I'm sorry...we are breaking up.

Here's the thing: it's you, not me. I couldn't believe I fell for your same song and dance. It never fails. I see you from across the room, all dressed in your holiday finery. You start to draw me near. I know I'm the prey and you're hunting me...I hate you for it.

I'm not sure why we do this. We both know how this is going to end: me hating myself in the morning, you sitting all smug in your holiday kitschy glory. Me sick to my stomach, you sparkling with delight. I really hate you for making me go through this every year, damn Christmas dessert from hell!!!!

Yes, I love my sweets and every year, there is one Christmas dinner dessert that literally, makes me sick to my stomach and then leaves me regretting digestion. This year, it was a random cake that someone else made and for lack of better things to do, I decided to munch down. It has now been two days that I have been worshipping porcelain gods. I want to curl up in the fetal position and rock on the cold tile floor. Why do I do this to myself?!

Worse still, the damn cake, which I have no idea what kind if cake it is, is almost looking at me snugly from the kitchen counter, as if to say: I'm wonderful, you can't handle me and that's why I had to poison you. It is mocking me. I can tell. It thinks it's better than me. The way I feel right now, it must be right.

In a moment of strength or perhaps stupidity, I entered the kitchen without the villainous Christmas cake noticing. I snuck up to it and screamed out my frustrations at it: I hate you. We are so done! I'm going to hate myself tomorrow but this is a guilt I can live with. It was all hateful hateful venom spilling from my mouth....and with that, I chucked the smug Christmas cake into the trash can. I DID IT!! I beat it. I'm better than it...damn hateful full-of-arsenic-possibly-hemlock Christmas cake. Granted, I still felt like hell. My stomach was still protesting every step and every drink of water. By sending me to the bathroom continuously. Sigh!

In smug triumph, I walked away from the kitchen, as the trash can lid melodramatically closed in slow motion. I clicked the light switch off and then...I heard it. Damn cake was talking to me as it lay dying a slow death in the trash can, along with the castoffs from our delicious Christmas dinner. I'm imagining it, right? Nope. As I tried to keep my head high, I couldn't help but shiver. The cake, perhaps noticing my slight fear and weakened state, laughed darkly and shouted: I will see you next year!!

I decided not to listen, to walk away. We were breaking up. I was not going to listen to its hateful parting shot. There's no way THIS Christmas cake would come back from the dead. But as I thought back to all the other Christmases where this had happened to me, I couldn't help but think that maybe this crazy yearly break up was being handled by some vengeful ghost. Oh well...better luck next year.

                Have you had a crazy holiday food story? Tell the Mamas all about it. ;) 

From the mouth of babes: Thanksgiving edition

So, instead of the usual Thanksgiving post, we wanted to do something different. We know why we, as adults, are thankful: health, children, happiness in the home, jobs, you name it. But was does this holiday mean to our littles? I thought I'd ask Pixy(5) and Banshee (3). Here's what I got:

Pixy: it's important to give thanks. For my sister because she's so special and she cares about me and I care about her. It's important to give love and kindness. To my new brother when he comes. I'm looking forward to family time and give thanks for our family and animals and give thanks for us. Because we were made special.

Banshee: God and eating turkey, and cranberries, and eating some stuffing. Eating is important on Thanksgiving and I eat candy.

Huh. Not only do their answers give insight I to how their brains think at their ages, but how important they felt that they were being asked their opinion. It was a fun assignment and I hope I get to be a reporter in this way again.

Liz asked Silas what Thanksgiving means as well.
Silas, age 3.5: "Kisses and hugs. And presents."  
Liz: "No that's Christmas Silas. What's Thanksgiving for?"  
"Um birthdays?"

From the MATH family to yours, may you stuff yourself with food, enjoy quality time with your family, and capture all those funny moments. You may need them as comic relief later!! ;)

Your assignment for today and tomorrow, besides family and food, is to ask your littles what Thanksgiving means to them. What's important about this holiday? Share their answers with us! The wisest and simplest things really do come "from the mouths of babes". 

Happy thanksgiving!!! We are thankful for all of you readers, sharing yourself and children's stories with us. It means a lot to all of us. 

Annie's Homegrown Organic Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese Review

Who will get to eat the Annie's??

We have two sons, ages 3 and 15 months. The mac and cheese flows freely in our house and our microwave gets a workout. I received some Annie's Homegrown Macaroni and Cheese from Influenster and wanted to share my views on it.

It only takes 2 minutes in the microwave whereas other brands take 3 minutes and 30 seconds. I tried it and found that the cheese actually does taste like aged cheddar. Silas tried it and he ate it (which is a feat, and telling in and of itself). Mike tried it and said that of any of the brands we've tried so far (which is many), he likes this one the best. Well. I was not expecting to change up our MacNCheese routine, but I guess that Annie's #Realcheese it is!

What else rocks about it? Well, organic pasta is nice. Great taste. It definitely looked different than the other macNcheeses we've tried when it came out of the microwave, but once I put the cheese in and stirred and let it cool, it was awesome. I had to try it multiple times to make sure it wasn't too hot for Silas ;)

I received Annie's Homegrown complimentary from Influenster.

Have you tried Annie's microwavable macaroni and cheese? What did you and your family think? Share your views below.