The day started off well enough. I tried to shove 8 hours of work into 4 hours so that I could leave early in time to pick up Lillian from preschool for once. The sun was shining. I actually got a "MOMMMMYYYY!" when she saw me in the hallway. Sadly, I was half expecting an "Oh Mommy, where's Daddy?" so this was a happy moment for me.
We get home and apparently she has a schedule to be kept after school. WaWaWubzy must be turned on. I comply.
Being the last day of school before Easter, she came home with a small amount of candy. Being the rock star Mother that I am, I allowed her two pieces. Two whole pieces...I thought I was being quite generous. Not generous enough in the eyes of the little 4 year old. Every 10 minutes, "I want candy". Being the responsible mother that I am, I said "No more" but if she were good, she could have a piece for dessert. That was not a response up to her satisfaction.
Eventually, she got very tired of being told No and decided that it would be a fabulous idea to hit me on the leg. This is something she typically reserves for the couch or chair since hitting a Mommy or Daddy is kinda not acceptable in the house.
Time Out.
Time out is at on the bottom stair. I am in the same room and when I look up, I see her trying to be ever so quiet by ninja crawling up the stairs.
I was in disbelief. The thought "That little shit" crossed my mind. I have never had the desire to think of my precious daughter in those terms...not even when she cut off one entire side of her hair. But this, this deserved that title.
I let her go up. I was curious to see what exactly she was going to do. After a few moments, I went upstairs. She had just left the bathroom and was in my room holding her little hand clappy clappy thingie toy. You know, the plastic toy shaped as a hand and you shake it back and forth and it claps? Yea, that thing. She seemed so happy. Until she saw me.
Without a word, I grabbed the toy, took her hand, and led her downstairs. As soon as the toy left her hand, she was in hysterics. I sat her in her pink chair in the middle of the living room. Ohhhh boy, did she scream. I'm sure anyone passing the house would have thought I was torturing her.
After a few minutes of letting her wail, I asked her why she was in trouble. Her: "Because I hit you". Me: "Why are you in even bigger trouble?" Her: "Because I went upstairs". Now, this in itself is an accomplishment. Normally, once she's in trouble, she just won't talk to me. I'm just never sure if she really was comprehending everything.
When I asked her why she went upstairs when she was in Time Out, she told me she was tired. I told her that was a lie and that she went upstairs to get a toy. When I asked again, she said "I just wanted it".
Her punishment was no candy at all for the rest of the day or dessert. Again, she was not very accepting of this. Every 5 minutes, "I want dessert". Every "No" resulted in tears until she feel asleep on the couch an hour before her normal bed time. I guess she was tired.
I don't know how I keep managing to do it considering her height and bulk (she's skinny but solid) but I carried her upstairs into bed. As of me leaving for work this morning at 7:30, she was still wiped out.
Since I am the worrying type, I just called James to make sure she was okay. He said she was completely normal - back to bouncing off the walls. It's good to know I didn't do any short term damage. I guess in 20 years, we'll see what long term damage I have done by denying her Easter candy.
Combining all things me into one spot.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
What itch?
It's been 7 years since James and I said our vows in a beautifully decorated church (we got married the week after Easter so all the flowers and decorations were still out - sweet!).
1 child and 7 years later, we are working hard to enjoy life and marriage. We are traditionally in the 7 Year Itch danger zone. Recently, I heard that the new 7 Year Itch is actually now at 3 years. A quick Google search reveals that a combination of long working hours/stress, a tendacy to take seperate vacations, and simple boredom of routine is pushing the itchiness to earlier in the marriage.
Since this change over took place somewhere between our 3rd and 7th year of marriage, I figured we slid right on through and there will be no need for Calamine Lotion for us two love birds.
However, having an evening to ourselves made us realize that we have very few evenings to ourselves. Everyone knows how important it is to take time out for your marriage - especially when their are kids. But honestly, when you are simple living life, just trying to get by - it's really, really easy to not even notice how long its been since you took a time out to focus on that person you should really be focusing on.
