A Sentiment to File Away

....I believe that you are really close to being the person you want to be....

This is what my husband said to me on Saturday as I was running over a few little minor blips in some of my past and current relationships with friends and family. It was so profound and just about the best compliment I have ever received at the most perfect time.

My husband knows me well enough to recognize that I can be my own worst critique in striving for ideals I can't always meet. Yet in his eyes -- as wife, mother and friend, I was getting pretty darn close. It was a wonderful, intimate and unforgettable moment on the 405 somewhere between Long Beach and El Segundo and I have filed the sentiment away in my mummy brain to bring out on an as need basis.

Five Things You Should Never Buy For Mother's Day

I caught this article on yahoo and it made me laugh.... To the mothers out there. I hope you don't get the "Man Cold" for a gift.

Cookbook Recommendation

I've blogged half a dozen times before on mom-a-licious cookbook and I still love it -- her swiss chard recipe came out great last night and was surprisingly good but here's another recipe book which has come to my rescue. America's Complete Source: Better Baby Food by Daina Kalins, RD CNSD and Joanne Sasb, RD. It really is a complete guide to feeding your little ones and getting them off to a good start, giving fact and advice on nutrition, introducing solids, table food and the toddler years as well as dealing with adverse reactions to food. I referred to it a lot with my firstborn and have dug it out again to refresh my memory and inspire me for meals that will pick the interest of my twenty month old who has limited himself to eating, bread and toast, apples, grapes, almond clusters, cherry tomatoes, turkey, chicken, a variety of crackers, pasta and the occasional bit of fish -- these however cannot be combined without a protest.

Yummy Earth Plug

One more post tonight about an exciting find. Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops. I found them at my local Linen' n Things store when I was shopping for new bakeware. It is the prefect little "good treat" for tots and parents and I just wanted to share.

$4.00 for 30 pops at my local store.

Maggie Learns How To Say Sorry.

I've been having a couple of momentous moments with Maggie this past week. She's been learning the art of saying "sorry". And I have been learning the art of keeping my cool while negotiating my way around the logic of a four, almost five year old. The following is a close example of one of the many conversations we've had over this past week. Enjoy.

Me: Maggie its time to turn off the movie and get ready for school. Please get your shoes on.

Maggie: No!

Me: Maggie.... (spoken with my warned inflection)

Maggie: No. I don't want to!

Me: Maggie what's the matter? You sound very upset.

Maggie: I don't want to turn the movie off! (...tears sulking and whining infuse...)

Me: Maggie, you knew what my expectations were. Now it's time to turn the movie off please.

Maggie: I'm upset. I'm the most upsetest today. I will be upset all day and will never ever be happy again. Never ever.

Me: Maggie I'm turning the movie off. We're going to school. Get you shoes on please.

Maggie: No..... mummy. No mummy! Don't do that!

[by this point Maggie retreats to her room and I give her some "time out" before I enter]

Me: Hello Maggie. What are you doing in here?

Maggie: I'm sad.

Me: Why are you sad Maggie?

Maggie: I was looking at the pictures of you and it made me feel sad.

Me: Why is that Maggie?... Use your voice please, not your tears...

Maggie: I'm sad for the way I spoke to you.

Me: Oh Maggie... Do you need a hug?

Maggie: Yes (whimpering). I'm sorry Mummy.

Me: Sorry for what Maggie?

Maggie: I'm sorry for screaming and crying.

Me: It's okay to be upset Maggie but you need to use your voice. It's important to tell me how you feel. Now what's the other part of saying sorry?

Maggie: [sniffling a little] I don't know. You tell me.

Me: You ask what you can do to make it better.

Maggie: What can I do to make it better mummy?

Me: You can get your shoes on for school.

And off she went to get her shoes on without any whinning, stalling or fussing. It felt like a grand, grand, proud mummy moment.

I've Got a Dino for a Pet

This is my daughter's all time favorite book. I only had to read it to her once before she had memorized the whole thing and now she likes to "read" it back to me with perfect inflection in the appropriate places. She's so adorable. We read it for bedtime tonight and took it in turns to read it together. She gave me, and my husband a dino to sleep with tonight and snuggled up to her very own rubbery, squeezable snuggly dino -- 'cos no dino likes to sleep alone.

Knock Knock

I found this great, great super cool company and wanted to share it with others on my blog. KnockKnock.biz is a company that sells fun and modern stationary to help you organize your life and your home. I picked a pad for doing chores around the house but there are a dozen others I would love to have and a dozen more that remind me of other people. Many of their items would make great gifts and stocking fillers. Their website is knockknock.biz.

Hopefully, my purchase will help distribute chores around the house --note the small print at the bottom "to each his/her own responsibilities"