Life Lessons at Chez Cupcake

December 19, 2011 By 71 Comments

As requested, here is another edition of things I have learned while living my life this past week:

1. Twelve year old boys in groups are loud as hell and will not listen to you for more than 8 seconds when you ask then politely 83 times to not scream at each other at 3am.

2. Three 12 year olds are fine. Four is ok. Six is complete chaos and you should just throw food at them and run.

3. When boys stay up all night, they will crash out in the middle of the day in very odd positions.

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4. Two year old little girls are HIGHLY unamused when they are forcibly removed from the middle of their big brother’s birthday because they have decided all dance parties are their parties.

5. Nothing is more awesome than a tutu.

6. Except maybe bubbles.

7. One can only blow bubbles for so long. No matter how long you can blow, it will always be insufficient for a two year old.

8. I am sometimes very impressed with my own skills.

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9. Nothing makes me quite as excited (except for my babies & Chef) as A new mouth guard, new toestops and a new helmet. Yes, I realize I am a giant derby nerd.

10. I will watch any movie with Jason Statham in it once. No matter how horrible it is.

11. My friends and my kids and my fiancé are some of the greatest people I know and they surprise me every day.

Hope y’all are having a great holiday season!

Filed Under: Boy Wonder, Chuck, I escaped my house and can still blog, Kids, Nothing to See Here., Opinionated Grandma Squad

Happy Birthday, Baby

December 15, 2011 By 75 Comments

Dear Boy Wonder:

Today is your twelfth birthday, and after all that has happened in the past few months (though you are blissfully unaware of any of it), I am happy to be the one to do ridiculous things like stay up until midnight baking cookies with spelling words on them and then wake up at 6am to make homemade Egg McMuffins (all in the name of pleasing the birthday boy.)

When you were born, as you probably know, I was very young. I had no idea how to be a mom, but I tried very hard in my own adolescent way. Thank you for being patient with me, as I learned to be a mom on the fly, while teaching you how to be a big human being.

I remember quite a few birthdays (and birthday parties) when you were very little, and you hated to have anyone sing you “Happy birthday”! You still do, you’re just not as vehemently opposed as you were at 3.

You have always been an incredibly intelligent child, and I can never keep the books out of your hand (not that I’d want to). No more books at the dinner table, btw.

Your math skills are approaching the top realm of my capabilities, I’m afraid….and there will come a point when I cannot assist you with your math/science homework anymore.

And as you careen towards the teenage years, I’m afraid my math skills will run out right as you need to learn things like shaving and what to say to girls. (I can kind of help with that last one.)

I fortunately have your rad dad and your awesome stepdad to help you with these things, but as you turn twelve on this day, I can’t help but reminisce about the sweet, tiny (but LONG) baby you were and the quiet & curious toddler you became and the smart, funny, caring adolescent you’ve become.

I can’t wait to see how your teenage years pan out, but for now, you’ll have to humor your “old mom”, when I hug you a bit tighter or stare at you (but not in a creepy way) and think of how, in just a few short years, you’ll be off on an adventure, and I won’t need to hold your hand so you can cross the street.

Happy Twelve, baby. Your dad, Chef and I are lucky to know you and your brand of awesome.

Xoxox,
Mom

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Ps, you’re pretty much the best big brother ever, per Chuck.

Filed Under: Boy Wonder, Kids, Letters that will never get mailed Tagged With: , ,

Reason #437 why I

October 24, 2011 By 85 Comments

So Boy Wonder is doing his homework and he (as always) brings it to me to check.

This is what I find:

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There is so much awesome about this that I don’t know where to begin.

But two things I would like to point out:

1. If he had died when he was little, I would be way worse than just “in therapy.”

2. The guy standing next to the hospital bed looks like Terrance. Or Philip.

He makes me laugh every day. Between him and his sister, I am happy.

Filed Under: Boy Wonder Tagged With: ,

Foodalicious

September 9, 2011 By 60 Comments

My children are good eaters.

We did go through a period where Boy Wonder would only ingest green smoothies, peanut butter or grilled cheese sandwiches, bananas and apples….but the doctor said he was hitting all of the good nutrients, so we didn’t push it too hard.

He seems to be over that now. Had 3 pork chops, a big bowl of peaches, a green salad and some pilaf for dinner last night.

Then when he got home from youth group, he ate half a cheese pizza.

Forget college funds, we should be saving to feed him through age 18.

As for Chuck, we are pretty sure she doesn’t have any eating issues. Except for green things….she won’t eat anything green.

With the exception of sushi. That girl thoroughly enjoys a trip to our local conveyor belt sushi place, and they make her special plates of Chuck-sized sushi and a julienned strawberry with whipped cream.

So two stories about my kids and food from the last week:

1. Chuck and I went to the farmer’s market last weekend (Boy Wonder was at camp) and I put her in the backpack baby carrier, which allows her to sit back a bit and enjoy herself. She is quiet most of the trip (being fed treats from all of our favorite vendors) but when we go pick up our CSA box, she starts giggling hysterically. When I checked to see what’s up, I noticed she had stolen a peach from one vendor, a fistful of beans from another and a piece of bread from the baker.

I need to pay closer attention.

2. Boy Wonder started sixth grade this week (when did he start worrying about his hair??) and will be riding the bus to and from. While packing up for his day today, I ask him what he would like for an after school snack if he could pick anything…he looks at me with a big grin on his face and says “a WHOLE LOAF of banana bread!!”

He’s growing again.

How are your kids at eating? Do they make their own lunches?

Filed Under: Boy Wonder, Chuck, Kids Tagged With: , , ,
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