GOOEY COOKIES
This blog article can also be read at DC Metro Moms. I’m a contributor… it’s a great site!
I wasn’t kidding the other day when I questioned how to make cookies stay gooey, or even soft, and therefore edible…
My cookies resemble bricks.
I’ve never been a big cookie maker. It just never occurred to me to bake my own cookies when I can buy great ones from the Giant bakery…
Is that wrong?
Now, my son has his own baking set, complete with rolling pin, whisk, cookie cutters and cookie sheet and he LOVES to bake cookies because we get down on the floor of the kitchen and mix up all the ingredients and cut out the cookies on a sheet.
Yes, the sheet is on the floor… but the cookies are on the sheet, so they don’t touch the floor…
No, you don’t have to sample any cookies when you come over!
We’ve been baking a lot lately, producing lots of hard, almost candy-like cookies.
My son doesn’t even want to eat them. He just likes baking them.
And then, a breakthrough- soft cookies, like a grandmother makes!
I did it! I found out the secret to soft cookies!
How you ask?
I mentioned my desire to know the magical formula to tender cookies to my mother-in-law. How does one achieve the wanted texture? How do I make cookies that don’t harden enough to hurt the teeth?
What’s the rub- practice?… a secret ingredient?… maybe just more of an ingredient, like butter?
My mother-in-law looked at me and very matter-a-factly said, “Oh, just cook them a minute or two less than the instructions say to.”
What? Are you kidding? That’s it?
So I tried it… and it worked.
So… I feel good for succeeding in my discovery of good cookie making.
But on the other hand- Man, do I feel silly!
This is not a physics theorem. This is not hard. Does everyone know this?
Am I the only one who DIDN’T know this?
Wow.
But, regardless of how non-chef-like I feel, I am now inspired. My next venture- CAKES!
HOLIDAY BABIES
This blog article can also be read at DC Metro Moms Blog. I’m a contributor…it’s a great site!
Ahhh, Christmas cards, holiday baking, presents… birthday parties to plan.
Birthday parties?
I’m alluding to the extra ‘fun’ predicament of having a child around the holidays. My son was born exactly one week before Christmas. If you have already leaned closer to your computer screen – you definitely have a holiday baby. And you are awesome! Good job getting everything and everyone in your family taken care of this time of year
AND making your child feel special all at the same time! I know, I’m indirectly complimenting myself… But holiday mommies need a little pep talk this time of year!
I never thought about the ins and outs of the December birthday; I’m a June birthday (good planning, Mom) and my husband is a July birthday (nice planning, Mom-In-Law). But now I have a different worldview- and we’ve made the decision… (drumroll, please) to decorate for Christmas the 19th, the day AFTER my son’s birthday this year.
It is a big decision but one my son seems to think is very logical. Okay, he’s three. But it’s his special day and this is what he wants. He is incredibly excited for his birthday this year because as he once again, logically puts it, “I’m turning Four!”
So we have up no decorations. He doesn’t care. And we’re lucky enough that my husband is taking off that next day, the 19th. We’re getting up and going out and getting a tree, bringing it home and we’ll be garlanded, wreathed, ornamented and mistletoed by lunchtime.
It could be more of a logistical nightmare- I know a wonderful young mom who had HEALTHY twins last Christmas Eve. When we all heard, every other mom around said, “What a special Christmas gift!” I thought so too, but secretly my next thought was, “That’s going to be logistically tough.”
Another friend of mine has four of her five children’s birthdays within a month span, starting the first week in December… and her husband’s too.
I don’t know if I feel guilty about not decorating now OR if I think I should feel guilty. It’s an experiment. We’ll see how it goes.
Since becoming a ‘holiday mommy’ I’ve quickly learned I’m not alone. I have gotten great advice from everyone and anyone who is born or has a child born this time of year. Most importantly, I’ve learned to make your child’s birthday completely separate from Christmas… if you can. And just make your little guy or gal feel special.
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR Tips, Advice, Rookie Mistakes and Success Stories from ‘holiday babies’ moms’ out there! Every holiday mom I have ever spoken to has a story!
It is a busier than usual time of year to plan a birthday, but I would have taken my little guy on any day of the year!
I’M A SINGER!
American Idol: watch out! But wait… I’m too old.
Oh, well.
Now that my son sleeps in a big boy bed, rocking before bed has ended. This was his decision, not mine.
But a new routine has started. I sit on the bottom end of his bed and sing 2 sets of ‘Jingle Bell’. By the way, that’s not a typo, I know it is supposed to be plural but my son insists that it be sung in the singular.
Then I sing ‘Jolly Old St. Nicholas’. And the other night it happened. He asked me to sing one more song, a special song. The only Christmas song I could think of was ‘White Christmas’, so I started singing.
I’m sitting there singing, ‘I’m dreaming of a White Christmas…’
and then I start thinking – ‘gosh, I hope I know all the words to this song’…
Then I start thinking- ‘gosh, this is a VERY hard song to sing’
Then I start thinking- ‘wow, I am singing so flat’…
Then I start thinking- ‘gosh, I am butchering this song’.