With the two of us, weekdays are very routine. I wake up, go to work, come home, James goes to work. Repeat. Weekends are almost always filled with seeing friends or family. Even though we are especially blessed to have several willing babysitters, we have not been taking advantage of it.
A remarkably good dinner last night was such a special treat for the two of us. Not having had a date night in awhile made it even nicer but also made us realize that maybe we should try this out on more then just special occassions.
After dinner, we discovered there were no movies we really wanted to see so we went home. At 9:30pm. Losers we are, I do not fight you on that. We laughed in the car as we pulled into our parking space at how things have certainly changed in 7 years. It was good though, we camped out on the coach, which is another rarity and watched the first 3 episodes of Six Feet Under.
Today, our actual Anniversary will comprise of attending a Home Owners Meeting regarding our sucky Home Owners Association and having dinner at my parent's as we pick up the best result of our 7 year union.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Writer's Block
I haven't been writing much lately and that includes my personal essay for grad school. I think the wind making my boat keep on rolling down the river has somewhat deflated.
Just a couple of months ago I was so excited, so focused, and so hopeful for big changes to take place. I was very careful to try and not get my hopes up since often time, big changes take time. I knew with the return of my direct supervisor (who was on FMLA for a few months), that my direct contacts with my higher ups would be limited. And now with this limited contact, I am afraid that the status quo is going to continue for some time to come.
I am still in the application process of grad school. Writing my personal essay has been like pulling teeth. Should it be short or long? Creative or business like? My goal is to finish and send it off by the end of the week.
Add to that all the craziness of Babypolooza 2011! So many people are either pregnant or just had babies that it's gotten my uterus all crazed. But that's a post for a different day.
Just a couple of months ago I was so excited, so focused, and so hopeful for big changes to take place. I was very careful to try and not get my hopes up since often time, big changes take time. I knew with the return of my direct supervisor (who was on FMLA for a few months), that my direct contacts with my higher ups would be limited. And now with this limited contact, I am afraid that the status quo is going to continue for some time to come.
I am still in the application process of grad school. Writing my personal essay has been like pulling teeth. Should it be short or long? Creative or business like? My goal is to finish and send it off by the end of the week.
Add to that all the craziness of Babypolooza 2011! So many people are either pregnant or just had babies that it's gotten my uterus all crazed. But that's a post for a different day.
Monday, April 4, 2011
New Feature! Inspiration Spotlight
Today, I introduce a new feature for the blog where I interview people and feature him/her right here for the world - or my 30 followers to see. I've seen others do it so I am stealing it and bringing it right here. I wanted to spotlight people who have inspire me and luckily, I know quite a few dynamic people in my life.
*********************************************************************************
If there's one thing to know about me, it's that I love miniature versions of things. At an outing one day with James, we were in the outdoors department of Sears or some other store - looking at fishing gear I can only assume - when I saw how they displayed their tents. It was a tiny little miniature tent model and I just about died. I mean who could actually fit into that little tiny tent? OK, so I am a huge dork but I find small things to be adorable so a miniature version of cake? Yes please!
Granted cupcakes aren't a new creation but today's world is certainly benefiting from the cupcake craze circling the nation. From Cupcake Wars on the Food Network to cupcake food trucks running through Chicago - we all benefit from the sugary goodness.
First in my spotlight is Jackie of Jaycakes Inc. I met Jackie years ago through a parent's group. She's sweet, supportive - simply, an honest to goodness good person. In recent years, Jackie has made quite a few transformations in her life. From losing weight to starting a business, Jackie is doing it all.
Jackie - Tell me a little about yourself: My name is Jackie Fiedler, I'm 33 years old (right? I always have to think about that now! Ha!) and my "real" job is a designer working on site at Baxter Healthcare. (side note from Sarah - ever since turning 30, I no longer remember how old I am. Happy it's not just me).
