My latest cakes...for Debbie

My sister-in-law told me recently that she came to the blog looking for pictures of my new cakes. I hope she's not too disappointed, but there are only a few that I have gotten a decent picture of. But here they are for Debbie, and anyone else who is interested.

This cake was made for a friend of mine that loves lemon cake. Well, I couldn’t make her just a plain old lemon cake. So I made her the lemon version of the Strawberry Dream Cake. I wish I would have gotten a picture of the inside of this cake. It had four layers of cake with a layer of strawberry filling in between each layer. My friend said it was the best cake she had ever tasted.

This cake was for a little girl on her first birthday. It was just for her and, as you can see…

she really enjoyed it!

This cake was made for a Harry Potter fan’s eleventh birthday. It’s the crest of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (with chocolate cake underneath.)

Hopefully I will get more orders soon and then I will have more cakes to post!

My Heart is at Home

I attended the Hearts at Home National Conference over the weekend, and it was just what I needed. Six moms took to the road in a Honda minivan on Friday afternoon, heading off to what we affectionately refer to as “Mommy School”. We had a nice dinner Friday evening and then hung out in our jammies and talked until midnight (pretty late for a “school” night.) Mommy Communication: 101 and Keep the Siblings, Lose the Rivalry were among the classes I took at school on Saturday. The majority of the workshops I attended were filled with practical information and tips for making the profession of motherhood a little less challenging. Some were just fun ideas to incorporate into our routine to increase and improve our family time together. Some were actual steps to follow in order to “train” my kids to play together with less conflict. But the primary idea that every speaker of the day stated over and over again was about God. I am paraphrasing here, but I like the way one speaker in particular put it. She said to remember that we are not perfect mothers, and we are not expected to be perfect mothers, but that we have a perfect God to count on to be our partner in parenting.

The abundance of useful information is both exciting and overwhelming at the same time. I want to do it all, yet there are way too many helpful hints and ideas to touch on everything at once. I am excited to teach Big D to say: “C.B. when you take my things without asking it makes me feel angry”, rather than snatching the item out of his brother’s hand and shouting “That’s mine!” I am interested in using my newly learned methods of listening and responding to my children, and also in trying hard to model behavior that I would actually want them to imitate. However, these are things that don’t always come naturally for me and will take lots and lots of practice.

But out of all of those practical ideas, the one about remembering God as my partner in parenting is probably the most important. You wouldn’t think it sounds too difficult to incorporate into my daily like either. And yet even this simple idea is something that does not come naturally for me. I am very used to being in control, especially when it comes to things that affect my children. I feel so helpless when I am forced to allow another person to take over the driver’s seat temporarily. Even when I leave my kids in the care of their father, I feel like I have to get things all set up for them so that things will happen exactly as if I were there with them. I thought it would be easier for me to be less controlling when it came to God because he’s, well…God! But it’s not easy, it’s not natural, and just like the other things I want to work on, it will take practice.

Besides all of the workshops, the great parenting ideas, and the inspirational talks, I was also blessed to be with 5 wonderful moms during the 30-hour journey. It was not only loads of fun being with them and talking and talking and talking, it just made the overall experience more complete. I love that I had those women to talk about the things we learned that day. I love that I had those women to share the emotions that are inevitably stirred up when more than 3,000 mothers are all in one auditorium. (There’s a reason they give you Kleenex in your welcome packet!) I love that I have those women for my allies, my supporters, and my friends. I’m already looking forward to next year, ladies!!

What is going on around here?

A lot is going on around here actually. This week has been busy; slightly busier than usual even. On Monday I got to go and have lunch with my mom while the boys were at their numbers class and Banana napped at home with Grampa (thank you, Dad!) That night we went to our other Grandma and Grandpa’s house to have dinner with Uncle Dan. It’s his last week home before he heads back to his military life and deployment to Iraq. After dinner the boys and I attended a “Sports Night” sponsored by the Early Childhood program in our school district. Another typically busy Monday.

