Cupcake Confessions

I was writing the last line to the post... and it all got erased :( This has been my kind of day... and there are no more cupcakes to eat:(

I am not exactly sure how this all started but this cupcake craze hit me HARD. I have become a little obsessive- one might say, but it is so much fun to bake something, decorate all cute and give these little goodies away. It's pure happiness... in a wrapper :)

I had been cruising the Better Crocker website looking for dinner ideas when THIS recipe popped up.. I call it a sign from God lol- cupcakes for dinner!!!!

Holy Monkees- these were SO good! I made them- gave only 1 to each kid and then realized that by morning they were all gone. But I can not nor will I admit that * I * was the one that had a somewhat large midnight snack. Nope. NOT ME. Will. Not. Confess.

I figured that was so much fun, I would do more again but get a little creative on them. So I gathered up boxes of pudding and cake and these oh-so-delicious thin sugar cookies that I put in a lock box so that little fingers could not devour- Here is the end result- before the pig fest began :)

I personally HATED the chocolate frosting. But the cream cheese frosting was AMAMZING!!! You will have to try these..

Not too long after that, I got sucked into some other very creative sites and I entered into my stubbornness mind of wanting to create that exact thing. Ok so I gave myself this new challenge of figuring out HOW they decorated this one cupcake to make it so smooth looking. I poked and prodded my crafty friends and then found out that it was POURED Fondant. Ha! Who knew?! Now I was a mission. I MUST master this. I MUST get this... so I loaded up the boys and we headed to walmart for some goodies that were already made so that I could play with frosting. The mix for the poured fondant was actually super easy.

 I had to of course try to get a little fancy. I SUCK at frosting... Only because I am picky on what I want to create and right now I do not have the tools to do the trick, but I had fun with my little frosting dots and adding a little bling to them. 

I heard that these cookies got rave reviews from all the little taste testers I had.

ANd once again.. I got sucked into another site and found this Oh-so-yummy- Cherry Almond Cupcakes. I instantly started drooling. mmmmmmmm. I can totally already taste that goodness!!

Cast Of Characters

 Cherry yummies

 breaking eggs and just trying to get no shells and the whites in the mix. Tricky tricky

 mixing all the goodness together....

 pour a little and then lick everything clean as best as I can.... get full on batter and forget to eat the cupcakes! Batter is better!

 take one piece of each of the cherries that I cut and plop it in the middle of each cup of batter.. so you have a hidden cherry in each cup!!

Eat and Enjoy!

I really have a lot of fun making yummies and I hope to keep doing more. A part of me would love to open a little cupcake shop but then again I wonder if they are THAT good to anyone else to actually do that. But it would be a lot of fun to have a little bakery- filled with colors and fun. A friend of mine had this great idea for a glass wall where kids can watch the goodies being made and also having a kids bake night and food fights.. hehehe. I think that all sounds like fun!

As for me, my wooden spoons and my confessions to my cupcakes.... Here is to another cupcake adventure!

...... Next story I will have to share my cake ball fight.... I HATE these things!....

Got Milk?

I figured this might be an appropriate title for this post... and if that title gives you ANY indication on whats coming... hang on... it's gonna be funny... well.... at least it was in this house!

Up here in good 'ol Dickinson ND- school gets out in MAY. As my kids were counting down the days till school is out with such enthusiasm... I on the other hand was not looking forward to months of tattling, screaming, fighting, crying, begging- I also wasn't looking forward to the kids doing the same!

So Wednesday was the kids last day of school- they all had fun things planned in their classes- some included a beach party, movies and ... and I know there was more but I think I zoned out for a moment.

As I loaded the kids in the car I said I prayer to myself on how thankful I was that I didn't need to get out of the car and ever more grateful of how large my sunglasses were.... Lets just say if you saw me that morning my picture would be found in one of those awful photo blogs that everyone looks at and laughs... I was NO sexy thang that morning!

No sooner as I gulped my coffee and moved our bedroom and bathroom to the living room- hubby came home to tell me that our kindergartener (Christopher) needed to be picked up. They think he has pink eye. Nice. A perfect start to summer vacation.

