The Diary of a single mom

Sometimes I feel like I want to run away and be a recluse on an island with my very own Wilson.  I would just sit back and take it all in,relish in the silence. Stand up with my arms open as the wind blows and kisses my face and I just enjoy the breeze on my skin and toes in the sand. The still moments of quiet, the leaves playing a song as the wind orchestrates the symphony of the waves crashing, wind blowing, leaves swaying, and the sand slightly dusting up. When I briefly close my eyes to imagine this wonderful escape.....

 

MOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

He hit me

I hit him because He thru my cards on the floor

Do I need to go to the hospital? He needs to be arrested

I defended myself, If he is going to hit, he better be prepared to take a beating

You’re going to hell for not showing brotherly love

An eye for an eye smart one

Mommy  the baby colored all over your chemistry homework

Mommy YOU said this paper was the scratch paper or was it that pile? Don’t be mad mommy but I already cut it up, and made the fastest paper airplanes, want to fly one with me?

Mommy I missed the toilet when I puked

Mommy the baby took off his diaper and pooped on the floor. I think I might have stepped on it and accidentally smeared it all over the couch. 

Mommy even if we wake up at 11am on the weekends you are not making us brunch, its breakfast and we would like the two meals after that appropriately called, lunch and dinner.

Mommy what’s this, can you fix this, Mommy I’m sorry but I accidentally broke this

Mommy did you really need that

 Mommy can you wipe me

Mommy he farted

 Mommy mommy mommy where are you, mommy why do you lock your door when you are taking a shower, I need to talk to you right now can you PLEASE open the door? Mommy I split my finger open, can you open the bathroom door? Mommy I’m sorry you slipped on the floor and shampoo is still in your hair but you see I did split my finger, that tiny speck right there and I need you to kiss it to make it better.

Mommy can you please pray again with us

 Mommy you’re the best

Mommy I am sorry I wasn’t nice to my brother

 Mommy can I help you fold the laundry

Mommy momma, mommy, ma, mom, mom, in any language that means love did you know that?

The truth is as much as there are times when I feel broken and wonder how am I doing this? I know I am embraced by God’s grace and I wouldn’t want it any other way. They drive me crazy and at times I cry, however the laughter outweighs the tears and frustration, I’m thanking God for my wonderful life and three healthy amazing boys. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

 Overall I am very blessed.  I still dream from time to time of the wind blowing me kisses on my face and I just enjoy the breeze on my skin and toes in the sand. The still moments of quiet, the leaves playing a song as the wind orchestrates the symphony of the waves crashing, wind blowing, leaves swaying, and the sand slightly dusting up.

Hello Cupcake

As of late I have been on a tremendous cupcake kick. My mission (obsession) is to find, make, eat, create the perfect cupcake. I have yet to find a cupcake I didn’t like so my goals are a little off. It gives me an excuse to eat more cupcakes, oh how I love the cupcake.
Have you ever really taken the time to appreciate a cupcake? Not all cupcakes are created equal that is the first thing you need to know. All cupcakes are unique and delicious in their own way. I guess I love them so much because they are individual and you can upscale, downscale, sprinkle, it doesn’t matter when baked with love and passion it’s the perfect masterpiece. I love how you can decorate each one or leave it naked when it comes to dressing the cupcakes bottom. They have the cutest little cupcake holders or you can choose to go nude its up to you. I prefer to dress my cupcake and picking out the perfect “outfit” cupcake liner is just as fun as decorating them with sprinkles.


I made two batches of cupcakes this week, one was for a potluck the other was for my son’s coaches birthday. I was pleased with the latter. The one for the potluck looked nothing like I imagined when I envisioned them. I wanted to make it appealing to a bunch of 7 year olds who love bright and colorful things. I wanted to make each one different. I got a little carried away with this idea.

I have been indulging in cupcakes more so after a hard week it allows for an outlet and creative to soar. This is also something my boys enjoy doing as well. A family fun activity with sprinkles galore, laughter, easy clean up, an excuse to buy more sprinkles, cupcake “outfits”, frosting, and to eat cupcakes!

Cupcakes make everything better, one bite at a time!

It is a celebration

Everything is a big deal to my middle son, it’s either a celebration or a party, he makes everything seem bigger than it actually is. It has been getting increasingly frustrating lately and I correct him when he says, I loved the celebration or the party. I politely say its JUST dinner, JUST hanging out with friends and family, JUST playing a game, JUST coloring, JUST going swimming, JUST going to baseball practice, its not a celebration or a party, its JUST doing simple everyday things.

When we had a BBQ at our complex, he was super excited when our friend grilled hotdogs with fruit, chips and a juice-box. You couldn’t get him to stop talking about what a great party it was. The fact is it was just dinner at the picnic tables and something easy to grill so the mommies didn’t have to endure the heat of the kitchen on a hot day and not to mention clean up was a breeze with paper plates.

