It's a serious problem!

What does this post have to do with water lilies? NOTHING! I just think it's a soothing picture!

Well, I have to admit something.

Even though I said it was time to cut the cord, I have followed three - possibly four - more blogs this week. Oh, I tried to stop. I was so good, I unsubscribed to like five blogs (or two?) and that was going to be it. No more! The end!

So, first I found a couple blogs about food. I mean, I have to cook everyday so why not get some new and exciting recipes for free! Pretty fun.

Then I found Sewing in No Man's Land. When you see this new blog I'm following, well I think you'll understand my obsession. It's a woman and her family who live in Timor Leste - where? (I think she said it's an island off the coast of Australia - yep, wikipedia agrees.)

Anyway, she's a fantastic lady. She has children, is a super fantastic seamstress, cooks, and takes awesome pictures! If you read this recent post you may tear up! Why would you cry about cooking, sewing, and picture taking? Well, take a look and you'll see!

So, you see, I HAD to add these few blogs to my google reader!

Had to.

Had to.

Had to.

(Help?)

Valentine's Day

My little sunbeams got a pie pop from me for Valentine's Day.

I found them here and couldn't resist. Look how cute they are. (Mine pale in comparison to Sara's!)





I also left a fun surprise for my husband to find in the morning. He ate them (jalepano chips) for breakfast on his way to work. Breakfast of champions!

Daddy Got a Time-Out

My husband was doing something and some water was spilled, something fell, and a little chaos erupted. He got upset and my eldest could tell.

She informed her daddy that he needed a time-out. She told him where to sit and left him for a moment. Then, when she decided he was finished, she reminded him he had to "be nice."

I think it was so great that my husband listened and took his time-out. It is important for our kids to know that everyone makes mistakes AND that we are willing to go through the process of correcting and repenting for those mistakes just as we expect them to do.

They need to see our human side. They need to see us mess up and see us handle it well. One time when I was a little fired up and talked sternly to my husband, my eldest told me to "talk nice to Daddy." That was a humbling experience. She was right. Even if I am upset by something, I am the only person who can control my response. But when I choose unwisely I can apologize and try again. Some mistakes are too harsh for little ones, but if we allow them to see our process of working out small issues, we are giving them the tools they need to succeed. We are helping them make better choices and handle situations better when we give them a good model to follow.

And, that's the end of this edition of Rachel's Soapbox! But I really think it's true . . .


"No, Ruprecht. . . . We apologize."

A virtual high five to the person who can name that movie!

Here's a hint:

Time to Cut the Cord

I follow WAY too many blogs. Mostly crafty blogs. I just can't do all the crafts I drool over every day.

So, it's time to unsubscribe.

It's time to cut the cord.

It's time to start reading my friend's blogs more. Start commenting.

I know my day of crafting will come and in the meantime, I need to keep it real. Yes, I just said, "keep it real." Weird.

Wish me luck.

Cupcakes

This summer, while visiting family, I tried my hand at cupcake decorating. I made some simple, yet cute, cupcakes for my sister.



Mmmmm . . . they were so yummy. Except the bears. I used gumpaste - not so tasty!


Just this past weekend I made some more cupcakes for a friend's baby shower. It was so humid I thought the icing was going to melt right off the cupcakes. I'll have to keep that in mind next time. Plus, I don't think I used the right icing tip? I don't know. I have a lot to learn - but it was FUN!



I used fondant for these flowers! Yummy!




I used lots of tips from these two sites:

Skip To My Lou - buttercream frosting

Make It and Love It: Make-a-Cake Series - fondant