The next day 2 other kiddos woke up with crusty eyes and with a closer look- I shudder- yell at them to NOT touch me or their face and notice that their eyes were a little red and goopy.

That is a fun word to say GOOPY heheheh.

I had to accept that now 3 kids of mine have pink eye. UGH. I hit up my wonderful facebook friends and moms and ask their advice. I wanted to know if there was something I could do BESIDES take them to the doc for meds.

Oh the joy I got out of the advice they gave!!

I was not raised up in a family that did holistic treatments... in fact I was not even familiar with it till I moved to Sandpoint. Even then I was still a little hesitant about how well things worked. With my last c-section I was open to ANYTHING to help with pain and recovery... So when my kiddos got this nasty pink eye I was super open to anything that can help- that last thing I wanted to do was take FIVE kids to this doctors office. So my dear friends told me that my like gold booby milk will cure it!!! I had to ask again to make sure I heard right.... " so squirt my kids eyes with my breast milk"? Oh- THIS was going to be funny!!

The first thing that popped into my head was that controversial cover on Time Magazine... was I mom enough?!! HELL YEAH!!! I got the goods- and I am not afraid to use it! How is THAT for a new cover?!

My Milk Can Do What?
Whether you are surfing the internet or flipping through your favorite parenting magazine, you have probably come across numerous references to breast milk. You may have also discovered that breast milk isn’t only used for breastfeeding your child. In fact, breast milk is often used to help heal minor illnesses and injuries. But what can breast milk supposedly heal? Well, breast milk is purportedly able to heal:

• conjunctivitis or "pink eye"
• ear infections
• scrapes, scratches, and cuts
• sore nipple

*** Taken from pregnancy info.net *** 

To know that my mommy boobs contain SUPER POWERS, I wanted to wear a cape and tights and shout at the top of my lungs as I slide across the kitchen floor- " Here I Come To Save The Day" (sung in my proudest Might Mouse voice)

Now- the fun part- telling the kids.  Baby Jack wouldn't care and would probably lick his own face of the "spilled" milk- if his tongue would reach that far... Now of course I had that vision of just lifting my top and "aiming", but I thought I would save my money for family trips instead of therapy sessions for my kids of their mom squirting milk in their eyes... sure was a funny thought though. I told them that I was going to put medicine in their eyes and this "medicine" would be breast milk. I had to get all "medical" and use breast milk other wise my boys would be rolling on the floor laughing because I said "boob". The 2 older boys looked at me like a deer in headlights.

... headlights???!!! Bahahahaha- I just made a funny!

 After they asked me again and I confirmed with them that yes in fact I was going  to put my milk in their eyes, that is when the "EWWWW grosss MOOOOMMM" came out. And then came the laughing. Little Charley Joe wanted to follow along so he chimed in with his shrieks and laughter. Of course hubby couldn't be left out of  the peanut gallery so he asked if he could be treated too... hmmm MEN!

No- I did not embarrass my kids and squirt from a distance, I merely filled up a medicine dropper and then dropped a few drops in their eyes. I think my oldest gave the best performance of the night- acting like I was pouring acid in his eyes.

So what's the verdict...... It's helping :) In all seriousness, it makes me happy to know that I am able to heal my kids with my magical healing boobs :)

