How to build a Gingerbread House

Step 1. Look online for design ideas. Pinterest is a good place to start looking............hahahahaha!!!
Step 2. Skip Pinterest. Just pay the money for the overpriced crappy kit. Trust me. Those creations on line were created by No mom anywhere ever, and you'll end up with the kit anyway.
Warning *You may see this as a fun activity for you and your children; they see an excuse to eat the candy. If you had any illusions of your children dazzling you with their artist skills, just throw the kit directly into the trash. If not, proceed to Step 3*
Step 3. Unwrap your kit. Several pieces will be broken, maybe even in crumbs. This is totally fixable.
Step 4. Read the instructions....yeah those are zero help, just start piping icing randomly onto pieces and smashing them together until something sticks.
Step 5. Search for a missing piece. Realize your toddler ate it.
Step 6. Cobble together the remaining pieces
Step 7. By now, your Gingerbread House should look like something resembling a house. Bonus points if its actually standing. It's leaning slightly to the left......oh, nope, wait, make that falling to the left. Pick it up, and squish it back together.
Step 8. Moving on to decorating, really the only reason your kids have stood around for an hour watching you play amateur architect. This mutated candy will not stick to anything. Not the icing, not the cookie, nothing. Resist the urge to use glue unless you want your kids to ingest it.
Step 9. Make decorating suggestions your children completely ignore while they shove gumdrops in the chimney.
Step 10. Your Gingerbread House is complete. It looks less Candy Land and more Drug Den, but the point is its up.
Step 11. Your kids will have picked off all the candy by the next day, so this monstrosity will sit and dry out until it gets eaten by your cat, or possibly a colony of ants if your having a freakishly warm winter.
Step 12. Realize this pain the butt project was TOTALLY worth seeing your kids laugh at your feeble attempts to create art out of food. They would have been thrilled if you just handed them the kit and fork, but despite your saying "Never Again!" you're so doing this again next year.
Merry Christmas!!!

Pumpkin Spice Obsession

I love almost everything about Fall. The weather, the smells, the colors. Hiding my extra rolls under a cozy sweater. I don't even mind the inevitable smashing together of holiday decorations. By the way, happy HallowThankMas!

And I admit, I live for that first morning when it's acceptable to pull out my baking supplies and make a fresh batch of pumpkin muffins. I even splurged on a pumpkin scented candle.

But one part of Fall has me so completely baffled this year. Maybe it's been this way for a while and I just haven't noticed, but when did Pumpkin Spice invade every item on the shelf???

Pumpkin Spice...just stop it. Seriously. Just stop.

I have nothing against Pumpkin Spice, if it would just stay were in belongs. In a delicious coffee, or maybe a cookie. But a recent trip to the grocery store proved that pumpkin spice has gone from a lovely seasonal treat to a full blown addictive obsession.

It was still warm enough that L and and I were in shorts and wearing sunscreen, when we walked into the store and WAM!! Halloween decorations, pumpkins,  yes, Fall had arrived, at least at Wal Mart. My cars temperature gauge still said 90 degrees.

Me being a fall fanatic, we spent some time exploring the fall displays, letting L look at costumes and just enjoying the day. When we finally got to the shopping, I noticed a weird trend start to emerge. Every item I picked up had a pumpkin spice variety riding piggy back on the shelf, like some annoying little cousin who won't leave you alone. Just sitting there, staring at me. Like "hey, over here, pick me! I want to come too!"

pumpkin spice coffee....o.k, they sell that in the store now.
pumpkin spice cookies...interesting.
pumpkin spice cereal....huh?
pumpkin spice Oreos......Really?
pumpkin spice chips......ew.
pumpkin spice flavored milk....enough already
pumpkin spice sausage......what the?
pumpkin spice bologna.....did I really just see that?

and lastly, pumpkin spice flavored bacon. Now, you've gone too far.

Pumpkin Spice, the only thing that can get away with that type of mass infiltration of flavor is bacon. you're good, but you will never be bacon. Stop trying to be bacon. Stop messing with Bacon. Even as a person who doesn't care for meat, I love bacon, so stop screwing around with bacon. Bacon doesn't need you, doesn't want you. Bacon is officially over you. It's time to move on, pumpkin spice. It's been fun while it lasted, but you have overstayed your welcome.

