Livi’s first day of preschool!

It was Livi’s first day of school on September 15th, and she did me proud!  I had mixed feelings about how she was going to react with dropping her off and not being able to go in with her.  Our school has a strict policy in place that requires the parent to stay in their car at drop off so a teacher can escort them into the building.  I was concerned Livi would question why I was letting someone she didn’t know take her away when we’ve been teaching her not to go with strangers since she was in utero.  Okay, maybe not for that long, but close.  Being that Livi was chosen off a wait list at the last minute, we missed the open house where we would have had the opportunity to meet the faculty and staff.  With that said, I set up a meeting with her teacher so Livi and I could meet her in advance.  Not only did this make Livi and I feel more comfortable about the first day of school, but her teacher was no longer a stranger.

I’d say I need a vacation if my kid weren’t such a trip

Being a stay-at-home mommy to a 3 year old, while rewarding, is more challenging than anything else.  Luckily for me I’ve always had a lot of patience.  Or at least I thought I did, until Alivia turned 3 and started to prove me wrong.  And while there are days I’d like to curl up in a ball, suck my thumb, and cry myself to sleep, most days I try to see the humor in things.  I try to step out of my body as if I were an outsider watching us on TV.  I try to imagine the genre we’d fit it into on each particular day.  For instance, one day on my way upstairs to see what Alivia was doing, I found Vaseline all over her face, neck, clothes and, yep, in her hair.  It was awesome having to scurry to clean her up as we had plans to go out.  Yes, I’m being facetious.  On that day, I’d say we were a comedy; the two of us!  See, I can be easy going.  While “the episode” was rather inconvenient, who wouldn’t have laughed at the sight of their toddler all greased up with that “deer in headlights” expression on their face while mommy repeatedly asked “why would you do this?” as if it could be rationalized.  Seriously?  Of course, I’d take those days over serious ones any time.  In fact, days like those are a break from what seems to be the norm these days.  The norm being Livi doing something she’s not supposed to and mommy having to put her in her room.  If you read, Crying, and whining, and tantrums, oh my, I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about.  It’s been a struggle for the both of us lately. 

Crying, and Whining, and Tantrums, Oh My!

It donned on me, while I rinsed off dishes to put in the dishwasher, that I just asked my 3 year old if she was going to cry every day for the rest of her life as if she were capable of answering it honestly.  Or as if it were a fair question to ask a child that age.  

At the time, I'm sure she thought she was answering honestly as she mumbled what I thought sounded like a "yes", but I can't be sure since it got lost in the high pitch sounds of what resembled a puppy cry.  This is what it sounded like when Alivia started to whine.  Between her crying, and whining for what seemed to be the one millionth time that day, I thought I was going to lose it!  Mind you, I haven't been feeling well.  I have been fighting a sinus infection that spread through the house like a forest fire and even still, I mustered up the patience to make a silly game out of asking her not to run around the kitchen island near the hot stove.  I would physically redirect her every time she would get near the stove, turning her around and pushing her off towards her dad who would do the same thing as she approached the other side of the island.  All of a sudden, before the hubby and I knew it, she was crying and acting like her moody little self.  You can imagine my patience, at this time, was dwindling, and quickly.  I still demonstrated control when I demanded she go to her room in a relaxed and eager voice as if I were asking a waiter for the dessert menu. I can't deny that I was eager for her to go to her room so that I could enjoy some peace and quiet.  I don't know what I was thinking.  No sooner than we closed the door to her bedroom was she in full out tantrum mode.  Screaming, kicking, crying, whining, etc.! 

10 Tips to Grow a Non-Picky Eater

Hello readers of Cropped Stories! I'm Alicia and I blog over at A Sweet Fragrance. My family and I are American-born but live as expats over in SE Asia. I blog about our life overseas, recipes I attempt to make while substituting lots of ingredients, projects I do around the house, "tot school" lessons I teach to my toddler, and lessons I learn through parenting and walking with the Lord. I hope you'll stop by my blog for a visit!

Is there anything quite more frustrating than a child who doesn't want to eat anything you put in front of him? Not even a nibble! I know of this frustration very well. Not only am I (unintentionally) raising a picky eater, I grew up being a very selective eater myself. Unfortunately, I can't blame my child's eating habits on genetics. Whether I want to admit to it or not, I'm the one who has created these picky tendencies of his.

Easy peasy cookie cupcakes!

