I think I would be a stay at home mom. If we weren't trying to get my husband back to school, and if he had a job outside of heating and a/c that didn't vary between 60 hour work weeks and 10 hour work weeks, if daycare didn't cost us $600 a month, if diapers weren't $10 a package, if I had chosen to breastfeed instead of going the formula route (which is NOT free!) and so on...
I also think if I were a stay at home mom I would have time to keep all our laundry clean, make a homecooked meal every night, whip up some homemade cookies every now and then... And THEN I think, wait, I already do all that. So, my internal conversation continues with, OK, so what would be the benefit of staying at home? And of course the obvious comes to mind... I get to spend all day every day with two beautiful, sweet kids who both nap very well :) We would go to the park, play outside, have picnics, read books and all the wonderful things that stay at homers do. Of course along with all that beautiful shiny happiness would come the temper tantrums, the bad days and the chore of taking both of them to the grocery store. But, I could take it all in stride and still enjoy the heck outta being a full time mommy.
Next, I think about the disadvantages... Like, every now and then I get off work half an hour or so early- then i go take the best nap ever before I go pick them up. Call me a crappy mom, I don't care- I work hard, keep the house in working order, and LOVE my kids, so what if I want a nap every now and then and hold off picking up the kids for a little while. Oh, and did I mention I pay $600 a month in daycare? Then by God they can work for that money! Anyway, back to disadvantages... Carson started walking and talking early, and I feel like part of that was him being around bigger kids all day at school. He just wanted to keep up! Also, my babies get sick rarely and I believe the "other kid germs" that they are in contact with have played a small part in strengthening their immune systems which is a big plus for me. They also learn social skills and make their first friends in daycare. If I was a stay at homer I wouldn't appreciate a nap as much, and would wonder if my kids were getting the socialization they need to become independent adults.
So, I guess there's pros and cons to everything, but this whole entire conversation I have with myself always ends with "Oh well, since pigs can't fly, doesn't look like this conversation was worth having with myself." And then I decide I can have the conversation with myself as much as I want since I'm inside my own head and no one else knows what goes on in there. You get the idea.
Anyway, I guess my point is, being a working mommy isn't so bad, plus I have a pretty great job where I get to do work that benefits a population I care greatly about. (I would still be a stay at home mom if I had the choice! You know, they have a part time option at daycare...)
Friday, October 16, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sweet Victory
Birthday Party= HUGE Success!
Can't believe we pulled it off without a hitch! See that happy little toddler with the army helmet and the Spongebob shirt (complete with his name on it, mind you, thanks to Aunt LaLa)? That's MY kid, at his birthday party, absolutely positively excited that all these presents and people are here for HIM. One day he'll appreciate my preparation, I just know it.
I know you're wondering, and YES the cake was also successful!
He'll also appreciate that... At least he better!
We had so much fun! Food was good, lots of good friends and family showed up, it did rain, but no damage done... Well except for the high quality crepe paper decorations from Oriental Trading I strung on my dad's brand new back porch sort of bled when they got wet and sort of dyed the new white porch railing with a little yellow... But I was assured it was easily fixed, so it's fine I suppose. Other than that, no difficulties whatsoever!
Carson got tons of new toys with tons of tiny pieces to get lost under every available couch and bed in our house, but that's OK too- that's what having little boys is about, and I've learned to rather enjoy the little surprises I find stashed all over the house. He wakes up in the morning now, and when I turn on the light to start getting him ready he gets this great expression on his face while looking at the "toy wall" and says "TOYS!". So cute!
Brooklyn was her usual pleasant self over the weekend and was fine with getting passed around from grandma to grandma to aunt to cousin and so forth. Such a good kid. Someone tell me what I did so right again? She was fine with letting her brother have the spotlight, so long as she had a bottle in her mouth.
So, all in all, a great time was had by all, and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted now that the cake is almost all gone. Ahhhh...
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Death of Me...
