Welcome To Play Group

If there is one, single piece of advice I could give a parent-to-be, it's to join a play group the minute the wee one is born. My husband and I moved into an uber family populated neighborhood just before Sadie arrived, and we were lucky enough to be invited into a local group. For those of you who are curious on how these things operate, here are some rough guidelines:

Welcome to Play Group.

The first rule of Play Group is: you do not talk about Play Group.

The second rule of Play Group is: you DO NOT talk about Play Group!

Fight Club is my favorite movie. But for reals...

The third rule of Play Group: Don't be shy! Play groups are great for the kiddies, of course, but they're also a way for parents to chat about the joy/ridiculousness that is parenthood. Share, share, share. Chances are the other parents have been through it, are going through it, or will go through it at some point.

The fourth rule of Play Group: Don't compare your baby with the other babies. All babies are unique individuals, and develop at different rates. I've lost sleep over the fact that the Sadester is slimmer than other babies. Then I realized that all of her food is fueling her upward growth. At this rate, the kid's going to be 6'2" in preschool.

The fifth rule: It's impossible to keep your child 100% safe from germs. Your baby will drool on other babies' toys. Other babies will drool on your baby's toys. It's just how it is. However, if your little tyke is sick and contagious, best to keep the little Petri dish at home.

The sixth rule: If hosting, be sure your large, scary looking doggie doesn't charge the door barking when others arrive, resulting in a room full of crying babies. My bad.

It's ok kiddies. My bark is worse than my bite.
Unless you're a cat. 
Or a squirrel. 
Or a mailman. 







The seventh rule: Don't offer to host unless you've baby proofed your home first, or at the very least, have hidden the fireplace tool set (specifically, the machete). Yup. My bad again. To my credit, we're renting and the machete doesn't actually BELONG to us. To my discredit, I was oblivious to the fact that it was there for about 5 months.

I like to be a jokester in my silly little blog, but seriously, my daughter and I are so, so, so happy to be part of such an amazing group of mommies, daddies, and kiddies.

See you Monday, friends!

Smorgasbord O' Sugary Sweets

It appears I only have time for one extracurricular activity in my life. Now that I'm baking for the Sunday Musquodoboit Harbour Farmers Market, I fear my blog is going down the crapper.

So below is the best I can do for y'all this week - an agglomeration of my weekly creations.

(And yes, I came up with "agglomeration" by looking up a synonym for "smorgasbord" on thesaurus.com. My wearied brain couldn't come up with a word THAT good on its own.)

Rolo Surprises

"Heavenly Hash" Brownies (Not to be confused with Heavenly "Hash Brownies")

Carrot Cake Cookie Sammies with Cream Cheese Frosting

GIANT Double Chocolate M&M Cookies

Cinnamon Buns

 Hand-Dipped Peanut Butter Chocolates

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting (See my recipe)

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

 Mini Vanilla Cupcakes

And I'm spent.

Honey, I'm Home!

* Warning - The following blog post contains boasting, bragging, and tooting of my own horn. Reader discretion is advised.

I'm the luckiest stay-at-home mama in the whole wide world. Motherhood has been surprisingly easy on me so far. I often wake up singing with a hop in my step and a big ol' grin on my face. Other mothers often ask me "Sarah, what's your secret?"

My secret? (Other than the fact that I have an awesome baby, of course!)

My partner works from home. 

I don't have to watch him leave for work every morning, or count down the minutes until he pulls into the driveway at night. No sir! His office isn't a car ride away. It's a stroll down the hall.

My heart goes out to all those moms or pops out there who don't have this luxury. I also cannot IMAGINE how single parents do it. I'm spoiled, so very, very spoiled.

So what's a typical work day in the Miller home?

6:30am - The Sadester awakens.

6:35am - I head straight to the coffee maker, miraculously making coffee without actually being conscious.

7:30am - Sadie is changed, fed, loved, and her play stations are already destroyed.

8:30am - Robin stirs and I throw Sadie at him. I then shower, eat, walk our pooch, and make Robin's morning "oatmeal supreme". Yes, he eats oatmeal every morning. So weird.

9:30am - Robin puts on his work clothes (jogging pants) and heads down the hall to his office. Sadie and I play, stroll, eat, and sleep the morning away.

12:30pm - Lunch time! I throw Sadie at Robin and eat my lunch. Being the good little housewife that I am, I make my man some grub too. No Subway or McDonald's for this guy! Homemade soup & sandwiches everyday.

1:30pm - Sadie and I play, stroll, eat, and sleep the afternoon away.

5:30pm - I hear the glorious sound of Robin shutting off his computer then promptly do a jig. Sadie also shuts down her computer so she can spend time with her daddy.

Gotta meet my milk quota. My boss is such a hard-ass.






I should also mention that I annoyingly pop my head into the office throughout the day. "Robin! Look at the size of Sadie's poop!" "Robin! Sadie ate blank this morning and now her farts smell like blank too!" You get the idea.


But alas, all good things must come to an end. One day Robin will be needed back in his main office, and poor Sadie will be stuck with me all day. Until that day comes I'm going to milk this for all it's worth, and not take for granted how wonderful our situation is.

Where The Wild Thing Is

Our baby girl hits the 6 month mark in 2 weeks. WHAT the WHAT? Has it really been 6 months since she popped out of me, so teeny and goobery? With each passing month, I'm flabbergasted at how she's changed, and how my husband and I have adapted as parents.

We've had it pretty easy so far. Sadie's been a fantastic sleeper. She's interactive, loves to eat, and is generally fuss-free. Lately, however, she's come down with case of "Baby Rage". It turns out 6 months is where the baby shit hits the fan.

I'm scared.

I vaaant to suuuck your boobiiieee.