Tuesday was laundry day. And, boy, did I do it. Laundry, that is. Lots of it. So much that when Big D was finished stuffing all of his clean clothes into his drawer, he had to beat it closed afterwards. I’m thinking it might be time to get the boys a bigger dresser. Last night was my monthly Sunday School Teachers “Meeting”. I put the word meeting in quotation marks because it’s really just an excuse for the teachers to get together on a social basis every now and then. Some people play Bunco – we hang out at the neighborhood bar and grill. Yes…we really are Sunday School teachers.

Today is Wednesday (for some reason I have to keep reminding myself of this fact). I went with Big D’s class to a field trip this morning, I will attend Miss M’s Brownie meeting this afternoon, and the Christian rock band I sing with will be performing at a church youth group event this evening. I plan to be home by 9:00 to watch LOST and fall promptly into bed.

Tomorrow isn’t looking any less busy. I will help a group of moms from school create baskets for an auction at our school’s annual picnic in the morning. I will be decorating a Harry Potter birthday cake in the afternoon, and I will be delivering said cake that evening. In between all of that I will have to get C.B. to school, pick up Miss M and C.B. from school, and get Miss M to choir practice. To top it all off, Dad has a meeting for softball coaches as soon as I return from my cake run. And I almost forgot…my car is in at the dealer for service so I will be driving my sister-in-law’s minivan all day (thanks, Terri!)

My energy level and spirits are remaining high despite all of this craziness. Do you want to know why??? It’s because I am taking the weekend off, and I am really looking forward to it. This weekend is the Hearts at Home National Conference. I will be leaving Friday afternoon for Normal, IL and not returning home until late Saturday night. This will be my fourth year attending the conference. Five other moms (three sisters-in-law and two friends) are going as well. I am looking forward to visiting with the other ladies, to being grown-ups with each other for about 30 straight hours, and to learning more about my chosen profession – motherhood. I always come back from the conference with renewed energy and motivation, all of which is just about gone by the time the next conference rolls around. I’m ready for this weekend. I need this weekend.

Hope you have the weekend you need too.

Happy Birthday, Big Guy!

C.B. turned FOUR today, which seems hard for me to believe. My Terrible Three with Middle Child Syndrome is now four. And he says he feels four. And for the most part he's even acting like he's four. Somewhere in the last few months, C.B. has had a change in attitude. Even his teacher has remarked to me about it. It's been good. Really good.

C.B. had the privilege of getting to celebrate his birthday with five cousins, one aunt and one uncle on his actual birthday. The big family party was today, and was fun for all – kids and grown-ups alike. Click here for the highlights.

We lost about 3/4 of the pictures we had from 2006, so I had didn’t have as many to choose from when trying to put together a "year in pictures" for C.B. He’s not camera shy and he’s also pretty cute, so it wasn’t hard to come up with some good ones for his Fourth Year.

Happy Birthday, Big Guy!!

Something to Blog About

It’s been over two weeks since I’ve written anything. I’d like to say that I’ve been extremely busy and that I have tons of things to write about now. Sadly, that isn’t the case. Not that I haven’t been busy, but the things keeping me busy haven’t necessarily been blog-worthy. I have on several occasions these past two weeks sat down to post something on the blog, then thinking better of it for lack of content. However, it could be that two weeks worth of mediocrity might add up to one decent post. Let’s see…

The flu came for a visit. It came and went, and then came again. The first time it affected Miss M and me. The very next week it affected C.B., Banana and me. Dad and Big D stayed relatively healthy. We were actually quite fortunate, since none of us really had the severity of symptoms other families were experiencing. Miss M and C.B. each missed one day of school, and Banana’s diapers were the worst of her illness. Her disposition was fine. For the most part, I just felt tired and on the verge of really getting sick. Out of the two week time span, I feel like I lost about 4 days just from feeling lousy. I definitely had some catching up to do after that.

The house market seems to be picking up. We had 6 showings last month. There were 2 on one gloomy, rainy Saturday when we thought nobody in their right minds would be out looking at houses. Then the next weekend…nothing. In fact, it’s been almost two weeks since anyone has called. I am slowly losing the motivation to keep things continually spic-n-span. Maybe this weekend will be good for house hunters. However, then I’ll have to clean. Hmmmm. Sounds like a conflict of interests.