Carson's birthday party will be the death of me. I have no doubt. I wake up in the middle of the night with ideas running through my head on what would be the best way to get the fondant on the cake. I've decided I need to buy about 28 more 2-liters because the 24 I already have will not be enough, and this cake, OH this CAKKKEEEE!!!
I am sort of a perfectionist and later I want to be remembered by my kids like I remember my mom. We always had the greatest birthday parties, got great presents, she was (and still is, that's right, I'm 25 and my mom still makes me a stocking at Christmas) the best stocking stuffer of all time, she spent hours vaccuuming the carpet because she's slightly obsessed with vaccuum cleaner marks, and every time it was her turn to bring the snacks for our ball teams after the game everyone got excited because it was no bobo brand fruit snacks and juice boxes for her- no, she rolled up a cooler full of full-size candy bars and cokes!
Back to the matter at hand, I'm writing about it hoping it won't look so bad on paper and I can calm down a little. I've been planning this party for over a month now. My 2 year olds birthday has taken a month's worth of planning... Sad. He's a huge Spongebob fan, so that's the theme we're going for. The one character I always hoped my kid wouldn't like, and he's in LOVE with that yellow square guy! So, I ordered the decorations (I'm not even going to admit how long ago I did that) and party favors from Oriental Trading. I was so excited to get that seventy dollar box of junk I assembled the goodie bags that very night. I got my Grandma's sour cream pound cake recipe and made it about 2 weeks ago. Then I decided that wouldn't be enough to feed everyone, so I made another layer, then put them both in the freezer. I bought the cups, plates, napkins, ballooons, etc. a few weeks ago also, then bought more last week because I was afraid I didn't have enough.
Now, the cake deserves a paragraph all it's own... I googled "Spongebob cakes", and you would be amazed at the things that popped up, but I found the perfect one. Absolutely flawless, and that's my model. Granted, it was probably made by a stay at home cake expert with older kids so she could give the cake full attention, but, like I said, I'm a perfectionist. So, two days ago I set to work making the fondant. Fondant, is a pain in the ass my friends. The recipe I used was for marshmallow fondant, and the lady made it sound so easy! Don't let anyone fool you. My shoulders are still sore from working it trying to make it into "a smooth, pliable ball that doesn't tear easily". At least it is marshmallow fondant and will taste good and not end up peeled off the cake and tossed. Then I would be really mad. Then, last night I thawed out the cake layers and started making the pineapple buttercream icing that you have to put on the cake first so the fondant will stick (that was news to me, thank goodness I reserched how put fondant on a cake 3 weeks ago). The recipe called for "one small can of pineapple and its juice. So that's what I used. Ya'll, I could have drank it! I ended up using more than twice as much powdered sugar than the recipe called for to make it thick enough to spread on the cake. But, I did it, by God, then cleared out a whole self on my refrigerator to fit the cake box in there. I also have to note, because I am so proud, that I am using pineapple buttercream icing because Spongebob lives in a pineapple under the sea, in case you didn't know!
So, I have plates, cups, napkins... damn, still got to get plastic forks, knew I forgot something. Anyway, I have a pinata, streamers, balloons, and even pineapple garland. I have the goodie bags ready, the candy for stuffing the pinata hid from my husband because he will eat it ALL, all the chips and ingredients for the various dips, my fantastic cousin is bringing fruit (with lots of pineapple of course), and an aunt on Bryan's side is bringing stuffed grape leaves and hummus (his family is Lebanese, and these things are out of this WORLD!). I put the hubby in charge of the gift. He can handle that responsibility, and he's a boy, so he knows what boys like.
Sounds like I'm ready, except for the cake. I keep coming back to that cake. It haunts my dreams. I will post several hundred pictures of it and all it's perfect-ness when I get done, because it will be perfect. I will probably have more pictures of the cake from the party than I do of my kid. Just kidding, he'll be the star of the show, and I know he'll love the cake as long as it bears some resemblance to Spongebob, so that's all that matters. OK, so finish the cake... Oh, and plastic forks... That doesn't sound so bad, panic mode averted... For now.