Here is a poem I found that is cute

TWAS THE BREASTFEEDER’S NIGHTTIME

‘Twas a holiday eve and the babe was asleep,
Swaddled tight in his crib he made not a peep.
My boobs were depleted from feeding all day.
“Please don’t wake. Sleep all night,” to the babe I did pray.
But his lips, how they moved, as he lay in his bed.
Visions of milky breasts danced in his head.
Dad in his boxers and I in my sweats,
Could we get some shuteye? Go ahead, place your bets.
The moon on the breast of my t-shirt did glow,
Gave a luster to leaking spots set to grow.
My nursing pads were soaked, they fell out of place.
My bra had unsnapped. How I missed sexy lace.
For months I’d been feeding our babe everywhere.
Coffee shop, park bench, museum, movie chair.
All my modesty gone, nothing shy anymore.
If the kiddo was crying, I knew how to score.
And now with the holidays, things often got dire.
While out buying gifts, I sometimes drew ire.
I breastfed in clothing stores. Changing rooms rock.
I breastfed in bookstores. To the stacks I did flock.
When from the babe’s room there arose such a clatter.
We sprang from our bed to see what was the matter.
Away to his room we flew with a flash,
Threw open the door, in the dark I did crash.
What a klutz I can be, ‘twas those bags made me fall.
Sacks for our trip, all arranged in the hall.
We were going to Grandma’s, a five hour drive.
Holiday time—Will I make it alive?
One big huge duffle held all the babe’s stuff.
Diapers, wipes, onesies. Did I bring enough?
Now don’t forget burp cloths, crib sheets and toys.
Books and Bjorn, we’ll exhibit such poise.
On breast pump, on bottles, on stroller and boppy.
On car seat, on cradle, on blanket and binky.
Fill the back of the car, fill the trunk with our haul.
And we’ll drive away, drive away, drive away all.
Now don’t forget stopping to feed long the way.
Gas stations, McDonalds and rest stops, oy vey.
Of course there’ll be lots of those diapers to do.
Get out the Purell, you’ll be covered in poo.
When we finally arrive, now what will await?
Lots of food and embraces, it’ll be really great.
No, no one will not fight. I will not shed a tear.
Ok, a white lie— but rejoice in who’s here.
And what about wine or a champagne or two?
Will it make my milk bad? Old wives tale or true?
And will anyone say, “Can he now take a bottle?”
“How long will you breastfeed?” How these questions can throttle.
Now back to that “clatter,” the babe and that noise.
We had rushed right on in, leaping over the toys.
When what to our wondering eyes did appear,
Our babe still asleep, oh how sweet, oh how dear.
His cheeks, how they glistened, his hair soft and furry.
And I smiled when I saw him, despite all my worry.
How delicious, his belly, moving in and then out.
How precious, his lips in a sweet little pout.
He had not woken up! He did not need to eat.
He had had quite enough, his day quite complete.
And so back to our bed we did quietly crawl.
Happy Holidays to one, happy sleeping to all.
© 2006, Andi Silverman, www.mamaknowsbreast.com

 

MOOoooo

Here is a check of mommy reality for ya.... Actually a funny moment.. Made my heart skip- beat- smile...

I was sitting at my desk doing some editing.... when lil Jack protested that he was hungry NOW.. so I lifted him - pulled up my top and began to feed him. At his 8 months stage he has this really weird way of eating... kind of like cirque du soleil style. Not sure why he does that or what he gains from it, but its amazing to see how far my nip can stretch. {Like that visual huh}

So as I am editing and feeding, my tazmanian toddler comes over to watch for a few. He first shrieks that just seeing my boob was gross, then decided to watch for a sec when he asked what I was doing... like he has never asked or watched before... so i explained that I was feeding baby mommy milk.

So I go back to feeding my little hungry-acrobatic monster, when I noticed that my toddler was still standing there watching... When Jack was finished, he popped off like a soda cap and gave me that milky smile. Just then my toddler looks up at me with those big beautiful blue eyes and says " ok, my turn!"

You Belong In A Zoo

Not sure if that quote is better suited for me or for my kids :)

Rebecca came up for another visit so we did what we do well... PLAN and PLOT. During this visit she was going to be here during Matty's birthday so we planned a family day out to the zoo in Bismarck

We loaded up the kids, took some potty breaks, I had an emotional breakdown... and finally we arrived :) Charley had never (that he could remember) going to a zoo. I have been many times- although none have been to a HUGE SUPER zoo- that is on my Life Bucket List. He was excited to see some Lions, Elephants and Giraffes. AS for me... the monkeys always get me and I love to watch the elephants. They are just AMAZING to me. In fact, I wouldn't mind having one as a pet. I shall name her Sasha and she would so loveable and witty :)


Ok, so our family of 8 made our way thru the gates and were greeted by mini horses- which you could not help but make sweet baby sounds at them.. heheheh. But in the corner of my eye I spot some feisty goats. BABY GOATS. Oh my word- now they are adorable!!! And HUNGRY! And they too get feisty. A few of them were trying to get to the other zoo visitors who were feeding other goats- and they would RAM each other.. it was HILARIOUS! ..... Ok I just noticed that I am typing a lot with my caps.... is that strange??!! There was this one goat- no idea if it was male or female- but I am going for male- he was climbing up the short fence to get to people so he could eat more. Silly goat.