My cake business is taking off. Word of mouth has gotten me a couple of orders from folks I’ve never met before. You know, a friend of a friend type of thing. There has actually been kind of a rush here lately. Last weekend I had two orders plus a cake I made for my brother’s birthday. This weekend is C.B.’s birthday (along with several other family members we celebrate with) plus I have two orders for Saturday and another for next weekend. It hasn’t been too bad though. I just bake when I get the time and put the cakes in the freezer until I am ready to decorate them. I enjoy doing it, and the kids enjoy perks like licking beaters and getting cupcakes made from leftover batter.

My youngest brother-in-law, Dan, is home for a two-week visit. He joined the Army in August and this is his first trip home since then. The kids are all so excited to see Uncle Dan, and he is just as happy to see them. He is also enjoying two weeks with no schedules, no formations, and no getting up at the crack of dawn. The family plans for these two weeks revolve around Dan, which is OK with us. We want him to have a great time while he’s here. Shortly after he leaves home he will be shipped to Iraq. We’ll be praying for you, Dan!

So it’s not the most exciting blog entry and I don’t have any pictures, but at least I have written something. I will try to get back into the swing of things and update more often. Have a wonderful weekend. Don’t forget to SPRING FORWARD. Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday in March 11!

Happy Presidents' Day!

I know that George and Abe are not as cute as C.B., but I have to acknowledge Presidents' Day this year. It's a holiday that I rarely think of. There are no family traditions based on this day, no parties, no special meals. However, this little thought of holiday came just in time for me this year. I really needed a day where I had nothing to do, no place to go, no plans at all. I could stay in my PJ's all day if I wanted to. It was wonderful...and it was a Monday no less. My Monday's are usually like this or this! Not this Monday, by golly! Presidents' Day has been my favorite holiday so far this year. I hope you enjoyed yours too.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tuesday's Top 5

5 Things you may not get the chance see at your house
if your kids are the same gender:

1. A fifteen-month-old girl wielding a lightsaber and growling.

2. A 3-year-old boy whose favorite music CD is the
High School Musical soundtrack.

3. This

4. Or this

5. Boys who pair up Polly Pockets with
their very own color-coordinating dinosaurs.

Just another manic Monday

Mondays have been a little hectic ever since I’ve signed the boys up for a number class at the community center. Needless to say I did not expect a quiet morning. However, it was a little crazier than I anticipated.

Over the weekend we had 2 real estate agents show our house. That’s as many showings as we’ve had since it went on the market in October! That kind of interest motivated me to get the house in order before I left for preschool pickup, taking me a little more time to get out the door. While I was busy making beds I got a call from my sister-in-law that she needed me to pick up my nephew from school this morning. No problem! There would be 40 minutes between Big D’s pickup and my nephew’s, then 35 minutes before I would need to get the boys to their class. I finished getting the house straight and started thinking about how to pull off 2 pick-ups, lunch for three boys and dropping off at the community center before noon. That’s when the phone rang again.

Miss M’s school called to let me know that she had developed some kind of itchy bumps on her arms since getting to school that morning. They asked me if I could stop by the office with some kind cream or ointment to make her more comfortable. No problem! I got coats on kids, let the dog out to go potty, and gave one last look around to make sure the house looked presentable. I hadn’t really figured out lunch yet, but I figured I wouldn’t have time to come back home between pick-ups. Lunch might even have to be in the car. I loaded 2 kids in the car and buckled 2 car seats. I started the car to see the lovely yellow “you are out of gas” light shining up at me. No problem! I would at least have enough gas to get to school.

Lucky for me, Miss M and Big D are at the same school; different buildings, but the same school. I stopped by the office with some cream for Miss M (with Banana & C.B. in tow), got back in the car and made it over to pick up Big D just as the teacher was bringing the kids out. See? No problem! Now I just had to get gas, something for the boys to eat in the car for lunch and come right back to pick up my nephew so I could get the boys to their class. It all seemed very overwhelming, but it actually worked out just fine. I even had time to spare, when I thought I would be really pushing it to get everything done.

