Stepford Life.

(or until grandkids in 20 years….)

It was a happy moment last week when I realized that Shaye was officially potty trained. She was about 18 months old when she started asking for her diaper to be changed, or taking it off herself.

I’ve just been so busy that I didn’t push it, but it was getting to the point she didn’t want her diaper on at all, and potty training was on the summer to do list anyway.

DONE.

It was insanely easy (jinxed myself there, didn’t I? I hope not). She’s 26 months now, and I’m a big believer that this is the window of opportunity. All of my kids were potty trained at 2 as soon as they gave me the signal.

I asked her if she wanted to wear panties. She said yes. I said “okay, no more diapers!” And I hid them all in a closet.

She put her panties on and didn’t have one accident. No bribes, no charts, no candies, no stalking her, no NOTHING.  It’s been a week.

She is currently holding my favorite child award, because that was just purely awesome.

Brinn, Shaye and I have been mesmerized by these caterpillars! Every morning after breakfast we head onto the porch to check them out, but on this particular morning there was only one caterpillar munching away on the last nub of parsley.

We went over to another flower box on my porch, low and behold we found this lazy guy! I admit, we’re super excited he stuck around and decided to do his thing in a potted geranium!

Our Swallowtail caterpillar is on the road to being a butterfly!

Chrysalis

Day 1 of his pupa, supa dupa!

I’m so mad I forgot to take a picture yesterday for day 2!

But here is day 3:

Link to day one! http://www.stepfordlife.com/2010/07/whered-my-parsley-go/

I didn’t want to taint the wonderful morning  that I spent talking with children and the parents who are thrilled that I’m opening the Cupcake Shop.

But I want to put something out there.

I’m a real person with feelings. Everyday I get up, take care of a house, care for my four kids, and bust my ass to make things for people. I love every minute of it, even if I fall into my bed exhausted and covered in sugar particles and there is food coloring  smeared across my face.

Negative word travels fast.

As I sat there today meeting people, I received a ton of great feedback. I also received a few stink eyes and handful of comments about how someone’s friend was bent out of shape to learn of my existence.

Really.

I do not talk crap about the other bakeries or bakers around Charlotte. I love to bake and I love to eat. If my business intimidates anyone, that’s crazy. The comments are never constructive criticism, it’s random snark and insecurity.

Anytime I have to turn down an order, I immediately give a recommendation! Ella Art and Edible Art are two of my favorites. I don’t need to talk crap about other people to bring them down OR their businesses. I’m also not going to apologize for doing my own marketing to get my name out there before I’m open.

I know I need to ignore the haters, and my skin will grow thicker in time. It’s just gross that other women can’t support each other, even if you’re both passionate about the same thing. Personally, I don’t cake discriminate. If it makes you feel good to have your friends give me the stink eye and post stuff on facebook, that’s fine. As for me, that’s not my style. I’ll save my competitiveness for Cupcake Wars.

In the words of one of my favorite authors:

And I would eat cake in a boat!
And I would eat cake with a goat…
And I will eat cake in the rain.
And in the dark. And on a train.
And in a car. And in a tree.
Cake’s so good so good you see!

So I will eat cake in a box.
And I will eat cake with a fox.
And I will eat cake in a house.
And I will eat cake with a mouse.
And I will eat cake here and there.
Say! I will eat cake ANYWHERE!

HAM I AM.

400 mini cupcakes.

all pink.

all sparkles.

Brinn attends dance classes at Miller Street Dance Academy, and this year Shaye will be in the 2′s class! Little dancers just like their momma. (most of you know I taught dance/drama at Fort Mill Middle till I went and got all knocked up again…)

I was so excited MSDA wanted to support my business and celebrate their first birthday with my cupcakes. They only wanted to do minis so that the children didn’t go bonkers on giant sugar bombs early in the morning, and each was suppose to be pink, with pink sparkles, and pink tiaras.  Done.

My camera didn’t take the most beautiful picture of them last night before I started packaging them in their boxes, but I was very proud of how cute they turned out.

The bash was a HUGE success, I’m so thrilled to have such a wonderful group of people in the ‘hood!

Thanks again, MSDA!

See anything?

wait……a minute

Very hungry Caterpillars!

Tons of them, everywhere!

When you realize your flower box is technically infested, you want to google it to make sure that they won’t eat or poison my kids. So I did some researching….

Black Swallowtails!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Swallowtail

Very fitting, I think one of these is tattoo’d on my back!

It makes me want to run out and plant parsley everywhere!

link to 2nd update: http://www.stepfordlife.com/2010/08/caterpillar-metamorphosis/