Simple Pleasures

When I opened my can of coffee this morning and got that first delicious sniff, I started thinking of some of the other simple pleasures in my life...

• The first shoots of daffodils peaking through the ground in March.
• The feeling of getting into a freshly made bed.
• The first day of having my Christmas decorations up.
• The first day of not having my Christmas decorations up.
• Harvesting vegetables and flowers grown in my own garden.
• Turning the clocks forward so I'm no longer waking up before the sun.
• Finding an unexpected card or magazine in the mail.
• Winning an item at auction.
• The smell of scented candles burning.
• The feeling of walking in public when you know you are looking smoking hot.
• The sound of my high heels on pavement.
• The smell of a campfire.
• The silent stillness after a snow fall.
• Finding my bread dough has risen (even though that's what's it suppose to do!)

When I become a parent, I will never [fill in blank]

Before and during my pregnancy, I had a whole list of things I said I would never do when I became a parent. To all those would be parents out there uttering "My child will never do that," just stop now. Seriously, just stop.

1. I will never put my child in baby clothes that look like pajamas. Before I had Scooter, I thought the jeans and sweater look was absolutely adorable on babies. That was until I found out how much it cost. Oh yeah, and your child will likely grow at the rate of Yellow Grooved Bamboo, so just save yourself some money and shop consignment.
2. I will never let my child "cry it out." I always thought this was an excuse for parents to ignore their children. That belief lasted about 5 months, at which point I looked like an extra from Michael Jackon's Thriller video, but without all the cool dance moves. See my previous post on Health Sleep Habits, Happy Child to see how this worked out for me.
3. I will never give my child formula. "Formula is poison - it will cause nipple confusion and will make your milk supply not come in right," so said the lactation consultants. Since craigslist didn't have a listing for a Wet Nurse and my child was on the brink of hospitalization due to jaundice and dehydration, I went with formula and was able to eventually switch to exclusive breastfeeding with no problem. Weird.
4. I will never do the spit on the Kleenex, Kleenex to child's face mom move. Yeah, this one has been broken multiple times. Sometimes you just gotta work with what you have.
5. I will never buy my child needless amounts of toys. There was once a time when I hated my family room carpet. Solution? Cover it with massive amounts of baby toys. Which, by the way, your child will bore of in about 22 seconds. They will find lids and remote controls much more entertaining. So save yourself some time and money and just invest in I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.
6. I will never let my child watch TV. Broken about six hours after Scooter was born. Look, babies are cute and funny and all, but sometimes mama just needs a cup of coffee and an episode of Ellen.
7. I will never compare my child. Every parent is guilty of comparing their child to others, then worrying obsessively that their child is some how developmentally delayed. I was guilty of this when a friend's baby the same age as Scooter starting crawling and standing up at 6 months and Scooter could barely sit independently. I worried until, at 8 months old, Scooter beat up a four year old. That's my girl.

Wordless Wednesday - Maryland Barns

Hershey Pretzel Treats

Looking for something easy to make for the holidays? Here's a quick and easy treat.

Hershey Pretzel Treats

Yield: About 8 dozen

- Bag of small square pretzels (commonly called snaps)

- Two bags of Hershey Kisses

- One bag of M&Ms

1. Heat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Arrange pretzels on cookie sheet. Place one Hershey Kiss on top each pretzel.

3. Place in oven for approximately 5-6 minutes or until Kisses are soft but not melting.

4. Remove from oven and push one M&M into each Hershey Kiss.

5. Allow to cool for about six hours before storing.

The stink of caribou...

Disclaimer: This post is not commentary on the current political climate in America or my personal feelings on Sarah Palin.

Yes, I watch Sarah Palin's Alaska. I am fascinated by Alaska and for sh!ts and giggles I plan my dream vacation there in my spare time. In this week's episode, Palin and her father hunt for caribou in the northern most part of the state. As you can imagine, the internet has been ablaze with anti-hunting comments regarding the episode. I have no problem with hunting, I feel it is a necessity to keep wildlife populations in check, especially in my area where whitetail deer have no natural enemies unless you count the front bumper of my pickup truck. My husband and I hunt, our children will hunt, and hopefully their children will hunt. Every fall we fill our freezer with meat and eat every bit we put in there.

With all that said, I was appalled by this week's episode of Sarah Palin's Alaska. Not because they were hunting, but because of Palin's obvious lack of hunting experience. Supposedly she's been hunting for over 20 years, but here are some things that make me question that:

1. She goes into noted bear country to hunt caribou without her own gun.


2. When a caribou is spotted and within range, she asks her father if the rifle kicks.


3. She doesn't cycle the bolt herself after each missed shot.


4. When handed a new gun and told the safety is off, she immediately puts her finger on the trigger before getting set.


5. She didn't field dress the kill herself.

I know, I know, some of this could be due to editing. But the fact that Palin has stated she has final say in what is shown, I find it far more likely that editing was done to make it appear she shot the cow herself. I have no problem with novice hunters, but even the most green hunter should know basic firearm safety. I think most viewers would have found it much more endearing if she had admitted this was one of her first hunts.

Wordless Wednesday - Gettysburg

With a Purpose

In my first post, I referenced a comment I received about being a stay at home mom that finally prompted me to start a blog. It happened at a local establishment in the middle of a week day from an acquaintance of an acquaintance. It was the basic generalization that stay at home moms sit around all day eating bon bons and watching soaps. But what really stung was the inference that I was setting feminism back by not honoring those that came before by remaining in the work force. My response? "Thank you for making grossly incorrect assumptions about my life. Now if you'll excuse me, I must make it back to my office before my lunch break is over." I turned on my heal with my 9 month old on my hip, diaper bag slung over the other shoulder, and returned to my office.

For those that know me, I often refer to myself as a part time stay at home mom. I have been incredibly blessed with the opportunity to work from home part time for the same company I've worked for since I graduated college. I do this while also caring for my infant daughter and I couldn't be more happy. But it's comments like the one above that just get under my skin. First, why do people assume that a woman out in the middle of a week day is a stay at home mom? It is possible that the woman is a doctor, fire fighter, nurse, line worker, or any other number of careers that require shift work. Second, stay at home moms are not doing a dishonor to those that came before. In this great nation, we are blessed with the right of choice. We are also guaranteed the right to our own beliefs. To me, nothing is more important to me than my family. It is my choice to fulfill my belief of family by being a stay at home mom, just as it was the choice of women before me to fight for rights like equal pay and employment opportunities. However, in the end, we are all honoring our forefathers (and mothers) by exercising our God given rights.