I do anything for my family and friends. Lately my family has asked me to make some treats for either work or a party.

My sister Katie is having a luau this weekend. She had plenty of desserts but wanted a center piece for the table. I went to Micheal's picked up my supplies:



As I work on the grass skirt I realized that I needed more green icing. So I started adding some brown to the skirt instead of using it for the coconuts.



Simple, right?
I added the bikini top is done before placing the doll on the skirt.



Now the finishing touches! Katie loves the color purple so I picked up some purple silk flowers. Using a toothpick I put a hole int he foam so that the stems would stick.


Placing a flower in the girls hair was the finishing touch!

How does one learn?

How does one learn to be a SAHM? Is it something that comes naturally? Did you learn from you mom?
Growing up I knew that I would want to be a SAHM just by watching my mom. My mom was great at her "job". Yeah, okay she had her soaps that she watched, but I have my Law & Order. Our house wasn't spotless, but she took care of our house. Dinner was always prepped to be cooked or already cooking by the time my dad got home. She was there to pick us up from school, drive us to soccer practice, playdates, the mall and more. She taught us about chores and if you make a mess then you clean it up. We lived on a farm so there were days that she would be on the tractor in the back, cleaning out the barn, stacking firewood, or whatever else needed to be done. There were days that she was on the computer working on the 4-H newsletter, Green Valleys Elementary newspaper, or working on some sort of database.
Thinking of all the stuff my mom did I realize I don't do half of what she does. I guess I need to get my butt in gear! LOL

Our little secret

When you just don't want to go to the park, but need to burn some of that energy your toddler has what do you do?
Me, I go to Super Franks. Oh what a great place! Today we went with a few girlfriends. We were able to sit and chat while the kids played. Super Franks is an upscale Chuck E Cheese. Way better food, Starbucks coffee and a ton of great toys for the kids.
So hubby knows that we are out all morning. He knows that Dylan is getting exercise and is with friends. He's tired enough to take a nap.
So for $9.50 Dylan got to play for 3 hours and I had a soda. $22 fed 4 kids, 3 adults for lunch.

Relaxing weekends

As a SAHM we are running round all day from the moment our children wake up, we beg and pray for naps (Some days we just don't get one) and then count the hours until bed time. We have a fun time with our kids, but we are constintly on the go. Toddlers attention span can be short so most of the time us SAHM's need to keep things interesting for them.

I was lucky to have hubby take Dylan out on Saturday so that I could "rest". I had a migraine, but had so much that I needed to get done. I expected for the boys to be back 2 hours later, but they were gone ALL day. I got my long list done, watched some Tori and Dean, baked for my princess cake and rested. I enjoyed my time allow, but missed my boys. I'm always with Dylan. I missed his, "what's that?" and the sound of his little feet running round.

When Hubby and Dylan returned from playing all day I wanted to have Hubby relax. Instead he ran out to get "beer" and when he returned he had picked up sushi for dinner. He thanked me for all I do with Dylan. It touched me so much. Here Hubby had Dylan all day and he's thanking me. So totally backwards, but okay.

As a SAHM we don't think that others around us notice what we do every day. We don't think our spouses are aware of all the tiny tiny things we do. This weekend I realized Hubby does notice all those little tiny things I do.

Feeling a little lazy

After a long weekend holiday weekend I am exhausted. We didn't have anything on the calendar with our playgroup so Dylan and I went outside to play. We ended up at a nearby park to swing and slide. I have to admit, I even went down the slide... it was fun! Dylan and I burned any energy we may have had. Now we are lounging on the couch having some chips & salsa and watching Clifford as a puppy.
Sort of wish Dave was working out of the house so that we could have made today PJ Day. PJ Day are days when Dad isn't home and we get to be slugs all day.

I'm hoping for an early nap for all today!

Remembering the soldiers

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. A day we remember those that fought for our freedom. A day where we remember those that are currently fighting for our Country.

"Don't poop in the park"

Let's talk potty training.

