Adonai and I had this wonderful plan of how we would make Angry Bird cake pops for his 4th birthday and I was SO excited to do it for him! I bought all the necessary ingredients and had a clear idea of what I had to do so the task didn't seem too intimidating. I had used the candy wafers before and they were pretty simple to use so I figured making the cake pops would be an easy task. Boy, was I wrong! I have so many reasons as to why it was such a FAIL!
First off, I bought a brand of candy wafer that I had never used before. This was mistake # 1. Only after I ran into the problems I did, I googled a solution for it - and stumbled upon countless complaints of the same "hardened and thick texture" that was the result of my melting process. That was a huge disappointment because it was the red candy wafers that this happened to & I planned on making many RED Angry Birds.
Mistake # 2 - I didn't have bowls/cups deep enough to dip the cake pop into and pull it right out. Every time I dipped it, it hit the bottom of the cup or bowl, which led to me having to sort of stir the cake pop in the melted candy to get it coated completely.. This was the biggest frustration because no matter how hard I tried, my cake pop would magically create a sort of suction on the bottom of the cup and stayed there when I pulled out the stick! I wanted to scream every single time it happened to me! After my 4th attempt, I gave up and accepted that I didn't have the patience nor did I have the energy to keep experimenting.
Mistake # 3 - I was not feeling very well and though any other time, I would have pressed on until I figured it out, this time was not that case. I felt so weak and exhausted that I wanted to cry... and the thought of ending up with crumbled cake mixed with icing was a huge disappointment to say the least!
Mistake # 5 - not stopping when the red candy melts failed to melt. I wasted so much time...
I so badly wanted to make those cake pops for my little guy. If they had come out the way I had imagined, he would have loved them! He was so excited for them too... I think he still is. My heart feels a bit broken tonight... mainly because now we don't have any cake pops or birthday cake made especially for him to celebrate his 4th birthday. He deserves only the best because he is truly an amazing kid... and I feel so incredibly sad that things didn't turn out the way they should have!
... I guess this will be a teachable moment for me to show Addi how things don't always go as planned or something philosophical like that.
p.s HAPPY early 4th birthday, Addi! I love you oh so very much!!!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Potty training adventures...
Life has a way of teaching us lessons at every twist and turn. With each new experience, a part of us that thought we had "it" all figured out realizes that it was truly a mystery up until that very moment. So many times in my life I have had to humble myself and accept that I thought I knew something that I truly had no idea about. Those moments are my personal teachable moments and those experiences are irreplaceable in my life. If it wasn't for me making a fool out of my so-called "knowledge," I would not have learned the important lessons I had to learn in this life.
Take for instance this situation: Before I got married, I had the privilege of being the nanny to one of the most intelligent and brilliant little girls I've ever met, whose parents were the most kindest, generous, & thoughtful people I've met to this day... So here I was babysitting: taking care of her making sure she didn't get hurt and was entertained etc... AND I thought I had it all figured out about potty training. I thought kids just needed to realize that they had no choice but to use the toilet once they hit a certain age or when their parents started the process of "potty training." I think back on this time & my experience potty training this little girl & I want to smack myself for being so incredibly clueless. Having my own son, who at the age of almost 4 is not yet fully potty trained has taught me so much about the process through a parents eyes. I have tried everything... and things that I was sure would work still have not.
I remember during nannying, I believed the little girl was ready since he showed all signs of being ready, but she still needed a little time... no pressure. I wish I knew how to just give her and her parents time back then. Instead, I wrote them this lengthly letter about how ready she was and how she feels she has a choice in the matter so that's why she's not fully potty-trained then and there! Ah, I still feel like smacking myself when I think about it. Clueless wasn't even the word to describe me.
As a parents, every situation our child faces has the potential to scar them in the process & we try our best to reduce trauma of any sort in our children's lives. We practice patience and "waiting it out" because we only want the best for them. We endure diapers full of poop for just a little while longer while holding on to the hope that one day... one day (soon, hopefully?) our child will all of a sudden get over the fear of pooping in the toilet. We let them be babies and toddlers for just a bit longer while enjoying the prolonged avoidance of torture of teaching them how to use public restrooms... yuck!
If there is one thing potty training has taught me, it's that it is best not rushed. From all that I have read and experienced through the years, it's best to let your child's enthusiasm lead the way and just be there as a parent to assist and teach when it's necessary. Potty training is a process for most kids - definitely not something that happens overnight!
I plan on encouraging my son every chance I get to do his pee & poop in the toilet, but I will not force him. I will not create an environment of fear in his life... fear tactics create more problems compared to solving problems. I will hold on to the hope that one day, something or someone will motivate him enough to give it a try. I think that day is right around the corner! :) Yay for us! He's doing pee fine, but poop is another story :D
Take for instance this situation: Before I got married, I had the privilege of being the nanny to one of the most intelligent and brilliant little girls I've ever met, whose parents were the most kindest, generous, & thoughtful people I've met to this day... So here I was babysitting: taking care of her making sure she didn't get hurt and was entertained etc... AND I thought I had it all figured out about potty training. I thought kids just needed to realize that they had no choice but to use the toilet once they hit a certain age or when their parents started the process of "potty training." I think back on this time & my experience potty training this little girl & I want to smack myself for being so incredibly clueless. Having my own son, who at the age of almost 4 is not yet fully potty trained has taught me so much about the process through a parents eyes. I have tried everything... and things that I was sure would work still have not.
I remember during nannying, I believed the little girl was ready since he showed all signs of being ready, but she still needed a little time... no pressure. I wish I knew how to just give her and her parents time back then. Instead, I wrote them this lengthly letter about how ready she was and how she feels she has a choice in the matter so that's why she's not fully potty-trained then and there! Ah, I still feel like smacking myself when I think about it. Clueless wasn't even the word to describe me.
As a parents, every situation our child faces has the potential to scar them in the process & we try our best to reduce trauma of any sort in our children's lives. We practice patience and "waiting it out" because we only want the best for them. We endure diapers full of poop for just a little while longer while holding on to the hope that one day... one day (soon, hopefully?) our child will all of a sudden get over the fear of pooping in the toilet. We let them be babies and toddlers for just a bit longer while enjoying the prolonged avoidance of torture of teaching them how to use public restrooms... yuck!
If there is one thing potty training has taught me, it's that it is best not rushed. From all that I have read and experienced through the years, it's best to let your child's enthusiasm lead the way and just be there as a parent to assist and teach when it's necessary. Potty training is a process for most kids - definitely not something that happens overnight!
I plan on encouraging my son every chance I get to do his pee & poop in the toilet, but I will not force him. I will not create an environment of fear in his life... fear tactics create more problems compared to solving problems. I will hold on to the hope that one day, something or someone will motivate him enough to give it a try. I think that day is right around the corner! :) Yay for us! He's doing pee fine, but poop is another story :D
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