Attempt 2

1. This weekend was awesome. On Saturday, we set up shop at the Salem Farmer's Market to sell our cupcakes. We took 150 and sold out by 12:30. Whitney came down and I couldn't have done it without her. Without her or Jason, really. And so many friends came down to support me, it was amazing. I am blessed.

2. Today was damn near perfect. Ethan slept in until 7:30(!!!) and then we just had a lazy morning together. We took Nicole to the pool for a bit, he took a nap in the car while I read and then he was amazing well behaved on our trip to the grocery store. We came home and loaded up in the stroller. We went to the library, picked up dinner and took it to our current favorite park for a pinic and some play time. Ice cream for Ethan on the way home, a bath and Daddy got home just in time for some snuggles with E. while I attempted a carrot cake (alas, it did not go well. Too dry. I'm trying to work with stevia and carrot cake just really needs the brown sugar). And now, I will be in bed with a new book before 10:00!

I really think I need to write less about the warm fuzzy feeling stuff and more about the reality of having kids, being a stepmom, etc. Like yesterday, for instance. We finally, after seriously months of trying, did family pictures with Tracy, who is awesome. Ethan was in good spirits, because he and I had taken a 3 hour nap that afternoon, but Halsey-- oh, Halsey-- had refused to nap and he is not a happy camper when he goes without a nap. He was a little rambunctious for Tracy, but it was regular four year old hijinks and whatnot. Until he spit in her face. Well, not exactly in her face, but towards her face and her camera. That was The End. He and Jason had a "session," and he just put on his saddest face and wailed (I think we may have a picture of it somewhere in our photo session). He just continued. He wailed as we walked off the campus. He wailed as started our walk home and he wailed for two entire blocks of Main Street until I had enough. I got him out of the wagon, sent Jason, Tracy and Ethan ahead and Halsey and I sat until he stopped crying, which didn't take too long. He was most upset because he knew that because of the way he had acted, there was no trip to Walmart (yes, we bribed him for the photo shoot). He said to me, "well, my mom will buy me whatever I want." This, of course, made me furious (I have real issues with kids being spoiled with material possessions), but I remained calm and told him that I was pretty sure she wouldn't buy him a toy when she knew that he had spit in someone's face. I also told him he was fortunate to have so many toys already and that if he wanted to continue to act this way, he could keep four of them and we would give the rest away. He looked at me, trying to work out if I was serious. However, Halsey and I are on great terms and he knows that when I say something, I mean it. I don't end up caving just because he cries. I'm consistent and he trusts that about me and suddenly, not getting a new toy didn't seem so bad when he realized that I really would take away all of the others. And you know what? He was fine after that. He apologized to Tracy and to Dad. And he was completely pleasant for the rest of the walk home.

4. Have I mentioned yet that I am going to bed? Woo hoo for early bedtimes!