Tell us about your recent weight loss success: My weight loss has been such an awesome experience. A few years ago, I started changing my eating habits...veggies (which I used to hate), lots of home cooking and the crock pot!! There was a lot of takeout happening before - which just packed on the pounds. At my job - they started a Biggest Loser which gave us free membership to our on site health club. I started using the elliptical and taking step classes. I was addicted!! Finding workouts I LOVE makes all the difference. I take zumba once a week and it's the highlight of my week! I use a website and iPhone app called myfitnesspal.com to count my calories and it's been a very important tool in my loss!
Do you have a favorite healthy recipe you can share? One of my favorite recipes is a quinoa recipe! I prepare the quinoa with fat free low sodium chicken broth, fresh garlic and 1t cumin and a pinch of cayenne pepper. At the end, I add corn, black beans, edamame and cherry tomatoes. Then I toss in a little shrimp cooked in salsa. It's so colorful and delicious!!
Tell us about Jaycakes. After waiting in line for hours at one of the popular cupcake stores, I decided to try baking some cupcakes myself. Now, keep in mind - before this day - I never baked anything from scratch! It was so much fun!! Next thing I knew - I was scouring the Internet for fun recipes and baking almost everyday. My family and coworkers were happy to taste test! I love hearing the feedback and seeing everyone's reactions when they taste the cupcakes!
Things are going great - I have some new business opportunities coming up and am excited. My biggest goal - having fun!! As long as I enjoy my time in the kitchen, I'm happy.
My favorite cupcakes to make are Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Key Lime...just to name a few!
My original pizza cupcake recipe is one that I'm always excited to have people taste...they are scared at first, but everyone likes it! You can see pictures of all our flavors and read more at www.facebook.com/jaycakesinc
How do you keep up with weight loss when you have such a tasty business? My cupcake adventure has just recently impacted my weight loss, but I know what I'm doing wrong. As I'm preparing for tasting parties or big orders - I need to shift my schedule a lot, which often means less sleep and skipping some workouts. I try to never miss the gym, but it's been happening the last couple of months. Eating the cupcakes - that hasn't been too big of a problem! I taste the batter and the frosting and then take a bite of the finished product - but after making thousands of cupcakes - I'm not constantly tempted by them :) It's so easy to let things slip...I just need to keep my priorities on my health and stay focused and on track.
You have a lot on your plate: work, your son, cooking healthy, exercising, and a new business. How do you manage it all? I work close to home which is a huge help. I wake up early and prepare my breakfast, lunch and that nights dinner. I use the crock pot almost all week long which is a fantastic time saver.
My family has been extremely supportive and helpful in my journey - so that has been wonderful. My friends have been some of my best customers and cheerleaders. I'm so thankful for everyone in my life!!
Fun Questions:
What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a lawyer.
Guilty Pleasure? too much tv - Glee, Biggest Loser
Favorite workout song?: Fuego from Pitbull
Favorite Quote? Everything happens for a reason
And now for some eye candy or eye cupcakes!
Jaycakes has an amazing assortment of flavors like the ones above but she also creates French Toast, Caramel Apple, Chocolate Banana, Strawberry Shortcake (another favorite of mine), Frappaccino, Red Velvet and so many more.
For pricing, ordering, and tasting party information, please contact Jackie on her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/jaycakesinc
*********************************************************************************
If there's one thing to know about me, it's that I love miniature versions of things. At an outing one day with James, we were in the outdoors department of Sears or some other store - looking at fishing gear I can only assume - when I saw how they displayed their tents. It was a tiny little miniature tent model and I just about died. I mean who could actually fit into that little tiny tent? OK, so I am a huge dork but I find small things to be adorable so a miniature version of cake? Yes please!
Granted cupcakes aren't a new creation but today's world is certainly benefiting from the cupcake craze circling the nation. From Cupcake Wars on the Food Network to cupcake food trucks running through Chicago - we all benefit from the sugary goodness.