And then my son’s eyes light up and he is smiling.
He thinks the song is wonderful.
He thinks my singing is wonderful.
He asks me to sing it again.
I do.
He is smiling so big.
I finish my rendition of ‘White Christmas’ and lean down to kiss him good night.
He looks at me and says- I kid you not-
‘Mommy, I know what I’m going to dream about. I’ll dream about a White Christmas!
Thanks, Mommy. Good Night.’
He turns over and goes to bed. Done. What a nice night!
THANKSGIVING
This poem can also be read on DC Metro Moms.
I’m a contributor…Great Site!
THANKSGIVING
Thank you for little hands and little toes,
Little fingerprints and a little nose.
Thank you for hair to comb and birthday parties to plan,
Mittens to lose and toy planes to land.
Thank you for family.
Thank you for friends.
Thank you for the autumn leaf colors and all the blends.
Thank you for life and imperfection.
Thank you for holiday candies and confection.
Thank you for little pajamas and toys about our house;
Thank you for laughter during the day and at night-
Quiet as a mouse.
Thank you for reading books and a roof over our heads,
A Winnie-The-Pooh toothbrush and a big boy bed.
Thank you for smiles and giggles reigning,
And Thank you (finally) to an end of potty-training.
Thank you for jackets, but temperatures not too cold…
And Thank you for all the memories I’ll have,
Long after I’m old.
OUR FIELD TRIP TO THE NATIONAL MALL
This Blog article can also be read on DC Metro Moms. I’m a contributor… Great Site!
In keeping with suggestions from online parenting guides, and PBS, and articles in the weekend paper, and even blurbs on the sides of cereal boxes, I decided to do something fun and educational with my 3-year-old son. We take ‘field trips’ together. During the long days of August when NOTHING was going on in this town, we tried to do a field trip once a week… now it’s once a month.
We got in the car and went down to the Mall. My son loves cars… and trucks… and planes… and rockets, really any mode of transportation. So I’m thinking, ‘What could be better than The Air and Space Museum ?’ Nothing… or so I thought.
I don’t know when you last parked down at the Mall, but parking is surprisingly easy. They added parking all along the service road that borders the Mall, the entire length of it. And if you want to take Metro- you’ve got the stop right there.
I pulled into a space only about a block away from The Air and Space Museum. No meters and ‘rock star parking’…cool! We walked across the little service road to the sidewalk and immediately saw a beautiful fountain in front of the National Museum of the American Indian. It had many levels and an edge big enough for a 3-year-old to walk along. He loved it (at this point I knew, maybe he’s not going to be as excited as I thought to see Wilbur and Orville Wright’s plane).
I finally coaxed him away from the super cool climbing fountain and we went into the Air and Space museum. As you all know – it is gigantic. It’s cool for adults and maybe 6–year-olds, but my son couldn’t really grasp that the huge cylinder which must have looked like a cylindrical building to him, was part of a rocket. He did however, like the models of rockets that were smaller.
We walked around a little more. I think we stayed a little over an hour and that included a trip to the Air and Space museum McDonald’s. The happy meal toy was a NASA rocket – nice touch McDonald’s and NASA.
We then started to leave; he told me he was ready to go. But wait, he was so impressed with the purse/bag x-ray machine that the guards showed him how it worked.
We made another stop at the fountain, crossed the street and my son yelled, “Mommy, look!” It was literally a bus and truck put together, I’m sure to haul artifacts around the Smithsonian. I believe it was a government vehicle.
“It’s a… BusTruck! I’ve never seen one of those before!” And he just stared.
When my husband got home from work and asked what we had seen and learned on our ‘field trip’ my son immediately started in with a description of the ‘BusTruck’… no planes, no rockets… the BusTruck.
So once again, I tried to give my son an educational experience, and he gave me the education.
But he’s a fun teacher!
THAT EXTRA HOUR
It’s official… The clocks have been turned back.
It’s cold weather time, talk turns to Pilgrims and Native Americans in nursery schools, and Dad is raking leaves today.
I love ‘gaining’ an hour. It used to mean an extra hour of sleep, but now it means an extra hour to get things done or having another cup of tea. It’s a quick run to the grocery store, changing decorations from Halloween to Thanksgiving, or a long, hot shower.
An extra hour couldn’t have come at a better time.
Don’t mean to scare anyone- but Thanksgiving is in less than 3 weeks and Christmas is just over 6 weeks away. Hanukkah is just over a month away. There is a lot to do, no matter who you are.
On the other hand, it is a beautiful time of year. It is chilly- translating into more jumps up on your lap from children wanting to get warm. Holiday music plays at the mall. Lots of decorations that at any other time of year would be considered tacky- are awesome! I love candy canes and I get to see them everywhere this time of year. Fires in the fireplace (okay, we don’t build fires in our fireplace because we have a 3-year-old, but it’s a nice thought), baking cookies (okay, I haven’t done it in the past, but I am planning to start this year… add to ‘to do’ list) and roasting marshmallows (I love the idea, but the whole fire thing again- I think we’ll pass).