There are so many different kinds of methods: Pull Ups, 3 Day, 5 Day, and the Nude method just to name a few. There are different techniques for boys and girls. Tricks depending on where in the world you live, what color hair you have (Not really), but my point is really it's what best for you and your child. So kids are potty trained as soon as they walk, some don't start until they are 3, some take just days to get it and some don't get it until they are older.

For us we used the 3 Day training. Dylan was only 26 months when Hubby and I decided it was time. Dylan was either taking his clothes and diaper off or would fight me tooth & nail to change his poopy diaper. We read up on a few techniques and the 3 Day made the most sense to us. It's an Ebook and we recommend everyone reading it to see if it'll work for you.

The family took a trip to Target and picked up a few packs of big boy underwear, super cool glow in the dark, Thomas the Train and Elmo. The next day was Operation Potty Training. That morning we went through a 4-5 pairs of underwear and a ton of Clorox wipes. The evening was better and progressively better every day. (There was one accident where Dylan peed in our coffee table. Oh that was a mess!) Since Feb 26th we have been diaper free! YAY... streamer, confetti canons going off in my head. No Pull Ups, No "Just in case" diapers, we had a mission and I wasn't giving up.

Fast forward to this morning....
Dylan hasn't pooped (Yeah TMI, but hey did you not read the title!) in 2 days. I knew, just call it mommy intuition that we will get to the park and he will have to go potty. Thankfully not only does this park have a fence around it, but it has restrooms. I told Dylan at home he needed to try and go potty. Nope! There just is not reasoning with a 2 year old. I told him at home "Don't poop in the park!" As we arrived I again asked and Dylan said "No potty." Not a minute after his friend pulls up what does he do...... POOP! I shrug my shoulder and off we went to clean up. There's nothing I can do about it. As much as I wish I could control things like this, I just can't. I just carry a few pairs of underwear and shorts in the car. Being prepared is key!

Some days are a success and others are washes! If out of a week there's one or two accidents I think I can handle it.

What is a SAHM

What does SAHM mean?
SAHM is short for Stay at Home Mom AKA: Homemaker, Housewife
In the 1960's we were called Suzy Homemakers. Suzy Homemakers had their house sparkling clean and the food on the table the second their spouses walked in the door. Are things different now? Are we so busy now that we now abbreviate things to make life simpler? Are chores more tedious that it seems like we are never done? Are kids now more hyper than those back in the 60's?

Some think Stay at Home Moms are at home watching Soap Operas and eating bonbons all day. Magically the fridge is full, food is cooked, the laundry is done, the house is clean all the while we our toddlers are beneath our feet. During the day a SAHM wear more hats then their spouse. Below is a list of daily activities and what we should be paid.

Job title	Annual salary
Child Day Care Worker	$20,259
Teacher	$44,824
Taxi Driver	$27,346
Facilities Manager	$73,239
Short-order Cook	$27,477
Laundry Attendant	$17,917
Janitor	$22,440
Counselor	$27,638
CEO	$545,268
Administrative Assistant III	$37,143
Accounting Clerk III	$34,842
Licensed Practical Nurse	$38,111
Plumber I	$33,155
Automotive Mechanic I	$30,725
Cake Decorator	$21,340

Jobs listed in order from largest to smallest component of a stay-at-home mom's job. All salaries are national averages. Source: Salary.com, 2004.

Now, when my hubby comes home from work is our house spotless? NO! We have a 2 year old, Dylan. This means you'll find a few goldfish and/or crackers on the ground, cars, books and other toys out. Dishes may be done and dinner might be thought of. I spend my day with our son and being with our friends. Our child's happiness and well being is what is important to us than seeing my reflection in the sink. That other stuff is just fluff that makes interacting with Dylan a little more enjoyable. As I sit here writing to you all I see our broom and mop out for use. To Dylan they aren't for cleaning, they are our guitars . We rock the house all day long!

So in short, am I a Suzy Homemaker? Nope and proud of it. I have a happy marriage, an amazing little boy and the best job on earth.... I'm a SAHM!