First in my spotlight is Jackie of Jaycakes Inc. I met Jackie years ago through a parent's group. She's sweet, supportive - simply, an honest to goodness good person. In recent years, Jackie has made quite a few transformations in her life. From losing weight to starting a business, Jackie is doing it all.
Jackie - Tell me a little about yourself: My name is Jackie Fiedler, I'm 33 years old (right? I always have to think about that now! Ha!) and my "real" job is a designer working on site at Baxter Healthcare. (side note from Sarah - ever since turning 30, I no longer remember how old I am. Happy it's not just me).
Tell us about your recent weight loss success: My weight loss has been such an awesome experience. A few years ago, I started changing my eating habits...veggies (which I used to hate), lots of home cooking and the crock pot!! There was a lot of takeout happening before - which just packed on the pounds. At my job - they started a Biggest Loser which gave us free membership to our on site health club. I started using the elliptical and taking step classes. I was addicted!! Finding workouts I LOVE makes all the difference. I take zumba once a week and it's the highlight of my week! I use a website and iPhone app called myfitnesspal.com to count my calories and it's been a very important tool in my loss!
Do you have a favorite healthy recipe you can share? One of my favorite recipes is a quinoa recipe! I prepare the quinoa with fat free low sodium chicken broth, fresh garlic and 1t cumin and a pinch of cayenne pepper. At the end, I add corn, black beans, edamame and cherry tomatoes. Then I toss in a little shrimp cooked in salsa. It's so colorful and delicious!!
Tell us about Jaycakes. After waiting in line for hours at one of the popular cupcake stores, I decided to try baking some cupcakes myself. Now, keep in mind - before this day - I never baked anything from scratch! It was so much fun!! Next thing I knew - I was scouring the Internet for fun recipes and baking almost everyday. My family and coworkers were happy to taste test! I love hearing the feedback and seeing everyone's reactions when they taste the cupcakes!
Things are going great - I have some new business opportunities coming up and am excited. My biggest goal - having fun!! As long as I enjoy my time in the kitchen, I'm happy.
My favorite cupcakes to make are Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Key Lime...just to name a few!
My original pizza cupcake recipe is one that I'm always excited to have people taste...they are scared at first, but everyone likes it! You can see pictures of all our flavors and read more at www.facebook.com/jaycakesinc
How do you keep up with weight loss when you have such a tasty business? My cupcake adventure has just recently impacted my weight loss, but I know what I'm doing wrong. As I'm preparing for tasting parties or big orders - I need to shift my schedule a lot, which often means less sleep and skipping some workouts. I try to never miss the gym, but it's been happening the last couple of months. Eating the cupcakes - that hasn't been too big of a problem! I taste the batter and the frosting and then take a bite of the finished product - but after making thousands of cupcakes - I'm not constantly tempted by them :) It's so easy to let things slip...I just need to keep my priorities on my health and stay focused and on track.
You have a lot on your plate: work, your son, cooking healthy, exercising, and a new business. How do you manage it all? I work close to home which is a huge help. I wake up early and prepare my breakfast, lunch and that nights dinner. I use the crock pot almost all week long which is a fantastic time saver.
My family has been extremely supportive and helpful in my journey - so that has been wonderful. My friends have been some of my best customers and cheerleaders. I'm so thankful for everyone in my life!!
Fun Questions:
What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a lawyer.
Guilty Pleasure? too much tv - Glee, Biggest Loser
Favorite workout song?: Fuego from Pitbull
Favorite Quote? Everything happens for a reason
And now for some eye candy or eye cupcakes!
My personal favorite from Jaycakes is the Key Lime Cupcake
Isn't this a pretty one? Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
And Jackie's original Pizza Cupcake
Jaycakes has an amazing assortment of flavors like the ones above but she also creates French Toast, Caramel Apple, Chocolate Banana, Strawberry Shortcake (another favorite of mine), Frappaccino, Red Velvet and so many more.
For pricing, ordering, and tasting party information, please contact Jackie on her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/jaycakesinc
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