I would also like to mention that I was reading this while cycling at the gym. I feel that is an important detail, just so no one thinks I was cozy on the couch reading during the commercials of General Hospital, or anything like that. No, no, I was at the gym.

As I flipped through the pages of attractive single men, my mouth fell open when I read the name Kevin Venardos, complete with picture and a small copy. Why was I stunned? Because this Kevin Venardos, who not only went to my high school, (whatever, I mean so did Shaun Weiss of Mighty Ducks fame and Kerri Green - yes, the Goonie), but because Kevin and I were actually friends in high school, and by friends I mean I had a crush on him. But more importantly, he used to drive me home from school for the better part of my sophomore year. Well, there he was in print and single and the ringmaster for the famous Ringling Bros. Circus. I ripped the page out of the gym's copy of the magazine and brought it home to show Dan.

Per my suggestion earlier this week, Dan purchased tickets to the Big Apple Circus and on the way into Boston, I reminded him of this discovery I had made long, long ago. Low and behold, when the circus began, and the ringmaster came out, my eyes went wide, I turned to Dan and said, "That is Kevin Venardos!" What could a girl do but cyber stalk him on Facebook and wouldn't ya know, there he was and now he is my "friend" once again.

My world keeps getting smaller and smaller.

On a side note, if you enjoy the circus or have small children who will enjoy the circus, I highly recommend. But be prepared for the sweaty palms the trapeze artists may cause you.