As I later recounted the events of my day to my husband, I realized that I tend to get stressed out and anxious about things when they come up unexpectedly. Sometimes I even get anxious about things I have known about for weeks. I think that building things up in my mind like that leaves me feeling pleasantly surprised when they weren’t so bad after all. As it turned out, I had a pretty good day overall. I think my favorite part was going to Target with my nephew while the boys were at their class. That’s certainly not something I planned on, and it might have stressed me out initially, but I’m really glad to have had that time with him.

Now…have you been able to get that Bangles song out of your head yet?

T.G.I.F.

Have you ever had one of those days where you were constantly busy, but by the end of the day you didn’t really get anything done? Well, that’s how this whole week has been for me. Based on the lack of writing on the family calendar I should have been able to get a lot accomplished. But it didn’t work out that way. I can’t even pinpoint the kinds of things that impeded my progress, so there’s no real explanation for not being productive this week. It’s like how some weeks seem to go by S-L-O-W-L-Y and others just fly by. Often there’s no reason for it…that’s just the way it is.

You'll notice I mentioned being unproductive, yet busy. This would be a boring post if I didn’t have anything else to write about. Thankfully, there were a few things that happened this week that are worth mentioning.

Banana started saying “Mommy” this week. However, she mostly says it while she’s groaning about something or wanting me to pick her up. It’s really nice to finally hear her calling for me though. She has also begun taking only one nap a day. I thought I would be bummed about her giving up one of those precious naptimes, but it’s working out well so far. I have more freedom to leave the house in the morning if necessary, and that one nap is usually a good, long one. It is bittersweet, of course, because it’s just another sign that my baby is growing up.

C.B. has had a really good week, especially considering his usual behavior. He has spent very little time in Time-Out and hasn’t had to go to bed early any night this week (another little “punishment” we use around here.) He hasn’t put up the usual fights when he is asked to do something he doesn’t want to do, or asked to stop doing something he does want to do. He has been helpful and has been trying very hard to use his listening ears and good manners. He will be four next month, so maybe he’s just “maturing”.

Big D, on the other hand, has been in Time-Out more often than usual and has gone to bed early every night this week. While C.B. has been more subdued, Big D has picked a battle with me over most everything this week. He has had more tantrums and done more insensitive things to his siblings during this one week than he has since he turned five last Fall. While C.B. has been trying to use good manners, Big D has been throwing phrases dripping with bad attitude in my direction, along with the “angry faces” that come with them. It’s been shocking to me, as I thought Big D was well beyond this behavior. Big D and C.B. have the same teacher for preschool and she mentioned that she has noticed the same behaviors that I have in both the boys. Unfortunately, I have no explanation for this sudden reversal in roles.

Miss M had a great week at school, and brought home the tests and papers to prove it. I joked to my mom the other day that I getting bored with all the 100%’s Miss M has been bringing home from school. It was definitely a joke. We are very proud of Miss M and the effort she puts forth at school. She has even been reading more than usual, and trying to tackle more challenging books as well. Last year at this time we were struggling with getting her to read, much less to retain what she read. It seemed to correlate with the struggle to get her away from the television. That was about the time when we decided to get rid of satellite TV and we bought a $9.99 antenna from Walgreens. That not only cut down on TV watching time, but also dramatically improved the scores on Miss M’s reading tests. A year later, she doesn’t mention missing the shows on Disney Channel as much as she used to, but she does enjoy going to both grandparents’ houses, where the Disney Channel is available.

I had an interesting thing happen this week, too. I made decorated cupcakes for someone who was not a member of my family AND they paid me for it. I decided a while back that it would be nice to make some extra money and that making cakes and candies are things I actually enjoy doing. The hard part is getting the word out to the people who want cakes and candies. Making those cupcakes this week was the first step. I have even had someone ask about possibly ordering a birthday cake this week because of those cupcakes. (Thanks, Staci!)

So, while nothing much was accomplished, there was still plenty going on around here this week. And as busy as I have felt since Monday, I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend.

** Addendum: I found out on Saturday that Banana says "Mommy" to pretty much anyone when she wants to be picked up. I have to admit that my excitement has been taken down a notch.