About 2 months ago, I made a promise to myself I would start cooking more often.  Initially, I had intended to make more dinners.  I never imagined, in a million years, I would have the time or courage to start baking as well!  Over the past few weeks, I've baked a number of yummy desserts including Banana Coconut Muffins, Peppermint Biscotti with Chocolate Drizzle, Coffee Cake Cheesecake (post still to come) and, most recently, Cookie Cupcakes! 

Tips for parenting two children under two!

In the last few weeks of my second pregnancy, I remember thinking one constant thought. When this kid comes out, I'm going to have two kids under the age of two running around on this earth. And the idea of that immediately wall-slammed me to this thought: I wonder if there's a way to keep this second one in my belly a bit longer, at least until he's on solids.   Unfortunately, our ObGyn said this was not "advisable."   So, when he came out a week shy of forty, husband and I hit the ground running with our pre-planned ideas of how to parent two children under two while trying not to go Cuckoo Clock bonkers in the process.

Do you miss them being babies & my July sponsor giveaway!

When Alivia was born, I asked my sister who has two children (one was 15 at the time and other was 13) if she missed them being babies.  She answered without hesitance “no”.  In disbelief I asked “really”?  I was both surprised and enlightened by her answer!  After briefly explaining the things she was enjoying about my niece and nephew’s current ages, she went on to say that she thought of childhood as a temporary place for the child to become their true selves, the adult person they always had been just hadn’t grown into yet.  I had to think about it for a few minutes to really grasp the concept, but I was intrigued by the idea.  Could it possibly be true? 

Classic Pizzelles (a recipe you’re sure to love)!

In case you are unfamiliar with the name, they are Italian waffle cookies you make with a Pizzelle baker and they are absolutely delicious!  They can be made with either anise, vanilla, and even cocoa.  Our family prefers vanilla and there’s no one better at making them than my mom!  As I’m drafting this post, I’m asking my mom for tips.  Without hesitance, she answers “be sure to use Land O Lakes margarine”!  Other margarines apparently don’t measure up and the cookies will not come out nearly as good.  Another tip is to make sure the margarine is cooled before adding it to the mixture (as I’m typing this, my mom is saying “make sure you bold the word cooled under the directions”)!  Okay mom, will do!  I’ll even put it in CAPS just for you!  I got to make mom happy otherwise I won’t get any cookies.

What are your children doing to drive you nuts?

For those of us that have children, we all know that motherhood can be amazing!  It can be rewarding, fun, satisfying, fulfilling, blah, blah, blah!  Now let’s visit the flip side and discuss the things children do that challenge us and test our patience on a daily basis.  You know, the things that make you want to blow your brains out!

I know after reading that last sentence, something immediately popped into your head.  Something your child does that makes you want to pull out your hair and at the very least just annoys the fu@# out of you!  Am I right?

The Candid Photograph

What’s the difference between an okay photograph and one that makes you want to keep looking at it for hours? 

In my experience, I’d have to say camera settings, proper exposure, focus, and perspective.  To me, the least important contributing factor is the subject.  When you can make even the most mundane look exciting, fresh, and appealing than you my friend have just crossed over from being a so so photographer to an exceptional one! 

Does your child respect their things?

Are you teaching your kids to respect their things?  I think it’s an important lesson to teach and one they should most definitely learn.  What got me to thinking about this topic?  Good question.  I was recently having  a conversation with another mom who happened to mention having to buy a new kindle for their tot.  When I asked why (assuming there was something wrong with the product), she shocked me with her answer.  She went on to say that her little one had thrown and stepped on it multiple times, brushing the statement off casually as if that’s what toddlers do.  My immediate thought was “really”?  You’ve got to be kidding me.  Am I on candid camera?  Where are the video cameras at?

Are images/graphics in blog posts that important?

When it comes to posts, what kind of images and/or graphics do you find most appealing?  What makes you want to share a post across your social networks?  Take a minute to think about it. For me, not only does the topic have to interest me but the images and/or graphics have to grab my attention!  There are many things that contribute to a great image/graphic including: subject, size, proportions, the inclusion of text (when appropriate), exposure, clarity, perspective, vibrance, and color palette.  I try to keep all of these things in mind when drafting my own posts.  Writing comes naturally to me and while photographs and graphic design may too, they still take me longer to prepare and finalize.  It's definitely worth it but let me tell you why.