I am sort of a perfectionist and later I want to be remembered by my kids like I remember my mom. We always had the greatest birthday parties, got great presents, she was (and still is, that's right, I'm 25 and my mom still makes me a stocking at Christmas) the best stocking stuffer of all time, she spent hours vaccuuming the carpet because she's slightly obsessed with vaccuum cleaner marks, and every time it was her turn to bring the snacks for our ball teams after the game everyone got excited because it was no bobo brand fruit snacks and juice boxes for her- no, she rolled up a cooler full of full-size candy bars and cokes!
Back to the matter at hand, I'm writing about it hoping it won't look so bad on paper and I can calm down a little. I've been planning this party for over a month now. My 2 year olds birthday has taken a month's worth of planning... Sad. He's a huge Spongebob fan, so that's the theme we're going for. The one character I always hoped my kid wouldn't like, and he's in LOVE with that yellow square guy! So, I ordered the decorations (I'm not even going to admit how long ago I did that) and party favors from Oriental Trading. I was so excited to get that seventy dollar box of junk I assembled the goodie bags that very night. I got my Grandma's sour cream pound cake recipe and made it about 2 weeks ago. Then I decided that wouldn't be enough to feed everyone, so I made another layer, then put them both in the freezer. I bought the cups, plates, napkins, ballooons, etc. a few weeks ago also, then bought more last week because I was afraid I didn't have enough.
Now, the cake deserves a paragraph all it's own... I googled "Spongebob cakes", and you would be amazed at the things that popped up, but I found the perfect one. Absolutely flawless, and that's my model. Granted, it was probably made by a stay at home cake expert with older kids so she could give the cake full attention, but, like I said, I'm a perfectionist. So, two days ago I set to work making the fondant. Fondant, is a pain in the ass my friends. The recipe I used was for marshmallow fondant, and the lady made it sound so easy! Don't let anyone fool you. My shoulders are still sore from working it trying to make it into "a smooth, pliable ball that doesn't tear easily". At least it is marshmallow fondant and will taste good and not end up peeled off the cake and tossed. Then I would be really mad. Then, last night I thawed out the cake layers and started making the pineapple buttercream icing that you have to put on the cake first so the fondant will stick (that was news to me, thank goodness I reserched how put fondant on a cake 3 weeks ago). The recipe called for "one small can of pineapple and its juice. So that's what I used. Ya'll, I could have drank it! I ended up using more than twice as much powdered sugar than the recipe called for to make it thick enough to spread on the cake. But, I did it, by God, then cleared out a whole self on my refrigerator to fit the cake box in there. I also have to note, because I am so proud, that I am using pineapple buttercream icing because Spongebob lives in a pineapple under the sea, in case you didn't know!
So, I have plates, cups, napkins... damn, still got to get plastic forks, knew I forgot something. Anyway, I have a pinata, streamers, balloons, and even pineapple garland. I have the goodie bags ready, the candy for stuffing the pinata hid from my husband because he will eat it ALL, all the chips and ingredients for the various dips, my fantastic cousin is bringing fruit (with lots of pineapple of course), and an aunt on Bryan's side is bringing stuffed grape leaves and hummus (his family is Lebanese, and these things are out of this WORLD!). I put the hubby in charge of the gift. He can handle that responsibility, and he's a boy, so he knows what boys like.
Sounds like I'm ready, except for the cake. I keep coming back to that cake. It haunts my dreams. I will post several hundred pictures of it and all it's perfect-ness when I get done, because it will be perfect. I will probably have more pictures of the cake from the party than I do of my kid. Just kidding, he'll be the star of the show, and I know he'll love the cake as long as it bears some resemblance to Spongebob, so that's all that matters. OK, so finish the cake... Oh, and plastic forks... That doesn't sound so bad, panic mode averted... For now.
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