{ Mean Mean Mommy }

"Honey, Be sure to use mouthwash after you brush your teeth."

"But, Mommm! I can stand the new mouthwash!"

"I got you a kid one. Bubble Gum flavor. It's pink. Why don't you like it?"

"It's the grossest thing ever. It doesn't taste like bubble gum at all. It taste like rotten bubble gum. It's soooooo gross!!!" (Note: It does NOT taste like rotten bubble gum. It taste like bubble gum medicine. I tried it.)

"You need to use mouthwash. It's not a choice. You can either use the one I got you or you can use Mommy's and Daddy's. It doesn't have any alcohol in it, so it'll be fine for you to try." (The entire time I am telling her this, she is making dramatic fake gagging and dry heave motions with her throat, face, and whole body...and yet she refuses to try out for a role in the class play.)

(with slow moves, quivering and whimpering, as if she is about to get a whopper of a flu shot, she takes a sip of our mouthwash and swishes it around in her mouth and then violently spits it into the sink) "That is HORRIBLE!!!!! Agh! It burns my tongue! It burns! It burns!" (Like a vampire who just ate garlic)

"Look at it this way; If you keep using that one, then soon you will be able to enjoy the spicy salsa when we go to Mexican restaurants."

"That's not funny, Mom." (She starts giggling at my salsa/mouthwash correlation, then stops, and goes back to rolling her eyes to demonstrate just how un-funny I am)

"Okay, I will go look for a milder one for kids. I will check the organic store and see what I find. I'll either go sometime this week or next week. BUT, until then, you'll just have to use the bubble gum mouthwash even if you don't like the way it tastes." (She sulks and makes more fake gagging noises)

----- Fast forward a few hours to when my husband gets home from work and walks in the door---- with a PLEASE SAVE ME NOW tone she says,  "Guess what, Daddy? Mom said she is going to make me use the gross mouthwash forrrreverrrr." 

Sealed with a minty fresh Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Banana Split Bummer }

Yesterday, Saylor had a banana split. I JOKED I would pack one in her lunch kit for school. This morning she opened her lunch kit & asked w/ extreme disappointment, "Where is my banana split?" Her expression of utter disappointment and shock broke my heart. I explained that I was kidding yesterday about putting a banana split in her lunch kit and she, with total sadness on her face, said she was planning on sticking her lunch kit in the school freezer to keep her banana split from melting. NOTE: I seriously doubt she would be allowed to do such a thing at school. But, of course, this didn't cross my daughter's mind.
I can't believe she didn't realize I was just kidding about sending a banana split in her lunch kit. Kids take things so literal. She looked at her sandwich and other lunch items like they were rocks b/4 zipping her lunch kit back up. Now I feel like crap.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ 25 Days of Christmas---Day 20 }

Is everyone as baffled as me that Pillow Pets are the most popular toy at the moment? My kid and the kids of my friends all have one on their Christmas list. My daughter asked Santa for the Lady Bug Pillow Pet. How many times while out and about have I told my daughter to use her stuffed animal as a pillow when she gets sleepy in the backseat? Hence, a stuffed animal pillow. Why didn't I think of this concept and sell it for $19.99? The same goes for Snuggies. I've been using my robe as a blanket for years.

Merry 20th Day of Christmas to You!

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

Edible Ladybugs!!!

The next time you have a craving for strawberries or chocolate, why not combine both and eat Ladybugs?!?! This little strawberry treat is a fun way to get kids in the kitchen. I especially like this fun and simple treat because it requires very little assistance and kids get a true feeling of accomplishment since they did almost all the preparation themselves. This little dessert is a great way to use strawberries while they are at their peak in the summer and also a great way to provide a less sugary dessert!

What You'll Need:

*Strawberries for body(keep the leaves on the strawberries)

*red or purple grapes for head

*mini chocolate morsels for ladybug spots

*toothpicks

**** Rinse strawberries and grapes. ---Slice each grape in half. ---Insert toothpick into grape and use to attach the "head" to the strawberry body by inserting at top.---Gently press a few mini chocolate morsels onto top of strawberry to create the black spots of a ladybug.

That's it! Easy Peezy Lemon Squeezy!

Note: We also created a bed of greens using celery leaves so that our Strawberry Ladybugs would have something to "munch" on. Any greens will work such as lettuce or even spinach leaves which will go great with the strawberries!---and if you can get your kids to eat the greens as well, then more power to you!

---Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.