You see, Sadie is very active and curious. She is, how do I put this? INTENSE. Up until now, her undeveloped motor skills have restrained her ability to seek and destroy, but I'm bracing myself as she becomes more mobile, vocal, and opinionated.

The Sadester's been eating solids for about a month now, and has been happily devouring everything pureed I put in front of her. However, she took a bite of apples yesterday, spit them all over my face, grabbed the spoon, threw it across the room, and proceeded to WAIL until I gave her some carrots. Yikes. She's also ripped leaves from plants in the blink of an eye, claimed my cellphone, toothbrush, and spatula as her own, and has started laughing wickedly when my husband tries to put her to bed at night. I feel genuine sympathy for her toys, as she viciously bites, pulls, and smashes them around her exersaucer. I wouldn't be surprised if her first words are "SADIE SMASH".

I suppose I had it coming though. The hyperactive apple hasn't fallen far from the hyperactive tree. Now how do we prevent her from becoming a little monster? Is there a "What To Expect When You're Expecting A Shit-Disturber" book?

Let the parenting (and baby-proofing) begin!

The Snozberries Taste Like Snozberries

Last summer, while enormously pregnant and unemployed, I started an amateur baking business called Sweets! By Sarah and sold my treats at the Musquodoboit Harbour Farmer's Market. Business boomed (relatively speaking) so I continued to pump out cupcakes, cookies, and cinnamon buns until my aching back and swollen feet made me call it quits.

The same summer market is starting up again in a couple weeks, so I've decided to dust off my old recipe book and give the business another go. I've acquired a new business partner, Sadie McBakerson, who will either be the key or the absolute downfall of my venture.





So what does this mean for my loyal readers out there? Why, more of my butter-filled, sugar-packed (but totally calorie-free) recipes, of course!

I slightly tweaked the following cupcake recipe from The Busty Baker, which in turn, has been adapted from Julie Hassen's 125 Best Cupcake Recipes. I stumbled upon this recipe and decided to try it out, hoping to incorporate it into my baking repertoire. I like to think I invented the frosting recipe myself, although I'm sure the same recipe can be found somewhere else on the internet.

The Razzle Dazzles - Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes With Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

Cupcake Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa 
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup veggie oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup frozen raspberries (or fresh, but I'm cheap!)
1/4 cup raspberry jam
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions:
I usually perform the "dump and mash" technique when baking, but since I'm trying to make money off of these bad boys, I thought I'd be a good girl and stick to the recipe.
Mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Beat the last 8 ingredients together in another bowl (I use a handheld electric mixer). Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat until smooth. Fill large cupcake liners 3/4 full, then bake for 25 minutes at 350º.


Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups icing sugar

Instructions:
Beat the first 3 ingredients together until creamy. Gradually add icing sugar and beat at a low speed until smooth.


Last but not least, ice the cupcakes as you desire. I chose the "pink, swirly turd" look. I also added a schtickle of cream cheese icing and a fresh raspberry on top.

They sure don't taste like turds! The cupcakes are chocolaty, moist, and packed with raspberry flavor. This recipe's a keeper, and will be a fine addition to my market menu.

Just to be sure, I better sample a couple more...

We Salute You, Sleeping Baby

Long weekends are never long enough. "Pleeeeaaasee call in sick tomorrow" I begged my husband last night, the smell of BBQ and suntan lotion still fresh on my skin. Victoria Day Tuesday should be a statutory holiday too. Bah humbug.

Let us recap the weekend, shall we?

The weather was sublime. Blue skies, a light breeze, and the temperature hovering around 20-25º. We barbequed, had a constant stream of visitors, and played with Sadie and our pup on the lawn 'til sundown every night.

We even squeezed in a family hike at The Bluff Trail. The trek is rugged enough to give mom and pop a workout (but safe enough to lug around your 5 month old) and TOTALLY worth the effort for the breathtaking views. Sadie had fun too, especially when her butt exploded and we had to change her on a rock. That kid's a trooper.

I also did some urban exploring Monday morning with the Sadester while Robin did some house/yard work (score!). Sadie loves meandering with mommy in her baby carrier. She vibrates with excitement from all the new colors and faces. We were walking around Halifax's Citadel Hill and just as Sadie was (finally) falling asleep in her stroller...KABOOM! Off goes a canon. Then 20 more. It appeared we had made it just in time for the Victoria Day 21-gun salute. A HUGE oversight by yours truly.

Now it's Tuesday. The bbq is covered, Robin's back to work, and Sadie and I are both still in our jammies at 4pm. Oh well. I suppose Canada Day is only 6 weeks away.

Wheat and Wood and Sheep, Oh My!

I have a confession to make. My husband and I are hardcore Catanimals. Not to be confused with Furries, people that dress up like stuffed animals (and find it arousing? No comprendo), Catanimals are people that are addicted to the somewhat nerdy yet TOTALLY AWESOME board game, Settlers Of Catan.

You see, we don't get out much. Pre-Sadie, we socialized with the masses, drank beers in bars, and were hungover and useless the next morning. This lifestyle is difficult to maintain when you have a baby who wakes up at 5am and requires your undivided (and conscious) attention.

We recruited my younger brother and his lovely lady friend to join our games, so we now have twice-weekly Catanathons. It's also my brother's birthday today, so Isaac, this post is for you!

I should mention that these photos were taken a few months ago, before Sadie entered her EVERYTHING MUST GO IN MY MOUTH phase. Now we only start our games after her bedtime, which is coincidentally earlier on Catan nights .

For those of you that aren't familiar with Settlers of Catan, you're missing out. You need to buy this game and play it immediately! For those of you that don't like board games? You will like board games once you play Catan.

Catan Prospers!