As we wondered around following the paths thru the zoo, we were all just in awe of what we saw. Not that it was anything SPECTACULAR, but it is neat to see animals that you don't get to... Like Otters. I love those creatures. They had only 1 in the pool and he was playful! He would swim circles for the people that were watching thru the glass.. then he would climb up to his tree limb and stand there and pose for everyone that was watching from up top... it was great.. and he kept doing it - over and over lol.


OHHHH Another cute creature I would LOVE to have are those adorable Prairie Dogs.. oh my goodness they are so cute!! They look so cuddly... and fuzzy... yes- ME WANT!!

Some of the other animals I enjoyed wathcing were the Bears... ohh yes.. I could have sat there ALL day. They too were playful. And man, they are so cute!! When we lived in Idaho, I wanted to see a bear so bad- while I was in my car- with the windows rolled up of course. They were a lot of fun watching :) *sigh*
OHHhhhhhh. They had some wolves there too... not anything like the wolves back in Idaho but it was really interesting watching them scan everyone. It reminded me of the movie "The Grey" - If you haven't seen it- you should. I thought it was going to be a cheesy remake of Alive but it was really good!!

 Ok so... these wolves would lock eyes with you and walk back and forth against the fence line- back and forth- back and forth. Almost... wait- yes- it WAS creepy. In the next  fenced area- they had some bigger wolves and I DO believe the alpha male was in there because he would NOT let any of the other wolves get close to the fence.. He would actually growl and snarl at them... all while he was watching us all. F R E A K Y.


Over all it was a nice trip. I think next time I will leave the dramatic emotions at home and enjoy being a kid again at the ZOO!

Becoming One With Myself

The last few days have been NUTS. Well, it's mostly me doing this hormonal rollercoaster AND being a girl AND feeling needy. Not only did I need some attention from my hubby but I wanted NO attention from the kids- for just a moment.. just to use the bathroom on my own, fold laundry without the sounds of fighting or just a moment to eat a meal in quiet. I need to get on my routine and get back to the gym. I am realizing more and more each day that my once 20 yr old body is long gone. Just looking to find a way to celebrate and love my "new" mommy body lol.. Things are not as tight as they used to be. umm yuck.
So this afternoon, my friend, Becca and I, hit the gym for a yoga class. I figure this would be relaxing and fun :) Well, sometime yesterday I got hit with a BUNCH of energy as well as a bunch of words that I feel like I need to get out as fast as I can... so when we walked into the yoga room, I paced around wondering where I should be... I opted to get as close as I could to Becca without it being too awkward. The lights were off, it was cool in there and my fave music was playing- this should be good!!
I felt like I had ADHD in there. I couldn't stop looking what the instructor was doing, I kept fidgeting, I noticed my breathing was a lot faster than everyone else in there and most of the stretches where actually hurting me instead of helping me. WTH?
While everyone else was concentrating and focusing on their inner self, I was stretching my toes, making notes to myself that I need a pedicure, thinking that I should have washed my hair, plotting to take a shower, then remembering that my armpits were hairy and don't let anyone look at them, noticing then that my legs were just as hairy- now I was thinking I really wanted a shower... as we moved into the next position... I kept hoping that my body didn't make any weird sounds because it was all WAY too quiet in there.

I just couldn't take it seriously for some reason. Becca was sitting in front of me- and as we faced the mirrors it was so hard to not start waving my arms around like she had 4 arms! When the instructor went into this bend forward on one foot and balance pose.... I had to bite my lip to not make giggling noises or comments. All of that grace that I once had.. yeah- that is all gone.

When the class ended- we didn't even know that the class had stopped. We sat up and looked at each other like, "huh- it's over"

So, I felt like I wasn't so much "one with myself" but more like... what do I do now??!! Almost... ALMOST wanted to get my zumba on or try that scary boot camp class.. but of course we opted to leave and do some grocery shopping.