Our Vacation in St. Petersburg, FL

Being that I just returned from my blog break, I am doing a lot of catching up.  Trying to sort through my emails has been such a time consuming task that I haven't been able to think about topics to blog about.  To me, it's not all that important anyway.  I much rather maintain my social relationships by responding to emails, visiting blogs, and returning the love with follow backs!  With that said, if you emailed me and still haven't received a response, you should expect to see something soon!

Preserving the Memories

Hey there!  Glad to see you’re back!  I hope you enjoyed yesterday’s Guest Blogger, Barbara, and her Homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream post!  Well guess what?  Yep, I have another Guest Blogger for you today!  You can usually find her blogging over at The Sassy One!  Hillary is a wife and mom to an angel and two princesses!  She loves craft related things like scrapbooking, card making, and knitting!  Since photography is a hobby of mine, I was immediately drawn to the amazing images in her posts!  And being that it is a guilty pleasure of Hillary’s, I thought no one better to blog about it than her!  Makes sense right?  So, here it is.  Have fun ooohing and aaahing!

This Mama Needs a Week Off!

So here’s the deal!  Starting tomorrow, I’ll be taking a week off from blogging to spend some much needed time with family!  The hubby was able to get some time off and we have some exciting outings planned for the entire week!  I hope to have some wonderful pictures to share with you when I get back. 

Since I promised the family a blog free vacation, I just want to say “THANK YOU” for any comments you may leave while I’m away and I apologize in advance for not being able to respond to them personally.  And although I’m looking forward to this break, my bloggy site and all of you will be missed terribly!  As much as blogging can be hard work, time consuming, and a PIA (pain in the a#@) at times, I actually love doing it and I’m quite certain I’ll go through some blogging and social relations withdrawal!  Don’t worry about me though, I plan on checking my email at night.  The family has got to allow me a fix otherwise it’s just plain cruel!

Does your Child Stutter?

Over the last month I've noticed my little one, Alivia, stuttering quite a bit.  At first I didn't think anything of it, but as it started to worsen and become more frequent I grew concerned.  In order to establish whether she had control over it, I would remind her to take her time and think about what she wanted to say before she said it.  This seemed to help.  When I reminded her, she would pause for a good 5 - 10 seconds and then out her statement would come stutter free!  This eased my mind a bit.  Of course, being a first time parent, over protective, and a worry wart of sorts, I put a call into her Pediatrician anyway.

Intermittent Exotropia: Considering Surgery

It's been awhile since I blogged about Alivia's Intermittent Exotropia.  If you missed my last update, Back to Patching, feel free to catch up.  Additionally, I have a page dedicated to all of our Intermittent Exotropia updates (including resources) so if you haven't checked it out already, have at it! 

Spot the Differences (a game for Friday)!

Take a look to the right of this post.  See anything different?  Yes, that poll is new!  Since I constantly wonder obsess about what topics interest my readers the most, I thought what better way to find out than a poll!  If you have time, I’d greatly appreciate your participation.  I’m very curious to see the results at the end of the week!  More importantly, I can’t wait to start publishing content that will appeal to you personally!

Now onto the fun stuff!  If you’re here for my Spot the Differences game, than you’re in luck!  Yep, I have another one for you today.  This time with 8 differences.  Think you’re up for the challenge?  All you have to do is click on the OPEN NEW WINDOW text below to view it at it’s original LARGER size!  Oh, and don’t forget to drop me a comment.  My favorite part is finding out how many you get!  If you get stumped, no worries.  Just click on the answer key.  No cheating though!  Good Luck!

Just images!

Okay, I’m going to be honest, sometimes (and only when I'm lost for words which let's face it isn't often if you know me well), I actually like Wordless Wednesday and will use it as an intermission (so to speak) between blog posts.  It's the only time I feel like I can get away with not having anything to say, share, or contribute!  I'm sure as a blogger, you can relate knowing the challenge of coming up with interesting content to post every day of the week.  So, being that I haven't taken advantage of a Wordless Wednesday in quite some time, I'm using this Thursday as my intermission.  Nothing to say really.  No points to make. Nothing exciting or new to share.  No tips or tutorials.  No freebies.  Just images.  Now that I can do!

Wordless, who me?

Not completely wordless, but close. 

Looking over at my little one makes me think of how great it is to be a kid.  When all it takes are little things like a pink hat or animal print sneakers to make you smile, to make you happy, to make you love life!  There is no confusion, fuss, chaos, stress, worry, responsibility.  Just SIMPLICITY!  I wish it could always be like this for her.