Pancake Makin'

Sometimes, a girl's just gotta have some pancakes.  And what better way to enjoy those pancakes than with giving Little A the opportunity to learn how to make 'em too!  I love the opportunity to bond with her when it comes to the kitchen.  She even has her own "tools"...

There are many lessons and skills one can learn when making 'cakes...

1.  Measuring - that's math, right?

2.  Stirring - builds biceps!  (Do you like my one-eyed pancake batter stirrer?)

3.  And my personal favorite...clean as you go!!  (Instill this habit EARLY!  Now if we could just work on her bedroom!)

4.  Last but not least, pouring.  Does this help with hand-eye coordinatation?  I think so!  This was as far as Little A was allowed to go in the process, much to her chagrin.  Armed with my bright orange Rachel Ray spatula, she assumed she was going to be allowed to flip those babies, but I had news for her.  Her feelings toward me by not letting her flip put a smidge of a damper on the bonding experience, but we prevailed.  So much so that we shared a plate of delicious Oatmeal Pancakes - and I was so immersed in their deliciousness that I forgot to take a picture.  Oh well, you'll just have to trust me...they were awesome.

Because we HAVE to eat, spending time together in the kitchen is one of the ways I like to spend quality time with Little A.  Now mind you, there are times when I am so tired when we get home at night that I have absolutely no desire, energy, strength, or patience to make it a bonding experience.  But the weekends, those are the best!  I'd love to hear from you about ways you incorporate bonding and learning experiences together with your little ones...(or your big ones for that matter!) 

Cheers!

Dee

Date Night

As you know, work and home-life balance is high on my priority list.  It had been a while since Big B and I had some "just us" time, so I was really looking forward to our time together.

You see, Big B and I don't have any family living closer than a three hour drive.  No chance for Little A to just hang out at Grandma's or for Big B and I to just drop her off every once in a while to get some stuff done. Nor do we have any reliable baby-sitters in our area.  Our neighborhood is very small with no teenagers.  And because we commute so far, most of our friends live in the city where we work.  It stinks really. (I know, insert pity party here!)  So, my dear in-laws drove three hours to make our little jaunt possible. God bless 'em!

Let me just say we had an absolute blast.  We went to four different, ahem, "establishments" and enjoyed a beverage and a snack at each one.  We played a few rounds of pool, AND I even convinced Big B to slow dance with me!!!  We even made it home before midnight...

NOT in keeping with my budgeting and getting out of debt goals, we did spend a little more than I would have liked.  But I honestly believe you can not put a price on some good ol' quality time (and a few slow dances with the hubby). 

I send a huge thank you to my fabulous in-laws for making it all possible.  Now, it's time to figure out some good "cheap" date nights for next time.  I'm excited to hear your suggestions!

Drinkin' Coffee in the Dark

As mentioned previously, there is this little thing I'm working on called work and home life balance. Right now, my life is centered around exactly four things - my dear husband (we'll refer to him as Big B); my precious and super sassy soon to be 4-year old daughter (otherwise known as Little A); my job, and last but certainly not least, SLEEP. Well, it kind of is least. It's what I get the least of, but feel I need the most of.

I have come to the realization that in order to be a more pleasant wife, mother, human being, I need to have a little "me" time each day. The ONLY time that is able to happen is early morning or late at night. And anymore, late at night just doesn't cut it for me. So today, I was up at 4:00 a.m. I look at my alarm clock. What? You've got to be kidding. As I try to convince myself to stop thinking about it and just go back to sleep, my mind thinks this is just a joke. Why? WHYYYYY? (think Nancy Kerrigan's bashed knee). 5:00 has been my usual lately, but not today.

I find my glasses, make my way to the kitchen, and start the coffee. It's dark outside. Not even a hint of sunrise. But it's peaceful and still. My peeps are comfy, cozy, and safe, all snug in bed. I on the other hand am loading the dishwasher at 4 in the morning. I think to myself - today is pay day. Which bills have to go out of this check? Big B is playing drums tonight...what will Little A and I do for dinner? On and on, these things pop into my head.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP...ahhhh, the coffee is finally ready. I pour myself a cup - wow I love this ritual. I sit down in front of the computer, dish washer humming in the back ground. An old friend from high school has sent me a friend request on Facebook. How cool. Nice way to start the day...someone saw my ad for Big B's truck on Craigslist and is interested in buying it. Even better! So all in all, getting up at 4:00 today wasn't so bad. Now if we could just fast forward to 5:00 (PM that is).

So tell me, how do you "balance" YOUR day?