It feels better to get back on "track"- emotionally- now only if I could get this laundry back on track- life would be grand!

The Pain Of Motherhood

I know it seems that I only write about the bad and the ugly... we do have some pretty wonderful days and I guess I don't write about them because I am in the moment enjoying every bit of it as I can...

The last few days have been a little painful. I have had some major issues with my nerve damage that seems to be effecting a little more of my leg each day- which is making my back hurt. Jack has been having this INSANE sleeping schedule which includes me sleeping awkardly and getting up every 1.5hr to feed him.
Yesterday I decided that I was going to restock my gripe water and make that pacifer a part of his bedtime routine. Last night went a little better than the previous nights  but tonight... I'm in trouble. I headed to bed sleepy and determined to actually sleep. I layed my head down only to realize that even though I was sleepy- I just could not fall asleep. But FINALLY at 2a.m. I get to dream land....that ride didn't last long as my sweet little one woke at 3a.m. and was ready to take on the day. Bad timing little one. seriously.

Not only have I been dealing with my "nerves" but also been dealing with some kind of upset stomach. I have had no real appetite lately oe when I do eat, I feel more sick then when I started. And now this new sleep issue- ugh.

Late this morning I am doing 2 cake smash sessions and as excited as I am, I am REALLY hoping that my excitement will keep me awake for it... ok and that afterwards both my smaller ones will nap at the same time so that I may take a nap.

I foresee it's going to be a fend-for-yourself-dinner nights

Rabid Pack Of Baboons

Yup- thats what I am calling them... In fact there are 5 of them- but one doesnt count just becuase he's still in that CUTE mode. I have named them Lilly, Matty, Christopher, and Charlie Joe. Holy Freaking BABOON balls!
The day started- last week!! The schools up here called for an Easter break- which is totally different than spring break. What's the point of a 4 day weekend?? To torture the parents with candy-filled children?? Hmmm, someone needs to teach that calendar person a lesson!! I had great plans for them but they quickly deminished like my milk boobs. All I wanted was a fun-filled- great attitude- I love you mom- you are the best- weekend, but Nooooooooooooooo that was a little too much to ask for :(

I wanted to really go to the library to get a book - which I found out they DON'T have (boogers), but after just making one stop to the store for a bag of much needed pull-ups { another story for another time}they decided that this public place would be great to use LOUD outside voices, scatter when I call them and pretend to have a hearing problem when I call their name.... oh yes.. and we can't foget the part where I said, " Let's go to another line- this is taking too long" and my spunky -oh-so-opinionated son says- in his loudest voice, " forget waiting, let's just steal it!" I seriously think I left a pile of poo on the floor when he said that... We of course stepped out of the long line where I had to explain to him a few life lessons. WTF did he GET that??!

As for the rest of the errands I had to do - which included going to the state office to drop off papers in a crowded room that smelled like play-doh as my toddler was yelling at me to play with my -now dead- phone, a 5 yr whining cuz I won't let him play, and my pre-teen daughter who decides she was going to go on a scavenger hunt thru my once organized diaper bag and then fully decides to PUBLICLY talk back to me when I ask her stop. Not just once talking back, but won't STOP talking... are you serious??!!!! WHO ARE THESE KIDS?! All I could muster when we got in the car was " wait till your dad gets home".. As I sat there in the sun for just a brief moment to get away from that frazzled hair, twitching eye, foaming mouth mommy moment - all I wanted at that moment was a freaking ice cream!! Not that I just wanted it.. I NEEDED it.. I CRAVED it. I told my hubby that was my smoke break. He gave me a smart ass remark which I could not find ANY humor in at that moment.

So I drove us all home... still twitching here and there.... booted them out of the car and sat my butt on the computer to vent :) Because I know you understand .... and can relate. If you can't relate to this....

please don't respond... as I dont like you (just kidding.. but seriously don't respond if you are one of those lucky moms!)

 the one that makes my heart melt

and me... well... trying to survive LOL....

I love them all- i do.. I just want simple things.. like peeing without company or questions, obedient children in public and a hot meal