I know some people wait for pumpkin spice all year, I know pumpkin spice groupies who camp out at dunkin doughnuts in anticipation of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but does it really require an entire aisle in the grocery store? I don't think so.

It's been real, Pumpkin Spice, but consider this my notice to you to stay in the warm deliciousness of a coffee cup, and out of my crispy, delicious bacon.

Southern Moms

Im not a southern Mom, lets get that out of the way right now. I wasn't raised in the South, Im a transplant from New England who landed here purely by accident. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I did.  Ive lived here twelve years, and even though I'm  still not used to the heat, the isolation of small town living, how everything is FLAT...I'm grateful we live here. Sure, sometimes I miss city living, like every day when I have to drive to the store vs. walking. Or when I have an insane craving for Chinese at 3 a.m, and everything is closed. 

But, for the majority of the time, life here is pretty good. It's certainly been a learning experience for me. As a pre K teacher, Ive been able to observe many people over the years. And I've found that Southern moms in particular are very different from the moms I grew up with. Many years ago, I started thinking about the different Moms you see on a day to day basis, you have your sporty moms, crunchy moms, working, sahm, pro formula, pro breast, the cry it out moms, the cuddle moms, the helicopter moms and the free range parent. Homeschool vs. Public school, germaphobes and the moms who's kids eat dirt. 

with that in mind, I wrote down a list of the types of Moms you might run into here in the South, should you decide to visit.

The types of Moms you'll see at a preschool in the South

#1. The Chevron Mommy: This mom brings her child in spotless boutique clothing, if its a girl, it's usually chevron print with ruffles, and there will be a bow the size of a small helicopter perched on her head. Chevron mom also comes with everything monogrammed.

#2. Redneck Mama- This mama is tough, but laid back. She takes no lip, But let someone do or say anything to her "yungin'", she will kill them with her barehands. And she knows how to skin it, too. Look for her to drive a mid size pick up truck with anti Obama and NRA Bumper Stickers.

#3. Football Mom- You will see her dressed in school colors every Friday night. Her kid will come decked out in their colors as well, and will try to tackle other children.

#4. The butt whoppin' mom- This mom sends a belt with her child, with instructions to use it to whoop her child if he doesn't behave. (I'm not kidding, this has happened to me several times)

#5 The Farm Mom- Similiar to redneck mom, except she will bring you fresh tomatoes as a thank you gift. I love farm Mom.

#6. The Southern Grandma-She can be your biggest enemy or your biggest ally. Do NOT tick off southern Grandma. However, she will come in handy as a threat when junior acts up. He knows Grandma is home, and likely has time to come down to the school and whoop his butt. 

#7. The Southern/Redneck Daddy- look for a full size pick up with a dead deer and a gun rack.

One Year Later

Yes, I've been neglecting my blog. Poor, underfed blog. But, in my defense, I have a very good reason. My tiny toddler has grown into rambunctious almost 3 year old, and all my energy goes towards keeping her from pulling the house apart. :)

We recently celebrated one year of L being under the awesome care of her three therapists, Ms. Crystal, Ms. Keri, and Ms. Carrie. Ms. Kari with a "K" had to leave us, she moved into the school system, and L misses her terribly, but her replacement, also named Ms. Carrie, is fabulous, and L adores her.

The one year mark gave me a chance to reflect on just how much progress has been made. This time last year, L was speaking and functioning at a 6 month level, and showing signs of  A.S.D.
Now, she says almost 100 words consistently, including 12- 15 twos word sentences, she engages in play, and communicates with us, not always verbally, but often with sign language.She knows close to 25 separate signs.  Academically, she now identifies colors, shapes, ALL of her letters by sight and sound. Her speech is more articulate, still behind but catching up fast. She still has some "stemming" behaviors and prefers to play alone, but her therapists are confident she is not on the Autism Spectrum!!!

We will have a final diagnosis in November, right before her third birthday. This date is always in the back of my mind. There are still days I see those subtle traits in L, and it makes me nervous. In those times, I just ask God to keep me in the mindset that the outcome is already decided. God has a plan for L, and whatever it is, He will guide us, I don't need to worry, the path ahead is already known to Him, He's already paved the way for us, we just have to take his hand and walk it.

"For I know the plans I have for you, says The Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope, and a future." Jeremiah 29:11