But getting back to my point, it’s a cool time of year.
Remember it’s Thanksgiving time. It’s time to give thanks. Thank you for little feet around the house. Thank you for little hands, even when they are making messes. Thank you for being busy, being a mom.
Hey, and I’ve got a birthday party I have to come up with the week before Christmas for my son… so say thank you if you have kids with summer birthdays!
Happy Holiday Season!
GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT
Lots of people and events make me smile. ‘Girls’ Night Out’ makes me smile… and laugh… and relax.
I love sitting down with these girlfriends I’ve known since high school- and some grade school. No introductions, No ‘you know my neighbor from soccer’. All we do is share stories, food and drink.
I also appreciate all we went through to get there- sitters, driving, rearranging schedules. It can be hard to organize. Sometimes it takes weeks. But it’s worth it.
Kids come up, of course. A lot of good information comes up too- instant mom reviews of a certain toy, or stroller, or new show. But the beauty of the ’Girls’ Night’ is the spontaneous light bulb that happens every few minutes. My friend sitting across from me had one of these moments and got the biggest smile on her face. I just looked at her and said, “What?”
“I almost forgot to tell you,” she yelped. She ran into a guy who knows the guy she dated in GRADE SCHOOL. The guy ran into her old ‘boyfriend’ at a high school reunion and we all haven’t seen this guy in 20-plus years. Her GRADE SCHOOL ‘boyfriend’ asked about her…
She smiled at me and said, “Maybe he still likes me.”
We laughed till our sides hurt and I said, “I can’t believe we’re talking about this!”
But that’s what happens when old friends get together, and new friends too. Girls can talk about silly stuff and a lot of times that is wonderful and necessary.
Women are put in charge of socks, and school shoes, and mittens, and colds, and what to bring in for show and tell, and soccer practice, and family, and life.
If you don’t have a ‘Girls’ Night’ planned, do it. If you’re thinking of setting one up- call me!
SUNDAY MORNING
It is so nice every once in a while to have nothing to do.
Sitting around, drinking coffee and tea and reading the paper is precious. The grocery shopping is done. Birthday parties have been attended. Halloween costumes are ready and the house is clean. It is a moment of Zen.
Wouldn’t life be grand if it were always like this? No running around, no rushing!
No hopping in the car, no playdates, no taking on new tasks…
Hmmmm…
Sounds kinda boring…
Good thing it only happens once in a blue moon.
THE NO-STRESS PUMPKIN PATCH
I’m into no-stress endeavors. I’m into Halloween. I’m into pumpkins…
So I’m delighted to tell you- I’m into Homestead Farm.
It’s a real, working farm with apples to pick, animals to look at, hayrides to take and plenty of pumpkins.
The best part is the location. It’s just out at the end of River Road, about 8 miles past Potomac Village.
Go anytime, look at farm animals and pick out a pumpkin. My son was especially psyched when the roosters answered his calls of ‘Cock a Doodle Do’ for about 5 minutes straight- back and forth. It was a great moment (why didn’t I have the camcorder?!).
It’s pretty laid back. Plus, they have a huge assortment of pumpkins and gourds for Halloween porch decorations.
And I want to give a shout out to new ‘Fairy Tale’ pumpkins. I saw them at Homestead Farm yesterday and then later in the day at a roadside stand on River Road down in Bethesda. They look like the pumpkin coach from Cinderella- wide and plump. They are a must-have for the porch, but no carving, please.
So check out Homestead Farm for a close-in, no-stress pumpkin patch outing. For details and hours go to www.Homestead-farm.net.
Happy Pumpkin Picking!
NO BIAS
I cannot believe how much my son loves cars. He knows all the brands and is now starting to memorize kinds of cars, as in a Toyota Camry vs. a Toyota Corolla.
He loves to point out the differences in cars AND trucks AND SUVs from hubcaps to tail lights. He also loves that he knows all the different logos for cars. He’s learning to read (memorize) the names on cars.
We were writing with sidewalk chalk yesterday and he spelled out- TOYOTA. He has a special affinity to Toyotas because both of his grandmothers drive Toyota Camrys. Thus- that IS his favorite car.
It’s become another learning tool and it’s fun. The part that is especially sweet is that he makes no judgment on how cool a car is in relation to its price. I don’t mention prices of cars to him. I figure he has the rest of his life to think about car prices.
Actually, I don’t mention the price of anything… he’s three. It is so fun to look at the world through his eyes- no bias; if a car has a cool trunk or headlights or door handle, he points it out and he thinks it’s cool. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a Honda or a Hyundai, a Volkswagen or a Volvo, a Fiat or a Ferrari.
Wouldn’t it be nice if people could view things, events and other people and enjoy them… without bias? Could the world work that way? Maybe… I’d love to find out.
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