 The other night I had a horrible migraine and I didn’t feel like cooking minimal is all where it was for me that night.  So I made breakfast for dinner. I put cinnamon rolls in the oven, placed the bacon in the microwave, and opened a Yoplait^® Go-Gurt, cut up an orange, poured a bowl of cereal, and quickly cooked some eggs. I felt like the worst mother for serving breakfast twice in the same in day. My son walked in from playing outside and he asked what that smell from the oven was. I told him they were cinnamon rolls, he asked, “are they for now”? I told him they were for now. He smiled so brightly and I told him we are having breakfast for dinner, expecting to have my son have a meltdown when I shared the news. Instead he looked at me with the biggest smile and jumped in the air to high five me. He hugged me tight and told me I was the best mommy. As soon as he sat down and after we prayed for our meal he asked what the special occasion was. I told him it was just breakfast for dinner nothing to celebrate. 

My son’s after school care had a potluck dinner tonight that we attended. It wasn’t a celebration it was a just because event. My son signed me up a day prior to bring cupcakes and was begging, pleading with me to attend the event. The truth is sometimes I don’t feel like doing anything after 5pm besides cooking dinner, and preparing the kids for bed. I am exhausted and depending on the day and how my head is feeling I just want to be a recluse. After being broken down by my son about how he wanted to go to this celebration and join the party I agreed. All night he was talking about it and how much fun he was going to have, to the point where it got to be annoying.

When we got home my son was nonstop talking about how much fun this party was and how happy he was to go and that I was the best mommy.  He delighted in the fact that the cupcakes were the best ever ( I was embarrassed by them as I was rushed and having a baby on my hip while doing sprinkles = disaster), It went on for about an hour. I finally said sternly, "It wasn’t a celebration, it wasn’t a party, it was a get together. Just like when we have dinner with our friends at the picnic tables or when mommy made breakfast for dinner, or we use zoopal plates, visit nanny, grandpa etc, its just normal things, everyday things its not a celebration or a party."

My son just stared at me lost in thought for what seemed like five minutes and then said, “God made the day mommy and we are all here, isn’t that a celebration? Shouldn’t we be thankful everyday and celebrate with the moments we have? Why do you think balloons and cake make an event, its you and me mommy and being together, its family and friends. Thanking God in our way for what we have and we show we love him by liking the little things that are big things to God, we show that by giving thanks mom.”

I started crying and I hugged my little guy. He’s right, here I am celebrating when people have events, holidays, birthdays, and he is giving thanks for everything. I realized at that moment everything to him is about celebrating and thanking God. I used this opportunity to look online for a verse that talks about giving thanks I found 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

We talked about it and gave examples, although I know this verse was meant for me as my son seems to live it and shows me by example daily. I will pray and implement this in my life and work on applying it daily. I will give thanks in all circumstances and be glad. I will celebrate every moment as it is a gift from God. 

I had a one time affair and the residue is gone, I should have done this years ago

One week ago my children were sick with the flu. It was horrible to say the least, the aftermath and the clean up, was just as bad if not worse. That was it; I had it with my cleaning supplies. I was brand loyal to a particular “cleaning” brand for years and after all that we have been thru, it just couldn’t, wouldn’t, didn’t perform.

Midway cleaning as I was on my knees scrubbing the tile had a nasty build up of a glossy residue on the top. When I looked up I noticed a slimy build up under the ring of my toilet.
 

 I never noticed this before as I used one of their devices while cleaning the toilet bowl along with cleaning the tile I just used their sprays, washes you name it.

I clean my bathrooms at least four times a week. I give a quick wipe down daily as I have three boys sharing a bathroom and despite cleaning it as often as I do, it smells like a urinal mixed with a litter box and we don’t even own a cat!  

Truth is when I had enough with my cleaning products, I was only going to have a one-time affair. I did the walk of shame after I quickly grabbed the new product and hurried off to the register.

When I got home I opened my new products and very excited to put them to use. Curious if it was really going to make a difference if one product was really more superior than the other.  I used The Clorox® ToiletWand™. 

 

When you buy the starter kit it even comes with a handy dandy designer storage caddy. This product just keeps on giving, it should be named the magic wand. It got all that slimy build up off of the ring around my toilet. I then used Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes to clean around the toilet. No messy residue was left either.

 

Brand loyalty to my other product, what you mean my “EX” cleaning products? I shake my head in disgust thinking of the years wasted on those high end products that left filthy reminders. Even though the surface looked great upon taking a closer look it was just scum. Money and time wasted and build up no more.

I’m now forever loyal to Clorox®. They know how to treat this mommy right. Easy on the wallet and tough on stains, and I don’t have to clean up any other messes besides my own, no build up no slime. It’s not fun to clean up other people’s messes especially when it’s your cleaning products. The bathroom smells nothing like a urinal or kitty litter anymore.

I always dreaded cleaning the toilets in my house, now this is my new favorite chore. Thanks to my new love The Clorox® ToiletWand™..